the moment.
“I also know it was male, but it sounded too mature for Adrian.”
Gabriel got to his feet. “Are you sure? Adrian is sixteen now.”
She shook her head. “Honestly? The more I think about it, it sounded like twelve feet and late stages. I guess I thought it might be him because, what other male is in our territory? I just don’t know.”
They looked at one another. She figured they probably all asked themselves the same question, but it was Nathaniel who spoke first, “If it’s not Adrian, then who?”
Liberty shrugged.
Gabriel looked at Nathaniel. “I have to go and see for myself.”
Nathaniel nodded. “I’ll go with you.” He looked at Liberty and said, “You should go be with Mitch.”
“I know.” As hard as it was to put aside the search, death didn’t make it a habit to wait around until it was convenient, at least not in Liberty’s world. “Becky said before we left it was getting close to the time.” She swallowed. “That he’d probably be gone before morning…” It crossed her mind it might already be too late.
“I’ll try to make it back,” Nathaniel said, “but it’s probably a good idea not to mention the events that have happened tonight.”
Of course she wouldn’t. The last thing Mitch needed was a heap of worry on the way out. What did Nathaniel think? She was a complete imbecile? “Yeah, okay.”
Liberty gave them directions and they left, cutting through the eastern portion of the property to shorten the distance. She left a note for Adrian, just in case he appeared there, telling him his father and Nathaniel were looking for him and she was with Mitch. If he showed up he needed to wait for them to come back.
Five minutes later Liberty was running through the tunnel on her way to the farmhouse.
Chapter Twelve
She entered the basement through the sliding door beneath the staircase. She was putting on her robe when Becky came into the tiny alcove.
“Honey, I was worried about you.” Becky looked Liberty over for injuries, “Are you okay?”
Liberty nodded, lifted the hair up on the right side of her head to show Becky the wound. It had already scabbed over. “Yeah, surface scratches heal fast.”
Becky assessed it, seemed satisfied it wasn’t life threatening. “Thank goodness. I was worried to see all that blood.”
“How is Mitch?”
“Oh, Lib. I tried to prepare myself for this, you know?” Becky’s bangs were damp and she wiped her sleeve across her brow before she gave Liberty a hug. “But I’m not ready.” She pulled away and looked at Liberty with shiny eyes. “I’ve decided I don’t want to say goodbye.”
Liberty sensed the double meaning in Becky’s words—referring to Mitch, but also her. Liberty looked at her best friend. “I don’t want to say goodbye either.” Liberty hugged her back.
“I love you, you know?”
Liberty nodded, her throat constricted and it made it hard for her to speak.
Becky pulled away and wiped the tears that ran down her face. “You ready?”
“Give me a minute?”
“Sure, hon. I’ll go in and tell him you’re here.” She patted Liberty’s arm and tried to put on a smile as she walked out from under the staircase, back toward the bedroom.
Liberty needed to compose herself. Pull it together so Mitch wouldn’t see her flustered. She wanted him to feel comforted, not looking fear in the face as he died.
She exhaled a long, cleansing breath and entered the open area of the basement. The first part had a cement floor and in the center of it, a pool table half covered in an old sheet. She didn’t want it to be true, but this may have been the last place her daughter was photographed. Would ever be photographed. She stood near the ledge where Sage had posed. She pressed down against the cool cotton fabric, her fingers irrationally sought the heat from Sage’s body. She pulled her hand away. It was cold.
To her right was the farmhouse’s second kitchen, the area Ellie had used to can vegetables.
She felt a little melancholy because she and Ellie had had some serious heart-to-hearts right there at the old wooden table, and the last one was the day before she’d died. Crazy how quickly she’d left them all.
“Psst.” Becky stood in the doorway to Mitch’s room, at the end of the hallway. Her aura pulsated opal around the edges. “He’s waiting.”
Liberty looked up. “I’m coming.”
Becky disappeared back into the room and, as Liberty reached the door, she could hear Mitch doing what she could only