Page 142 of Everything She Feared

Once again, Sara figured the media had gotten her address from the parents with Sunny Days; some had kids at Katie’s school. People knew her connection to Anna’s death.

The press may have my address but I thank God they don’t know anything more about us. What if this makes them dig deeper? But they can’t uncover our history. Everything’s sealed, buried, names have been changed. But what if—No! All these years, no one has found us. No!

Fortunately the newspeople hadn’t blocked her driveway. But they gathered around her Trailblazer the moment she parked. That’s when her phone rang. Rose Aranda was calling. Sara ensured all the windows were up and all the doors were locked.

Camera lenses from either side and the front were aimed at her as she remained behind the wheel. She answered the call and spoke softly with her hand cupped over her mouth and phone.

“Sara. I got your message and read the story.”

“What should I do, Rose? I’ve got reporters in my driveway and cameras pointed at me.”

“Say nothing. Speak to no one. I’ll get hold of King County and find out more.”

“This is scary, Rose.”

“I know. Hang in there. I’ll call you right back.”

Sara collected her phone, her bag and got her keys ready, steeling herself. She unlocked her car door. The moment she stepped from her SUV, the questions came.

A man thrust his microphone at her as she locked her car. “What is your reaction to police saying Anna Shaw’s death is suspicious?”

Sara headed toward her house without speaking as camera operators jostled to get closer to her.

“Sara,” a woman with a microphone said, “your daughter was the last person with Anna Shaw—do you have any comment?”

A man recording with his phone said: “Is it true Anna Shaw babysat your daughter? How did your daughter end up with Shaw’s jewelry after her death?”

Sara made it to the house, fumbled to get her key in the lock, got inside, shut the door and locked it. She slammed her back to the wall, sliding to the floor, struggling not to sob.

She stayed that way until she recovered a degree of composure. Her phone rang and vibrated several times with calls from news outlets. She ignored them all while monitoring for Rose Aranda to get back to her. Sara went to her desk, logged on to her laptop and searched online for more information.

Told’ya. It’s the girl pushed her, one person posted on a thread after linking the breaking news report of Anna’s death being suspicious.A nine-year-old? Come on, another posted.Gotta be something else, said another poster. Sickened by the comments, Sara searched social media for more news reports and came to a clip of a Seattle TV news station at the house of Anna Shaw’s parents.

“No,” Lynora Shaw, Anna’s mother, said at her door. “We haven’t been told anything.”

“But can you confirm that just before her death, Anna had a bad breakup with her boyfriend?”

Lynora Shaw’s face was pained.

“I’m sorry, we have nothing more to say.”

Sara’s phone rang and vibrated. It was Rose.

“I reached Detective Sergeant Art Acker.”

“What did he say?” Sara asked.

“It was a short conversation. All he would say is that the investigation is ongoing.”

“What about it now being suspicious?”

“I pressed him on that. He wouldn’t confirm or deny it, only that the investigation continues.”

“What does that mean for Katie? What do police know? What are they doing? Why did they take her fingerprints?”

“Could be any number of reasons. I know this is a terrible time, but you’re going to have to ride this out.”

After the call, Sara sat alone while her phone vibrated with more media calls.

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