PROLOGUE
SAGE
“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but her remains were found.”
The air was thick with tension as a chill swept through me. Bile crept up my throat, and I fought to keep from emptying my stomach all over the nursing home floor. I was expecting those words. Yet, it still felt like I was trapped in a nightmare as the detective spoke.
This was the moment I’d feared every day for the last twenty years. The small amount of hope of ever seeing her alive again vanished. The room was unbearably hot. My red hair was slick from sweat, and the strands sticking to my neck were suddenly suffocating.
The mother I had no memory of, who was only in my life for two months, was dead.
Pulling my hair from my neck, I forced myself to look away from the conference table and glance at my sister. Lacey’s usual pale complexion was even more ashen as her gaze lifted to meet mine.
“Who are you again?” My dad’s voice made my stomach plummet.
His eyes, usually filled with love when he saw us, were a blank. He was not in a lucid state. Early-Onset Alzheimer’s was the reason he was in this nursing home. My heart ached realizing he had no idea we were talking about the love of his life.
“It’s okay, Charles,” his favorite nurse murmured, helping him stand from the chair. “Let’s go get some lunch.”
“We’ll talk to him later, okay, Sage?” Lacey mumbled, squeezing my hand. Biting my lip, I wondered if we were going to tell him when he was in a lucid state. Was it worth it? It would only crush him. Detective Thomas cleared his throat and pulled me from my thoughts.
“I know this is difficult. And I’m sorry we have to do this. But I’m sure after this long, you and your family want answers.” He started the conversation. “The circumstances in which we found her remains are very unusual. She was found in Cass County, which is over a three-hour drive from here. She was buried in an oak casket. Whoever did it took the time to give her a proper burial, which leads us to think it was someone she knew.”
“How did she die?” I forced the question out as my nails dug into my palm.
“The cause of death was a stab wound to her heart. There was nothing else. No defensive wounds or other injuries.”
“Was it—was it painless for her?” I asked, attempting to keep my composure.
“I don’t believe she suffered,” the detective answered, his voice filled with compassion. “It’s likely she was killed soon after she went missing. But I do have a question for you.”
“Anything that could help,” Lacey said before I could.
“Did your mom have short hair when she went missing?”
“No, her hair was long, at least down to the middle of her back,” my sister answered, her eyebrows raising slightly.
“Your mother’s remains…they were in good condition, even after twenty years,” Detective Thomas said as softly as possible. “The oak coffin kept the elements out. The autopsy and the investigation of the coffin showed no evidence of her hair. That’s why we want to know if she had short hair.”
“You’re saying whoever did this cut her hair off?” I asked in shock.
“It looks like it, yes,” he said. “We dusted for prints and looked for any other evidence but didn’t find anything. She was found in a field that hasn’t been touched in decades. But a company bought it and started construction to build, that’s when the coffin was discovered. Do you know anyone in Cass County?”
“No,” we both answered at the same time.
“Are you sure? Maybe other family members do,” Detective Thomas pressed as I shook my head. There was no other family that would be helpful. Our dad didn’t have any living relatives. He was the youngest, and his siblings had already passed away. Our mom had one sister, but she lived in Oregon, and they were never close.
“We’re positive. We don’t have any other family in Michigan,” Lacey answered.
“Well, if either of you can think of anything that could possibly help, please feel free to contact me. We’re still investigating, but with this being a cold case for so long, and since no new evidence has come to light, we sadly don’t have any leads. We will release the remains as soon as everything is completed,” he said gently, pulling a small piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and handing it to Lacey. “Here’s the number to arrange that.”
“Thank you, I’ll take care of it,” Lacey promised as she grabbed the paper he held out. A small grin pulled at my lips. Lacey was my big sister and wanted to do what she could to take care of me. But we both knew I was the responsible one in the family.
The detective stood up and moved to shake our hands. “Again, I’m so sorry for your loss. If any new evidence comes to light, I’ll call immediately.”
I stayed in my chair as he left the room. Disappointment rippled through me as Lacey leaned over from behind me and pulled me into a hug. I wanted answers, but now I had even more questions.