Cathy opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.How could she possibly describe what lay before her?
“Ma’am?Are you there?”
“Yes,” she managed finally, her voice thin and distant to her own ears.“I need to report a death.”With a gasp, she added, “A murder.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
At 6:30 that morning, Jenna turned her cruiser onto Sycamore Lane, where her mother and sister lived in their family home.She still struggled to shake off her dream of Wendell Gillis standing whole and vital among rows of vegetables, speaking of darkness and danger still hunting Piper.
Jenna pulled into the driveway, killed the engine, and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror—dark circles beneath her eyes, hair hastily combed.Sleep had been scarce since finding Piper, and last night’s dream visitation had left her more exhausted than restored.
As made her way up the path to the front door, Jenna felt the slight weight of the brooch in her pocket.She hesitated at the door, then decided that rather than ringing the bell she should let herself into the quiet house with her own key.She opened the door then called out softly, “Mom?Piper?”
“In the kitchen,” her mother replied, her voice sounding strained.
She found Mom standing by the stove, looking concerned.On the table sat two plates of barely touched food—blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup.The scene of abandoned breakfasts spoke of interrupted plans, of expectations unmet.
“What’s wrong Mom?”Jenna asked.
“It’s Piper.She’s...retreated this morning.Won’t eat, barely speaks.”She gestured toward the table.“I made her favorite—at least, what used to be her favorite.She took one bite and then just...shut down.Went back upstairs to her room.”
“Did something happen?Did she say anything?”
“Nothing specific.Just that she felt strange, like something was wrong.”Mom’s eyes, the same green as Jenna’s and Piper’s, clouded with worry.“But I think she’s afraid…of something.”
Jenna wondered if she should have called first, warned her mother about Wendell’s message: “Piper is sensitive … to darkness … feels it like a physical presence.”
“I had a dream last night,” she said softly.“About Wendell Gillis.”
Mom’s eyebrows rose.“Another visitation?From Piper’s farmer friend?”
“Yes.He warned me about Piper’s unusual sensitivities.But he also told me something important that might help.”She patted her pocket.“I have something to show her.It’s that brooch I found a while back.Wendell says it’s connected to Piper’s past.”
Mom studied her face for a long moment, then nodded.“She’s in your old room.”She wiped her hands on a dishtowel, a gesture so ordinary it made the strangeness of their situation all the more apparent.“I’ll come with you.She might need both of us.”
They climbed the stairs together.The door to their childhood bedroom stood partially open.Jenna knocked gently, then pushed it wider.
“Piper?It’s me, Jenna.Mom’s here too.Can we come in?”
The room beyond was dim, curtains drawn against the morning sun.Piper sat cross-legged on her bed, her gaze was fixed on the wall, though Jenna doubted she was actually seeing the faded posters and photographs that still hung there.
“Hey,” Jenna said softly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.”Mom says you’re not feeling well this morning.”
“Something’s coming,” Piper said.“I can feel it—like static before a storm.But I can’t...I can’t put it into words.”
“A bad feeling?”Jenna prompted, watching her sister’s face carefully.
“Dread,” Piper clarified, the word falling heavily between them.“Like standing on the edge of a cliff in fog, knowing there’s a drop but not being able to see how far.”She finally turned to look at Jenna, her eyes hollow with exhaustion.“It’s been building since before dawn.The voices—they’re not clear, just...whispers.Warnings, maybe.”
Jenna glanced back at their mother, who remained standing in the doorway.Mom nodded slightly, giving permission for whatever Jenna had planned.Slowly, carefully, she withdrew the brooch from her pocket, keeping it concealed in her closed palm.
“Piper, I want to show you something.Something that might help you remember.”Jenna revealed the tarnished metal and opal stone nestled in her palm.“Do you recognize this?”
For a moment, Piper’s expression didn’t change.Then her eyes widened, focusing on the brooch with sudden intensity.Her breath caught, and she reached out, but not quite touching it.
“Where did you find it?”she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
“In a well.In Whispering Pines Forest.”
