Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Stomach churning, Marissa sat down in front of the TV waiting for the news conference to begin. After the visit from the sheriff and the phone calls received from the others, she’d started to wonder whether keeping silent was a good idea after all. She stared at the TV and listened in interest as the medical examiner and the forensic anthropologist explained all the details about the bodies they’d found. They’d discovered their identities and exactly when they went missing. The fact they had found evidence on the bodies disturbed her. What evidence had they found? She allowed her mind to drift back to that terrible night. The images of Cole and Abby pale and lifeless always sat in the recesses of her mind. Seeing her best friends dead wasn’t something she could forget. They’d all been around Cole and Abby that evening. Earlier that night she’d given Abby a hug. This would mean her DNA was probably all over her, some of her hair perhaps as she used to wear it long and flowing those days. It would be the same for the others. Every one of them touched the bodies. It was Josie and her who grabbed an arm each and helped two of the boys carry her deeper into the cave. They wanted to keep them as far away from the entrance as possible so no one would ever find them.

Her phone buzzed and she looked at the caller ID, surprised to see Josie on the line. They’d decided to cool their conversations of late rather than make it look like that they were discussing the murders. “I’m watching the press conference, are you?”

“Yes, of course I am. I want to know what’s going on.” Josie was breathing heavily down the line as if she’d been running a distance. “The medical examiner is going to speak now. Maybe he’ll let us know what he’s discovered.”

Dr. Shane Wolfe’s voice boomed out from the TV, and Marissa held her breath in anticipation.

“This is a very heinous crime. Not only were two young people slaughtered, but we have evidence to prove that they were buried alive. Whoever attacked these two young people in the Whispering Caves over Halloween twelve years ago needs to be brought to justice. I can assure you that my department will go to every length possible to determine who is responsible for this crime.”

“Do you have any suspects?” A reporter thrust a microphone into the sheriff’s face.

“We do have a list of possible suspects and we’ll be working through them over the coming weeks.” Sheriff Alton stared down the camera. “This may be a cold case, but for me it’s brand new. We were very fortunate that the bodies were mummified and so they carry a great deal of evidence. I do believe that we’ll have an arrest in this case very soon.”

“Dr. Wolfe, what type of evidence have you retrieved from the bodies so far?” A reporter moved their microphone back to the medical examiner.

“A great deal of evidence, and my colleague Dr. Norrell Lawson will be examining the gravesites as soon as the rain eases and it’s safe to go to the Whispering Caves. From the evidence we have discovered on the bodies, we believe we have located the gravesites. We’ll be looking for any personal items or other evidence we can use to prosecute the killer of these young people.” Dr. Wolfe held up a hand . “That’s all we have for you today. We’ll keep you updated as the information comes to hand.”

Marissa’s hand shook so hard the phone slipped from her palm. She grabbed it up and pressed it to her ear. “We didn’t kill anyone. I’m not going to prison for the rest of my life. We should tell them the truth so they know it wasn’t murder. It was self-defense.”

“It’s murder now.” Josie sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We thought they were dead, didn’t we? The problem is they now have proof they were buried alive, and we buried them alive. So we’re all equally to blame for their deaths. Even though Cole injured Abby, what it really comes down to is the fact that it was us that dug the grave and us that buried them alive. We’re all murderers. Our only chance is if we stick together and don’t say anything to anyone.”

Horrified at what they had done, Marissa ran a hand down her face. “If we explained the situation, it might be okay. He was only stopping Cole from killing her, wasn’t he? What else could he have done? It was self-defense and we’ve kept his secret all these years because it was the right thing to do, but now we might have to consider saving our own necks. I know if someone is implicated in a crime, they can seek immunity for giving information. I figure we should think long and hard about what we’re going to do. Maybe we should speak to Lily as well? If we went in to see the sheriff as a united force, we might be able to broach a deal with the DA.”

“Are you batshit crazy?” Josie was pacing up and down, her feet audible on the polished wooden floors of her home. “Can you imagine what Bob would say if he knew I was involved in two murders? Unlike you, I have a family to consider. Abby and Cole are dead and there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s no use wasting the rest of our lives on a stupid mistake. It wasn’t our fault. Cole attacked Abby with an ax. That’s the truth. He got what he deserved, and we owe it to our friend to keep his secret.”

With trembling fingers, Marissa lifted the remote to turn off the TV. “Okay, I understand what you’re saying.” She drew in long deep breaths and blew them out slowly to try and calm her nerves. The report on the TV had brought every second back to her in a rush of blood and horror. Now she had to carry the burden of knowing that she buried her best friends alive. “I don’t believe we should stop calling each other or going out for coffee. I figure staying away from each other would attract more attention. I’m sure if the sheriff is suspicious, she’ll be looking for any change in behavior.”

“Yeah, sure, I can do lunch tomorrow at Aunt Betty’s Café. I’ll be there at one.” Josie tapped her nails on the phone. “Don’t forget to smile and act normal when you arrive. There are CCTV cameras everywhere. If anyone is watching us, we’ll need to appear like we have nothing to hide. The news report was as disturbing to us as everyone else, but as we were not involved, it doesn’t concern us. Our only interest is in the fact that they were friends a long time ago at college.”

Marissa nodded even though her friend couldn’t see her. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow at one.” She disconnected and dropped her phone onto the plush velvet sofa.

Her home had taken so long to perfect. She walked around the room, fingering the furnishings, saved for and purchased with the hope that someone would share them with her one day. Did she deserve to be living with hope of a better future when Cole and Abby had been cut down so young? Had the story told on the mountain that night been the truth? The series of events had happened so fast. She hadn’t had time to think it through. In fact, she’d just gone along like a sheep and followed the others. The faces of her dead friends haunted her and now would fill her nightmares knowing they hadn’t been dead after all. Cold shivers slid up her spine. What if they’d regained consciousness in the grave? The thought was too horrific to consider. It was her worst nightmare and she could almost feel damp soil pressing against her face.

Mind spinning, she’d need to face her problems alone. Speaking to the others about her misgivings would send shockwaves of mistrust through the group. There must be an option, a way out of this mess. Keeping silent could mean years in prison, but could she tell on her friends? It would be the greatest form of betrayal, but how could she cope being restricted to a small area and never being able to see the mountains again? She would die in prison. Knees trembling, she headed for the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of red wine from the cabinet. She drank long and hard from the bottle and swiped her hand over her mouth, breathing hard. Deep down inside, the awful truth was eating at her conscience . She doubted she would ever sleep again.