5
Ford was so drawn to the cottage he had a hard time not going back over to it. Although he tried not to think about Lucy and
what happened that summer, he was curious about her, and his curiosity seemed to be growing now that he knew she was so close.
What was she like now? What’d happened to her after she left North Hampton Beach?
He waited until dark before returning for his tools. But they were no longer where he’d left them, and he couldn’t find them
even after walking around the house. She, or someone else, must’ve taken them.
That wasn’t happy news. He’d need them if he planned to keep the yard in tip-top shape, which was somehow important now that
he’d gotten it to its current state. Working with plants and soil had been oddly therapeutic for him, especially because he’d
brought the yard from ruin to a state of great promise.
He figured he could replace the rake and other things easily enough, though. They hadn’t been expensive to begin with.
The squeak of the screen door on the back porch caused him to freeze. Someone was coming...
He hesitated by the side of the house, where he couldn’t be seen, and waited as someone descended the two steps to the ground. Although he couldn’t see who it was, he knew it had to be Lucy.
She headed down the beach.
Curious, he moved slowly and quietly so that he wouldn’t catch up with her. A fairly strong wind rippled over the water as
he watched her bend over to pick up a small piece of driftwood or a seashell and throw it back into the sea. Once, he saw
her examine something and slide it into the pocket of the loose-fitting, holey cutoffs she wore with a simple T-shirt.
Her body hadn’t changed much, he realized. She was still slender and athletic. Not just any woman could pull off those baggy
cutoffs and still look so appealing...
He remembered encountering her one day as they were filing into the courthouse. Although he had no official role, he’d attended
as much of the trial as he could. The whole town had. They were fascinated by it. So many people had known both the victims
and the perpetrator. And he’d known the perpetrator’s daughter better than most people. The pain in Lucy’s eyes as they connected with his that day was
palpable, made him feel like throwing up, and yet she’d quickly shuttered her expression, blinked stoically and turned away
as if he were any other stranger.
He shook his head at how excited his parents had been when he’d brought Christina home. The daughter of a wealthy real estate
developer in Florida, she’d had the pedigree Lucy lacked, thus they’d been completely supportive. The fact that Christina
and her family had plenty of money was partly why it was so enraging that he couldn’t reach a settlement with her in the divorce.
No matter what he offered, she refused it simply because her only goal was to make things more difficult for him.
The echo of his soon-to-be ex-wife’s voice had been reverberating in his head ever since she’d called him yesterday: I’ll just tell our child his father didn’t give a shit about him.
He wouldn’t take that lying down, would do all he could to counteract her lies and vindictiveness. But would it ever be enough?
Or would Christina poison their son or daughter against him no matter what?
Lucy had stopped walking. She was facing the sea now, staring out into the black void.
He pulled back into the bushes, suddenly afraid she’d see him and be spooked. But he couldn’t move away.
“Turn around,” he whispered, and then, almost as if she’d heard him, she did.
He held his breath as she slowly wandered closer. She seemed deep in thought, but it was starting to get late. He assumed
that was partly what was urging her to go home.
He could see her face clearly for only the few seconds she was in the moonlight, but from what he could tell, she’d matured
nicely. Her gorgeous brown eyes and that riot of hair were still her best features.
Still, as much as she looked the same on the outside, he was willing to bet there’d been marked changes on the inside. And
he hated to think he might be responsible for some of them.
He waited until she was back in the house and it was safe for him to move. Then he continued back to Coastal Comfort.
He had a sinking feeling this summer wasn’t going to be the peaceful getaway he’d hoped.
That night, Lucy sat at the kitschy blue table in the cottage with a notebook, a pen and a glass of wine. She’d gone over
the details of what’d happened when she was in North Hampton Beach fifteen years ago many times—but always with the goal of
convincing herself she was wrong to believe anyone could’ve hurt Aurora other than her father. She’d argued with herself for
years—insisting she only wanted to believe it could be someone else. Never had she forced herself to make a list of people who might know more than they realized or could’ve harbored some ill will against the most popular girl in school. Entertaining the possibility that it could’ve been one of her peers seemed outlandish. They’d been so young!
But it was equally shocking that her own father could take a life. So she figured she needed to open her mind to whatever
the facts presented.
The first person who came to mind was Ford Wagner, probably because she couldn’t quit thinking about him. If his family still
owned the same vacation home, he wasn’t staying too far away from her, which made her wish she’d found a different place to
rent for the summer. She didn’t think he had anything to do with Aurora’s death—she’d been with him until very late that night—but
she thought he might know something that could help. Maybe he was protecting a friend or wasn’t even aware that he held information
pertaining to the case, because everything —and everyone, including Aurora—had circled around him that summer. It stood to reason he was connected in some way.
His face appeared in her mind. She remembered how playful he was, how much he liked to tease her, and had to smile, although
a bit sadly, when she imagined his big hand engulfing hers as they walked down the beach. It’d felt like she could tell him
anything.
Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to relive the first time he ever approached her. He’d seemed surprisingly shy, as if
he didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected that; every girl in North Hampton Beach had wanted him. He’d told her later
his reticence was because she didn’t seem to be interested in the same things other girls were, and he’d assumed that would
include him.
The emotions tied to those long, sun-drenched summer days threatened to overwhelm her as she remembered their first kiss. Although she’d kissed a couple of other boys by that time, she’d never had an official boyfriend. Ford was her first, and she’d been totally swept away. Having his mouth on hers... She’d never experienced anything quite so intoxicating.
Oddly enough, that held true all these years later. Maybe it was because she couldn’t let herself be carried away quite to
the same extent—not after the scars he’d left—but the warmth and excitement that’d come over her when he kissed her that day
had been unique.
Still, she’d been careful not to get physical with him too soon. It’d been difficult to trust his interest in her. She hadn’t
been part of his crowd, couldn’t help wondering why me?
But as those idyllic weeks passed, during which they spent almost every moment together, she’d fallen more and more deeply
in love and her resistance soon melted away. Before long, she’d wanted to be with him so badly she no longer cared what happened
to her after.
And that was when he’d dropped her—as soon as she’d overcome her reservations.
Wincing, she opened her eyes and forced her attention back to the task at hand. She needed to forget the personal aspect of
this exercise and focus on Ford’s connection to Aurora. Since Aurora had been calling him—even coming over late at night,
according to gossip started by Chet and Ford’s other friends after Aurora was murdered, which was partly why so many people
thought she might’ve had something to do with it—he could’ve been one of the last people Aurora tried to reach before she
died. That certainly hadn’t come out during the trial but, probably thanks to his powerful parents, Ford hadn’t even been
put on the stand.
The girls Aurora had hung out with could know something, too. Aurora had had plenty of enemies. She hadn’t even been able to get along with her own brother. Darren, only one year older, hadn’t been nearly as popular as she was. That summer he’d seemed sullen and unhappy—and strangely unemotional during the trial.
Of course, there could’ve been people involved that Lucy hadn’t even thought of. But eliminating those she already wondered
about would be a start.
She needed to put Reggie Burton on her list, too, she realized. If Aurora had been the stereotypical “mean girl,” Reggie had
been the stereotypical “bad boy.” A poor local, like her, he’d gotten into trouble all the time, which was why he’d been in
jail when Mick was arrested.
Scooting her chair back, she reached for her purse and pulled out the two letters she’d received from her father. She’d written
him once she got back to Vegas to ask if there was anything he could tell her that might help.
It’d taken a couple of weeks to get a reply—long enough that she’d begun to think he wouldn’t write back—but, ultimately, she’d received a single sheet of paper with three short paragraphs that included his suggestion
for how to proceed:
... I’d see what Reggie Burton is up to these days. Everything that jailhouse snitch said was a lie. Even if I was the one
who’d killed Aurora, I’d never be stupid enough to tell him or anyone else about it. He made it all up.
She’d written back again after that and asked him to tell her everything he knew about the night Aurora was murdered.
His second letter had arrived much more quickly. But his response was no help. He claimed he couldn’t remember anything about
that night. Since he hadn’t killed Aurora, there was nothing remarkable to remember.
Lucy let her gaze linger on his signature: Dad. Not Love, Dad . Just Dad . Somehow the fact that he wasn’t love bombing her made it easier. She’d sworn she’d never have anything more to do with him, especially after he told her he’d refuse her visits and ignore her letters even if she tried. Yet here she was, striking up a correspondence for the sake of what she was hoping to accomplish. Now that she was back in Virginia, he wasn’t so far away, but visiting him wouldn’t be quick or easy. Red Onion State Prison was on the other side of the state.
If he didn’t write back quickly enough, it might be worth the seven-hour drive, however. What she was trying to do in North
Hampton Beach wouldn’t be easy. She was afraid she’d wind up spending three miserable months here with nothing to show for
her time in the end. If it came to that, she fully intended to go home and leave the past in the past once and for all. At
least she would’ve done what she could, would’ve tried to make sure justice had been served. That would have to be good enough.
Until that day came, she’d simply do her best. But if she was to have even a small chance of success, she’d very likely need
her father’s help.
Putting his letters back in her purse, she went onto social media to search for Reginald Burton. She hoped he was still in
the area and that she’d be able to find him. If her father said to start with him, that was exactly what she intended to do.
Anna looked around to see who might be watching. She wasn’t supposed to be at Reggie’s house. Her husband would be angry with
her for stopping over. He said Reggie could hurt her one day, that he didn’t deserve the love and devotion she showed him.
But being family meant you didn’t have to earn love and devotion.
At least, that was what it meant to her. And as badly as her brother behaved sometimes, she couldn’t believe he’d ever truly
harm her...
Besides, her mother had asked her to look in on him. Natalie said he hadn’t shown up when he was supposed to meet her in Baltimore for lunch and he hadn’t been answering his phone. Standing someone up without an explanation was so typical of him that Anna might’ve told her to relax, he’d resurface eventually, and left it there. But she figured she might as well relieve her mother’s concern since she was hoping to have another opportunity to talk to him, anyway.
She needed to convince Reggie to take Lucy’s presence a little more seriously. Had he told anyone else what he’d told her?
Bragged to his so-called friends about how he’d helped to convict a killer? Or tried to look like a hero to some girl he was
hitting on?
She wouldn’t put it past him. He was mouthy, especially when he was drunk, and cocky enough to think he could get away with
anything. So far, he’d been lucky enough to wriggle out of almost every scrape he’d gotten into. But that didn’t mean his
luck would hold...
She banged on the door of the dilapidated duplex he called home. He complained about having to pay rent when the place needed
so much work. But if the landlord fixed things, he’d probably raise the rent, too, and Reggie would no longer be able to afford
to live here. He was out of a job more often than not.
She didn’t get a response, but there was no point in knocking again. LeRoy Brown, her brother’s pit bull, was barking like
mad and jumping against the door. If Reggie was home, he had to know he had company. But that didn’t always mean he’d answer,
so she yelled out, “Reggie? It’s me, Anna! You in there?”
He didn’t holler back to her. The only thing she heard was more barking from LeRoy. Reggie worked as a Sheetrock hanger for
a couple of local contractors. Maybe his truck was in the drive because he’d caught a ride from someone who was on the same
jobsite...
She was just starting to walk back to her car when an SUV pulled in behind her Ford Escape. At first glance, she thought the driver was Reggie’s new love interest. It wouldn’t be surprising that he’d already moved on. After all, his wife claimed he’d been unfaithful too many times to count.
But as the woman got out, Anna’s stomach fell to her knees. Shit! Reggie was a fool to be so cavalier. It was Lucy McBride.
Lucy had never thought much of Reggie Burton. There’d always been something about him that frightened her. Although she didn’t
know what he was like these days, he’d been a two-bit crook even as a kid. If he wasn’t ditching school and stealing cigarettes
from the convenience store, he was joyriding in his mother’s car long before he had a driver’s license. But Reggie hadn’t
killed anyone.
Or maybe he had. For all she knew, he was the one who’d strangled Aurora. If that was the case, she was taking a chance coming to his house on her own, so she
was somewhat relieved to see his sister on the stoop when she arrived. Anna had been as quiet and obedient as her brother
was the opposite. If Lucy had to trust one of them, it’d definitely be Anna.
But she hadn’t anticipated encountering anyone besides the man she suspected of lying about her father, and she wasn’t eager
to explain why she’d come to see him.
She considered backing out of the drive and leaving, but that would raise as many alarm bells as staying, so she figured she’d
get what she could out of this visit.
After turning off the engine, she left her purse in the car and got out.
Anna, squinting against the sun, watched her suspiciously as she approached. “Never thought I’d see you again.”
“I never thought I’d see you again, either,” Lucy said.
“So... why have you come back?”
“Unfinished business.”
“How’d you get Reggie’s address?”
“He gave it to me.”
She looked alarmed. “What?”
“He posted it on Facebook Marketplace. Reggie’s selling a generator, isn’t he?” That Reggie would include his address on a
public forum said something about him. He obviously thought he was top dog and didn’t have anyone or anything to be afraid
of.
“You’re looking for a generator?” she asked skeptically.
“No, but the fact that he’s selling one came in handy. He around?”
“I don’t think so.”
Lucy looked pointedly at his truck.
“If you don’t believe me, go ahead and knock.” Anna gestured at the door. “I can’t get him to answer. Either he’s passed out
drunk or he caught a ride with someone.”
It didn’t sound as though Reggie had changed a whole lot. Lucy wasn’t interested in going any closer, not without more hope
that doing so would accomplish something. Even from where she stood, she could hear a dog barking furiously from inside the
house. She had no idea what that dog might do if he was let loose. “I’ll come back later.”
Anna followed her as she backtracked to her rental vehicle. “What do you want with Reggie?”
Lucy was tempted to ignore her. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation, especially Anna, who would naturally be protective of
her brother. The last thing she wanted to do was make anyone feel she was a possible threat. That would only escalate the
animosity she’d encounter this summer.
But she had to have some reason for returning, and as soon as she started asking questions about Aurora’s murder, everyone would realize what she
was after, anyway.
Bracing for whatever might happen, she turned. “I want to know why he lied about my father.”
The blood drained from Anna’s face. “Wh-what do you mean?”
Lucy opened the door to her car to give herself an easy escape. Revealing her plan meant she’d be drawing battle lines; Aurora’s family and everyone who supported them would be arrayed against her. But she had to be strong and stand up for what she believed to be true, regardless of how unpopular it would make her. If her conscience had allowed her to do otherwise, she would’ve stayed in Vegas.
Besides, she only had three months here. As much as she might want to put off any type of confrontation, she couldn’t. “My
father’s a murderer, Anna. I’m not defending him. But I don’t believe Aurora was one of his victims.”
She stepped back. “Why not?”
“Because her case was different.”
“Maybe that was because he wanted to take care of your little problem with Ford.”
“That’s what everyone said. It makes it all so plausible, so believable, right? But I hadn’t even told my father that Aurora
was calling and texting Ford. My father was all I had. I relied on him, and he seemed to care about me—as much as someone
like that is capable of caring, I guess. But I didn’t share a whole lot about my love life. He didn’t think I should even
have a boyfriend at that age. I wasn’t about to draw his attention to the fact that I was seeing someone, especially someone
like Ford. He complained about the wealthy people buying up all the real estate in this town, didn’t take kindly to the way
they were driving up prices. And since I didn’t tell him about Ford or Aurora, he would’ve had no reason to go after her.”
“Maybe it was just bad luck. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time—like the Matteos when they came home from Florida
a day early,” Anna shot back.
“What happened with the Matteos was completely different. The murders didn’t even happen in the same way. One was a robbery,
the other a sex crime.”
“The result was the same.”
“Someone else killed Aurora,” she insisted. “Maybe it was even your brother.”
Anna’s jaw dropped. “What’d you say?”
“He was out of prison the night she was murdered,” she said. “He wasn’t arrested until right before my father was caught.”
“That doesn’t mean anything! A lot of people were out of prison.”
“None of them lied to help get a conviction against my father.”
She blinked several times. “He—he didn’t lie,” she stammered. “And he would’ve had no motive to... to hurt Aurora.”
“That you or I know about.”
The color rushed back into her face. “You can’t come here and accuse innocent people of—”
“Innocent?” she broke in, incredulous. “If I’m right, Reggie committed perjury and maybe obstruction of justice, too!”
“You’re grasping at straws. I’m not having this conversation,” Anna said. “The past is the past. Why don’t you just leave
it there?”
Lucy gaped at her. “Are you saying it doesn’t matter who killed Aurora? That you’re fine with the wrong person getting the
blame?” Stepping closer, she lowered her voice because she saw a curtain move on the other side of the duplex and knew the
neighbor was looking out at them. “You realize that would mean there’s a murderer on the loose...”
“Well, if there is, it’s not my brother.”
The sound of an engine drew their attention. A man who looked to be in his fifties pulled to the curb, and Reggie got out
of the passenger side.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he slammed his door shut so his ride could leave.
Anna put up her hands as if she could hold back the tide of his response. “Nothing. Lucy was just leaving.”
Lucy wanted to ask Reggie about his testimony. Surely, even he could understand that what he’d done meant whoever had really killed Aurora had walked away without any accountability.
But she felt outnumbered. And he was already so defensive and belligerent she didn’t think she’d get anywhere with him. She’d
been hoping he’d grown a conscience since she left; that certainly didn’t seem to be the case. “I just want to say... if
you lied on the stand that day, you should come forward—not to save my father from taking the rap. He’s where he needs to
be, and he’ll never get out. But if someone else killed Aurora, it’s high time we recognized that fact and did something about
it.”
He narrowed his eyes. “So you’re back to cause trouble.”
“I’m back to make sure justice was carried out—and to give Aurora a voice if it wasn’t.” She knew she was asking a lot of
Reggie, probably too much. From what she’d learned on the internet, perjury was a Class felony, punishable by up to ten
years in prison. And there was no statute of limitations. Someone who lied under oath could also be charged with contempt
and several other crimes. Not many people were tried—perjury was hard to prove—but if Reggie admitted to lying during her father’s trial, there would be no burden of proof. No one could say how well that would go for him, but
it might not go well at all.
“You’re calling me a liar?” he yelled.
She’d thought she could at least try to reason with him. But his instant rage suggested he’d never do the right thing, which
meant her time in North Hampton Beach would not only be difficult, it would probably turn out to be a total waste of effort.
She was tempted to back down. After all, she wasn’t getting her information on good authority. Her father had killed two other
people.
Still, she couldn’t escape the fact that she believed him about Aurora. Maybe that made her a fool, but he’d managed to convince
her. And if he didn’t kill Aurora, Reggie had to be lying. “Yeah, I am,” she said.
He charged toward her, calling her a stupid bitch who wouldn’t know her head from her ass, but Anna grabbed hold of his arm while Lucy hurried to get inside her vehicle. If she’d learned nothing else today, it was that Reggie wasn’t someone she wanted as an enemy.
And yet... what kind of person would she be if she backed away from her beliefs as soon as she faced resistance? If everyone
did that, good would never triumph.
She wasn’t going to allow him to intimidate her. Whatever happened this summer couldn’t be any worse than what she’d faced
fifteen years ago, when her entire world fell apart. At least she was an adult now. At least she had work and resources and
a home waiting for her in Las Vegas.
She knew it was reckless, but before she pulled out of the drive, she rolled down her window. “I can tell you this much,”
she said. “You might as well come out with the truth because I’m going to get to it eventually.”