Swell (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Two (Part One)

"There was a time when the sky
Held the answers for the things I couldn't find
But what happens when you're blind?"

....

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Anne screamed across the bench, her voice shaky and high pitched. The burn from her hand was still fresh on his cheek.
Dodge took a deep breath, he'd expected this. He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his shoulder length hair. Knots greeted his fingertips at the ends and he looked at his aunt.
"She's checking in every 2 hours, and I've booked a hotel so I know where they're staying. I've got the station number handy in case, and I told Debbie to keep an eye on things." Dodge tried to explain again.
Iain was standing awkwardly in the doorway, still holding the bags with the cameras in his hands.
"Adora is my daughter, what gave you the right to allow her to go there?!"
"Aunt Anne, please, breathe and let me reassure you." He tried to stay calm and ignore the pain in his cheek.
"For all we know it is one of them! And you let her go right to them?"
"Anne, stop. Listen for a minute."
His aunty's shoulders were trembling and she started going through her hand bag.
"Anne, stop." He repeated as he put his hands on her arms and met her face. Her eyes were wide with fear and guilt stabbed in Dodge's chest as he saw the shimmering of tears starting. "Sit down, please."
She let him lead her to the table and Iain stepped up to the bench and put the bags on it as he watched his older brother and Aunt.
"I've told Debbie what's happened. They are checking in as they drive, and before they turn in, Adora is going to call. I know you're scared, my stomach is twisting as well, but we can't isolate her."
Anne sat opposite him at the bench table near the window and took a shaky breath. "If anything happens to her, Dodge..."
"I don't think it will. That girl was murdered, and the police will be watching closely until they're sure the Taylors weren't involved."
"Debbie doesn't even care about Adora anymore, Dodge." Iain broke in.
"No, you're wrong, she does. I've seen her face, she was as hurt as we all were when Adora passed out. Debbie's never had to deal with any type of trauma or depression. She didn't know how to deal with Adora's withdrawing."
"She practically bullies Adora at school." Iain frowned.
"Its defensive." Dodge looked at his younger brother with a small smile. "Adora still trusts her, and so do I."
"But, Dodge... The doll..." Anne's hands shakily took his across the table.
Dodge looked from Iain to his Aunt. "I know. I don't know them as well as I'd like, but tomorrow when school starts, I'll be looking through all the kids files and trying to see if there's anything to worry about."
He remembered the mornings Marti had been sketching at the beach when he'd been surfing. He thought about the twins and Tom's confidence compared to Will's quietness. He didn't feel the kids were a danger, but he had never met anyone dangerous, so how could he be sure?
Dodge had expected Anne to be mad at him for letting Adora leave, he'd mentally rehearsed conversations and responses while he'd been alone and waiting.
He swallowed a lump. "I want to stay here until we know more."
"What do you mean?"
"Move in." He clarified and watched Anne's lips part.
"I promised Uncle Josh I'd keep you guys safe, I owe him my life; I owe you two a life."
Anne's angry brow broke and she tilted her head. "Oh, Dodge..." She squeezed his hands as her eyes met his pitifully.
"I can stay in a cabin, or downstairs or in the spare room. I just want to know that there's a presence here that might scare someone off."
Anne's watery eyes finally broke and she took her hands from his and wiped her face. "Alright."
Dodge felt relief washing over him at the idea of constantly being near his endangered cousin.
Iain started to unpack the bags. "Let's start trying to figure these out and where we are going to put them, at least it will keep us busy while Adora is not here."
Dodge nodded. "That's a good idea. To have them all set up before she gets home."
He stood up from the table and leaned down to give Anne a kiss on the top of her head. "We'll start outside at the doors." He told her.
She nodded, but didn't leave the table. "Thank you." She muttered.
Dodge swallowed a lump, hoping that he really could trust Debbie, silently praying that he hadn't sent his cousin into danger.

It was dark by the time they checked into the hotel Dodge had booked for them. The mood in the car had lightened significantly after they had pulled over.
Adora almost felt as though they could properly mend their broken friendship. She watched the houses appear and get more condensed as they drove into the main part of Richieville.
The suburb was so different to their little seaside town. The hotel was on the main street, and they passed the police station on their way there.
Adora thought she saw the Taylors Pajero in the car park, but they had passed before she could be sure.
Would the interviews really have taken all day?
The hotel was a single room with two single beds, a couch, a small table, a kitchenette and an ensuite. It was almost like the hotel rooms in most of the movies that someone would stay in if they were hiding.
Was she hiding?
Adora put her bag on the bed furthest from the door and swallowed a lump. The police station was maybe a five minute walk, Dodge had probably chosen this hotel because of the proximity of the station.
She would be able to run in no time if she needed to find safety.
Debbie started to unpack some things from her bag and Adora bit the corner of her lip. Would being with Debbie put her in danger?
Would coming to the town that Elissa had been murdered in kill her the same way?
Her phone beeped and she jerked in surprise. Debbie looked up and raised an eyebrow. "You OK?" She asked.
"Yea, just... on edge I guess." Adora took her phone from the front pocket of her backpack and looked at the text.
A small smile crossed her lips as she saw her Mum's message.
"Good news?"
"Amusing. Mum and the boys are putting the security cameras up tonight, and Dodge is going to be staying for a bit."
"What's the amusing part?" Debbie frowned.
"Mum slapped him."
"Who?"
"Dodge." Adora snorted at the thought of her short mother slapping her taller cousin. Dodge was a gentleman, so he would have taken it without moving. He probably felt he deserved it too.
Maybe coming to be with Marti and Will was a stupid idea though.
But she knew what grief could do to someone, and she didn't want to find out that they had lost themselves like she had.
"Ouch." Debbie moved to the kitchen bench and looked around in the cupboard and drawers.
"Yea, well, she's pretty mad that I came. I don't want to know what is in store for me when I get home."
Debbie stopped at the small bar fridge tucked into a cubby-hole under the bench and looked back at her. "Are you scared?"
Adora looked from her phone screen to Debbie and felt her thoughts vanish. She had been terrified at home when she'd found the doll, when she had realised the person that had nearly killed Brett for her knew her address.
Did they watch her?
Had they followed them to Richieville?
"I don't know. I should be, and the doll was terrifying, but I don't know what or who to be scared of." She heard her own voice shaking and she sank onto the bed. Moments later she felt Debbie sit beside her.
"I want to be here for you this time." Debbie muttered, taking her hand.
Adora looked into Debbie's brown eyes and felt her heart skipping a beat. A small smile turned the corners of her lips and she wrapped her arms around her old friend.
"Thank you, Debbie." She whispered as Debbie slowly returned the hug.