Page 25 of You are the Reason

Opening the first document, the name under the heading REGISTRATION stands out, it takes me a few seconds before I realise where I have seen it before. Lance Harding. Fourteen years ago, he was charged with the abduction of a seventeen year old girl. Kinsley’s dad was a Police Officer at the time and he was assigned to the case. The case was open for two days before they tracked him down and were able to pin him on several charges. He was serving fifteen years behind bars. It was on the third day straight of Kinsley’s dad – Warren – working on the case, that he finally returned home.y the time morning came around, he, himself, had disappeared.

“Talk to me, Jesse”

“Back when we were kids, the owner of the vehicle was charged with abduction, amongst other things, in Greenswood. Kinsley’s dad was the lead police officer on the case.”

“So? Why would he be coming after Kinsley? Do you think he is attempting to seek revenge on her father?”

“Maybe,” I say, more so to myself. Tanner doesn’t know that Kinsley’s dad went missing; I don’t think he knows anything about her family’s past.

Tanner is typing away on his phone. “We need to find this fucker. What else do you know about him?”

“I’ve got a garage address for the vehicle, but Tanner these guys aren’t ones you want to mess with.”

Tipping his head back, he finishes his beer and places it down on the counter. “I’ll send you my email address and I want you to forward everything you know about him to me. Do that and I’ll give you the time you need to tell Kinsley about all this.”

Before I can answer, he turns and leaves.

Without knowing it, and by trying to protect her, Tanner is now digging into Kinsley’s past. A decision which could cause more trouble than he intends.

Chapter Seventeen

Kinsley

Sitting cross legged in the middle of the floor of my spare room; newspaper clippings, old police reports and journal articles scatter the carpet. Gazing over the timeline I’ve put together so many times over the years, I notice something that hasn’t stood out to me before.

14 years ago - Missing girl - dad assigned to her case

14 years ago - Found man with the tattoo - tattoo linked to club

14 years ago - Dad went missing

12 years ago - Kyle died - news report - suspicious

10 years ago - Gifted Kyle’s journal for my 12th birthday

6 years ago - Mum’s suicide note

Now - GEORGE WATSON??

Kyle’s last journal entry is dated the day before his death, this I already knew, but it’s the contents of the note I’m now seeing from a different point of view. I thought the note nodded to another rebellious night out. One where he had planned on sneaking out, meeting up with Jesse and keeping a secret about a girl they were both crushing on. He was thirteen, for god’s sake, anything is possible.

Tonight is the night, I’ve already called Jesse and I’m sneaking out through my window. I won’t lie, I’m scared as fuck but there is no turning back now.

As long as she knows she is the most important thing to me.

I don’t think Jesse knows it yet butI know he loves her.

If she can’t have me here for her, she will have him and that’s more than I can ask for. After all,he promised.

What if this wasn’t some love triangle they had been playing into, what if … No, it can’t be, could it? My head falls into my hands. If I’m right, this confirms one thing for sure; Kyle’s death wasn’t accidental. Someone killed my brother.

I don’t know where he went that night, or what he was doing but I am going to find out, because the girl he wrote about –it’s me.There is only one person who can give me the answers I need. Picking up my phone, I attempt to call Jesse … It goes straight to message bank.

Me - Hey, call me back when you get a chance.

Plan B. I flick back in the journal to when Dad went missing, focusing on the two years between his disappearance and Kyle’s death. Maybe there is something else I have missed.

I’m lost in the past when the sound of the front door opening startles me, pulling me back into the here and now. I immediately jump up and rush out of the spare room, closing the door behind me. This will have to wait.

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