Fake Me To Church

Chapter 21.2 - Deck the Halls

- STEVEN -

Ahmed was sitting in the lobby staring at the wall when we arrived.

"That's weird," I mused. "Where's the receptionist?"

When he saw Sam's headlights, Ahmed stood up and hurried outside, climbing into the backseat the moment he made it to the car.

"Dude, what's going on?" was my first question.

"I—I don't know," he began as Sam shifted the car to drive and we jetted off and around the block. "Irina just...left us."

"What about Alice? Mrs. Gravestepper was saying something before. What was it?"

Ahmed shuddered. "Steven, it's insane. The way Mrs. Gravestepper tells the story, Alice was Lane's sister who ran away from home after she got kicked out of school. Somehow, she made it to California and became a stripper at a night club, then cut off all contact with her mom after she wouldn't let her visit Lane anymore."

"Whoa," I breathed. "How old was she? Lane, I mean. How old was she when Alice left?"

"Not old enough to remember. Irina's mom said Alice got thrown out of EdgeWay less than two years after Lane was born; everyone here thought Alice'd just disappeared. But then Lane's dad died, and Alice showed up at the funeral. Mrs. Gravestepper said she just sat in the back and twirled her hair, staring at her mom and daring her to say something. She left flowers on her dad's grave, then disappeared all over again.

"Then everything with Lane happened twelve years ago, and Mrs. Martin tried her best to find her. The police searched the Martin residence and found blond hair in the bushes outside the home. Irina's mom thought it might've been Lane's, but Mrs. Martin was almost certain it was Alice's. And get this—a few days later, the police found more blond strands a few neighborhoods over...at Ms. Charity's house."

I exhaled. "Charity said she knew Lane—that she loved her. I guess this is what she meant, but...why would Lane be at her house?"

"I don't know." Ahmed lowered his head. "But the freakiest part is where they found the strands. They were outside, stuck to a latch on the window pane."

I paused. "But how did the cops know to look there?"

"That's the part I don't get either, and neither did Irina's mom. She got all her info secondhand from Mrs. Martin, and she really didn't want to pry. But it doesn't make any sense. I mean, put this timeline with those photos of Lane in that file we found, and it just doesn't add up."

I shivered. "Yeah, Ahmed...yeah, it does." I stole a knowing glance at Sam, his face darkening.

"Why?" Ahmed queried. "You guys, what's going on?"

"Steven's dad..." Sam started, his voice skipping a beat. "He raped Lane that night. And Glenn Clather was in on it."

Ahmed sighed. "So Marissa was right."

"Yeah." I bowed my head. "Dad says he has no idea what happened to Lane afterwards—she just ran off into the woods and vanished."

"I was visiting Bethany when...I ran into her," Sam added. "She looked so freaked, so scared..." His words began to break with tears. "She hid under a bunch of leaves, and that's the last time I ever saw her."

The tires screeched underneath us, and Sam pulled over to the side of the road, covering his eyes with his hands. "I'm sorry, guys," he spoke in crackling whisper.

"Sam, hey..." Ahmed tried. "It's alright; you don't have to be sorry." He reached to the front and gripped Sam's left shoulder.

I just crossed my arms and lowered my head, sitting back in my seat.