"At this point, we're thinking schizophrenia," the middle aged man in a lab coat tells me.

"When will she come home?" I ask.

I'm too afraid to tell them it was the bracelet all along. I don't want them to think I'm crazy, too.

"Hard to say. We'll observe her, evaluate her, and determine what steps to take from there. If she can even stand trial for-for the crimes."

Crimes. The word stabs me in the chest. Jussie committed no crimes, at least not consciously. These people will never believe. I nod and reluctantly go home to await their call.

I step into the house, expecting a mess. Investigators have been in and out. Rummaging through everything. Collecting things they call evidence. I open the door and slip into the silence. To my surprise, everything is clean. I stand there, looking at the clean, polished table. The floor where Shannon bled only the day before is spotless.

The phone rings.

"Hello," I say wearily.

"Hi, pumpkin," my mother says. "How is everything?"

"They're going to evaluate her," I say idly, still looking around.

"Well, let's hope it goes well," she says. "I hope you don't mind. I went over and cleaned up for you."

Ah, that's it. I nod. At least now I know why it's clean. "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome, honey," she says. Her voice seems a bit strained.

"Are you okay? It was pretty gory here," I say.

"No, sweetheart, it's not that." She pauses. "It's just...Has your father said anything about...any other women?"

I startle. Shock grips me. Panicked, I look under the table for the bracelet. It's gone.

***

The End

Thank you for reading book 1 Elsewhere: Black Heart Bracelet.