Chapter 20 - Shadows on the Water
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Three years after the night in the kitchen, life was peaceful.
It was a quiet Friday evening. Maya was fast asleep in her upstairs bedroom, her small room filled with the soft glow of a nightlight.
I was sitting in my living room, reading a book by the fireplace, enjoying the gentle sound of the rain tapping against the windowpanes.
My phone on the coffee table buzzed softly.
I picked it up. It was a text message from Detective Miller.
Hannah, I wanted to give you a quick update. Lorraine Whitman suffered a severe stroke in federal prison yesterday. She has been transferred to a high-security medical facility.
I stared at the screen, feeling a quiet, somber stillness settle over me.
The woman who had tried to play God with my life was now completely powerless, confined to a hospital bed under armed guard.
I set the phone back down and walked over to the front window, gazing out into the dark, rainy night.
A black sleek sedan was parked under the streetlamp fifty yards down the road—its headlights turned off, its engine idling quietly in the rain.
I stood perfectly still, my eyes narrowing as I watched the vehicle.
The driver’s side window slowly rolled down two inches. A plume of white cigarette smoke drifted out into the damp night air.
I didn't panic. I didn't tremble.
I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the heavy, familiar weight of my emergency alarm remote, while my eyes remained fixed on the mysterious car.
Corey was in prison. Lorraine was paralyzed in a medical ward.
So who was sitting in the rain outside my house?
The driver lifted a hand, tipping the brim of a dark hat toward my window, before putting the car in drive and slowly rolling away down the dark coastal road.
I stood by the glass, holding my breath, watching the red taillights vanish into the fog.
The nightmare had been conquered.
May you like
But as I looked out into the quiet night, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.
Whatever came next... I was ready.
