Before She Was Found - Heather Gudenkauf Page 0,67
hand, and begin to ransack each and every one of the closets in the house, look beneath the beds and behind the furniture.
His eyes land on the old fireplace that they light a few times per year. Using the stone mantel for balance, he lowers himself to the floor and cranes his neck to look upward into the flue. The fireplace is swept and cool to the touch. If anyone walks in at this moment, he can say that a starling or a swallow has flown down the chimney and he is searching for any sign of a nest.
Lying on one shoulder he shoves the backpack as far up the chimney as it can go. He stays there for a moment, trying to catch his breath and waits to see if the pack filled with Jordyn’s clothing, textbook and tennis shoes will tumble to the ground. It doesn’t move and Thomas breathes a sigh of relief, sending a small windstorm of ash into the air.
He knows the flue is just a temporary solution. When he has the chance he will have to get the backpack out of the house for good. There are plenty of dumping places around Pitch. Locust Creek with its fast-moving current, strong enough to sweep the contents far away, or he can bury them in a cornfield to eventually be chewed up by a combine.
“Grandpa,” comes Jordyn’s tremulous voice from above him.
“Down here,” Thomas calls back, struggling to get to his feet. By the time Jordyn comes down the steps he is washing his sooty hands in the sink. “Did you have a good rest?” Thomas asks as Jordyn slumps into the kitchen and rubs her eyes.
“Uh-huh,” Jordyn answers, stifling a yawn, and takes a seat at the table.
Thomas pulls a clean dish towel from a drawer and wipes his hands dry before pulling out a chair and sitting next to his granddaughter. He has planned what he is going to say, has murmured it over and over to himself the past two hours.
“Jordyn,” he begins, keeping his voice authoritative and matter-of-fact, “the police will be back to ask more questions about what happened at the train yard.” Jordyn’s chin begins to quiver but Thomas plunges forward. “They are going to ask you over and over about what you did at Cora’s house and what you did at the train yard and it’s very important that you say the same thing each time. Do you understand?”
Jordyn nods. “You told them you left Cora and Violet at the train yard, right?” Again, Jordyn nods and her eyes begin to fill. “No,” Thomas says sternly. “No tears, Jordyn. This is important. When they come back around, you tell them the exact same thing. You were going to go to the train yard but you stopped before you actually got there. You took a drink of beer, dumped it out and then you left. The girls were fine when you left and then you came straight home.”
Thomas waits for Jordyn to nod in understanding and then reaches out and runs a calloused palm across Jordyn’s sleep-rumpled hair. “You left your book bag at the train yard, but don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll find it.”
“Grandpa—” Jordyn’s forehead creases in confusion “—but I didn’t...”
“Shh, I know,” Thomas says, trying to gentle his voice. “Don’t worry, we can get you a new one for school if need be. Next time just don’t be so careless. They’ll ask you what was inside and you’ll tell them you had your pajamas and social studies book in there. And your house key. That’s all, right?” He waits for Jordyn to agree and when she doesn’t, Thomas says, “Jordyn, I found that map in your backpack and that list. There was blood on your jacket. Do you understand how that would look to the police?”
Jordyn nods and bites her lip. “Nothing bad was supposed to happen. I don’t know how she got hurt so bad, Grandpa. I promise. I didn’t do anything.”
“Okay. You just tell them you left the backpack at the train yard, got it?” Jordyn nods again. Thomas stands and goes to the kitchen sink and looks out the window.
With forced cheerfulness Thomas returns and drops a kiss atop Jordyn’s head, saying, “I called the hospital and talked to Cora’s mom earlier. She says Cora is doing better and is up for visitors. Go on and get dressed and we’ll go see her.”
A spasm of alarm crosses Jordyn’s face and she looks ready to