Uncle Henry is mean.
Henry? Did he have a fight with Billy? That's not like Henry and Billy to fight... She turned to the next page.
He doesn't like me.
What? He loved you Billy.
He tells me that when mumy and dady aren't around.
Shenzie's heart began to race as she continued reading, this notebook had been sitting in his closet for 4 years... Even more.
He hurt me he hit me but only places where mumy and daddy wont see.
Shenzie looked up at the door when she heard shuffling outside, lock the door maybe? No, it was going to attract Henry's attention even more so she made sure that she would be quick to hide the book before he would find her.
But one sentence had made her shake as she tried to process what Billy had written.
He touched me there I dont know it felt weird and uncle Henry said that all little boys do this and that he was teaching me a leasson.
He told me not to tell mummy and daddy, especially mummy.
'Oh god'.
She whispered, hot tears streaked down her cheeks as she took in what was before her.
Uncle put his hands arond my throte one time because he was angry, he said he wanted to touch mor aswel.
What was the icing on the cake was the last thing Billy had written.
I said no to Uncle, mummy taught me that one time and I siad no but Uncle got mad and he threw the smoothie at me. He had to get more mangos from the store because of me but he said that he will be back to finish what he started, my throat hurts, he took my necklace as well, I want it back.
No... This wasn't happening.
'Shenzie?'
She was quick to hide the book and continue on with the clothes, 'I'm in Billy's room!' She yelled out and Henry pushed the door open, 'what're you doing? You can't take those with you'.
'I know I just... I haven't been in this room for a while'.
'What made you go in here now? You should be getting your stuff-'.
'Henry, will you calm down'.
'No! I'm not going to calm down, he's going to go after you Shen!'
It was so difficult to look at Henry the same way after reading Billy's notebook, Henry seem to notice her tension, 'are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost'.
'Maybe'.
She quickly added just to lighten the mood and Henry smirked, 'come on-', she wasn't going anywhere, not after what she just read, this book had been hidden away for so long and she hadn't seen it. She understood that if all of it was true, Billy would be too embarrassed to say anything about it.
She moved past Henry and made her way into the kitchen, 'you need to calm down Henry, John didn't hurt me in any way-'.
'He killed Billy!'
He had Billy's necklace, that was all.
'Since I was in there... When Billy went missing, there had been search parties that night right?'
Henry frowned, 'yeah? There were a few, why?' She was moving slowly, very slowly.
'Everyone in Mill Neck and part of the town came and joined in the search'.
'Yes?'
'John was part of that search too-'.
'What're you getting at Shen?'
She could clearly see that Henry was getting impatient, but she wasn't going to tell him about the notebook, no way, she just wanted to know more about what Billy had said, he had given her a final clue, a strong clue.
'John opened his home up to us and the rest of the people to help out with the search, we had already cleared Julia and my area... It was just John's area that we did last'.
Henry had no clue what she was doing which was good, it made it easier for Shenzie to piece together what was happening but she knew she had to stop otherwise Henry would notice.
'I'm sorry just- you're rushing me, I think we should be fine in this place, make sure you lock everything Henry'.
She made sure that she emphasized her order, she showed no remorse at all. She wanted to hear what he had to say and she'll decide whether or not to believe him, then again she would listen to Billy carefully.
John had been part of the search party that night, he wasn't a stranger to Julia and me, I was too overwhelmed at that time to notice him...
It was all in the same night.