Before She Was Found Read online

  I take the handwritten list from Dr. Gideon but all I’ve registered is that Violet gets to go home tomorrow.

  “I know your first concern is Violet, as it should be, but I’m hoping you can perhaps answer a few questions that I have—so that I can better understand the situation as a whole,” Dr. Gideon says.

  “What do you mean?” I ask in confusion. “I don’t know what I can possibly tell you.”

  “I’ve gotten permission from Cora Landry’s mother to visit with you and to share that I’m working with the Landry family as they navigate through this difficult situation.”

  I sit in silent disbelief and seeing the look on my face Dr. Gideon continues. “I promise you that what you say will be held in confidence.”

  “I’ve got nothing to say to you,” I say bluntly. “Is this even ethical? Violet did not have anything to do with hurting Cora. I don’t care what anyone says.”

  “Ms. Crow,” Dr. Gideon says gently. “I’m not here to gather any evidence to use against your daughter. I’m just trying to understand some of the peripheral aspects of what happened.”

  “Peripheral aspects?” I repeat, my voice shaking with anger. “Is this your fancy way of asking if my daughter is crazy or some psycho bully who lured Cora to the train yard to ambush her?”

  “Not at all, Ms. Crow. As I said, I don’t see signs of mental illness in Violet. I do think she experienced something terrifying in that train yard.”

  I think back to over the last few months and the whole Joseph Wither project she’d been working on with Cora and Jordyn. I was so excited to see her fitting in at school, that she was finally part of a group, that she finally had a best friend. Some friends, I think. Jordyn and another boy arrested for the attack. It could very easily have been Violet who was targeted.

  Case #92-10945

  Direct message dated April 12, 2018,

  via DarkestDoor.com

  JW44:

  THANKS FOR WARNING ME ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS’ PLAN TO COME TO THE TRAIN YARD ON SUNDAY NIGHT. YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY, THOUGH. NO ONE CAN STOP ME.

  Corareef12:

  You’re welcome. I just thought you’d want to know. I hate them. I’m going to cancel the overnight.

  JW44:

  DON’T DO THAT. THEY’LL NEVER SEE ME COMING.

  Corareef12:

  What do you mean?

  JW44:

  I MEAN, THEY MAY THINK THEY’LL BE READY FOR ME BUT NO ONE EVER IS. WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU READY?

  Corareef12:

  I don’t want to have them spend the night. They are awful.

  JW44:

  FINE. MAYBE THEY’LL STILL GO TO THE TRAIN YARD ON SUNDAY. JORDYN IS VERY PRETTY. MAYBE SHE’LL WANT TO COME WITH ME.

  Interview of John Dover Pitch Police Department Officer Keith Grady

  Wednesday, April 18, 2018

  OFFICER GRADY: Thanks for agreeing to come in again, John. I’m Officer Keith Grady and I’ll be interviewing you this afternoon.

  JOHN DOVER: I guess I’m a little confused. I thought I answered all the questions the other officer had for me yesterday.

  OFFICER GRADY: We just have a few more things to go over, then you can be on your way. Sound okay?

  JOHN DOVER: Sure. Fine. I want to help.

  OFFICER GRADY: What can you tell me about a website called DarkestDoor?

  JOHN DOVER: DarkestDoor? Never heard of it.

  OFFICER GRADY: You never stumbled across it while doing a web search of some kind?

  JOHN DOVER: I guess I may have. I’ve been on a lot of websites. But I don’t recall that one specifically. I may have gone on it. Do you remember the name of every website you’ve ever surfed?

  OFFICER GRADY: Think hard, John. We have a warrant for your home and school computers right now. Our tech guys are pretty good at their job and will be able to figure out your digital footprint pretty quickly.

  JOHN DOVER: Why are you searching my computers? I don’t understand. I haven’t done anything.

  OFFICER GRADY: Where were you on Sunday night, John?

  JOHN DOVER: I already told the other officer. I went to Grayling with some coworkers. I got home around midnight.

  OFFICER GRADY: And you were there the rest of the night?

  JOHN DOVER: Yes!

  OFFICER GRADY: Can anyone vouch for you?

  JOHN DOVER: Brett Reese dropped me off at about midnight but after that, no. I went to bed.

  OFFICER GRADY: You live just a few blocks from the train yard, don’t you?

  JOHN DOVER: Yeah, but so do a lot of people.

  OFFICER GRADY: True. But those people don’t have an eyewitness who says she saw them at the train yard right around the time Cora Landry was attacked.

  JOHN DOVER: Someone said they saw me? Who? They’re lying. I was at home.

  OFFICER GRADY: Sit down, John. I understand why you’re upset but if you’re telling the truth you have nothing to worry about.

  JOHN DOVER: I am telling the truth. Who said they saw me at the train yard? It’s a lie.

  OFFICER GRADY: You went to visit Cora Landry at the hospital earlier this week, is that correct?

  JOHN DOVER: Yes. She was severely hurt. She was my student. Is my student. I don’t think that’s so unusual. Lots of teachers probably do the same thing.

  OFFICER GRADY: But this is the problem, John. You have a history of inappropriate communication with students. Your principal said that Cora was eating lunch alone with you in your classroom. And now someone says they saw you at the train yard the night of the attack.

  JOHN DOVER: I can explain all that. Jesus Christ. Am I under arrest?

  OFFICER GRADY: No, you’re not.

  JOHN DOVER: Then I’m free to go, right?

  OFFICER GRADY: Certainly. Just don’t go too far. I’m sure we’ll be speaking again soon. And by the way, I’m going to need your phone. I’m not going to find any phone calls between you and Cora Landry on this phone, am I?

  Dr. Madeline Gideon

  September 14, 2018

  I decided to leave the hospital at a decent time and met my colleague Michaela at a nearby restaurant for dinner. It was a mild evening; the earlier overcast skies had cleared, the temperature warmer than it was before the sunset. The streetlights reflected off the wet pavement and I tried to avoid the puddles that impeded my path so that I moved like a drunken college student lurching from bar to bar.

  We ordered wine and pasta and as we ate I updated Michaela on how Cora was doing, how she developed a bad infection, the weird vibe I got from her parents, what Cora said about Joseph Wither leaving her at the train yard. As I talked, Michaela’s face changed from polite interest to disconcertion. “What?” I asked.

  “I was just thinking how innocent our childhoods were. I mean, I grew up in a pretty tough neighborhood but little girls didn’t get stabbed,” Michaela said.

  “Oh, there were monsters back then,” I told her. “Sometimes they were just better hidden.” We both thought about this for a second, the only sound the clank of silverware against the ceramic dishes.

  “It’s strange,” I broke the silence. “At first, Cora mentioned this Wither entity and then she said she had no idea who attacked her, that she didn’t see anything, but from my visits with Cora, she hinted at the idea that she thought Joseph Wither was real, too. Then today, when her parents told her about the arrests, Cora didn’t act surprised at all, more like...resigned. In fact, the big sister was more upset than anyone. She started crying and ran out of the room when she heard the news.”

  “So the friends did it, then,” Michaela said matter-of-factly.

  “I don’t know.” I sighed. “But apparently the police have some physical evidence, social media posts and a video.”

  “The attack was caught on video?” Michaela asked in surprise.<
br />
  “I didn’t get the sense that it was quite as dramatic as that.” I pushed my plate away. “More like the video put them in the area at the time of the assault.”

  “Any drugs or alcohol involved?” Michaela asked.

  “There wasn’t any in Cora’s system. I don’t know about the other girls. But Cora has a pretty bad infection and the docs are talking about more surgery. When I left she had a high fever.”

  “Sad all around,” Michaela said.

  “Yes, it is,” I agreed.

  My phone buzzed and reluctantly I answered it. It’s the hospital. “This is Dr. Gideon,” I said. I listened to the resident on the other end and with each word my stomach dropped. “I’ll be right there.”

  “What is it?” Michaela asked. “Did Cora take a turn for the worse?”

  “No,” I said as I grabbed my coat from the back of my chair. “It’s her sister, Kendall. She just tried to kill herself.”

  * * *

  I rushed back to the hospital, and made a beeline to the emergency room where Kendall was being treated.

  My old friend Dr. Soto was working again. “Where are they?” I asked and he directed me to one of the examination rooms. I tapped on the glass and when the door slid open I was slammed with a sense of déjà vu. Kendall was attached to an IV, eyes closed, her mouth black with chalky charcoal, a sure sign they pumped her stomach. Mara was sitting in a chair next to her, bent over in anguish.

  “Mara,” I whispered. “How is she? How are you?”

  Mara lifted her head; her eyes were bloodshot, her face streaked with tears. “I don’t know what’s happening,” she choked out. “Why would Kendall do something like this?” Kendall stirred in her bed and Mara and I moved to the hallway.

  “She took pills?” I asked.

  Mara wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. “Yeah, after she ran out of Cora’s room earlier she didn’t come back and, honestly, we didn’t go looking for her. Cora’s fever spiked again and we were worried about her.” Mara looked over at Kendall’s sleeping form, “We just thought that it was overwhelming for Kendall and she needed some fresh air, some space. If I knew she was going to do this, I would have gone after her. She swallowed a bottle of Tylenol PM and God knows what else.”

  “Has she been conscious?” I asked.

  “Yes, just sleepy. I’ve nearly lost both my children in a matter of days, Dr. Gideon. What has my family done to deserve this? My husband is beside himself with anger. Did you know they let those kids go home? Can you believe that?”

  This was news to me. Last I heard, Jordyn and the boy were the main suspects and were in custody and being questioned. Things were happening so fast. “Cora could lose her eye and Kendall tried to...and she refuses to talk to me, won’t tell me what she was thinking.” Mara looked at me helplessly. “How can I help her if she doesn’t tell me what’s wrong?”

  “Sometimes confiding to those people who mean the most to us can be the most difficult,” I said. On the other side of the door Kendall blinked her eyes open.

  “But she should know that she can always talk to me. I’m her mom.” Mara’s voice broke on the final word.

  “Would you like me to visit with Kendall?” I asked.

  Mara dug a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at her nose. “But you can’t repeat what she says to you, right?” Mara asked. “I won’t be any closer to knowing why she did this.”

  “You’re right,” I told her. “I can’t tell you the details of our conversation but I can help Kendall process what’s been happening, help her try to understand what’s she’s feeling. And I can encourage her to talk to you.”

  Mara and I looked through the glass at Kendall, who pushed herself up in bed and wiped at her mouth with her sleeve, grimacing at the taste of charcoal. “It’s up to you, Mara, but at some point Kendall is going to need to talk to someone.” Mara knocked on the glass and gave Kendall a little wave and tried to muster a smile. Kendall looked away, pretending she didn’t see.

  “Oh, Jesus,” Mara said, pressing her forehead against the door. “I can’t take much more of this and I know that Jim is already at the end of his rope. Please talk to Kendall. Please help her.”

  “Give us a half hour,” I suggested. “It will be a start.”

  Mara released a shuddery breath. “What should I do? I don’t know what to do.”

  “Your husband is with Cora and I’m here with Kendall. Maybe go down to the cafeteria, take a walk.”

  Mara looked hesitant. “How about just fifteen minutes?” I asked.

  “Okay,” Mara agreed. “Okay.” I watched from the doorway as Mara went back into the examination room to tell Kendall that she’d be right back. She leaned down to give Kendall a peck on the cheek but her daughter pulled away and the kiss was lost to the air.

  I made sure Mara was heading toward the elevators before I stepped back into the examination room. Kendall crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the ceiling, trying to set her chin in defiance but couldn’t quite keep it from trembling. I pulled a chair close to her bedside and sat. “You’ve had quite the day,” I said.

  “Are you going to start yelling at me, too?” she asked hatefully, her voice raspy. Most likely from the tube that was shoved down her throat. “My dad freaked out. How could you do this, Kendall? How could you do this to us?” She lowered her voice, mimicking her father. “Like it had anything to do with them.”

  “It didn’t?” I asked. “Your parents have been focusing a lot of their attention on Cora...”

  “You think I swallowed those pills because I’m jealous? Are you kidding me? I just want it all to go away.”

  “What do you want to go away?” I asked. The pain in her eyes was difficult to witness.

  Kendall eased back onto her pillow and closed her eyelids. “I did something bad,” she murmured, tears squeezing from the corner of her eyes. Minutes ticked by as I waited for her to say more and she finally opened her eyes. “What Cora says to you is private, right?” she asked. “So you can’t tell anybody what I say either, right?”

  “That’s right,” I said. “As long as you aren’t planning to hurt yourself again or aren’t planning to hurt someone else, what you say to me will be confidential.”

  Kendall thought about this; red dots pinpricked the skin beneath her eyes, broken blood vessels from vomiting up the pills she had taken. “Even to my parents?” she asked. “Even to the police.”

  My pulse quickened but I kept my face neutral. “That’s right. I can’t tell your parents or the police.”

  “It’s my fault,” she whispered. “What happened to Cora. Emery and I were the ones pretending to be Wither. I found out Cora was looking for information about him in a chat room. It was just a joke. We didn’t really think she would fall for it. But she did.” Kendall swallowed with difficulty and I picked up a glass of water next to her bed and held it out to her. She waved it away.

  “After a few days I told Emery we needed to stop,” Kendall explained. “And I thought she agreed. But she kept going. I didn’t know. I swear. But Cora was acting all weird so I checked the website and found the emails. Emery was the one who told Cora to go to the train yard.” Kendall bit her lip, drawing blood. Tears streamed down her cheeks and thick mucus collected beneath her nose. “She’s the one who told Cora that she could see Joseph Wither in person. That all they had to do was go to the train yard at midnight. It was supposed to be a joke.” Kendall clutched at the bedsheets, twisting them between her fingers. “I know we should have never done it in the first place. But I tried to stop it, I really did.”

  I tried not to let the horror show on my face. “Do you think that Emery may have been the one to attack your sister?” I asked.

  Kendall shook her head vigorously. “No, no. That night I was texting with her until after midnight. And when she heard about what happened she became hy
sterical. It was so mean of her but she wouldn’t hurt anyone. I don’t know what to do?” she cried, covering her face with her hands. “What should I do?”

  It shouldn’t have surprised me, the cruelty of young girls, but in this case it did. One impulsive act had set off an avalanche of events that had resulted in an attack on a little girl, two arrests and an attempted suicide.

  I chose my words carefully. “It’s up to you, Kendall, but since you are asking for my advice, I think you should tell your parents and then talk to the police together. Eventually the police will find out that you and Emery were the ones who posted on the website. It won’t be easy, but it will be better for everyone if you tell the truth.”

  “Can you be with me? When I talk to them?” She looked so young, so scared.

  “Of course. When you’re ready, you let me know.”

  “But not right now.” She turned her head away from me, closed her eyes. “Maybe tomorrow.”

  Thomas Petit

  Thursday, April 19, 2018

  Thomas is in his truck just before the sun rises. He didn’t sleep well last night. Someone was sneaking around the back of the house. He had tried to catch whoever was out there but his arthritic legs couldn’t move fast enough. At any rate he was able to scare them off before they caused any mischief.

  When he finally got back into bed his mind started replaying the events of the day before. Thomas went to the courthouse, Jordyn’s dress clothes in hand, fully expecting that she would be arraigned. He wasn’t sure what she was going to talk about, but it didn’t sound good.

  When he got there, Robert told him that the arraignment was postponed, Jordyn was being reinterviewed by the police and more than likely she was going to get to come home the next day. Though Thomas pressed him, Robert wouldn’t give any details as to what bombshell Jordyn was about drop. He said the police had to investigate Jordyn’s claims and he’d be able to share more soon. “I believe her,” Robert had told him and Thomas breathed a sigh of relief.