One Tiny Secret

Chapter Twenty Eight

Putting the car in reverse, I back out of the parking spot and pull out onto the street, heading home. Alex starts to ask a question, but stops, almost like she hasn’t thought it out completely. A heavy sigh sounds from her direction, and I understand exactly how she feels. I’ve been feeling that way for what seems like an eternity now.

As we pass by the spot where I broke down earlier, thoughts of Kevin clutter my mind. I hear his voice resonate in my head and I start to become emotional again. I’m terrified to find out what Unknown meant by his text. I don’t want to deal with another person gone from my life.

“What’s that?” Alex asks. I follow her finger, pointing out the windshield at something in the distance. When we get closer, I see that it’s a truck pulled off to the side of the road.

“Oh, no. That’s Kevin’s truck,” I say, my voice trembling.

I bring the car to a crawl while moving behind the truck, and eventually put it in park. My car’s headlights are the only source of light in the area. From where I’m sitting, the vehicle looks abandoned. I grab my phone and dial Kevin’s number. The phone begins to ring on my end, and then in front of us as I hear a faint melody sounding from outside.

I hang up, realizing that his phone is in the truck. “Dammit.”

“Dani, what’s going on?” Alex asks, becoming more panicked every second. “Did that guy do this?”

“I think so. I need to call my dad.” The moment I go to press my father’s name, a message pops up at the top of the screen. I want to ignore it, but can’t. The message reads:

There’s something waiting for you in the front cab…

“What is it?” Alex asks when I glance over at her and she sees the grim expression on my face.

“He wants me to check the front of the truck.”

“Screw that, Dani. You’re not getting out of this car. Call your dad and have him deal with this, okay? It’s his job, not yours, and now you’ve got proof,” she explains in a frantic manner, complete with arm flailing.

Taking her advice, I ignore the text and call my father. It rings twice before he picks up.

“It’s almost midnight. I hope you’re on your way home,” he says when he answers.

“Dad, I need you to come quick. Kevin’s truck is out here and he doesn’t appear to be in it.”

“Now, calm down, Dani. Where are you?”

“I don’t really know exactly where we are, but I think there was a sign that said three miles to Holden Ridge. We’re on Edgemount Road. Please hurry and bring backup. Something doesn’t feel right,” I explain, knowing full well something isn’t right. I need my dad to see this in hopes that he might believe what I’ve been saying is true.

“I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for this. I’ll be there soon, okay?” he replies calmly, which only succeeds in frustrating me more.

“Dad, I know there’s something wrong here. Just hurry, please.”

I hear him sigh into the receiver. “I’ll be there soon.”

Hanging up the phone, I stare at the abandoned vehicle in front of me. “He says he’ll be here soon,” I murmur, not taking my eyes from the truck.

“Oh, thank God.” I look over and see Alex making the gesture of the cross on herself. It looks like both of us have had a spiritual moment tonight. “Now, we just wait this out until the sheriff gets here, and—”She stops talking when she hears my car door unlock. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“You don’t understand. I have to check the front of the truck. The last time I ignored a message from Unknown, it didn’t end well,” I respond and pull on the door handle.

“Have you ever thought that’s what he wants you to do? And don’t think you’re leaving me in here by myself,” she argues, grabbing my arm.

“Alex, just stay in the car. I’ll be right back. I’m tired of running from this f*cker.”

“Well, then I’m coming with you. Two’s better than one, right?” she asks, and I can tell she’s just as scared as I am—maybe even more so.

We open our doors at the same time and cautiously exit the car. The darkness is thick around us, even with my lights on high beam. I can make out Alex’s face over the roof as we exchange worried glances before moving toward the truck. Once she reaches the space between the vehicles, she bolts across in front of the headlights in order to cling to my arm. Her heart is beating so quickly, I feel it through her hands.

Apprehension really sets in when we move toward the driver’s side door. I reach out to grab the handle and push in the button with my thumb, causing the door to pop unlocked. The slightly rusty door creaks open when I slowly pull back, causing us both to wince at what we might find inside. We’re on a slope, so when I let go of the door, it practically falls open.

Together, we peer into the front seat and find that it’s empty. I groan. Unknown’s just screwing with me. I hate this guy with every ounce of my being.

“Okay, so there’s nothing there. Can we go back into the car, please?” Alex asks, pulling on the sleeve of my sheriff’s jacket.

The instant I’m about to reply, my phone vibrates. Checking it, I see that my dad is calling me.

“Where are you?” I ask.

“I’m on my way. I’m about five minutes out.”

“Good. See you soon, and please hurry.”

When I hang up the phone, I see Alex standing by the bed of the truck with her back to me, but she isn’t moving. I notice the light from her phone is on and she seems highly concentrated on what she’s looking at.

“Alex?”

“Dani,” she responds, seeming like she’s in a daze. “I think there’s blood on this truck.”

I take a few steps toward her and see that it’s her hand she’s studying so closely. The deep red color on her palm and fingers reflects in the bright light from her phone. My wide eyes meet hers when she stares up at me. Her frightened look turns to one of disgust as she wipes her hand along the truck in an attempt to get the blood off.

The vibration in my pocket has me drawing out my phone again.

“It’s a message from Unknown,” I blurt out.

“What does it say?” she asks, her voice quivering from fear.

“It says: ‘Check inside the truck’s bed.’”

“That’s it. I’m done playing around, Dani. I am way too f*cking drunk for this, and I think we’ve made a huge mistake. I’ve got blood on my hands, and I’m about to lose my shit,” she says, her voice rising on every word.

I move closer to the handle that releases the top of the truck’s bed. “What if Kevin’s in here?” I ask, wrapping my hand around the handle and preparing myself to press the button with my thumb.

“Dani, don’t. Just wait until your dad gets here, okay? He should be here any minute now,” Alex tries to plead with me.

“I have to see,” I insist, pressing the button and turning the handle.

I open the cover over the truck’s bed.

It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust in the darkness, and I can’t make out anything in particular because my car’s headlights aren’t illuminating the inside. As I lean in closer, I see a shape lying in the middle of the bed. I turn on my phone’s flashlight and point it into the back of the truck.

Alex lets out a blood-curdling scream before I can fully comprehend what I’m seeing. The only thing I know for sure is that a body lies there, but it’s not Kevin.

“Janice?” My heart constricts when I recognize the muddied white dress as my Bride of Frankenstein costume. I’m screaming on the inside, but I feel paralyzed. I stare at her lifeless body with tears filling my eyes. “Janice!” I finally release the scream I was holding in. I fall to my knees in a fit of crying. I thought I had tapped out my tear ducts over the past few days, but I was so wrong.

I see through my tear-distorted vision the lights from my dad’s cruiser as he pulls up.

“Dani, Alex, are you two all right?” he asks, rushing over to us. I hear Alex’s shaky reply of, “No,” but I can’t assemble any words right now. I feel his hands clasp my arms as he pulls me to my feet. “Dani, snap out of it. What’s happened?”

I point to the open bed of the truck and whisper, “We found…Janice.”

“What?” He steps past me and peers into the back of the vehicle. Brushing his hair back with his hand, he stands there analyzing the scene. He brings the radio attached to his shirt pocket up to his mouth and releases a sigh before pressing the button to talk. “Dispatch, come in.

I hear a crackled sound, “Copy Dispatch. Go ahead, Sheriff.”

His pained gaze meets mine as he responds, “I’m going to need backup out here on Edgemount Road. I’ve found the Oliver girl.”