Courtney's Secrets (The Clandestine Series)

Admit Twenty

When I got home, the house was dark. I checked the garage, but Courtney's car was still missing. She was really angry with me this time. I recalled a few other times throughout my childhood when I was home alone for days. She said she had to work around the clock at the hospital when someone didn't show up for their shift. I wonder where she was now. I had expected to confront her once and for all about my birth certificate and my social security number, but now that would have to wait.

I wonder... since she can see my location... maybe I can see hers. I opened my phone and looked through all of the different apps that were on my phone. Some of them I had no idea what they were. After a few minutes I found an app with a green circle that said Find My. I tapped to open it, and I could see a map with a blue dot that represented me at my house. I tried walking around the house and the blue dot moved on the map. At the bottom of the app was my email address and Courtney's. I clicked on hers, and the map zoomed into a location in Colorado Springs. Strange. I wonder what she's doing there. Taking a vacation from me? I sent her a text.

Me: When will you be coming home?

Courtney: I'm working the late shift. I'll be home early tomorrow morning.

She was lying. Weird, but I was too tired to care.

I rubbed my face. My eyelids were heavy from lack of sleep. I would have to forgo online school tonight. I got ready for bed and crawled under the covers with the relief that came as my body compressed into the mattress. I was so tired I could fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Then my phone pinged with a message.

I expected it to be Lan or Davianté.  I was too exhausted to answer, but I checked to see who it was. Then I realized the message was from Gerry number three. I sat up, enlivened, and I hunched over my phone. He had a green light next to his profile which meant he was online.

I clicked to open the message.

Gerry: Sorry to tell you there is no possible way I could be your father. Your mom and I split up before your sister was born. I moved out months before, and I only saw Courtney once a few months later at our divorce hearing.

My excitement funneled out of me, leaving an empty space that filled with sadness. I winced. Don't cry.

Me: do you have any idea who she dated after you?

Gerry: not the faintest clue.

Anger, like lava, boiled over my chest. I fell back onto my pillow and stared at the ceiling.

I saw the ... that meant he wasn't finished.

Gerry: shortly after your sister died your grandmother fell down the stairs and passed away.

How strange. Courtney never mentioned how grandma had died. She had told stories about her childhood with her mom, and she mentioned her mom had passed away when I was a baby, but she never mentioned how, why, or where. It was so tragic she wouldn't have forgotten to mention it. I shuddered. Wendell had brought up her death, and now having it mentioned a second time in this context was awkward—like I was being pointed somewhere.

Gerry: there were questionable circumstances.

I curled my toes. He was insinuating Courtney had something to do with it.

Me: what do you mean?

Gerry: it's just a strange way for someone to die without a little push.

I pulled my eyebrows together in concentration. Certainly, I had suffered at the hands of Courtney many times, but she had always put on the brakes before causing serious injury. Gerald must have been exaggerating as divorced couples did. I plugged in my phone and set it on the nightstand, too tired to give it more thought. Gerald wasn't my father. There were no other leads, and the only one who knew the truth was Courtney. I could scream.

***

Early the next morning I rolled over in bed when my phone pinged with messages. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. One glance at the screen told me I had a message from Unknown, and one from Davianté.

Donna: they've gotten a new lead on the Yolanda Baines case.

My skin prickled at her name.

Me: really? What?

Donna: they're testing new DNA evidence that might be related. My dad didn't directly tell me about it, I overheard part of a phone conversation he was having with a deputy.

Me: interesting

Donna: something else is going down too. My dad asked me if I knew Peyton. He said Peyton's dad reported him missing.

I sat up. I couldn't get away from his name. The last I had seen Peyton was Saturday night. I had enough time to grab my coat and make a run for it, and then Courtney found me. I flashed back to her asking me what I had been doing on Wolff Street. I wanted to forget it.

Donna: didn't I see you with him Saturday morning about three a.m.?

My heart kickstarted. The last thing I needed was his father asking about what happened between Peyton and me. I didn't know where Peyton might be. Maybe he didn't get along with his dad and ran away. I decided not to answer, and flipped to the message from the unknown number.

Unknown: This is Eleanor. I need you to call me with your social security number as soon as possible.

I squeezed a fistful of my covers. "I will." I threw my blankets off. "Right after I make her to explain." Courtney would be home by now. It was nine in the morning and school was not in session because of a teacher compensation day. I wasn't going to tolerate her secrets and lies anymore. I didn't care if I had to get angry, I was going to settle this once and for all. I grabbed my fraudulent birth certificate and turned out of my bedroom.