“I can’t speak to that, but what I can say is that we’re getting to the bottom of it. But I will need to talk with Cora again. We have more questions.”

“Please not now, not today,” Mara said through her tears. “She’s sick. She has a high fever and an infection.”

“Okay,” the officer acquiesced. “But soon. It’s crucial that we talk to her. I hope Cora feels better and I’m sorry. About everything.” He walked away, and the enormity of these arrests hit me hard. Pitch is a small town. Everyone knows everyone else.

“Oh, my God,” Mara gasped. “What if it was Violet? He said that there may be more arrests. What if Violet was in on it?”

“Don’t jump to any conclusions,” I said. “I’m sure more information will be coming soon.” I thought of my recent session with Violet Crow. She seemed to be telling the truth. She appeared to be genuinely frightened.

“I can’t take this,” Mara cried. “I can’t take not knowing why they did this to her.” She turned to me. “Can you talk to her mother? Violet’s mom? Can you try and find out what she knows?”

I hesitated. “Mara, I’m not an investigator. My job is to help Cora.”

“But getting more information about what happened would help her, wouldn’t it?” Mara looked at me desperately.

“I can ask some questions but that doesn’t mean I can share what I find out with you. You understand that, right?”

“I don’t care. I just want you to help Cora. Please.”

“And how do we tell Cora that her best friends tried to kill her?” Jim hissed through clenched teeth. “How are we going to do that?”

Case #92-10945

Case #92-10945

Direct message dated March 25, 2018,
via DarkestDoor.com

JW44:

I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T WRITTEN IN SO LONG. IT JUST ISN’T SAFE. I’M SORRY YOU WERE SO WORRIED. DID YOU REALLY STAND IN FRONT OF THE WINDOW WITH YOUR SHIRT OFF? WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. PEOPLE MAY BE WATCHING US. I THINK OF YOU ALL THE TIME. I SAW YOU THE OTHER DAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS. THEY TALK ABOUT YOU. DID YOU KNOW THAT? THEY SAY MEAN THINGS. THEY SAY THAT YOU ARE ANNOYING AND BORING. THEY SAY YOU ARE A THIEF. THEY SAY YOU LIKE GABE BUT HE THINKS YOU ARE JUST A BABY. I THOUGHT YOU’D WANT TO KNOW. I KNOW I WOULD. THEY AREN’T REALLY YOUR FRIENDS. I’M YOUR FRIEND. REMEMBER THAT, CORA.

Case #92-10945

Case #92-10945

Excerpt from the journal of Cora E. Landry

Apr. 1, 2018

It’s almost like things used to be. Violet and I sit together at lunch every day and everyone seems like they forgot about the whole Rachel Farmer disaster. Even Kaley forgave me. Mr. Dover set it up so I could talk to Kaley in private in his classroom.