Dark Secrets [COMPLETED]

Chapter 14: The Visit

The alarm on my phone went off, and I jolted awake. Checking the time—it was 10:30 am—I noticed it was Saturday, and remembered that today was the day Roger and I were going to come with Lindsay to see Harriet Clement-Green.

I got up and showered as I usually did. As I brushed out my blow-dried hair while walking back to my room, I overheard two voices talking downstairs. Running my fingers through my hair, I stopped at the top of the staircase to eavesdrop, making sure I was out of sight.

"Apart from the box, has she found anything else?" Robert asked, his voice low and rumbling like he was trying to keep quiet.

"She's been asking about someone named Virginia Clement. She thinks they had something to do with Meredith Kendrick's disappearance," said the other voice.

It was Roger. Why was he talking to Robert, especially about this?

"She's been asking too much about Meredith," Robert muttered. "It concerns me."

"Did you find anything under the floorboards?"

My stomach lurched. Of all the details I'd told Roger about, I never mentioned where I found Virginia's letter. How did he know about that?

"No, I did not."

"Are you ever going to tell me what this is all about?"

"It's none of your concern, Roger. Just family matters, that's all."

Having heard enough, I went back to my room. As I picked out my clothes for the day, I contemplated what I'd just witnessed. Why was Roger telling Robert about the things I told him in confidence?

After I'd put on my jeans and a clean t-shirt, I picked up my jean jacket in my hands and tightly gripped it in frustration. I thought I'd made it clear that I didn't trust Robert, so why would he go behind my back like this?

I decided then that I wasn't going to let Roger come with me to see Hattie. I texted Lindsay and told her Roger bailed, and asked her to pick me up right outside of the Kendrick estate.

Knowing that he was telling Robert everything felt like a betrayal, and I wasn't about to let that get in the way of finding out the truth behind this whole mess.

~

When I was dressed and my hair was brushed, I put on my jacket, picked up my bag and went downstairs.

"You look nice," Roger said, smiling at me.

I smiled back. "Thanks! I just need to go use the bathroom before we go. I'll be right back." Then I left and went through the living room, past the dining room and into the back part where the guest bathroom would be.

Instead of going in, I exited outside the back doors into the courtyard, past Mom's greenhouse and down the driveway. When I got to the road, I turned right, and sure enough Lindsay was parked there.

"Thanks for asking me not to park in front of the building," she said. "That place gives me the creeps."

"No problem. I don't blame you in the slightest."

Then we went to Ramblewood Nursing Home together. It was an antiquated three-story building, with a courtyard with a forked path leading from the front doors to a gazebo in the courtyard, or to the parking lot. We parked in the parking lot at the front of the building, and walked up the pathway to the front doors.

We went down the hallway inside until he reached the front end desk on the right. A middle-aged woman with short brown hair sat behind the desk. She looked up at us and smiled. "Oh hi, Lindsay! Are you here to see Clara again?"