Chapter 28
A text message from Talia came through just after eight the next morning.
Any updates? I’ve heard a few things. I’m not sure what’s true and what isn’t.
I stared at the screen for a moment before replying.
A lot has happened since the last time we spoke. I’d rather talk in person.
Her response came without hesitation.
Can you come by?
I said yes, grabbed my coat, and headed out, driving the winding road to her home. Gabriel came to the door when I knocked, smiling as he said, “Georgiana, it’s good to see you again. Talia told me you were stopping by. Come on in.”
Today, the house smelled like coffee and toast, but there was no sign of Brianne.
“Is your wife here?” I asked.
“She’s out running errands. I can see how long she’s going to be if you’d like.”
I swished a hand through the air. “Oh, no. It’s fine. She doesn’t need to be here.”
We walked into the kitchen. The table was set with two mugs, one empty, the other full, and a plate of untouched pastries.
“Talia’s in her room,” he said. “I’ll tell her you’re here.”
“Thank you.”
He went upstairs and then returned, pouring me a cup of coffee before I had the chance to refuse it. Then he gestured toward the table. I sat, and he remained standing.
“How’s Talia been since the last time I was here?”
“Worried and sad, just like we’ve all been.”
“I can imagine.”
“She’s still not eating much or talking much.”
Talia entered the room a moment later, her hair pulled into a loose braid, sweatshirt hanging off one shoulder. She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around me, a gesture I wasn’t expecting.
Once she pulled back, she said, “I keep thinking we’ll wake up, and we’ll find out this has all been a big prank. And Audrey will walk through the door and laugh at us for falling for it.”
“While we can’t change what’s happened, we can get justice for her and her family.”
She searched my face. “You seem so confident that we will.”
“I am.”
She exhaled and sat across from me at the table. Gabriel joined us, folding his arms over the top of it.
“Can you tell us anything?” he asked.
“We’re making progress,” I said. “Before she died, Audrey found something connected to the past, an object someone wanted to stay buried.”
Gabriel nodded, his expression solemn.
“I’m not surprised,” Talia said. “Audrey picked up on everything, and she often noticed things other people missed.
“She also asked a lot of questions,” Gabriel added. “She used to say her curiosity was her best and worst trait.”
Talia reached for a pastry and popped it into her mouth. “What about Logan? Have you heard anything?”
I gave the question some thought, knowing I needed to choose my words with care. “I hear he’s alive.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s been in contact with the police.”
It was a lie, of course.
But I couldn’t tell them the truth.
Not yet.
Talia’s shoulders lowered. “So, he didn’t just disappear.”
“No.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s distraught over what’s happened,” I said. “But he’s doing his best to deal with it.”
She nodded, accepting my answer without pressing me any further.
Gabriel studied me for a moment. “Did Logan tell the police why he took off like he did?”
“His girlfriend was murdered. Sometimes people do irrational things when they lose the person they love.”
“That poor guy,” Talia said. “The rumors going around town about him, they’re unfair.”
“I agree.”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “Speaking of people behaving badly …”
Talia glanced at her father. “Dad.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
I looked at Talia, then at Gabriel. “What happened?”
“Logan’s father has been by our house,” he said. “Twice.”
“When?”
“The first time was a couple days ago.”
Before they knew their son was safe, and with me.
“What did he want?” I asked.
“He was upset, demanding to speak with Talia.”
Talia drew a long breath. “I always thought he was a nice guy. But now, he kinda scares me.”
“Why?” I asked.
“He’s convinced Talia knows where Logan’s at,” Gabriel said. “He thinks she’s been protecting him, for whatever reason.”
“That’s not true,” she said. “I have no idea where he went.”
“I know,” Gabriel said. “I told him as much.”
I thought back to my conversation with Tilly and Vaughn this morning. Vaughn had behaved in a way that was different from the first time we’d talked. Still, I didn’t feel it was cause for concern.
“I’m surprised he came here,” I said. “I’ve been told Logan had a closer relationship with Willow Robinson. I wonder why he wouldn’t try and talk to her.”
Or maybe he had.
“Have you met Willow’s father?” Talia asked. “He’s always been super nice to me, but with others, he seems like the type of guy who would take a person out just because they looked at him the wrong way.”
It was a fair assessment.
“What else did Vaughn say when he was here?” I asked.
“He didn’t believe me, about Talia not knowing anything about where Logan was at,” Gabriel said. “He accused me of lying. Said I was covering for my kid.”
“Did he threaten you?” I asked.
“No,” Gabriel said. “But he raised his voice, and there was something off about him. He’s never acted that way toward me before.”
“Maybe he was feeling a lot of pressure.”
“Over what?”
“For starters, his son is missing,” I said. “When the police first questioned him about it, he wasn’t as truthful as he should have been.”
It was a polite way of saying—he lied.
Talia looked at me. “Do you think Vaughn could have done something to Audrey?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Does he know Logan is communicating with the police?”
“He knows his son is safe.”
Once the words left my mouth, I realized I’d spat them out too fast.
And they’d caught Talia’s attention.
“It was you,” she said. “You talked to Vaughn and told him Logan was safe, didn’t you?”
She may have thought Audrey was the curious one, but Talia was a little sleuth in the making herself.
“I talked to him, yes,” I said.
Gabriel leaned forward. “Was that wise?”
“When I spoke to him, I had no idea he’d come here, trying to find information about his son,” I said. “Now that I do, it doesn’t change anything.”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“If Vaughn has nothing to hide, his mind is now at ease, and he won’t come here again, looking for Logan. If he does have something to hide, Logan working with the police adds pressure on Vaughn.”
Talia swallowed. “And if he’s dangerous?”
“Then I expect he’s about to make a big mistake,” I said.
Gabriel studied me for a long moment. “You’re certain Logan is protected.”
“I am.”
“It doesn’t feel right, not being able to trust the people I’ve always trusted in this town,” Talia said. “I feel like I’m judging everyone, whether they’re innocent or not.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll have answers for you soon enough.”
I stood, and Gabriel did the same.
“Whatever you need, let us know,” he said. “We want justice for Audrey.”
“I know,” I said.
We said our goodbyes, and as I walked to the car, thinking about Vaughn, and giving him the location of his son.
If Vaughn was innocent, I had given him peace.
If he was not, a trap had now been set.