Chapter 5 - Rachel Runs
Jason’s truck was gone.
So was Jason.
Somehow, in the confusion after the video began playing, he had slipped through the fellowship hall exit.
I ran into the rain before anyone could stop me.
The parking lot was chaos.
People stood beneath umbrellas, whispering.
Deputies moved between cars.
Detective Alvarez shouted into her radio.
“Black Ford F-150, Texas plate—”
Dad caught me by the shoulder.
“Emily, stop.”
“He took her.”
“We don’t know that.”
“Yes, we do.”
A woman from church hurried toward us.
“I saw them.”
Alvarez turned.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
The woman pointed toward the side lot.
“The brunette came outside first. She was crying. Then Jason came running around the building.”
“Did he force her into the truck?”
“I couldn’t tell. They were arguing.”
“What did you hear?”
The woman closed her eyes.
“He said, ‘You opened your mouth.’”
A cold weight settled in my stomach.
Rachel knew something.
Jason knew she knew it.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then I answered.
“Hello?”
For three seconds, there was only road noise.
Then a whisper.
“Emily?”
I knew the voice.
Rachel.
“Where are you?”
“Don’t say my name.”
I turned away from the crowd.
Detective Alvarez watched me.
I mouthed, Rachel.
She immediately motioned for silence.
Rachel breathed hard into the phone.
“I didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?”
“The stairs.”
My skin prickled.
“What about the stairs?”
“I thought he was leaving her. I thought the money was his.”
“Rachel, where are you?”
“I got out.”
“What?”
“He stopped at a gas station.”
I heard a car horn.
“He went inside. I ran behind the building and got into a woman’s car.”
“Give the phone to the driver.”
“No, listen.”
Her voice cracked.
“There’s another camera.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“Lily had another camera.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. Jason couldn’t find it.”
Detective Alvarez stepped closer.
I put the phone on speaker.
Rachel continued.
“The night Lily died, he came to my apartment after midnight.”
“What did he say?”
“He was shaking. He had blood on his cuff.”
Mom gasped behind me.
Rachel started crying.
“He told me she fell.”
“And you believed him?”
“No.”
That answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
“So why didn’t you call the police?”
Silence.
“Rachel?”
“Because I was scared.”
I almost exploded.
“My sister was dead.”
“I know.”
“She was pregnant.”
“I know!”
“Then why were you at her funeral on his arm?”
Rachel sobbed.
“Because he told me if I didn’t come with him, he’d tell the police the money transfers were my idea.”
Alvarez leaned toward the phone.
“Rachel, this is Detective Alvarez. Tell me your location.”
Rachel gave us the highway number.
A gas station twelve miles east.
Alvarez dispatched units.
Then I asked the question I needed answered.
“What did Jason tell you after Lily died?”
Rachel went silent again.
Finally she whispered, “He said she ruined everything.”
“What does that mean?”
“I asked him that.”
“And?”
“He said she was supposed to sign something.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“What document?”
Rachel heard him.
“I don’t know.”
Then she added, “But I saw papers in his truck today.”
“What papers?”
“One had Lily’s name on it.”
A horn blared in the background.
Rachel suddenly screamed.
The phone hit something.
Metal scraped.
Then I heard Jason’s voice.
Far away, but unmistakable.
May you like
“Rachel!”
The call ended.
