The sunshine seemed brighter as Cassidy made her way down the hotel hallway to Julianne’s room. After so many days spent worrying for her friend, she was finally going to have a chance to throw her arms around Julianne and hug her tightly.

Maybe even cry a little. Or just talk.

The other woman had been through so much, even being hospitalized for two days after her rescue from The Community. She’d been raped regularly and would need ongoing counseling to deal with the emotional affects of that abuse.

Cassidy set her jaw as she did whenever she thought of Thomas. While she wished she’d never had to take a life, she wasn’t sorry she’d killed him. She was only grateful she’d had the knife when she’d needed it.

She wondered what would happen to the members of The Community now. David, Thomas and Lucas were all dead. Would they return home to loved ones who thought they’d never see them again, welcomed back with open arms, or would they struggle to find their way in a world where David Kelleher was a madman and their home was no longer their own?

She sincerely hoped it was the first scenario, just as she hoped Julianne would be able to return to the life she’d had before she’d gone to The Community. She’d texted Cassidy to tell her the baby was doing okay and she couldn’t wait to get back to her old life as soon as possible, yet Cassidy was sure there’d be a long road ahead.

Cassidy went to knock on the door of Julianne’s room, but realized the metal piece had been swung out from the inside lock and was holding it open. She knocked anyway.

No answer. She rapped on it again, this time pushing the door open as she did. “Julianne?”

Julianne was probably sleeping, though she’d be sure to lecture her friend on making sure the door was locked before napping. Given her pregnancy and everything she’d been through it was easy to imagine she’d be profoundly tired.

The room was empty.

Cassidy spun in a circle. It barely even looked like she’d checked in. A paper on the desk caught her attention and she stepped to it. It wasn’t in Julianne’s handwriting, and a chill swept over Cassidy’s skin as she read.

“I can’t do this anymore. I hope you can forgive me.”

Panic was instantaneous. She’d wildly underestimated her friend’s struggle and now Julianne was going to kill herself. She’d left the door open on purpose, wanting her to find this.

Could it be a cry for help? Or was it truly the last thing she left behind?

She walked out of the room, not knowing what to do. She dialed Austin and told him about the note. Her eyes focused on the sign on the door in front of her.

STAIRS

ROOF ACCESS

“The roof,” she said into the phone. “I have to check the roof.”

“I’ll be right there,” he said.

She climbed up three flights of stairs, her legs no longer hurting from her hike up the Space Needle, and burst onto the rooftop, the sunlight blindingly bright.

“No!” The piercing scream could be heard from the other side of the rooftop condenser and she ran to it.

Cassidy rounded the corner to find her father with his back to her, Julianne awkwardly in his arms with her back to a half-wall that surrounded the rooftop. “Daddy?”

He turned abruptly to face her, giving Cassidy her first view of Julianne’s face. She was sobbing.

Cassidy’s mind worked to make sense of exactly what she was seeing. Her father’s hands were on Julianne’s shoulders, his grip apparently tight. “What the hell’s going on?”

“He’s trying to kill me! He doesn’t want anyone to know about the baby,” Julianne yelled.

Cassidy’s mouth opened wide.

Her father stammered. “I’m not trying to kill you. I saved you. You were about to jump.”

“Daddy?” she asked, so confused.

“It’s all right now, sweetheart,” he said.

Julianne wrestled her way out of the senator’s grip, walking toward Cassidy. The truth that had been eluding her was suddenly clear. “The baby is my father’s?”

“I’m so sorry,” said Julianne.

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

Austin’s voice boomed from behind her. “Tell her the rest, Senator Lane.”

He shrugged, still standing close to the wall. “There’s nothing to tell. It happened one time, that’s all.”

Julianne pointed at him. “A year and a half. He told me he was getting a divorce. Then when I wouldn’t have an abortion he got angry.”

Austin walked past Cassidy, heading straight for the senator. “Tell them the rest, I said. Tell them what you said to David Kelleher.”

The senator said nothing. Austin got within a foot of his face. “You knew what would happen if Julianne’s cover at The Community was exposed. She was in a dangerous position. If Kelleher found out she was a reporter her very life would be in danger.”

The senator shook his head. “It wasn’t me.”

Julianne marched toward him, shoving him in the chest. “You were the one who did this to me? How could you?”

“I didn’t. I mean, I didn’t know,” he said.

“You didn’t know what? That they would torture me? That I’d be raped every day?”

The first trace of emotion showed on his face and he covered his mouth just as quickly.

She pushed him again. “You would have had me die because I wouldn’t kill your child!”

He was backed against the wall, his jaw trembling. He looked from one person to the next and back again. “I…I…” He turned abruptly, then turned and put his knee on the wall.

“Daddy!” screamed Cassidy.

Austin grabbed him before he could go over, yanking him back from certain death to face him. “To think, I used to want to be good enough for you,” said Austin. “I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be.”