Broken Promises (Broken Book 2)

5: Mystery

Sean sat in his Denali waiting for Lindsey. He rubbed his forehead, deep in thought. There was something going on with their parents. They had always been very vocal about sacrifices, right up to the point of forcing him to break it off with a girl he was considering leaving the family business for. A girl he still loved with all his heart. But for them to start in on Lindsey making sacrifices at sixteen triggered a desire to protect his little sister from the family secret.

Lindsey opening the door brought him out of his thoughts. "I'll see you tomorrow," she called and waved at a group of teens. They waved back as she closed the door and buckled her seatbelt. "Hi, Sean."

Sean blinked with surprise. Lindsey was actually smiling. "Um, I think you might be in the wrong car. I'm waiting on my sister. She looks like you but never smiles."

Lindsey burst out laughing.

"I don't see you for over twenty-four hours and you suddenly are all happy. What happened?"

"I made friends."

"You? Made friends?"

"Shut up. You're the one that wanted me to make friends."

"I wasn't expecting you to actually do it." Lindsey stuck her tongue out at him. "Mom said a boy brought you home yesterday."

"Danny. He was being really nice to me at school yesterday and even offered to give me a ride after lacrosse practice. He plays goalie on the lacrosse team. His boyfriend was going to try out this year but he left school after his twin died."

It was the most Sean had heard Lindsey say since moving to Beacon Hills. "Don't tell Dad that last part."

"Oh don't worry. I won't. At lacrosse practice, I met the girlfriends of the team captain and his best friend, and one of their friends. I think I might go to the lacrosse game on Saturday."

"Who are you and what did you do with Lindsey?" Sean grinned, happy to see his little sister smiling.

Lindsey grinned. "Lydia introduced me to Scott, Stiles, and Isaac. I already knew Isaac from art class and I literally ran into him at lunch the other day. They're really cool. Me and Danny ate lunch with them today."

"Sounds like you really like these kids."

"I do." Lindsey's face fell. "Have you heard when we're moving again?"

"Not yet. Hopefully, it'll be a while." Sean had never seen Lindsey this happy before and had a sudden idea that could maybe prolong the next move and not force Lindsey to endure the same heartbreak their parents had forced on him.

~~~

Parrish sat at his desk writing his report. A second victim had come into the ER screaming about being on fire. The woman, a lifeguard at the high school, like the man, had no physical signs of having been burned. She'd been watching over the teenagers who used the pool after school when she suddenly started screaming and fell into the pool. A pair of students had pulled her from the water but she continued to scream about a fire. Within twenty-four hours of being admitted to the hospital, she was dead. The ME determined that she'd been smothered, unlike the previous victim, who had an artery in his heart burst. Parrish sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Both victims were convinced that they were burning alive. He didn't know of any drug that would cause that type of hallucination. Even wolfsbane wouldn't cause that. He'd asked Derek and Peter when he took them back to where the first victim had been found. Neither werewolf had been able to determine what exactly happened. They were currently at the school with Stilinski but Parrish had a feeling that they wouldn't be much help there either. The deputy glanced down at his cell. He glanced around. One other deputy and Rafe McCall were the only ones still at the station, not counting the officer at the front desk. Parrish rubbed the back of his neck and stood, grabbing his phone and making it look like his neck was stiff from sitting at his desk staring at the computer screen. McCall glanced up, then went back to work on whatever he was doing. The other deputy didn't look up at all as Parrish slipped out the side entrance. Parrish dialed and waited.