Читать книгу My Sister is Missing: The most creepy and gripping thriller of 2019 - Carissa Lynch Ann - Страница 10

Golden sunlight burned my cheeks, the cool bed sheets like salve on an open wound. I curled up into a protective ball, slipping further down beneath the blankets. It was way too early on a Sunday to get out of bed yet.

‘Where is my mommy?’ Ben’s voice was so close to my ear that it made my cheek vibrate. I pushed the covers up with my knees like a tent and watched him crawl inside it.

‘I don’t know, buddy.’

‘I don’t know, buddy. Wait, how can you not know?’ His eyes were red and raw, as though he’d been crying, and his mouth was twisted up with worry. I shouldn’t have told the truth. Sometimes it’s better to lie.

‘I think she had some stuff to take care of, but please don’t worry, Ben. I’m here now. I’ll take care of you until she gets back.’

‘Promise?’ He nuzzled his head into the crook of my arm and curled his legs around my own. My sister used to do the same thing, sometimes digging her feet into the back of my calves until they ached. The realization that he was a mini-version of her was like a bowling ball in my chest. Where is my sister? Why isn’t she back yet?

‘Promise. Now go wake up Shelley and get dressed, please. We’re going to Bed and More.’

‘What about breakfast?’

‘We’ll get something on the way.’ I threw the covers aside and slithered out of bed. Ben took off across the hall, shouting for Shelley to ‘rise and shine’.

My sister had worked at Bed and More since the summer she turned seventeen. While I went off to college and the ‘big city’, as she called it – for the record, Charleston, South Carolina was nothing like the ‘big city’, in my eyes – she stayed behind, graduating from stocker to cashier, and then finally to part-time manager. I used to tease her a little bit about it. Then one time, she said, ‘Well, someone had to stay behind with Mom and Dad. I guess that someone is me.’ She always seemed to like working there; Madeline loved talking to people and was good at selling things, apparently.

I padded down the hallway, poking my head into Ben’s room. Shelley was in there, helping him pull on a pair of sweatpants. She was a good little sister, staying patient as she fought the material over his toes.

I went into the guest room. The bed was still unmade from where I’d slept in it yesterday, my duffel bag sprawled open on the floor. At some point, I knew I should probably hang up my clothes. I remembered my promise to stay for a while. Was Madi in some sort of trouble? Was that why she hadn’t come home?

Digging out a pair of jeans and a tank top, I quickly got dressed and went out to the living room, peeking back out through the curtains, hopeful that Madi had returned. The Jeep was still gone.

I checked my phone for missed calls; there were none. I tried to call Madi again, but this time, her phone went straight to voicemail. Did she turn her phone off, or did her battery die?

I tried to keep my fear at bay, but it was fruitless – something was seriously wrong here, and today, I had to do something about it.

It took another half hour to get the kids’ teeth brushed and they screamed and complained when I accidentally put Crest instead of the kid-flavored paste on their brushes.

It seemed like a lot of work just to drive a few miles outside of town and check to see if Madi was at work, but I had to do something. I had to know if she was okay.

By the time we were loaded in, it felt like the end of the trip instead of the beginning, and when I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror, I was shocked by how hollow my cheeks and eyes looked. Without make-up, I looked sad and pale, like some sort of mental health patient. My mossy brown hair was greasy, despite last night’s shower.

It wasn’t until I’d put the car in gear, that I realized my mistake. Neither Shelley nor Ben were old enough to travel without car seats. Ben could have gotten by with a booster, maybe, but Shelley was small for her age and needed a rear-facing seat. What was I thinking? I adjusted my mirror so that I could see them in the backseat. They were so short, and the seatbelt straps practically covered their faces.

‘Dammit!’ I covered my face with my hands. All this work, getting them ready, for nothing.

I took a deep breath and turned around to look at Ben. ‘Do you know where your mom keeps your car seats? You do use car seats, yes?’

‘Yes?’ Ben echoed back, staring out the side window. I gnashed my teeth in frustration.

‘They’re in the Jeep,’ Shelley told me. ‘Mom took them with her. Why would she do that?’

‘She must have forgotten.’ The words trailed off as I stared out my own window. ‘Come on, guys.’ I got out of the Civic and opened the back door. Huffing and puffing, Ben climbed out, Shelley following behind him.

‘We’re going to see the neighbor.’ I took their little hands in mine and we crossed the field together, toward the Tennors’ cottage, though I was unsure if the Tennors even still lived there.

The cottage was smaller than I remembered, a soft, slow curl of smoke floating up from the chimney. It was way too hot for a fire, but to each their own, I guess.

A ball of nervousness rose inside me, but I forced myself to step up on the porch and knock. I held my breath, praying someone was home.

Ben and Shelley were distracted, chasing each other in circles while I waited.

I was about to give up when the door creaked open. A stooped man with white hair and a beard stood in the doorway. He was dressed in too-tight sweatpants and a canary yellow T-shirt. He looked to be about seventy years old.

‘May I help you?’ He peered past me, taking in Shelley and Ben.

‘Hi. I’m Emily Ashburn. My sister lives next door…’

‘Well, hello, Emily. I thought these were your sister’s kids. Long time no see.’ His eyes twinkled. So, it was Mr Tennors. He’d aged quite a bit since the last time I saw him, but that had to be what? Ten years ago?

‘Nice to see you, Mr Tennors. How is Mrs Tennors?’

‘I’m sorry to say she passed a couple years ago.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ I cringed, wishing my sister had thought to mention that. But, why would she? I didn’t go to dad’s funeral, so why would she think I’d care about some old neighbor’s passing? And it wasn’t like she told me anything anyway. She didn’t even tell me where she was going!

‘It’s quite alright. I miss her, but I’m glad she’s no longer in pain. She had cancer, you see.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I said again, feeling terrible and awkward.

‘Would you like to come in?’

‘No. I was just wondering – have you seen my sister? Outside, or anywhere in town this weekend?’ I lowered my voice, glancing back at the kids. ‘I don’t really know where she is,’ I whispered.

‘Oh dear. I’m sorry, but no, I haven’t seen her. Have you checked her place of employment? I was sure sorry to hear about John moving out…’ I was shocked that he already knew about John, but then I remembered how small this town really was. Compared to the ‘big city’ I came from, Bare Border, Indiana was like a village. Nothing stays secret for long, not when you live in a bubble. That was one reason I moved away in the first place.

‘Well, that’s where we were headed. I was going to drive up to Bed and More, to see if maybe she went into work. But then I realized that I don’t even have the kids’ car seats. I’m feeling a little stranded here … and I was hoping maybe you’d seen her.’

Mr Tennors cleared his throat. ‘Well, I could drive up there for you. Or, if you’d like, I can keep an eye on these two, just until you get back.’

Chewing on my lip, I didn’t know what to say. Leaving the kids with him would be a major convenience, plus I could buy a couple car seats while I was out. But I’d seen so many scary movies and crime shows, about creepy old neighbors taking advantage of small children…

But this was Mr Tennors. He’d lived next door to me all my life. I played in the field by his house, and he’d never tried to kidnap or hurt me.

‘Do you guys mind staying here with Mr Tennors?’ I asked Shelley and Ben, tentatively.

Shelley shrugged. ‘Can we play checkers again?’ she asked Mr Tennors.

‘You bet,’ he said to her, grinning. ‘It will be nice to have some company.’ He directed this to me.

‘Ben? Is that okay? I won’t be gone longer than an hour.’

Ben nodded, chewing on his lower lip. His face was still thoughtful and worried.