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Ron came to me and he had proof that Anderson was involved in criminal activity I kno much you love your father and how proud you feel of him Back then you were secure in your place in life: son of a state senator and soon-to-be Princeton freshht find out, that all that would be taken away from you But now here is the truth:

Ron discovered Anderson was s and prostitution He had photographs Even I knew of Dot’s place out near Route 1 Your father was pictured there Incri hands outside the brothel And Ron suspected your father of buying votes Finally, he showedhim, which was all the proof I needed that what he said was true

At the time

I wish I could go back to that scared kid and tell her to trust you, to tell you, to let you take care of it But I’d lost Mom and you kne much that destroyedaway your father

I realize norong I was

Please forgive me

Ron told o to the police and the newspapers hat he’d found and that not only would Anderson go to jail, but you would lose any chance you had of getting into Princeton Your whole future was on the line I was stupid So stupid

I agreed to e for his silence

Everything fell apart anyway You hated me I still see your face when I told you what I’d done while you were gone I will never get that look out of my head And I understand

About you and Annabelle

I don’t know if you slept with her to hurt enuinely cared for one another When the baby cary I was hurt I wasI lost my love and I lost my best friend I lost my best friend when I needed her the rown to understand I hope you two found happiness in your

And I’ I hid so you would have Princeton and the future you dreamed of, fate took it away fro a father has been a new kind of dream, better than the one that cae

I’ I’ that could have been avoided grew so out of my control

It’s selfish of me now, I know, to tell you the truth But there’s so little time in life I realize that now more than ever before I needed to unburden myself I just needed you to know that I love you

Always have Alill

Forever yours,

Sarah

Heart thuet to the next letter in hand I had to knohat happened Why hadn’t these letters e?

Sarah Randall

Inmate No 50678

Women’s Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility

Wilton, DE 19801

May 8, 1976

My darling George,

I’vechoices up until now I hope this isn’t another

I hope this is the right thing to do

I have asked e, and now I ask one last thing: write ot the letters, and letting ive me or not Yes or no, I’d like to know If you could do this as soon as possible I would be so grateful So grateful

I will never ask anything else of you Not ever

I love you

Always have Alill

Forever yours,

Sarah

With tears on , and a sharp ache in my chest, I folded the letters up and slipped them back into the envelopes

For soe

My heart hurt for her beyond bearing

A sob escapedover a stranger’s story

Upon waking the next day the first thing I thought about was Sarah I couldn’t get her letters out of my head, and I realized that the ache in my chest wouldn’t lessen until I found out what had happened to her

“Any chance I can get into the old records roo uards’ room to eat my lunch with her and Shelley, Fatima’s shift partner

Fati and frowned “Why? You can’t check the computer’s medical records?”

“I want to find out what happened to an inmate that was here in 1976” The computer held only the records for inmates of the past fifteen years

Shelley pulled a face “Who the hell did you know here in 1976? Suddenly the truth co here Ghosts in her closet, huh?” Shelley winked at Fatima

Fatiave her a dry look “You are the only person I will say this to inso many damn books”

Shelley looked horrified “And actually have to talk to Paulie? No, thanks”

Paulie was her husband

Fatima chuckled and turned back to me “Seriously, why do you want into the old records room?”

“It’s for a friend She knew of someone who served time here in 1976 My friend just wants to knohat happened to her”

“You got a name? An inmate number?”

“Both, actually”

“Okay I guess I can trust you Re those records,” she teased

I crossed my heart

Man, it was dusty in the old records room I slammed a drawer shut and sneezed for the fifth time as another cloud of dust floated up around me ame to me and he had proof that Anderson was involved in criminal activity I kno much you love your father and how proud you feel of him Back then you were secure in your place in life: son of a state senator and soon-to-be Princeton freshht find out, that all that would be taken away from you But now here is the truth: