Never Gonna Tell Page 16

  “Are you serious, Rea?” It’s only now that I notice Charlie standing in the doorway. My heart leaps at seeing him, and I nod vigorously, taking a final sip of the water.

  “Yes! Please. We have to find him,” I explain, but no one seems to be getting it.

  “Reagan, I’m not exactly sure what you remember, but he’s the one who took you.” Charlie stands next to my parents, who are nodding in agreement.

  “When Kally came home from vacation, her family searched their video surveillance from their home security system. It shows him dragging you to his car,” Mom asserts.

  I shake my head. Oh god, how am I going to explain all of this? “No, no,” I protest. “I mean, yes, he did, but it was to protect me.”

  Charlie frowns and Dad sets his jaw, clearly angry. “Is that what that bastard told you?”

  “No! Honest, Dad. It’s a really, really, long story, but I promise, he’s not the bad guy here. His uncle, Nicky, is. He killed Mr. Everett and wanted to kill me, too. Marco took me to hide me from them.”

  Mom sighs. “Marco may have pretended…”

  “Stop!” I yell, making me cough again. I need a few swigs of water before I can continue. “You need to listen to me. I know it sounds crazy. I know it seems like I’ve been brainwashed or something, but I don’t have time to explain.” My arms are flailing, and I know I’m coming across as a crazy person. I take a deep breath and settle myself, hoping that my composed demeanor will help them take me seriously. Everyone, including the doctor, stare back at me with dubious expressions.

  “Marco is really hurt, and you need to send someone to save him right now. I don’t know how long his dad can fend Nicky off.” My words cause another thought to pop in my head, panic setting in. “Oh god, how long have I been here? How long ago did you find me?”

  My family won’t look at me. Mom bites her lip as Dad kisses her temple, his eyes avoiding me altogether. Charlie is finally the one to speak up. “Four days, Reagan. You’ve been in a coma for four days.”

  I can’t hold back the sob that takes over as the words sink in. “It’s too late. He’s gone. He’s gone.”

  CHARLIE RUSHES TO my side as I break down, plopping down next to me in the bed and wrapping his arm around me. “Don’t cry, Rea. You know I can’t stand it when you cry.”

  This only makes me cry harder. I shake my head, in denial. “He can’t be gone. He can’t be.”

  The doctors and the nurse slip out as Charlie asks, “What do you mean ‘he’s gone,’ Reagan?”

  I press my head into his shoulder and let him comfort me. “His dad said he wasn’t doing well. How could he survive this long? It’s too late. I know it is.”

  Mom clasps my hand and squeezes. “We want to help, but you need to start at the beginning so we’re all on the same page.”

  I sniff, accepting a tissue, and blow my nose. “It started a few weeks ago. The night I was late coming home from the library. The night I witnessed Nicky Calotta kill Hunter’s dad.”

  Charlie’s jaw drops at my admission, and Dad’s eyes bulge slightly out of his head. Mom cringes next to me. “They said there was a witness. I knew it was a young girl, but I never imagined it was you. Oh, Reagan.” She pulls me away from Charlie and wraps me in her arms.

  “Mom, didn’t you see the sketch?” I ask, my voice muffled since I’m smooshed against her.

  “No. The police wouldn’t have any reason to give it to the DA’s office unless they needed a warrant or found the witness already and were going to do a lineup. I didn’t even think to ask for it. I was working on other aspects of the investigation.”

  Mom loosens her grip a little, and I lay back in the bed. “Well, the Calottas certainly asked for it. They have a cop on the payroll, by the way.”

  Mom pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. “We were afraid of that.”

  “Anyway, they found out who I was and were about to come and get me when Marco,” I pause, smiling as I remember the last time I saw his face. “Marco overheard what they were planning on doing and rushed to get me to a safe place before his uncle got to me.”

  Dad throws his hands up. “Okay, enough!” he bellows. “What the hell is going on? You witnessed a murder, Reagan? A murder? And didn’t say anything to us? To your mother? And there are people trying to kill you?” His hands run through his hair in frustration. “You need to tell me every single thing right this minute.”

  Tears well in my eyes, and I brush them away with the back of my hand. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

  His shoulders slump and he sits at the end of the bed next to my feet. “I know you didn’t. Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “Because I was trying to protect you.”

  “Reagan, it’s my job to protect you. Not the other way around.” He wraps me in a big hug, and I know he’s crying, which makes me feel worse. After a few seconds, he wipes his eyes. “I’m having a hard time processing all this, Reagan. I feel like I’ve been kept in the dark for so long.”

  I can’t blame him. I’m having a hard time and I’m living it. “Okay, let me start over…”

  Taking a deep breath, I tell my family everything in excruciating details: from the murder to the cabin and the car accident. I have to stop several times as my mom cries and my dad—who has always been one of the most mild-mannered people I’ve ever known—lets out strings of profanity. Charlie’s reaction runs the gambit. He’s emotional at times and balling his fists and threatening his own brand of justice other times.

  “I should have never left, Rea. I could have helped you. I could have…”

  I take Charlie’s hand.”Stop. You couldn’t have. I was too afraid of them hurting you too.”

  It takes over an hour to get through the whole story (leaving out some of the private moments between Marco and me) and by the time I’m done, we’re all pretty drained. I finish the water Nurse Briana had brought me and send Charlie to get me more. “So that’s why I said we need to find Marco. I know it’s been days, but if there’s any chance that he’s still alive we need to find him and get him help. Immediately.”

  Mom brushes the hair off my forehead, twirling it slightly in her fingers. “That’s a job for the police. Your job now is just to recover.”

  I shake my head vigorously. “No. No cops. I have no idea which one is the mole or even if there’s more than one on the Carlotta’s payroll. If they get word to Nicky that we’re closing in on him, there’s no telling what drastic measures he’ll take.”

  “Sweetie, I understand, but this isn’t a job for civilians. Besides, I don’t know what you remember from being up there, but the roads on that mountain aren’t well marked on maps. Many of the cabins and such are on dirt paths that the owners make themselves. And you said yourself that you roamed aimlessly for miles searching for help. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to send a rescue team.”

  “Well, you have to try, Mom! We can’t just leave him up there to die.”

  She presses her lips to my forehead. “I know, sweetie. I just don’t know how—”

  “He can’t be far from where I was found,” I interrupt.

  Dad clears his throat. “You were found by an older gentleman who lives off the grid. He told the forest ranger he heard your cries for help over his radio, and after he found you, he brought you down to the ranger’s station himself.”

  “Then ask him to show you! Obviously he knows the mountain pretty well if he could find me in that tiny little cabin.” I am not seeing why they’re being so pigheaded about this.

  “He didn’t leave any contact information. After he dropped you off, the ranger was busy trying to get you medical help and never noticed the man slip out. No one even got his name.”

  Mom chimes in. “Trust me, we tried. We wanted to thank him for everything he did for you. If he hadn’t brought you to that ranger station, you wouldn’t have made it much longer.”

  I can’t accept this. I won’t. “The ranger must
have some idea who the man is. I mean, how many people can live up on that mountain? And what about the radio? Can’t we just put out an all call or something and ask for him to respond with the coordinates of where he found me?”

  “It’s not that simple, Reagan.” Mom continues running her fingers through a strand of my hair. I know she’s trying to be sweet, but it’s pissing me off.

  “Someone’s life is at risk!” I cry, knocking her hand away. “We’ve already lost four days and can’t afford even four more minutes. If you can’t find the man, then send me. I can show them. I can remember landmarks and other identifying symbols on the path. Send me with the rangers, and I can lead them to where Marco is being held.”

  Mom shakes her head and sets her jaw. “Absolutely not. You lost a lot of blood, you broke two ribs, and you just got off the ventilator an hour ago. You were in a coma for four days, for crying out loud! There’s no way I’m allowing you to leave this bed, let alone this hospital.”

  I sit up, pretending the sharp pain from my ribs isn’t bothering me. “I’m feeling a thousand times better. I’ll be fine.”

  She rolls her eyes and points to my IV. “You’re on a morphine drip. Of course you feel fine.”

  “I’m going, Mom.” I grind my teeth and stare her down. She needs to see that I’m not backing off this. “Marco is the only reason I’m alive, and there’s no way I’m going to sit back in this hospital bed and just hope he doesn’t die. What would have happened if he did that to me? Just hoped his uncle didn’t kill me? I’m going, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

  “I know you want to help, but you’re in no condition to go anywhere. I’ve already put out an APB for the Calotta family back in Hope Mills. Nicky’s car was spotted fleeing town, and though we can’t be certain it was him, we’re hopeful he’ll be caught soon. I’ll call the detective in charge and ask him to send someone up with the ranger, okay? Let the professionals handle this.”

  I scoff. “What, the same ones who are on the Calottas’ payroll? No way. It has to be me. I’m the only one who can make sure that it’s the correct cabin and that you’re not leading him into a trap.”

  My dad is pacing the floor while Charlie stands and addresses my mom. “Clare, I think we need to let her do this.”

  Hope swells in my chest. Oh thank goodness for Charlie! I turn to my mom, my eyes pleading with her. “He saved my life, Mom. Let me try to save his. Even if there’s a one percent chance, I have to take it. I have to.”

  Dad stops pacing and sighs. “I agree, Clare. I don’t like it, but I agree. We have to do everything we can to save this boy. We owe him this.”

  “I’ll go in a wheelchair. I’ll come right back to the hospital once we find him. And you’ll be next to me the whole time. I promise.” I cross my heart and give Mom the biggest puppy dog eyes I can muster.

  Mom takes a deep breath, looking defeated. She nods once, relenting. Before she has a chance to change her mind, I push the nurse button. It doesn’t matter if they have to wheel me up that mountain strapped to this bed, I’m going.

  “Yes?” someone responds over the intercom. “How can I help you?”

  I push the talk button, ignoring mom scowling from the corner of my eye. “Can you send in the nurse, please? I need this IV taken out. And bring discharge papers!”

  There’s a long pause, and I can only imagine the look on the poor lady’s face as she tries to make sense of my request. “Um, I’ll send in your nurse.”

  I place the call box on the table next to me and turn to my mom. “Mom, is the detective in charge someone we can trust? Are we sure he’s not the one on the Calottas’ payroll?”

  “I’ve worked with him many times since we moved here. He’s a twenty-year veteran of the force, and I trust him.” She pulls out her cell phone. “I’ll give him a call and have him meet us here to brief him on the situation.”

  Charlie glances out the window at the guard standing outside my door. “What about them?”

  Mom shakes her head. “No. I don’t know them at all and can’t vouch for them, so for now I think it would be best to bring in as few people as possible. Not until we figure out who the mole is and deal with him.”

  “I agree with your mother,” Dad chimes in. “I’ll drive you up there myself if necessary, but I refuse to put you in any more danger.”

  Bringing my hand to my lips, I blow him a kiss. I am so lucky to have such an amazing family, especially when I stop and think about Charlie and Marco’s situations.

  An hour later, I have been discharged against medical advice (with promises to come straight back after we find the cabin), and the head detective on the case, Marshall Rathborne, has arrived to go with us. I know my mom trusts him, but I don’t. I can’t trust anybody.

  He smiles warmly, pulling up a seat next to my wheelchair in the hospital lobby. “Hi, Reagan. I’m Detective Rathborne. Your mom here has told me a lot about you.”

  “Listen, absolutely no offense to you, but how do I know I can trust you? The Calottas ...” Bile rises in my throat just saying the name and thinking of Nicky aiming that gun in my face.

  He folds his hands in his lap. I study his body language, looking for any tells that he’s lying, but he appears calm and relaxed. “You’re completely justified in feeling that way. If I had gone through everything you did, I’d be skeptical of me, too.” He raises his head, meeting my eyes. “Several years ago I was based in Chicago, working on the case to put Nicky away. He got away. The system failed and he got away. And he killed a good kid—someone I really respected and admired—in the process.”

  “Tony,” I whisper.

  Detective Rathborne nods. “Yeah. Antonio was a great kid. He was so brave to defy his family like that. After we found his body, I vowed to make Nicky pay. I put in for a transfer and left Chicago—all my friends and family—to move to Hope Mills to do just that.” He takes my hands in his own. “You have every right not to trust me, Reagan, but I promise I’m going to get justice for Antonio and every other person Nicky Calotta has ever hurt. Including you.”

  I turn away, unable to look at him as tears spill over the brim of my eyes. The intensity and passion of his words are palpable. If he’s lying, then he deserves an Oscar.

  I wipe my eyes with my sleeve. “Thank you.”

  “We’re going to get him, Reagan. I won’t rest until we do.”

  I look down at my lap, biting my lip as I try to hold back more tears. After a few minutes trying to regain my composure, I take a breath and look up. “Okay. Let’s go. Let’s go try to save Marco and let’s go get the bastard who did this to him. To us.”

  Our group takes two cars up to the ranger station. Detective Rathborne rides in his own car as my family takes our Suburban. Mom refuses to let me leave her side, insisting Dad and Charlie ride in the front seat while she coddles me in the back. Like feeling my forehead twenty times an hour will somehow keep me healthy.

  During the arduous two hour trek creeping slowly up the mountain, Charlie fills me in on what happened after Marco took me.

  “You were all over the news. They issued an Amber Alert and everything. It was crazy,” Charlie explains.

  My face reddens. “Oh god…”

  “Kally’s been blowing up my phone with worry. She visited several times while you were in the coma. She even brought healing stones or something and put them all over you last night.”

  I turn to my mom. “Really? And you didn’t object.”

  Mom smoothes my hair behind my ear. “I would have done anything to get you better, sweetie. If Kally asked me to dance naked around a fire pit while chanting, I would have.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut. “Okay then. That’s enough of that image.” I check my watch, wondering why it’s taking so long. We should have been there by now. “C’mon, Dad! If you went any slower you’d be in reverse. The gas is on the right.” I am ready to jump out of the car and walk. I could probably get there faster than how Dad’s driving.

>   He only tightens his grip on the steering wheel. “This is not the easiest road to drive, and I’m not going to risk you getting tossed around back there. You have enough injuries, and I’ll be damned if I allow you to get one more.”

  “I’m fine, Dad. Really.” I’m glad he can’t see my face, or he’d know I was full of it. Now that the painkillers are wearing off my whole body is aching. I want nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep for a week. Not that I could ever admit that. Dad would turn this car around without hesitation and I can’t let that happen. I just need to keep reminding myself that the pain is temporary. “Just get us there as soon as possible. We’re losing daylight and searching the woods will be that much harder if we’re having to do it with flashlights.”

  Switching to first gear, we cruise along at a whopping thirty miles per hour. It’s better than the twelve he was driving, so I can’t really complain. At long last, I see a sign indicating the ranger’s station is ahead one mile. As we pull up, the ranger steps out and meets us at the stairs.

  “Howdy there, folks.” The ranger shakes my parents’ hands, followed by the detective. Charlie and I stay in the car, windows rolled down listening in. Mom refuses to let me do any more activity than is absolutely necessary. “I’m Norman McDowell. Pleasure to meet you folks.”

  “I’m Detective Rathborne, this is ADA Wilcox and her husband. Thanks so much for helping us out here.” He takes out a small notepad from his pocket and a pen, clicking the top off and on. The man hasn’t said more than a dozen words since arriving at the hospital, but his eyes never stop moving. He takes everything in. I’m glad my mom called him; I can tell he’s really good at his job.

  Ranger Norman turns, inviting the group up onto the porch. “Happy to. I was able to get through to the man who brought your daughter down from the mountain while you were on your way. He gave me a few coordinates to the cabin where he found her and I should be able to find it okay. There’s not a whole lot of activity up there this time of year, so it’ll be easy to spot any fresh tracks from ATVs or trucks. With any luck, we’ll find the place where she was held pretty quickly.”