I'd Sell My Soul

Chapter 30: Gone Girl

Allison Monroe's POV;

"What?! What do you mean she's gone?!" I demand, picking up the skirts of the gown.

"Jenny and I can't find her anywhere. None of her friends said they've seen her recently." Katie explains rapidly.

"Okay don't panic yet. We're gonna find her." Levi turns to me.

"I'm gonna be sick. He said he'd come for her and he did!" I exclaim as I press my palms to my forehead, feeling stupid for letting her out of my sight.

"We don't know that Ali, maybe she just ran off to drink with some friends that's the shit we used to do. Katie, take Allison and go back inside to find the sheriff, I'm gonna search around outside for her." Levi cuts in.

"Got it. Come on Al," Katie wraps an arm around me, guiding me back towards the town hall.

"Ali?" Levi calls after us. Both Katie and I turn to look at him.

"I love you, it's gonna be okay, we'll find her." He assures me. I nod but my bottom lip quivers as I bite back tears.

"Let's go, Ali." Katie urges me forward.

When we find the sheriff, he puts the entire town hall on lockdown. He and Jake start questioning some of the teens as does Katie when an idea hits me. I wander over to Jenny Colt.

"Jenny, did anyone practice occult stuff back in high school that you and Farrah knew?" I question.

"I mean Farrah did. She was into crystals, taro cards, incense burning, essential oils." Jenny shrugged. "Why?"

"Okay but our family never did that kind of stuff so who got her into it?" I press.

"Well I think it was a boyfriend maybe." Jenny eyes me carefully.

"Okay who?" I make a 'hurry up' gesture with my hands.

"I don't know Ali, why?" Jenny shakes her head.

"Because whoever has Sophie practices occultism and has a vendetta." I explain as quick as I can.

"Okay maybe it was Chad! His dad was a taxidermist and always had dead animals laying around. The Hallet's were always a strange family." Jenny offers. And it hits me like a ton of bricks at once and I stumble backwards.

"Ali?" Katie asks from behind me.

"Has anyone seen Chad Hallet in the last fifteen years?" I stutter as Katie's eyes widen.

"Last I heard he went to college up in Bellingham and I don't know if he returned. His parents still live on the outskirts of town, they keep to themselves." Katie replies. "He's Sophie's father right?"

"How do you know that?" I whisper.

"Because...there was a nasty rumor going around that he did something to Farrah at a party a week before that food fight in the cafeteria she started." Katie sighs and explains.

"I went out with Chad. He would never." Jenny cuts in.

"Chad was fucking creepy Jenny, we all thought that back then. I never fully believed it when you told me Levi was Sophie's father, I still thought it was Chad. They have the same nose." Katie blurts out.

"That Levi is what?!" Jenny gasps.

"Focus! We need to find out if anyone has seen Chad around Colfax recently." I clap my hands together to get Katie and Jenny's attention back.

"Ali do you understand what you're implying?! You're implying Chad is Sophie's father and the serial killer." Katie waves a hand in front of my face like I've gone crazy.

"It would make sense Katie, he would have a reason to target Sophie. I can't come up with any other reason to target my niece." I explain.

"Okay we need to ask Penny Jenkins if that's the man they saw at the creek party then." Katie jumps in.

"Jenny, any chance you've got a picture?" I turn to Jenny who pulls out her phone. After a minute of scrolling she pulls up her junior prom photo on her Facebook. It's of her and Chad. I take the phone and walk over to where Penny is being questioned in a group by the sheriff.

"Penny did you see this man at the creek party?" I shove the phone in her face. I watch as she studies the picture for a moment and then her face morphs.

"Yes that's the guy." She breathes. My breath hitches in my throat.

"Is that Chad Hallet?" The sheriff turns to me.

"Yes I think he has Sophie." I cry as the doors to the town hall open and Levi walks in holding something. He walks up to the sheriff and produces a piece of purple fabric.

"This was snagged on a shrub in the forest south of the building." Levi sighs, his face looking grave. My ears are filled with a loud ringing and my vision tunnels right before everything goes black.

When I open my eyes, I'm laying down on the bench seat in the back of Levi's truck with my head in Katie's lap. I sit up abruptly as I look outside, we're pulling up to our house.

"Wait what happened?!" I exclaim.

"Take it easy Ali, you hit your head when you fainted." Katie puts a hand on my back trying to ease me but it's not working.

"No, we need to go to the Hallet residence and find Sophie." I argue.

"The sheriff is already there talking to them now. There's nothing we can do Ali, except wait at the house for them to bring her home." Levi looks up in the rear view mirror and says. I fall silent, my mind racing. Sophie must be so terrified right now. Is she hurt? Did he make good on his promise and leave her unharmed? Is she mad at me for not protecting her?

When we get inside Katie excuses herself to her bedroom to change. I nod and say I'll do the same but I ask Levi for help unzipping the dress. He follows me into the bedroom and shuts the door behind us where I sink to my knees and start sobbing. Levi gets down next to me and pulls me into his arms.

"It's all my fault. I should never have let her out of my sight. I should've taken her far away from here." I cry as he pushes hair out of my face, that had fallen from the bun Sophie had done.

"It's not your fault Ali! Who could've predicted this?! No one! None of this is normal, you understand that right?" He says.

"I knew he was targeting her so we should've just left." I sit up and wipe some of the makeup out of my eyes.

"Ali, you can't blame yourself. I know Sophie isn't blaming you right now." Levi grabs my face with both hands. "You have to know it's not your fault."

"She's all I have left of Farrah. She's it. I can't lose her." I sob.

"You won't. She's going to come back to us. I know she will." He presses his forehead to mine as the tears continue to fall down my face.