Page 44 of Played by Him

Twenty-Three

It was wellpast midnight before we went back to the Johnsons’ house. Jenna and I had checked every house on the list Roberta had given us, and even a couple others nearby that had looked empty. We’d kept going even after getting a text from Roberta saying that she and Elliot were going back home to see if Stacey had come back. But after another hour of nothing, we’d gone to the Johnsons’ house to regroup and see if anyone had heard anything.

I had to admit, I was surprised when Roberta let us in, but Elliot didn’t even blink when we walked inside. He actually looked a little shell-shocked, and I felt a wave of pity for him. No one deserved to go through something like this.

Then I thought about the woman who’d given birth to Jenna and Stacey. She would’ve deserved to go through this. Hell, she deserved worse than this. Elliot and Roberta, they were good parents, and I hoped I hadn’t completely fucked up their lives by showing up.

I’d told Jenna that she wasn’t at fault, and I’d meant it. Me, on the other hand, I should’ve been thinking clearly. I should’ve given her better advice about how to approach things.

I should have started with her older siblings, the ones who were already adults. The ones who could’ve made the decisions themselves and been equipped to handle the emotional impact that would come with those choices.

“What do we do now?” Roberta asked. Her dark eyes were shining with tears, and I could only imagine what it took to hold them back. She sat down next to her husband and leaned against him.

I looked at Jenna and saw my own thoughts reflected on her face. She reached into her pocket, but I shook my head. I had an FBI contact too. I’d try first, coming from the friendship angle. If that didn’t work, Jenna could play the debt card with Agent Matthews. I wouldn’t tell the Johnsons either way unless the FBI agreed to help. Getting their hopes up would only make things worse. Plus, I had a feeling they felt like I’d already interfered in their lives enough.

I started toward the door, intending to quietly slip out to make my call without the risk of anyone overhearing me, but I was still a few feet from the door when it opened, and Stacey walked inside.

Everything froze for several long seconds, and then everyone started talking at once.

“Where have you been?!”

“What the hell were you thinking?!”

“What’s going on? Who are they?”

“We should really go.”

“I think you should. Thank you for coming.”

Roberta gave us both a smile as she hugged Stacey, but I knew they both wanted us gone so they could deal with whatever was going on with their daughter.

Before we could get to the door, however, Stacey raised her voice. “Wait!”

“Stacey–” I heard the warning in Elliot’s voice.

“No, Dad, we need to talk, and if they’re who I think they are, they need to be here too.” Stacey’s dark eyes moved from her parents to Jenna and me.

Roberta gestured for us to sit down, and when Elliot opened his mouth to say something, she shot him one of those looks that only wives and mothers could get away with. His mouth snapped shut, but he still glared at us.

Stacey’s next words, however, caught all of our attention. “I know I’m adopted.”

“What are you talking about?” Roberta’s voice shook.

The girl folded her arms, a stubborn expression on her face. One that I’d seen Jenna wearing. “I’ve known for three years.”

“How?” The question came from Elliot. “We were always so careful.”

“Grandma was babysitting me, and I was doing a genealogy project for school. I dug around in your office, found the keys to the fireproof box, and I remembered you saying that it held our birth certificates, that sort of thing. I opened it up and found the paperwork for my adoption.”

“I’m so sorry we never told you,” Roberta said, the tears finally spilling over. “But if you’ve known all this time, why did you run away tonight?”

“I didn’t run away…exactly. I needed time to think.”

“Think about what?” Elliot gave Jenna and me a glare.

“While Mom and I were out shopping, I overheard her side of a conversation with you.”

Both Elliot and Roberta flushed, and I wondered if this was where my responsibility came in.

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