Dying to Tell (30 page)

Suddenly the man lunged toward her and pressed the pillow over her face.

Fear struck her, and she tried to scream. But he pressed it so hard over her face that she couldn’t breathe.

She kicked and fought, bucking her hips up to push him away, but he was too heavy, and she was restrained. No matter how hard she shook her head and jerked her body, she couldn’t shake him off. Stars spun in front of her eyes, mingling with the black emptiness.

Then a low, gruff male voice echoed in her ear. “I warned you not to tell.”

Sadie gulped for air.

He was going to kill her.

Jake saw Ms. Lettie’s name on the caller ID and snatched the phone. “Sheriff Blackwood.”

“Sheriff, it’s Lettie. I hate to call this late, but I phoned Sadie’s cell and the house phone yesterday and today, and she’s not answering. Amelia’s really distraught and has been asking for Sadie nonstop. She’s afraid something’s happened to her, but I think that’s just her delusions. Still, maybe Sadie could calm her sister down. Is she with you?”

Jake tensed. “What do you mean, Amelia’s asking for Sadie? I talked to Sadie earlier, and she said she’s been staying with Amelia day and night.”

A second passed, fraught with tension. “But Sadie hasn’t been to the hospital in two days. I went by the house and studio a few times too, and she wasn’t there.”

Jake’s heart hammered. “You left messages?”

“Yes, but she hasn’t returned my calls.” Worry edged her voice. “I don’t know what to tell Amelia. She’s had a rough couple of days, and if she thinks Sadie left town, she’ll be even more agitated.”

Sadie would not abandon her sister right now. Not until she had some answers.

He stood, grabbed his keys, and jogged outside to his car. “I’ll check around town and go by the house and see if I can find her.”

It was late, and the town was quiet as he sped away from the sheriff’s office. He checked the diner but didn’t spot Sadie’s car, then headed out of town toward the Nettleton farm. He tried the home number as he drove, but the message machine kicked in, so he tried Sadie’s cell. Again, no answer.

Traffic was minimal, allowing him to make it to the farm in minutes. Shadows flickered in the trees, the farmland eerily quiet as he wound up the drive.

Anxiety knotted his shoulders when he noticed that both the house and guesthouse were dark. He didn’t see Sadie’s car anywhere around the farm either.

Of course, Sadie could be tucked in bed asleep. Maybe she’d simply needed some time alone to grieve, some time away from Amelia.

But why had she lied to him? And where was her damn car?

He checked to make sure his gun was secure in his jacket, then strode up to the house. If Sadie was asleep, she might be angry that he woke her.

But he had to know that she was safe.

He punched the doorbell and waited, but seconds passed, and he heard nothing from inside. He rang the bell again, then pounded on the door. “Sadie, if you’re in there, please open up.”

He banged again, but no lights came on, and the house remained dark. Worry knotting his stomach, he rushed to his car and retrieved his lock-picking kit. Once he got the door open, he flipped on the light, but other than the furnace rumbling and the wind whistling through the eaves of the old house, it was quiet.

Panic gnawed at him, and he raced from room to room, calling Sadie’s name.

But the rooms were empty. In fact, Sadie’s bed didn’t even look slept in. Her suitcase was still on the chair, though; it looked as if she hadn’t left town.

So where was she sleeping? And why hadn’t she been to visit her sister?

Antsy, he jogged down the stairs, then over to the guesthouse. He knocked on the door, but there was no response, so he picked that lock as he’d done the other one.

Instantly the quiet hit him. He flicked on the light and glanced around the studio, a macabre painting of a grave catching his eye. Had Amelia painted it, or had Sadie?

It didn’t matter. He didn’t have time to dwell on it.

He rushed into the bedroom, but it was empty, too, although the bed looked mussed, making him wonder if Sadie had slept out here instead of in the house.

His phone buzzed again—Ms. Lettie. He quickly picked up.

“Sheriff, did you find Sadie?”

“No, she’s not at the house or studio, and neither is her car.”

“Her car is in the hospital parking lot,” Ms. Lettie said, her voice odd.

Something definitely wasn’t right. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“Two days ago, when she came to see Amelia. It was the same day Amelia tried to escape.”

A cold wave of fear washed over Jake. “I’ll be right there.” Not waiting for her to respond, he ran to his car and sped down the road to the sanitarium. His mind churned with various scenarios.

None of them good.

Trees blurred as he sped up the mountain road, the seconds dragging. He spotted Sadie’s car in the parking lot, pulled up next to it, jumped out, and examined it.

But it was locked, and nothing looked amiss.

He glanced around the area but saw no signs of a struggle. No purse.

No blood.

Thank God.

He jogged toward the hospital entrance. Just as he entered, a loud voice boomed over the intercom, indicating that a patient was in distress.

His gut clenched. Was it Amelia?

He didn’t bother asking. He just raced toward her room. When he neared it, he heard a scream, then shoved open the door and saw Ms. Lettie and a nurse trying to calm Amelia.

“Someone tried to kill me,” she cried. “He was in my room, and he tried to smother me.”

“You must have dreamed it,” Ms. Lettie said.

“No, he was here, I tell you. He tried to smother me with that pillow.”

Jake spotted the pillow on the floor. But it was the voice that made fear choke him.

That wasn’t Amelia crying.

It was Sadie.

Sadie fought the panic closing her throat. She hadn’t dreamed it. She had seen the man.

And he had tried to kill her.

“What’s going on?” Jake asked.

She bit back another sob at the sound of his voice. Thank God he was here.

“Amelia had a nightmare while I was out of the room,” Ms. Lettie said.

The nurse backed toward the door. “I’ll call her doctor for another sedative to calm her.”

“No,” Sadie cried. “No more drugs.”

She had to make Jake believe her. The narcotics were fogging her mind, distorting everything.

She had to fight her way back to reality. Amelia had escaped, and she could be anywhere now.

She might be in danger.

“Jake...,” she whispered. “Please, it’s me, Sadie. We have to find Amelia.”

Jake’s eyes hardened with anger, then he strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.

A sense of desperation filled Sadie. He hadn’t believed her, hadn’t recognized her. He was going to leave her here to the drugs and staff.

Terrified, she twisted and bucked, desperate to escape the restraints, the metal bed rattling with the force. This must be how her sister had felt, tied down like an animal.

“Help me!” she screamed. “Get Dr. Tynsdale!”

A deadly silence fell across the room, the only reply her sobs bouncing off the sterile walls.

She gulped them back, reminding herself of hospital protocol. Behaving irrationally would only make them believe she was crazy, and they would drug her even more.

Finally the door swung open with a bang, and footsteps pounded on the floor.

“You have the wrong twin,” Jake bellowed as he strode in with the head nurse, Mazie. “This is Amelia’s sister, Sadie. Release her immediately.”

Relief flooded Sadie. Thank God, Jake had recognized her.

Mazie suddenly appeared by the bed, looking skeptical and frightened. Ms. Lettie stumbled backward, obviously shaken. “It really is you, Sadie?”

“Yes, I tried to tell you,” she whispered.

“Oh, dear Lord.” Alarm flickered in the older woman’s eyes.

Then Dr. Tynsdale burst into the room, his hair sticking out in a dozen directions. “I was paged. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know what happened, but obviously Amelia escaped,” Jake said. “Someone mistook Sadie for her and put her in here.” He glared at Ms. Lettie. “Couldn’t you tell the difference?”

Ms. Lettie paled. “I...don’t know how this happened.”

“I was here, visiting Amelia,” Sadie said. “She escaped while I was in the cafeteria. An orderly saw me there, thought I was her, and drugged me—” She choked on the words. “Then no one would listen.”

Jake stepped closer and brushed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “It’s okay, Sadie,” Jake said gruffly. “I’m here now. I’ll take care of you.”

She latched on to his voice, desperately wanting to believe him.

“Jesus,” Dr. Tynsdale said. “That means Amelia is out there alone, and off her meds.”

“I...don’t feel well,” Ms. Lettie said. “I have to go to the restroom.” She rushed out, and Dr. Tynsdale approached the bed.

He tilted Sadie’s face toward him. “I’m sorry, Sadie. I’ll get you out of here immediately.”

Jake’s dark gaze met hers. The promises she saw there sent a wave of relief and love and...pain through her.

“Remove those restraints now,” Jake snapped.

The nurse unfastened the restraints, then Dr. Tynsdale checked Sadie’s eyes and her heart rate. “I’m sorry, Sadie. It’ll take a while for the narcotics to work their way out of your system.”

Tears pricked her eyes again, but she blinked them back. “It doesn’t matter. We have to find Amelia.”

Jake reached for his phone. “I’m going to issue an APB.”

Sadie struggled to retrieve her clothes, but she was unsteady and swayed. Dr. Tynsdale eased her back down to the bed. “Take it slow—you’re bound to be dizzy and disoriented.”

“I don’t have time to waste,” Sadie said, frustrated. “Hand me my clothes. I have to find Amelia.”

“We will find her,” Jake said.

Sadie gripped the bed to keep the room from tilting sideways. “Jake, you have to tell the police not to hurt her when they do.”

“I will,” Jake promised.

Sadie’s hand shook as she pushed the hair from her eyes. If one of the alters took over and attacked an officer or someone else, there was no telling what Amelia might do. Skid might assume her body and provoke them into hurting Amelia.

“Do you have any idea where she might go?” Jake asked.

Sadie shook her head. It had been so long since she and Amelia were close that she had no idea.

Although Amelia loved her art studio. And she did like riding the horses, and had once loved being at the river.

But the river was the last place she’d go now. Not after what had happened that night.

“Home, maybe,” she whispered.

“I just checked, and no one was there,” Jake said.

Terror streaked through Sadie. Where was her sister?

S
adie tugged on her clothes, swaying as she stuffed her arms in her shirtsleeves. The room was spinning so badly she had to sit back on the bed to pull on her boots, but she had insisted she could dress herself, and she wanted some privacy.

The past two days had been a nightmare. The medication had made her crazy, but it was probably nothing compared to the psychopharmaceutical cocktails they injected into Amelia.