Page 65 of Everything She Feared

At the checkout, while placing her items on the conveyor belt, Sara’s heart flew back to Salem, Oregon, to when she was a cashier and the day she lost Nathaniel. Then her mind shifted to what had happened only two years ago when she’d taken Katie to visit friends in British Columbia—another tragedy.

And now this one with Anna.

“That’ll be forty-one forty.”

Sara got her card from her wallet and, after paying, noticed that the older woman she’d seen in her aisle was now watching her and Katie from the next checkout line. When Sara stared back, the woman looked away.

Their groceries bagged and in their cart, Sara and Katie moved through the parking lot. Once everything was loaded into their Trailblazer and the cart was returned to the corral, they got in. Before starting the motor, before they buckled up, Sara turned to Katie.

“Honey, I have to know what really happened to Anna.”

Katie lowered her head, took the heart of the necklace between her fingers, twisting it tenderly.

“I had bad thoughts, Mom.”

“Like you did with the boy?”

Katie shook her head slowly. “Worse thoughts than that.”

“Did you have these thoughts after Anna fell, or before?”

Katie whispered.

“Before.”

Pursuant to Resolution 10242

Pursuant to Montana Code Annotated § 44-5-103

Records Bureau Archive Retrieved: Copied from original

Great Falls Police Department report numberrXXXXXXXXXX

Great Falls Police Department

Incident Report Abandoned Child

INTERNAL USExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PERSON MAKING REPORT:

NAME:Cynthiaxxxxxxx xx

ADDRESS:xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx

PHONE:xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx

DOB:rXXXXXXXX1956

AGE: 20

SEX: F

EMPLOYER/SCHOOL:rXXXXXXX

PHONE:rXXXXXXXXXX

ADDRESS:rXXXXXXXXXX

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