The night Rebecca Harker told Thomas Carrington she was pregnant, he panicked. He worried that his daughter would tell his wife, and that would be the end. He’d be cut off. He chased her through the house to the backyard. That’s where it happened. That’s where he did it. He drowned her, and had to hide the body somewhere it would never be found. Like Thomas Carrington had told Rebecca Harker, “She was somewhere that she would never be found.” Then, he paid Theodore Whitlock for an alibi.

The more I think about it, the more furious I become. Not only had Katherine been trying to tell me, but so had Caitlyn. She tried to tell me after the incident at school, and I didn’t believe her.

Katherine was trapped. Her father won’t let her leave because if she leaves, he has to go, too.

Just as before, he would lose everything.

*

I whip the car onto the exit before Kingsbrook, and drive to the hardware store on the outskirts of town. I park in a handicap spot, not caring about the scolding looks I receive. I walk up to the first person wearing a nametag, which happens to be the guy who helped me, before.

“Crowbar, sledgehammer, and shovels?”

“Oh … Did you lose something, again?”

I’m sure my appearance doesn’t look good for someone asking for crowbars, sledgehammers, and shovels, but I don’t care.

“Crowbar. Sledgehammer. Shovels.”

“Umm … crowbars and sledgehammers are on aisle five and shovels are on aisle nine in the garden sect—”

I’m already off.

After finding what I need, I get some odd glances in the checkout line.

The girl scans the items while keeping her eyes on me.

“Sixty-three dollars and eighty-seven ce—.”

I take four twenties from my wallet and drop them on the scanner. Without a word, I grab the tools and start walking.

“Sir, your change!”

I keep walking.

30

I pull into the driveway of the Nightingale House.

Midway down the drive, I hit the brakes, put the car in park, and kill the engine.

The sun is starting to set, casting an orange light over the gables and the Turret Room.

Caitlyn’s in there, somewhere.

And so is he.

I know what I have to do and I know he’ll try to stop me. He’s almost made me kill myself, twice. I don’t know how to keep him out. I’m not sure that I can. The only thing that saved me is Nicole.

I reach into my pocket and pull out her ring. I turn it over in my hand while keeping an eye on the house.