Chapter Twenty-Two
October 21 Tuesday afternoon
Amanda Lander’s Bedroom
Boston, Massachusetts
HEIDI LANDER SCROLLED through her daughter’s e-mails, feeling sicker and sicker with each one that she read.
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 6:30 p.m.
Subject: Invitation to a party
I’m having a party 9 June to celebrate my birthday. Pls. come.
Amanda
From: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
Date: 5 June 2025 7 p.m.
Subject: Re: Invitation to a party
No
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 7:45 p.m.
Subject: Re: Re: Invitation to a party
Why not?
Amanda
From: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
Date: 5 June 2025 8:01 p.m.
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Invitation to a party
I don’t want to.
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 7:45 p.m.
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Invitation to a party
Why not?
Amanda
From: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
Date: 5 June 2025 7:57 p.m.
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Invitation to a party
Leave me alone. I don’t want to come to your stupid party Bitch.
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 8:27 p.m.
Subject: Clown and a jumpy castle
We’ll have a magician. You don’t mean no. Why pass up my party?
Amanda
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 8:45 p.m.
Subject: Clown and a jumpy castle
I’m a special girl.
A
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 8:47 p.m.
Subject: U need to change ur mind.
A
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 8:49 p.m.
Subject: U need to change ur mind.
A
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 8:50 p.m.
Subject: We can make any kind of cake you want.
And U can have ur favorite ice cream.
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 5 June 2025 9:01 p.m.
Subject: U’ll be sorry.
A
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 6 June 2025 6:30 a.m.
Subject: U’ll be sorry.
A
To: Clayfsportking@outlook.com
From: AmandaAngelL@gmail.com
Date: 7 June 2025 17:01 p.m.
Subject: U’ll be sorry.
I’m a witch.
You played a lousy game 2day. That was me. I made u play bad. I put a curse on you.
A.
***
Heidi heard a car stop out front, a car door slam, then their front door opened. “Mom, where are you?”
Heidi returned the laptop to its previous position, closed Amanda’s door and went to lay on her own bed. A light knock on her door. “Come in.”
“Heidi?” Olga stuck her head around Heidi’s bedroom door. “It’s me. Do you need anything?”
“I feel terrible. I just want to sleep,” Heidi said. It was true. If someone had shown her those e-mails from Amanda, she wouldn’t have believed them. The little girl she knew was sweet, well almost always sweet. They had never planned to give her a birthday party but to take her to New York to see the ballet. Amanda loved the ballet. She loved her ballet lessons.
She needed to keep everything to herself at least until she looked deeper.
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