Once Cold

Riley felt a flood of relief. As sad as she felt for both girls, she was proud that April was comforting Jilly.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” she said, and quietly closed the door.

She thought that April would talk to her about Ryan whenever she felt ready. But Jilly might have a harder time of it.

As she went back downstairs, Riley found herself thinking about what Gabriela had said.

“The girls need a father figure.”

She looked at the phone. Blaine had made it clear that he would like to get their relationship going again.

But what would he actually expect of her? Her life was packed full with kids and work. Could she really include anyone else in it right now? Would she just disappoint him?

But, she admitted, I do like him.

And he clearly liked her. Surely there had to be room in life for…

She picked up the phone and dialed Blaine’s home number. She was disappointed to get his answering machine, but not surprised. She knew that his work at the restaurant often kept him away from home at nights.

At the sound of the beep, Riley left a message.

“Hi, Blaine. This is Riley. Listen, I’m sorry if I acted a little distant at the game this afternoon. I hope I didn’t seem rude. I just want to say, if your dinner offer still stands, count us in. Give me a call whenever you can to let me know.”

Riley immediately felt better. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a drink. As she sat sipping it on the living room couch, she found herself remembering her conversation with Paula Steen.

Paula had seemed at peace with the fact that her daughter’s killer would never be brought to justice.

“It’s nobody’s fault, and I don’t blame anybody,” Paula had said.

Those words now troubled Riley.

It just seemed so unfair.

Riley finished her drink, took a shower, and went to bed.

She’d barely fallen asleep when the nightmares started.

*

Riley was just a little girl.

She was walking through some woods at night. She was scared, but she wasn’t sure why.

After all, she wasn’t really lost in the woods.

The woods were close to a highway, and she could see cars going back and forth. The glow from a streetlight and a full moon both lit her way among the trees.

Then her eyes fell on a row of three shallow graves.

The dirt and stones that covered the graves were shifting and heaving.

Women’s hands clawed their way out of the graves.

She could hear their muffled voices say …

“Help us! Please!”

“I’m just a little girl!” Riley answered tearfully.

Riley snapped awake in bed. She was trembling.

It’s just a nightmare, she told herself.

And it wasn’t especially surprising that she’d dream about the Matchbook Killer’s victims the night after she’d talked to Paula Steen.

She took several long, deep breaths. Soon she felt relaxed again, and her consciousness started to fade into sleep.

But then …

She was still just a little girl.

She was in a candy store with Mommy, and Mommy was buying her lots of candy.

A scary man wearing a stocking over his head came toward her.

He pointed a gun at Mommy.

“Give me your money,” he told Mommy.

But Mommy was too scared to move.

The man shot Mommy in the chest, and she fell down right in front of Riley.

Riley started screaming. She whirled around looking for someone to help.

But suddenly, she was in the woods again.

The women’s hands were still groping out of the three graves.

The voices were still calling …

“Help us! Please!”

Then Riley heard another voice beside her. This one sounded familiar …

“You heard them, Riley. They need your help.”

Riley turned and saw Mommy. She was standing right there, her chest bleeding from her bullet wound. Her face was deathly pale.