Page 190 of Forever Dead

“He said his mother made him wear a mask while she beat him. He was seven. It seems connected to Halloween, but I only have his account. That might explain something about the mask. It doesn’t explain everything he chose to do.” Selena paused. “I kept pushing because mentioning her made him angry. I needed him close enough to fight back.”

Connor studied her for a moment.

“It worked.”

“Yes.”

She could still feel the instrument in her hand. She pressed her palm flat against the blanket until the sensation passed.

Connor covered it with his own.

The phone on the bedside table began to vibrate. Connor winced as he shifted.

“Can you get that?”

Selena reached across. The screen showed no number.

WITHHELD NUMBER.

Her fingers stopped. Morimer came immediately to mind. Connor’s confession had given the withheld number a possible meaning, but it was still only a possibility.

The phone continued vibrating. Connor watched her. “You going to answer it?”

Selena pressed the screen and raised it to her ear. “Hello?”

Nothing answered. Selena waited.

“Hello?”

A faint sound came through the line. Perhaps movement. Perhaps breathing. It was too soft to identify.

Then the call ended. Selena lowered the phone.

“Who was it?” Connor asked.

“No one there.”

She handed the phone back.

“Were you expecting Morimer?” she asked.

“No.” Connor looked at the screen. “But I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Neither would I.”

He set the phone on the bedside table.

“Has he contacted you since you told me?”

“No.”

Selena kept her voice low. “If he does, tell me.”

“I will.”

“I don’t mean after you’ve tried to handle it yourself.”

Connor turned toward her. “I understand.”