Under Her Care by Berry Lucinda

Author:Berry, Lucinda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2022-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

THEN

Row. Row. Row your boat.

Gently down the stream.

That’s easy.

So easy.

I can do it.

But she doesn’t let me try. She never does. Why?

I can do it. I can.

Stupid face.

I don’t care. Let me.

Try.

If you don’t. This might be the time.

For that word.

The one I can’t say.

Shhh. Fingers to her lips. Pretty lips.

Paint them red. I want to.

What would she say?

If I did to her what she does to me?

That’s what I want to try. Not this.

EIGHTEEN

GENEVIEVE HILL

Five thousand two hundred and thirty-nine steps. Kitchen through the living room to my mother-in-law suite back through to the bedroom and into the kitchen again completes my loop. This is my route. Eighteen laps in the last hour. I’m too scared to go outside. Everywhere I go there’s a dark shadow stalking my every move.

Mason sits like a lump on the couch in the family room. He’s barely moved since his testing session with Ms. Walker yesterday. Testing always takes so much out of him, and he was even more drained than usual when I picked him up from her office afterward. Her office was so dumpy. I hadn’t expected that.

Or the absence of any more messages. There’s been nothing tucked underneath my windshield or slid through the mail slot for twenty-four hours. I wish it made me feel better, but it doesn’t. Not even a little. That Monster isn’t going to leave me alone.

The buzz from the doorbell sends the contents of my stomach up and back down. I swallow hard and pull out my phone, quickly bringing up the app. Detective Layne’s distorted body fills my screen, accompanied by two other officers I don’t recognize. It’s hard to keep them straight when there are so many. A woman in plain clothes is tucked behind him in the middle of the other officers.

“Mason, the police are here. Be on your best behavior!” I shout to him as I hurry to the door. I take a deep breath and a second to collect myself before opening the door. “Hi, everyone.” I greet them with a smile just like my granny taught me. No matter what, you smile.

Detective Layne takes a step forward. “Hello, Genevieve. Mind if we come inside and have a word?”

Normally, I’d whip open the door and welcome him inside, but something about this visit feels different. Did Ms. Walker already go to the media? She couldn’t have done it that quickly, could she? I thought she said she’d let me know when she’d done it. My hands twist in front of me. I’m not ready for this yet. I haven’t prepared. “What’s going on?”

“Why don’t you just let us come inside?” he says in a way that solidifies something’s up.

“Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?” I stretch my arms out so each is resting against a side of the doorframe.

He glances at the woman, and as if on cue, she pushes herself through the others to the front of the pack. She sticks out her hand to me. “Hi, Genevieve, I’m Patrisha, but you can call me Trish.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.