When Secrets Surface (Book #1)

Chapter 22

Dorothy's POV

I was currently searching the filthy trash can outside the house looking for pieces of our investigation.

I found most of it. I just couldn't find
most of the Alex stuff but I took pictures of every piece of evidence except for Sophie's notes on Alex. That was going to be a problem.

I was fed up with scavenging through the trash. I kept thinking about Mom.

She didn't look okay. Like something was bothering her but she couldn't say it.

Why did the person sending threats to target Mom? We were the ones who
asked questions. Hurt us but not Mom.

She's been through enough. She lost her husband. She's still recovering from that.

The car accident  was so bad.

The sounds of car tyres screeching, and glass shattering  kept resonating in my ears.

Mom had a cardiac arrest.

What if they didn't save her?

What if she  died?

What would have happened to Sophie and I?

I don't think I'd be able to manage it.

It would be too much.

I just needed to see her face. See if she was okay.

I picked up what remained of the murder board and took it inside.
I opened Sophie's door and dumped it there, without saying a word.

I knocked on my mother's door and she opened up.

When I saw her cast. I just couldn't hold it in. I began to sob.

My Mom's eyes widened, and she wrapped her arms around me and soothingly rubbed my back, "Shh don't cry," she tried to comfort me but the tears kept falling like the dam burst at the back of my eyes.

She slowly guided me to her bed and tried to calm me down.

"I... I...don't... I don't want to lose you," I tried to say between sobs.

"You won't lose me, I'm still here don't cry," She had her arms enveloped around me.

I attempted to stop crying and talk to mom but the tears wouldn't stop falling. My words were stumbling between sobs, but my Mom hushed me softly, "You don't need to say anything, just try to calm down".

I nodded, still sniffing. When I finally calmed down, I tried to make my words materialize. "Losing Dad crushed me it. It crushed me, Mom so seeing you lying in that hospital bed just floating between life or death... was..." I started to cry again.

"Oh Dori, I...The car crash was an accident. I should have been more careful driving, the important thing is I'm here now," Mom consoled me.

If only she knew about the threats she wouldn't be saying she should drive more carefully.

"It's just sad I can't go to the charity event, those children were counting on it," Mom sighed.

"Unfortunate, isn't it," I replied, "I'm going to my room, just yell my name if you need me".

My Mom let out a laugh and shook her head.

Sophie's POV

I picked up the bag Dorothy dumped in my room for no reason.

I opened it up and went through the bag. I went through it a second time to make sure I wasn't delusional. No, I wasn't. It was the pieces of Dad's case except everything that had evidence attached to Alex was gone.

Not surprised. Alex probably told her daughter so they decided to get rid of the evidence.

Interesting.

First, someone kidnapped my dad and now they almost killed my Mom.

But what did she ever do to Trillive?

As far as I know, she has never had an interaction with Trillive as far as I know.

What if? But if Mom died? What would Dorothy and I have done?

I just can't stop thinking about the car accident.

It was all my fault. Maybe I shouldn't have gone to ask Trillive questions. I should have minded my own business.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

_______________________________________
Unknown

_______________________________________

Nice hoodie. I told you she would pay.

But you haven't answered my question.

Who will look for you and your sister when you go missing?
_______________________________________

What the hell?

I went to my window to see if anyone was there but no one.

Which deranged psychopath was threatening me?

I decided to text them back
_______________________________________
Unknown

_______________________________________

Nice hoodie. I told you she would pay.

But you haven't answered my question.

Who will look for you and your sister when you go missing?

Haven't you done enough??

Who will look for you and your sister when you go missing?

_______________________________________

This has to stop.

I checked the  window again to see if anyone was there. But still no one.

They already almost killed my Mom isn't that enough?

Haven't they put me through enough psychological torture?

I need to sit down.

Dorothy came into my room sniffing, "I thought you were going to hang this back up by now, "

"You were crying weren't you," I deduced.

"I was thinking about mom's car accident, it makes me emotional, " she said sounding distressed.

"I was also thinking about her until I saw a new threat," I passed my phone to Dorothy.

Her eyes widened, "How on this flippin' earth were they able to know you're wearing a hoodie? Why the hell did you reply?"

"I was fed up," I snapped back.

"But you shouldn't talk to someone who's threatening you," Dorothy argued back.

"I wasn't thinking straight," My patience slowly slipped away.

"Can we at least hang these up," Dorothy pleaded.

I sighed and reluctantly agreed.

We spent the next 30 minutes restoring the investigation board to its former state.

"Ow," Dorothy cried, pricking herself with a push pen and blood began to ooze out of her finger and dripped onto the board.

"Can you please not bleed on it?" I said slightly annoyed.

"I'm injured," She said dramatically picking a band-aid from on top of my dresser.

We hung it back up on the wall, ensuring it was straight.

We stood there and just stared at it for a while.

"So what's next?" Dorothy turned to me.

"We search Trillive's car. To know if the car crash was deliberate or not.  There's a link between Dad's case, threats, and the car crash. We just don't know yet," I replied.

What if Trillive's car holds answers?