Fractured Sanctuary by Elodie Crowe

Author:Elodie Crowe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Women's Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Suspense, Murder Mystery, Ghosts Fiction
Publisher: Elodie Crowe
Published: 2024-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Disclosure

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NATURAL?” Looking up into his face, I wished everyone would stop talking in riddles. “Fog occurs when cool air mixes with warm moist air over water. What’s more natural than that?”

“I’m saying that’s not what caused this fog.” A line emerged on his brow as he crouched before me.

“Ewan.” Mary’s tone was clipped, as though she was chastising him. “Don’t.”

“What?” Answering for him, my attention snapped to Mary. “Why won’t you let him speak?”

“It’s time she knew.” Ewan’s gaze also slid to Mary.

“She?” Were they talking about me? My heart hammered as the conclusion played out mockingly in my head. They’re talking about me.

“That wasn’t the plan, and you know it.” Perched on the other end of the sofa, Mary seemed to have taken on a completely new persona. No longer the caring nurse who hovered on the edge of hysterics at the prospect of being trapped in the waiting room, she appeared to have morphed into someone new. Someone harder, who wasn’t used to not getting her way.

“I’m changing the plan.” Ewan sounded equally as determined as he stared Mary down.

“You don’t have operational authority to do that.” Mary’s gaze narrowed. “I’ll call it in and get you removed from the case.”

“Okay, enough!” Rising to my feet, I looked around the room. “What is going on here? Either someone’s going to tell me, or you’re all leaving.” I’d heard enough.

“I told you this wouldn’t work.” Sally’s voice trembled, her statement apparently directed at Ewan and Mary.

“So, you’re in on this too?” Whatever this is. I didn’t know why I was so surprised. Sally and I were hardly best friends. I’d intimated so myself only a few minutes before. Why would I believe she wasn’t involved in whatever was going on? I wasn’t still that gullible, was I?

“We’re all in on it.” There was a smugness to Cilla’s tone that tightened the knot of unease in my belly. “Every single one of us.”

She signaled around the room, and as my gaze followed her fingers, it was drawn inexplicably to the open doorway. Beams of sunlight were reaching for the room, offering a warmth the fog had shielded us from, but somehow, the weather had never seemed colder.

“Somebody needs to tell me what’s happening!” Sparks of anger infused with my growing fear, commanding me to disregard everything I’d learned since Sam and revert back to the petrified woman whose only concern was survival. Frustration furled as I saw the responses playing out in real time. I’d worked so damn hard to untangle myself from the tethers of doubt and insecurity. How dare these people come into my life—into my home—and ignite them again. “And they need to tell me now.”

That same fury was taking control as I surveyed the assembled group. Whoever they were and whatever this was about, I had the distinct sense that at least a few of their number seemed to be enjoying my reaction. My gaze slid to Cilla before burning into Maureen.

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