Blind Faith - Sharon Sala Page 0,7

for days, sometimes longer, until he found the opening...the weakness...the place that allowed him to slip in and out unnoticed. It was, after all, about the hunt.

And today, he had walked into Dodge Security and Investigations with only one thing in mind. He’d introduced himself to his next target. He’d made a pest of himself enough so that the next time Jade Wyrick saw him, that was how she would remember him, and she would see him again. He would make certain of that. She might be pissed off at him, but she would never see him as a physical threat—not until it was too late.

* * *

Randall Wells arrived just after six thirty to pick Trish up for the prayer vigil. He knocked on the door, then stepped back and waited, but it was Trish’s mother who answered.

“Good evening, Randall. We’re almost ready,” she said, and then called out to Trish. “Randall is here.”

“Coming,” Trish called.

She said “we’re”—as in, she’s going, too?

Randall was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Trish’s mother was going with them when Trish came down the stairs in jeans and a white hoodie. She looked different. Older. Sadder. It made Randall uncomfortable. He hoped she didn’t spend the night crying.

“I hope you don’t mind that I’m going with you,” Beth said. “Trish wanted me to.”

“Of course not, Mrs. Caldwell,” Randall said, and hurried ahead to open both the front and back doors of his car.

Trish got in front, her mother in the back, and they headed to the field house.

“Mr. and Mrs. Dawson are coming,” Randall said.

“Yes, I know,” Trish said. “They called me.”

“Right,” Randall said, and that was the extent of his conversation until they reached the school.

He circled the parking lot beside the football field until he found an empty space and parked. A huge crowd was already gathering, and more were arriving by the minute.

“Justin and I thought you would want to say something tonight,” Randall said.

Trish panicked. “No. I’m not making a speech. I’m not putting myself on display. I’m here. And I’ll stand beside his parents if they want, but this is about them and Tony.”

“Right...totally understood,” he said.

Trish and her mother got out together, then waited for Randall to walk them through the crowd.

Justin saw them coming and ran to meet them.

“Hey, Trish. Hey, Mrs. Caldwell.”

Beth smiled. “It’s good of you and Randall to organize this,” she said.

Justin shrugged. “It’s the least we could do.”

There were volunteers in school colors at the gates handing out prayer candles.

“We’re praying for you,” one girl said, as she handed Trish a candle.

“I’m not lost. Pray for Tony,” Trish said, then walked away with the candle in her hand and an ache in her chest.

They made it through the crowd all the way up to the makeshift stage before they spotted Baxter and Macie near the steps.

When they saw Beth and Trish approaching, Macie went to meet them and gave Trish a hug.

“I know this wasn’t easy for you, honey, but we’re really glad you’re here,” she said.

Trish’s eyes welled, and all she could do was nod.

Her mother spoke for them. “We wouldn’t have this any other way. We love your Tony, too.”

A few moments later, the school principal took the stage and the ceremony began. People jostled her from behind, and when they did, her mother moved closer, putting her arm around her and pulling her close.

Trish was blinking back tears again when Tony’s parents took the stage to thank everyone for coming, and then Randall and Justin were recognized for organizing the vigil, and through it all, Trish was growing numb.

This is a dream. It has to be a dream. I’m going to wake up and it will be morning, and Tony will have sent me two texts while I was asleep, telling me how he couldn’t sleep for thinking of me.

But the air was getting colder, and there was a mist starting to fall as the pastor moved to the microphone and started praying, and the silence that descended upon the crowd was eerie.

The mist got heavier, and candles began going out, leaving the whole crowd in momentary darkness, which only added to the eeriness of the night. Then someone thought to use the flashlight on their phone, which prompted others to do the same. Within moments, they were holding their phones up over their heads. Someone began singing “Amazing Grace,” and the crowd was awash in light.

Trish took a deep, shuddering breath, then closed her