Page 57 of Property of Quake

His name echoes through my skull.

Tom.

Tom.

Tom.

A man who I barely remember because he was always outside. He’s a groundkeeper, a nobody in the day to day operations of Sacred Haven. He’s always been polite, quiet, and kept to himself.

Tom.

He’s a man who fooled us all, who hurt a little girl and sent her world spinning even further out of control than it already was.

Tom.

“Whitney!”

Quake’s shout cuts through the haze, pulling me back from the brink of insanity.

I look at him, and he releases a pent up breath. “We need more,” he whispers, glancing quickly at Melissa.

I nod and kneel in front of the couch. Lifting her small hand in mind, I squeeze it reassuringly.

“He can never hurt you again, okay?”

Melissa shakes her head. “T-that’s not true.”

Confused, I spare Quake a look before asking, “What do you mean?”

Putting on a brave face, she utters four words that change everything.

“My caseworker knows him.”

Quake goes rigid, and I stop breathing. Time ceases to exist, and the air in the room disappears.

In a rush, everything floods back in, overwhelming my senses.

“What?” I ask calmly, although I don’t feel the slightest bit calm.

Melissa sniffles. “I saw them talking.”

“When?” Quake asks.

She lowers her head, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. “After the accident.”

I don’t remember sitting down. One minute, I’m standing kneeling in front of the couch, and the next, I’m in the chair across the room at the table, trying to make sense of what she said.

My caseworker knows him.

The words replay over and over in my head.

Carrie knows Tom.

Of course she does.

He's a volunteer at Sacred Haven, and she’s the caseworker for Sacred Haven, ergo, they’ve met and interacted at some point. There’s nothing unusual about that, nothing at all.

Right?