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“He was high all week. He said he’d stop after Christmas. He didn’t live that long.”
“How did you end up at Sixth Day’s café that night?”
“I’d been sitting outside his house, practicing my ‘it’s time to get clean’ spiel. He got in his car, so I followed him. I recognized the place when we stopped. I’d bought there before. It looked like a normal café, but the back room had all the goodies. I saw him go in and knew why he was there. I figured that would be where I’d start—that he was so far gone that he’d risk his reputation by being seen in a place like that. That maybe he’d even get arrested. I had my speech all planned, but he didn’t come out. So, I peeked in the window.”
Val braced herself. “What did you see?”
“Van was fighting with Aaron Gates.”
“How did you know his name?” Kaj asked softly.
Sylvi startled, as if she’d forgotten he was there. “I didn’t then. Sandra told me later. But that day he was so angry with Van. Yelling that Van ‘threw him under the bus,’ and that his son would die because of Van. He pulled out a knife and... stabbed him.” Sylvi swallowed. “I didn’t know what to do. There was blood everywhere.”
“I’m sorry,” Val whispered.
“Me too. I was so fixated on Van and Aaron Gates that I didn’t see the other people in the room right away. But then I did, and I just froze. Cassandra was there. I stood at that window, staring at her. She was trying to save Van, but... he was already gone.” Her lips trembled. “Cassandra looked up and saw me. So I ran. I didn’t try to save him. I’m sorry.”
Val couldn’t hold back tears. “There wasn’t anything you could have done. When did Cassandra find you?”
“Later that night. She knew where I lived. She’d given me a ride home from Ivan’s house—now your house—a few times when I went to have dinner with them, and she told me that she wanted to be a sister to me. I guess I was lonely. You were different when you came back from Iraq. Colder. Not yourself anymore. And then you left for New Mexico. So when Cassandra offered to be my sister, I said yes.”
It was if Val could see her life from thirty thousand feet. She’d been so scared of the man who’d raped her that she’d run and changed her name, her life, her everything. Leaving her sister behind, confused and hurt. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Sylvi frowned. “Are you all right?”
Warm arms wrapped around her as Kaj helped her back into the folding chair.
“I was having some personal problems,” Val confessed. “I shouldn’t have shut you out.”
“I thought that it was me,” Sylvi said, her pain clear.
“No. It had nothing to do with you. It was something that happened over there.”
“Mom said that a man was stalking you.”
“Yeah. It was...” She exhaled, debating what to say. The truth. Just say the truth. Because keeping it hidden hadn’t helped any of them. “I was assaulted over there. One of the guys walked on the charges, and he came after me when we were both home.”
Sylvi’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. Ingrid.”
Val waved a hand. “It’s done. I got therapy. Mom and Dad don’t know the full story, and I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to think that it was your fault in any way. I’ve hurt you enough.”
Sylvi’s expression softened. “Maybe we hurt each other. Like that one time you offered to get me into rehab, and I snapped your head off. I wasn’t using that day, just so you know. My doctor gave me meds for anxiety. They’re non-habit-forming so they’re okay for addicts like me. I was freaking out all the time back then.” She hesitated. “Especially when I had to see you. You were so angry and—”
“I’m—” Val started but Sylvi stilled her with a raised hand.
“I was going to say that based on what you knew, you had a right to be. I wanted to tell you the truth.”
“But Sandra convinced you not to.”
“She said the man who killed Ivan would hurt Mom and Dad, and I couldn’t let that happen. Rico Nova was there that day, but he didn’t do it. Sandra told me that Rico was taking the fall and not to say a word. I’ve felt guilty for so long. I let him go to prison.” She looked at Kaj. “Is there a law about that? Saying I should have told? If have to face some charges, I will. I deserve that much.”
“We can figure it out,” Kaj said kindly. “But I don’t think you’ll face any charges. You might think that Sandra saved you, but she was really threatening your life. Now, you said that Aaron and Ivan were there. Dewey and Sandra. Rico Nova. Anyone else?”
“There was one other man. I’d never seen him before. I think he came with Aaron.”
Val stilled. Beside her, Kaj drew a long, slow breath before speaking. “Can you describe him?” he asked.
“Tall, big like Aaron. Bald head. Both Aaron and this man looked like they were about Van’s age.”
