Secrets, Lies, and Deadly Ties by Tawni Suchy

Author:Tawni Suchy [Suchy, Tawni]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

26

REED

The private room in the west wing of the hospital is sterile and plain. No posters, no pictures, no decorations. A couch in an ugly shade of blue sits behind me. Dale, the nurse who brought me in here, stands in front of the empty desk across from me. He holds a small stack of manila folders.

I can see the F, A, and C for Finn, Abby, and Charli on the tabs. Charli’s folder is at the very bottom.

It’s been four hours since I stumbled into the gruesome crime scene. Four hours of waiting. Four hours of unknowns. Four hours of darkness.

The small window to my left hints at the coming dawn. The sky shifts from black to orange as the sun forces its way through the night’s darkness. But I feel anything but sunshine around me. It’s been nothing but darkness since I heard that call. Nothing but darkness since I saw the light in Charli’s eyes dim in pain and her body shake with uncontrolled convulsions.

When I saw the black candles lining the sidewalk to Abby’s house, I knew I was going to hate whatever I found inside. That ominous foreshadowing didn’t prepare me for what I stumbled on. Nothing could have.

Dale clears his throat, and I glance up from where my gaze drifted through the window to meet his eyes. According to the nurse, the staff named me as the emergency contact for Finn, Abby, and Charli in the current circumstances. I’m grateful because otherwise, I’d continue to struggle with the unknown.

“Let’s start with the good news,” Dale says before opening the folder on top. He sets the two other files down on the desk behind him. “Your friend Finn is going to be okay. The bullet was lodged pretty deep, but the surgeon dug it out and Finn handled it well. He’s still out from the anesthesia but should wake up soon. He’ll need to wear a sling for a while. And he’ll need some occupational therapy. But he’s going to be fine.”

I nod.

Dale closes Finn’s folder and sets it to the side. When he turns, he grabs the next manila file. After fingering through the pages, he scans the contents. His expression turns from hard to soft as he nears the end of the paperwork.

“Abby experienced a pretty good knock to the head and has quite a bump. She’ll need her rest. She may have a minor concussion, but it’s nothing to be too concerned about. The doctors believe she will also be okay.” He sets Abby’s folder down and grabs the last one on the desk.

While closing my eyes, I pray that this positive tone continues. But, as each second ticks by and I hear him cough several times, I prepare myself for the worst. A full minute passes. I count sixty seconds. When I will myself to look up, he focuses on the page. My chest aches as my heart pounds.

When he stays silent, I ask, “And Charli?” My leg bounces as I wait for his response.

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