Fractured

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Okay so... Clare's mother?" Shannon asked me from where she sat beside me.  The newspapers laminated were scattered before us on the table, the computers still trying to drain the life from our eyes... ugh.

Hours and hours of this and you can bet I was going to come up with a possibility for Clare's unusually worse abuse since we couldn't find it. We couldn't find any reason as to why she would abuse me worse than all the other times it happened in my family.  So what other choice did I have other than to start assuming shit?

I nodded.  Turning more to face her, looking into her eyes as if to try to show her my confidence of this theory, I told her what I was starting to believe.  "I mean, there is no other evidence we can find.  Her mom might have abused her and if she didn't, then she probably knows who did."

We were sitting here for hours with a dead end.  We have been looking more into her father first, trying to come up with some possibilities or clues that could maybe point to what he could have possibly done to her.  But we got nothing else but what we already knew of Martin.  So I came up with a good idea on how to find out more. 

I wondered about Clare's past for the longest time.  And though we have a lot of answers now, it just made me wonder more questions.  I knew there was more and it was much worse for her based of the stuff she did to me.  First, I'm obviously treated worse.  But also because her father wasn't in prison for abusing her.  He was in for murder of a different issue.  There was no concrete evidence to put anyone away for abusing her even if there were signs.  That was how it was with me.  There was never any evidence until we really started digging and still, we needed much more.  Could she have inherited that from her family?  The ability to hide evidence since we were unable to find anything on her being abused directly just as I didn't have any direct evidence?  It was a good chance they hid it very well and that was why we couldn't find shit.

"How can you be sure though that she was abused by someone else?  I mean, maybe she is just that twisted...?"  Shannon asked, going out on a possibility that came to her mind.  Her eyebrows raised in thought, I answered her with no more than what I was feeling with my gut instinct on this one.

I shrugged.  I didn't know anything and like she said, I wasn't sure.  I could be just grasping at straws but it was better than nothing for me.  Especially when I had this feeling in me... (and I'm 90% sure it wasn't my hungry stomach either).  "I'm not sure.  It's only a good guess.  But I think it's something we should check out."

Shannon only looked more confused at my words.  We have been at this for hours - partially because I was happy to be out of the house but mostly just desperate for more answers.  So it wasn't surprising she was unable to keep up with my overly evolved brain at the moment.

"What do you mean 'check it out?'"

"I mean, go and find her mother.  Regina.  And ask her questions."

Her eyes widened at me, accusing me of being crazy after I said that.  I couldn't blame her.  After sitting here in a safe library for hours, with the knowledge Shannon wasn't the type to do this type of stuff, it made her uneasy.  "Albany," she scoffed, finding the idea ridiculous.  "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

I sighed.  I knew it was dangerous and I honestly wasn't even sure if it was worth it - especially considering this would be out of curiosity alone rather than to get evidence at this point since there apparently wasn't any.  "Yeah but I just want to know why she is so terrible to me.  I will straight up tell her the truth: that I just want to know.  This wont be for evidence.  Just for answers that could maybe give me some closure for once over this."