Uninvited

Chapter 27

Joyce Carter shivered as she walked down the thyme-green corridor of Crest Ridge. She didn't particularly like going against what her husband had asked her to do but Joyce never listened to anyone but herself. After all, she was a Carter.

She tried not to make eye contact with any of the patients. She had made that mistake years ago only to be spat upon by a resident who mistook her for an imagined enemy.

She stopped at the room she recognized as Maggie Caldwell's. Joyce didn't bother knocking and turned the knob to enter. Maggie was hunched in a rocking chair, staring at the birds from her window.

"Maggie?" Joyce frowned at the trepidation in her own voice. She straightened her shoulders, "Maggie. I need to talk to you."

Maggie didn't acknowledge her.

"I know you can hear me so stop acting like you can't. At least look at me." Joyce marched herself in front of the woman who had given birth to Alex.

"I've left you several messages," Joyce said calmly. "The light on your answering machine isn't on so I know you heard them. Stop acting like some kind of mute and speak to me. I told you I'm worried about Alex. Don't you care?"

Maggie leaned back in the rocking chair as though Joyce was invisible.

"Dalton told me long ago not to bother with you. He said you wouldn't care. He was right. I know you had a difficult past. You made decisions that you probably regret but no one put a gun to your head to cheat on your husband. No one forced you to sleep with Lionel. You did that on your own and it's too late to feel sorry for yourself. If you were a real mother, you'd own up to your mistakes and help your children when they need it."

Maggie's dull eyes didn't acknowledge Joyce's speech.

A wave of anger engulfed Joyce as she thought of Crystal and Alex being born from a woman who cared more about feeling sorry for herself than of helping her offspring.

"What am I saying?" Joyce muttered loudly. "You didn't even bother to save your own daughter as she was being stabbed right in front of you. Why would you help the boy you gave birth to when he's in a dangerous situation? I hope your guilt keeps you company until the day you die."

"You're wrong."

The words were spoken so softly that Joyce wasn't sure if they were from her imagination. She turned back to Maggie who was rocking back and forth in the wooden rocking chair.

"What did you say?" Joyce whispered.

"You're wrong. I tried. I tried to save her."

Joyce felt her mouth fall open as she took a step closer to Maggie. She hadn't spoken in years and now she was finally speaking.

"If you tried to save her, then why won't you help me save Alex? I'm scared. What if he's in danger?"

Maggie's lips twisted into a sneer. "That boy has evil in him. No one can help him. No one."

Don Caldwell stared at the online gossip site declaring Alex Carter and Abby Redding were indeed more than a boss and his employee.

"Damned fools," Don muttered.

He didn't really care who Alex Carter slept with but it irked him that Lionel's son was probably having sex in the cabin he had helped build. The cabin Crystal was raised in. The cabin Crystal was killed in.

"No," Don whispered to himself. "No, she wasn't yours. She was Lionel's."

The thought of Crystal not being his sent the usual pain through his chest. She had been his angel. He still remembered a drunken Lionel laughing at him. Pointing a crooked finger at him as Lionel admitted the truth.

"I had your sister and then I had your wife. You don't know how funny that is. I slept with all the women in your life, Donny-boy. Do you think I'll sleep with that daughter of yours one day? After she's grown? Maybe not. I don't want to commit incest. I'll stick with your wife. She was even sweeter than your sister. So sexy--"

He hadn't finished talking. Don's fist had stopped him from finishing his taunts. The thought still angered him. His blood felt as though it were on fire. Don slammed the laptop shut and cursed Lionel Carter and his son. He thought of Maggie begging him to forgive her and pounded his fist against the table.

"Bitch!"

Maggie and Lionel had ruined his life. Their son had tricked him into selling his cabin and now he was living in it. A volcano of fury erupted within Don, and he forced himself to count to ten.

Wally was still helping Alex Carter.

What if Wally found out the truth?

The thought made Don shudder. He didn't want Wally to hate his sister. It wasn't Evelyn's fault that she fell in love with a pathetic excuse for a man. It wasn't Wally's fault that his mother was weak and selfish- too selfish to face raising her son alone.

No matter what, Wally couldn't find out the truth. Don would make sure of it.

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Abby and Alex stared at the knife. Crystal's image was long gone and the two weren't sure about what to make of the situation.

"So we both saw her, right?" Abby asked softly. "I'm not crazy?"

"Abby, we both saw her," Alex answered. "You're not crazy unless it's some kind of crazy epidemic."

"Why aren't you trying to deny seeing her?" Abby asked. "I thought you rational types hated stuff like this."

"In order for me to be successful in business, I need to have an open mind. There's no way around that. If I just went around doing business deals based on the here and now then I'd miss out on all of the visionary products we've yet to make. Besides, I tried to ignore your warnings and fears but obviously, I can no longer do that."

"So what do we do now? Call Sheriff Don?"

They were both walking towards the cabin when Alex noticed it.

"Abby, I want you to stay outside for a minute," Alex whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Why?" Abby looked up at the cabin and gasped.

On the porch were several dead crows, their oily black wings spread wide and their beaks slightly open, welcoming the two home.