I lowered myself into a chair in the den. “Gotta make that visit then.”
“As soon as there’s an empty spot on the calendar. I’m actually calling because I got a lead.”
“Tell me.”
“I got in touch with a woman’s shelter in Portland I have a relationship with.”
One of the pro-bono pieces of Holt’s company helped to get women out of abusive situations and placed them with organizations that could help. He’d developed relationships with these kinds of shelters all across the country.
“Did she come through there?”
The sound of a pen clicking came across the line, the telltale sign that Holt was thinking through something. “Not quite. She got in touch with them. Cecily was supposed to meet a volunteer at a prearranged spot with her daughter. She never showed.”
41
ADDIE
I balanced the bag on my hip and knocked on the door. A curtain fluttered in a window to the side of the door, and I waved. A moment later, I heard a door unlocking.
Cora gave me a hesitant smile. “Hi, Addie. Please, come in.”
I stepped inside to the sound of Jack’s happy gurgling as he bounced in his playpen in the small living room. “I wanted to see how you were doing and bring you a few things.” I handed the bag to Cora.
“You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to.” I crossed to Jack, lifting a set of plastic keys to dance in front of him. “And I needed to see this handsome fella again.” He let out a laugh as he grabbed for the toy. “He seems happy.”
Cora set the bag down on the table in the kitchen and began removing items. “He is. I used to have to keep him in his bedroom when Brandon was home. Now, he has the run of the place.”
My stomach twisted at the thought of how they’d existed for so long. “How are you doing?”
Cora’s steps faltered only slightly as she moved to the fridge to put away some milk and yogurt. “A lot better. I know it’ll be a long road, but I’m mostly relieved. Sheriff Easton has officers driving by every hour or so to look for unfamiliar vehicles. Someone knocks on my door once a day to see how I’m doing.”
“Have you seen any signs of Brandon?”
Cora shook her head. “Not once.” Her lips pressed together in a firm line. “Cybil did stop by.”
I tried to stop a growl from leaving my lips. Cybil lived at my father’s ranch. She was in charge of cooking and cleaning for the bunkhouse, but I think she wanted more of a relationship with my father. She always reported to him if I did something he didn’t like and seemed to get some perverse joy out o
f my beatings.
“I hope you didn’t let her in.”
Cora grinned. “I think she was shocked when I didn’t invite her inside.”
“I’m surprised my dad let her use one of his vehicles to come over here.”
“She said Allen sent her. Brandon’s staying at the bunkhouse.” Cora picked at a piece of paint that was peeling off the kitchen table. “She said that Brandon would forgive me if I truly repented.”
How many times had I heard something similar? The words made me sick now. “Don’t give her any space in your head.”
“I’m not. I know if I let him back around here, only one thing will happen. He’ll kill me.”
“I hate that you’ve had to live with this for so long.”
Cora lifted her gaze to mine. “You had to live with it longer. How did you survive? If I didn’t have Jack, I might’ve taken another way out.”
I couldn’t deny that the thought had crossed my mind more than once. I would think how easy it would be to lose myself in the waters of the falls, forever hidden from any violence my father might want to inflict on me. Instead, I’d fought my way to the surface, and I would be eternally grateful for that.