“Aster said to tell you that you’ll die soon. And by her hand.” Eloise pulled back as far as the chain would let her. “You’ll never see beyond these walls, and she and the others will make sure of it. I’m also supposed to tell you that the hauntings before are nothing compared to what you’ll get from them now.”
Eloise was still screaming at them when the guard, who had not said a word the entire time, ushered them out. Even as they walked down the hall, Steele knew that he’d never make it away from there, and detoured into the men’s room when he saw it. Leaning against the locked stall door, he closed his eyes and stood there. His belly was going to empty soon and he wanted to do it privately.
“You had to know.” He stilled when the voice on the other side spoke to him. “I didn’t know until later, but you had to know. There are things…Grandmother said that you would need the information soon, and Mother….Eloise wouldn’t be around much longer to tell you.”
Steele opened the door and stood there staring at his sister. She looked like she did on the day that they’d fought, beautiful and full of life. When she smiled at him, Steele felt tears fall from his eyes as she stood there in front of him.
“Are you still a brat?” Her laughter, so strong and full of life, made him smile. “I’ve missed you so much. Every day I miss you more. I’m so sorry I told you to leave me alone. I regret that as much as I miss you.”
“And I you. But I told you then that our spat never entered my mind beyond our house. I was free for the day. And I simply stepped out onto the street and died. Nothing at all to do with you.” She moved toward him and touched her hand over his heart. The touch wasn’t there, but he did feel the warmth of it. “You love her very much, don’t you?”
“I do.” She nodded and moved back. When she sat on the counter, he came out of the stall to sit on the plastic chair that was near the outer wall. “She’s a great deal like you in the stubborn department. And just as annoying at times.”
“I know, I’ve talked to her a great deal over the last few weeks. She invited me to the bash too. Did you have to marry her in the courthouse?” Steele told her that was what she had wanted. “I know, but I wanted a big wedding for her. She’s wonderful.”
“She is.” He leaned back and smiled. “Aster, you’re not going to kill her, are you? Eloise, you’re not going to kill her for revenge, are you?”
“Nah. She’ll do that on her own. But I’ll be there cheering her on.” She hopped off the counter and stood in front of him. “You’ll have to tell her who Billy is. Kari will need to know.”
“I think she’s figured it out.” Aster nodded. “Did he know that we were his grandchildren before he died?”
“No. The rape happened after he died. He was gone before our birth mother had us. But he knows now. I have so enjoyed getting to know him and Grandmother. Grandmother had known him for years, and when his daughter had lost her child a few months before, it was thought that she’d come to stay with her for a while. She loved it there by all accounts, and was thinking of going to school to become a nurse. Grandmother said she thrived and was coming out of her depression when Father raped her.” Steele nodded as Aster continued. “Her father might have raised us had he been alive, Grandmother told me. But his daughter was told a lie…that we, or you, were born dead. She had no idea that she’d had twins, and left the hospital to disappear just after we were born. We have, Grandfather and I, been trying to find her, but he cannot leave the cemetery. We believe her to be dead. At the hands of Father and…Eloise.”
Steele was going to make it his life’s work to find out where she was and bring her home to them. “Is she around? Grandmother? Is she about so that I can talk to her?” Aster nodded, but told him she wouldn’t leave the cemetery either. “Mitch talks to her a great deal. I only found this out a few days ago. He never said anything.”
“He does. I don’t speak to him much, but he and Grandmother have been friends for a long while. Since he moved into the house with you and the others. You’ll have to go there to see her. Our grandfather too. For some reason they can’t go far.” Steele nodded and stood up. “I’m going to go now, but I’ll be around if you need me.”
“I will always need you.” She smiled at him, and he wanted to hold her just once more. “I never meant for you to get hurt when I sent you away.”
“I know that, silly. And I never hurt. Surprised, but no pain. And I was happy up until the very end. You should think of that instead of me being upset. Because I really wasn’t. How many times did we tiff before? It wasn’t like you shoved me in front of that semi. I simply was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She put her hand on his chest again. “Would you do me a favor?”