Protector - Laurel Dewey [161]
The cacophony of carnival noises echoed from across the street. “I can stay if you want me to,” Dan stated in earnest.
“Thank you but I think I need to be alone with her.”
“Will you call me if you need me?”
“Yeah. I will.”
Dan took a step off the porch. “You remember our ‘trouble signal,’ right? Garage and front porch lights on?”
“Got it,” Jane said nodding. She walked back into Emily’s bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. Tears began flowing down the child’s cheeks. “Hey, come on,” Jane said in a reassuring tone. “I did some fast talking. He doesn’t know the truth.”
“I don’t know why,” Emily said through her tears, “but that man at the fair. He looked . . .” Emily couldn’t put words to what she felt.
Jane didn’t want to pursue it but she had no choice. “He looked like what?”
“He had something shiny in his right hand. Then it was like cherry juice was on the shiny thing. Cherry juice . . .” Emily tried to reconcile the idea of cherry juice, not wanting to even consider the alternative. “Then suddenly, I had cherry juice all over my hands . . . Why would there be cherry juice?”
“I don’t know,” Jane said quietly.
Emily traced what she could of the memory against the experience at the carnival. “When I was in the closet at my house, I think I saw the man who . . . the man who . . .” The memory ceased. However, the terror drove Emily into Jane’s arms. “When is it going to stop?” Emily said through her sobs.
“When you see it, I suppose.”
“I don’t want to see it! I don’t want to see it!” Emily pulled back. “I want things to be the way they were. I want my mommy and daddy back. I want to go to the park with A.J. I want everything right again!” Emily fell back into Jane’s arms.
“I wish I could make it so, kiddo. You’ve just gotta remember those happier days. Let’s talk about something else. Let’s talk about . . . ah, you mentioned going to the park with—”
“With A.J.” Emily said sniffling.
“Who’s A.J.?”
“My best friend. I told you? Don’t you remember? She moved away with her family and never said good-bye!”
“Right. I remember. Tell me about her.”
“She was the best friend ever! Her mommy and daddy and my mommy and daddy all went to park together for a picnic. I have pictures from that day. Remember?”
“Sure.”
Emily slipped off the bed and located her Starlight Starbright navy blue vinyl case on a nearby chair. She unzipped the case and handed the photo packet to Jane who turned on the bedside lamp. The first photo featured Emily’s parents and herself sitting on the picnic blanket. Emily tenderly stroked her mother’s face in the photo with the tip of her finger. “Dad ate two big servings of Mom’s potato salad that day,” Emily said lovingly.
“So, who took this picture?” Jane asked, trying to pull Emily out of her funk.
“A.J.’s daddy. There’s a picture of him in there.” Emily sifted through the photos. “Here he is with A.J.’s mommy.”
Jane politely took the photo, glancing down at it. At first, the full effect of what she saw didn’t hit her. But her mouth went dry as she held the photo closer to the lamp. It was Bill and Yvonne Stover staring back at her.
“And here’s me and A.J.!” Emily said, revealing the final photo.
It was Amy Joan Stover.
Chapter 24
Jane felt as though someone had kicked the crap out of her. The realization that the Stover and Lawrence families were best friends was a frightening turn of events. When Jane saw the photo of Emily and Amy Joan Stover sitting together, an ominous sensation came over her. The photos—the answer to part of the massive puzzle—were at Jane’s fingertips for over a month and she never thought to look at them.
Once Emily fell asleep, Jane gathered the photos and walked into the living room, closing Emily’s door behind her. She placed the twenty-four photos in sequence on the coffee table and sat on the couch. The impact and implications of a Stover/Lawrence association suddenly came full circle. As far as Jane was concerned, this changed everything. She checked