Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
This message was typed, and it only takes up two lines, so that’s not the case here…but—
It could be an acrostic.
I grab a pen and a piece of paper from my junk drawer.
Time to write out the message vertically.
When
echoes
navigate
down
yonder,
many
anchors
destroy
ideas
generated
about
neglect.
W E
We
Now I’m getting somewhere.
But ND isn’t the beginning to any word I know, so the first word is not We.
Best to simply write it all out.
WENDYMADIGAN
But the comma could indicate a break in the words.
WENDY MADIGAN
I remember the name from when Dad and I first found the documents and did some research. She’s Jeremy Madigan’s niece. Who had an affair with Bradford Steel.
Which resulted in a child.
Fucking goddamn.
Chapter Seventeen
Ava
I walk into my parents’ house, only to see Gina’s duffel bag sitting by the door. I find her in the kitchen, having a snack of tortilla chips with Mom’s homemade salsa. Her long hair is up in a messy bun, and she’s wearing faded jeans, a Mesa sweatshirt, and roughed-up cowboy boots, and still she looks better put together than I ever do.
“You going back to school?”
“School’s over for the semester, but I’m heading back to the sorority house. We have a big party planned next weekend.” Gina dips a chip into the salsa and brings it to her mouth. A drop of salsa slides down her chin.
She still looks perfect, even when eating messy chips and salsa. She makes a mess charming.
“Oh,” I finally say. Sororities were never my thing, but Gina is the quintessential sorority girl. “How is Dad doing?”
“He’s upstairs, with Mom.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, they say everything’s fine. Dad looks good. His color is back.” She wipes her mouth with a napkin and then lowers her voice. “But they’re not acting fine, Ava. They’re acting kind of strange, and I almost feel like I should stay.”
“And miss the big sorority bash?” I resist an eye roll.
“I know this kind of stuff means nothing to you, but it’s a big thing for me. And for Bree, Angie, and Sage. Our sorority has been a huge part of our college years.”
“I know, sis. I don’t get it, but I respect that it’s important to you.”
“Thanks, Aves.”
“Tell you what. I’ll keep an eye on Mom and Dad. You go ahead and go back to Grand Junction. Have your party, but then you’ll be home next Sunday, right?”
“Yep. I’ll be home from then until after the first of the year, when I start my last semester.”
“Yup, you and the awesome foursome.”
“You mean the gleesome threesome.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That’s a new term.”
Gina shrugs. “Didn’t Brianna tell you? She’s graduating. She’ll come back and walk with us in May for commencement, but she’s done. After the big sorority party, she’s coming home. For good.”
“I had no idea. Good for her.”
“She’ll miss her last semester, but she doesn’t seem to care about that. She’s kind of all in with some new project. I’m not sure what it is. She’s being really secretive about it.”
“Ha. I’m sure she’ll let us know when she’s ready.”
“Yeah.” Gina puts away the chips and salsa, washes her hands at the kitchen sink, and then turns back to me. “I’m going to go say goodbye to Mom and Dad, and then I need to pick up Angie and Sage for the drive back.”
“What about Bree?”
“She’s driving by herself. Since she’ll be coming home for good, she wants to stay a few extra days to wrap things up.”
“Got it.”
Gina leaves the kitchen, and I hear her clomping down the hallway to Mom and Dad’s master bedroom.
I’ll give them a few moments. I’ll let them talk to Gina, and once she’s gone, I’ll go in.
I’ll go in, assess the situation, and if all looks good, I’ll shower them with the questions that I have.
I don’t have any more time to waste. I need to know what’s going on, and I kept my promises to Aunt Melanie and Aunt Marj. I waited until after the anniversary party.
But apparently Dad himself couldn’t wait until after the anniversary party.
Something has him stressed, on edge. Enough on edge to have a panic attack when he has no history of panic attacks whatsoever.
I mean to find out what’s going on.
About fifteen minutes later, Gina emerges from Mom and Dad’s bedroom. She whisks by me, giving me a quick hug. “See you in a week, Aves.”
“Okay, G. Drive safe.”
“Will do.”
Once Gina is out of the house, I head toward my parents’ bedroom.
The door is usually closed, but it’s cracked open. I’m not sure if they’ve noticed it, because they’re speaking, and I can hear them quite well.
“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” Mom says.
“You always thought that, Ruby?”
“Part of me did, yeah. I know you want to forget the past forever, but is that fair to our children?”
“She was supposed to be dead.”
“Yeah? Well, people in your family have a tendency not to stay dead.”