Ride It

Chapter 22

Beatrice sounds like the type of girl to run away. I know, not the best thing to say about someone, but given the stories that I've heard, it's a fair deduction.

I can understand why everyone thought she did.

She was a wild and adventurous girl.

According to Mary, she'd always dreamed about leaving town and making a name for herself in the big city. She never tried to hide it, even when her parents disapproved. She simply told them to accept it or she'd run away.

She was headstrong and a fast learner. She spoke of her dreams to anyone who'd ask her. But she also loved the town, and she always promised to come back to it when she settled down and had kids.

However, after finding out that her boyfriend and her sister twisted and turned to the point of squeezing kids out, she was distraught. She wanted nothing to do with either of them. So she locked herself in her room, and only left when she had to go to work. Even her parents barely saw her.

On the night she didn't come home, she was supposed to be working.

"This is her room. Your mother's room is next door. We never thought to clear them out." Mary explains as she opens the door to Beatrice's bedroom. "It's a bit messy. She's always been a messy girl."

I gaze at the smile on Mary's face with one of my own. You can see the love she shares for her daughter.

Then there's my mom.

My smile wanes.

I look around the room and at all the clutter items in surprise. It's a small room, with the bed stacked into the corner and boxes of stuff like toys, trophies, and medals lying on the floor here and there.

We have to step around some of them to get by.

"She was on track," Mary explains. "Very active compared to her sister. Vera wasn't interested in things like that. She was into music. She loved to sing and help her father with the gardening. Much more reserved than her sister. We were surprised when we heard that she was pregnant by Bea's boyfriend. And angry. In our anger, we kicked her out, and when Bea went missing, we blamed her. Once our anger cooled down, we reached out to make amends, but it was too late. Your mother already saw us as strangers."

I nod as I look at all the nicknacks on the dresser.

"Is it okay if I do a bit of digging?" I ask hesitantly.

Mary nods and waves a dismissive hand. "That's fine. Give me one second. I'll go get the family album for you." She scurries out of the room excitedly.

I gaze around the room curiously.

"Well, that was insightful," Bentley says as he goes to sit on the bed.

I place a hand on my hip and look at him. "What are we looking for?"

He shrugs.

"I don't understand. It really sounds like Bea ran away, so why did your sister think differently?"

"Maybe there's something we're missing."

"There are a lot of things we're missing," I mumble, running my fingers along the chipped edge of the dresser. Dust covers my finger when I pull it back.

"What's in there?" He points at the wooden box peeking out from under the bed next to his feet. He bends and grabs it.

I go over and take it from his hands. I shake it curiously, and we hear the things inside clatter around.

Bentley moves aside so I can place it on the bed and open it.

Yarn.

It's stuffed with yarn, needles, and knitted clothing.