Chapter Twenty-five

Mackenzie watched from the car as the officers approached the house and rang the bell. The light from inside suddenly flooded the front step as the door opened. Mac could see Barb’s small silhouette turn toward her as the cop’s gestured to the patrol car where she was sitting. Mackenzie heard her make some sort of sound—she wasn’t quite sure what it was but it didn’t sound good. Before they could stop her, Barb darted across the street and ran straight toward Mac, who sunk back into the seat as far as she could.

Barb was crying and was fighting to get the door open. “It’s not right! Why didn’t you tell me? My baby! My baby! It’s not right!”

Mac was pressed against the opposite door now. The glimmer of hope that she’d finally have a mom evaporated as she watched Barb.

Barb didn’t believe her. Of course she didn’t believe her. How could Mac be right? She must be wrong. It’s ridiculous. What kind of freak would do that to his own daughter? No one would believe her. Plus, she knew Barb blamed her. She would hate her now, and why wouldn’t she? Why hadn’t she told? She could’ve saved her sister. What had she been thinking?

And now Mac had a bigger problem: How could she save Lily if Barb didn’t believe her? And where would she live? And what would happen to Lily because for sure her father would get away with it. He’s the big businessman who gives tons of money to the police. Maybe she could take Lily and they could run. Run away someplace far where no one knew them and—

The cop from the first car had jumped out of his cruiser and was running toward Mac. She could see the other two cops running toward her also, as Barb struggled to open the door. They were hollering at her to stop and Barb just kept sobbing, “My baby! My baby! It’s not right!”

Then Mackenzie heard more screaming and it was a full four seconds before she realized she was the one doing it. It was the shrill scream of terror that hadn’t escaped all the times her father came into her room. She screamed, terrified for Lily, for herself, for the frustration that she couldn’t just go get her sister and beat the shit out of her father. It was a scream of fury, and hatred for what he put her through, and her failure to protect her sister.

Barb got the door open just as all three officers reached the car. They hung back as she crawled in and wrapped her arms around Mackenzie and rocked her. She rocked and rocked until Mac couldn’t scream any more and just tears were left.

The whole time Barb just kept whispering, “My baby … my poor baby … my sweet baby …”