Part 13 (1/2)

I put water on to boil while Dawson sat on the couch, slipped out of his shoes and dropped the envelope to the table.

What the h.e.l.l was going on?

I brought us both a cup of tea and sat beside him, eyeing the envelope.

”You have to talk to me, sheriff. I can't stand it a second longer.”

He took a deep breath, looking nervous as h.e.l.l.

”Ry, I don't want you to think that I am out to get you in any way,” he started.

”Dawson, you're starting to scare me,” I admitted, and my heart was beating at a more rapid pace than it should have been.

”I wanted to do this to surprise you, I didn't know that I was going to find out what I did,” he explained, and I was scared s.h.i.+tless. I was sure he knew who I was.

Would he call Drew? Would he send me back to Las Vegas?

”What the h.e.l.l are you talking about, Dawson?”

He handed me the envelope and I opened it, pulling out its contents.

My heart dropped to my stomach instantly. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I looked over to Dawson and couldn't speak. I didn't know what to say. I turned my attention back to the photographs. I would have known those dimples anywhere. It was Justin, and he was so handsome. He looked so happy. I flipped to the next photo. He was dressed in a baseball uniform and was standing on the pitcher's mound.

”Where did you get these, Dawson?” I asked, touching my beautiful little brother's face.

”Remember when I said I had to go out of town for a family matter last weekend?”

I nodded.

”I met with the social worker that took care of his case.”

”Why?” I asked, not understanding.

”I wanted to see if he was still in foster care. If he was, I was going to somehow get him back with you. He's not, Ry. He's in a good home with a family that loves him very much. He does well in school and plays four different sports.”

”Where is he?” I asked, staring down at his image in front of me.

”He lives in a very prestigious part of Las Vegas.”

My head snapped, uncontrollably to him, but I played it off fairly well. What the h.e.l.l would he be doing in Las Vegas? Who had him? How does a rich family in Las Vegas even know about a little boy in the welfare system from West Virginia? I would never know. I was too chicken to do any investigating on my own. I was too afraid of somebody finding me because of it. No. I would let it go. I had to. He was in a loving home and looked happy. That was all that mattered.

My heart ached for him. I didn't realize how much I loved and missed him until I saw what a handsome young man he had become. I still had a million questions. I didn't understand how Dawson found him. What did he know about me? I answered myself when I flipped to the report obtained from the social worker. It had Justin Michael Willow at the top of the page. I read through the report on how we lived, our trailer that should have been condemned, how there was no food in the house, and how they had left a seventeen year old sister, Morgan Willow, behind.

I turned to Dawson. He knew my name. He knew where I grew up. What else did he know?

”You were out playing private investigator?” I asked, not believing him.

”No, Ry. I was not. I told you. I wanted to find your brother for you. You talk about him in your sleep... a lot. I knew that you told me your maiden name was Murphy, and that was where I hit my roadblock. There wasn't a Justin Murphy in the system anywhere in West Virginia. You were scolding him one night in your sleep and called out Justin Michael Willow. It was simple after that. I don't know how you went from Morgan Willow to Riley Murphy. I need some answers from you that I can't get, and you won't tell me.

”Did you go to my home town?” I asked. My heart was ready to explode.

”Yes,” I know how you lived, and it breaks my heart, Ry. I don't blame you for leaving there, but you need to tell me why the name change. Why is your past such a secret? I found five Riley Murphy's in the whole country.

One was a seven year old girl, two of them were men, one was killed in an automobile accident, and one was an eighty three year old woman who lived in a nursing home.

You don't exist. You disappeared on your eighteenth birthday as Morgan Willow and hadn't been heard from since. What is going on, Ry?”

I ignored his probing questions. I was too freaked out.

”I can't believe that you did this, Dawson. You have no idea what you've done.”

I stood and paced the floor. My instincts went right to the window. If he did this last week, chances were Drew had already found me. He would have used Justin from the start, hoping that I would try and contact him.

Dawson had just led him right to me.

”I can't stay here,” I said and turned back to Dawson.

”What the h.e.l.l are you talking about, Riley?”

I was in panic mode. I didn't want to speak, afraid that my house was wired with cameras and bugs. I didn't want to go to his house because his house was probably wired too. I walked out to the deck, breathing crazy breaths, trying to get air into my collapsed lungs.

Dawson followed me out. ”Riley, please tell me what is going on. I didn't mean to upset you. I only wanted you to know that your little brother was more than fine, healthy and happy. Tell me what has you so freaked out.”

”You shouldn't have gone there. He is going to find me. He will kill me.”

”Who is going to find you? n.o.body is going to kill you.”

”You don't know him, Dawson. You ruined everything. You just led him right to me by going there. I a.s.sure you he followed your trail right back here.”

”Who!? For G.o.d's sake, Riley?”

I looked at him with tears in my eyes, but didn't speak.

”Are you afraid of Drew?” he asked.

I nodded, not sure how much I was willing to disclose. I didn't even freak out about how he knew his name. I already knew that one of my many nightmares had unveiled the information.

”Who is he, Ry?”

”I can't, Dawson. I do have to leave. I can't stay here.”

”n.o.body is looking for you here,” he tried, but I wasn't buying it. I couldn't.

He took his phone from his pocket which was probably bugged too. He dialed a number as waited and listened.

”Hi, this is the Dawson Bade. I spoke to you last week about an adoption.”

I listened to the one sided conversation as he talked.

”I need to know if anyone else knows about me being there or the information that you gave me.”