Before She Was Found - Heather Gudenkauf Page 0,116
dollars just in case we need it. I can’t believe we’re really doing this. I gave my mom a really long hug, but don’t worry, I didn’t make her suspicious. I just said goodbye to her in my head. I stood in Kendall’s bedroom trying to think of a way of telling her goodbye, but I couldn’t think of what to say. She finally told me to go away, that I was creeping her out. I didn’t bother saying goodbye to my dad. He probably won’t even notice I’m gone. At first I was scared about leaving but I’m not anymore. I thought about what you said, how Jordyn and Violet aren’t really my friends. I know you’re right. I can tell they are talking about me. I can hear their whispers. I think the only person who cares about me, besides my mom, is Mr. Dover. And you, of course. I’ll look for you at the train yard and then we can go away forever. They’ll be so sorry they were mean to me. You’ll be there, won’t you? You promise?
JW44:
I’LL BE THERE.
Dr. Madeline Gideon
September 14, 2018
When I got to the nurses’ station I had a note from Mara saying that she and Jim had gone to the hospital’s rooftop garden. I took the nearest elevator to the top floor and I found them staring out at the city below. The rooftop is a beautiful spot like nothing I’d ever seen in a hospital before with its glassed-in walkways lined with flowers and plants. It looked more like an arboretum than a spot for patients and their families to sit and regroup.
Seeing the look on Mara’s face, I asked, “Are the girls okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, shifting in her chair. “There was an accident this morning. Thomas Petit, the grandfather of one of the girls, fell on the tracks while a train was coming.” She lowered her head into her hands.
“He’s going to be fine,” Jim said. “John Dover, a teacher from the school, was able to pull him from the tracks in time.”
“What were they doing in the train yard?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
“There was some kind of argument.” Mara rubbed her eyes. “And Mr. Petit fell. There are rumors about Mr. Dover...”
“Don’t think about it anymore,” Jim said. “It won’t do any good. We have our own daughters to think about.” Jim looked to me. “The police said that engines have front-facing cameras mounted to them. They’ll be able to figure out what happened.” I nodded but didn’t say anything. I was processing this new information.
“I need to get back to Cora,” Mara said and stood abruptly.
“May I peek in on her?” I asked. “See how she’s feeling?” Mara nodded weakly and the three of us took the elevator back down. When we got to Cora’s room, Cora already had a visitor.
Kendall, dressed in her street clothes, sat on the edge of Cora’s bed. “Kendall, honey?” Mara asked. “What are you doing here?” She looked at me in confusion.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Kendall said. “One of the nurses walked me down. She’s waiting outside. I’m fine.”
Kendall looked far from fine. Dark circles beneath her eyes told me she hadn’t gotten much rest. Her hair hung lankly on her shoulders and was streaked black with what I suspected was the charcoal used to pump her stomach.
Cora didn’t look much better. Her left eye was heavily bandaged and the wounds on her scalp and face had crusted over but she was awake and sitting up in her bed.
Alarm bells went off in my head. Kendall was getting ready to tell her parents what she had done to Cora. “Kendall,” I began, “I don’t think this is the time.” I had hoped that when Kendall was ready to tell her parents about her role in posing as Joseph Wither it wouldn’t be in front of Cora. I didn’t think Cora was ready to hear this.
“But I need to,” Kendall said in a tremulous voice. “If I don’t do it now, I don’t think I ever will.”
“Kendall.” I shook my head. “Let’s wait until we can talk to your mom and dad privately.”
“What is it?” Mara interrupted.
“Mara,” I tried again, “I think this is a conversation best left for—”
“No, let her talk,” Mara said. “You know you can tell me anything, Kendall. Anything at all.”
I demurred, perhaps my biggest mistake, and reluctantly moved to the corner of the room where I’d be out of the way.