12
Lucy had just locked up and was about to go to bed when she heard another knock on the door. It was late for visitors, so
she grabbed the bat she’d left out after Darren came over.
As soon as she turned on the porch light, however—before she could even peer through the peephole to see who it was—she heard
Ford say, “Lucy, it’s me.”
Lowering the bat, she frowned. What was he doing back? She’d already taken off her clothes, was wearing nothing except the
panties and tank top she slept in. “What can I do for you?” she called.
“I’d like to talk to you. Can you give me a few minutes?”
With a sigh, she set the bat down and went into the bedroom to pull on the shorts she’d just taken off. Then she went back
out and cracked open the door. “Don’t tell me you want to do something with the yard.”
“I think I’ll wait for daylight,” he said in response to her sarcasm and lifted a bottle of wine. “But I did bring this...”
“A bribe?”
He nodded.
She eyed the bottle of cabernet sauvignon. “What’s it supposed to get you?”
“An audience.”
“For...”
He spread his hands in exasperation. “If you’ll give me the chance, I’ll explain.”
She lifted her hair off her neck. It was already getting hot and stuffy inside the house. “Fine, we can talk on the back porch.”
“Sounds good to me, but as long as I’m here, you might as well open the windows and let the house cool down.”
“I don’t think you’ll be here that long,” she said and stepped back to let him walk through.
He raised an eyebrow at her response but didn’t seem put off by it. “You know I have a house with five bedrooms and bathrooms
a short distance away. If it ever gets too hot, you could always come over and use one of the spares. It would beat sweltering
over here.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine.”
“You might change your mind after you hear what I have to say,” he told her with a knowing grin. “As a matter of fact, I think
you’re going to start being a lot nicer to me.”
She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t count on it,” she said but was secretly relieved when they were sitting on her back porch,
enjoying the breeze coming in off the ocean as well as the wine he’d brought over. With Ford around, she felt safe, didn’t
have to worry about Reggie or anyone else.
There were other worries, though...
“You have to admit this is nice,” he said.
“I don’t have to admit anything,” she said grudgingly but smiled.
He chuckled. “Are you ever going to forgive me?”
“I already have. I just don’t see any reason for us to be friends.”
His smile disappeared. “Maybe I need a friend more than you do.”
She was sitting in the swinging chair to his right. “Then you should pick someone else. Even if my father didn’t kill Aurora, he murdered Tony and Lucinda, Ford.”
“That’s tragic. I wish it never happened. But it did, and he’s in prison now. There’s nothing else that can be done in that
regard.”
“I’m still related to him,” she pointed out. “That was what made me anathema last time—besides the fact that I had no money
and no real prospects for college, I suppose.”
“My parents were wrong to treat you the way they did,” he said with a grimace. “So was I.”
The lump that formed in her throat embarrassed her. It’d been fifteen years! Certainly, she’d gotten over what’d happened
in that length of time.
She cleared her throat so the emotion wouldn’t show in her voice. “You’ve already apologized. And I’ve accepted. It’s over.
No need to mention it again. Anyway, I can see why they did what they did. They didn’t want someone like me to get hold of
you.” She laughed, but he didn’t laugh with her.
“That’s such bullshit,” he said. “I wish they’d handled it differently. I wish I had, too. But if you’ll let me, I’d like
to show you that I can be a better friend. I’m convinced I’m a nice guy—down deep,” he added jokingly.
She didn’t know how to respond. She used to prefer him to any other person on the planet. But that was when she was young
and naive. “I’m sure you are,” she said and quickly moved on to a more comfortable subject. “So what’d you want to tell me?”
He crossed his long legs out in front of him. “I hired a private investigator today.”
She looked up from her wine. “To...”
“Figure out who killed Aurora—or at least prove it wasn’t your father.”
She put down her glass. “Why’d you do that?”
“So that you’ll have the help you need.”
“I can hire my own investigator, Ford. And I will, when I’m ready. I don’t have the resources you do. I’ll probably never be that rich. But I’ve got some money saved up. I’m just waiting until... until I find the right person before tapping into those
resources.”
When he sat forward, she could tell he’d picked up on the edge in her voice. She didn’t want his pity. She also didn’t want
to feel indebted to him. Somehow, that would only make things worse. At least she’d never taken anything from him, including
the money he’d tried to give her the day before she left town.
“Now you don’t have to,” he said simply.
“This isn’t your problem,” she insisted, but she’d told him that before.
“Actually, it’s not your problem, either,” he pointed out. “I could easily make an argument that you shouldn’t bother. I mean...
I’m guessing it won’t make much difference in the way you feel about your father, given what he did to the Matteos. It certainly
won’t get him out of prison. And it won’t bring Aurora back.”
“It might mean that she’ll get justice,” she said. “It’s important to get these things right.”
“I agree, but that isn’t your responsibility any more than it is mine. Or are you out to prove you didn’t encourage your father
to get rid of her?”
“That could be part of it,” she allowed. “Since I didn’t. I don’t remember so much as mentioning Aurora to him. I didn’t want
him to know I was seeing someone. He was insanely protective, wouldn’t have liked it. Besides, I felt secure with you at the
time, or I wouldn’t have... let it go so far.”
He winced visibly. “You regret making love with me?”
“Let’s just say it wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever made,” she replied, chuckling without mirth.
“That makes me feel terrible. I remember that night fondly. I don’t know why I let anything interfere with our relationship.”
“You had a lot of voices in your ear,” she said but didn’t like the way the conversation was going. It was too personal. Too revelatory. Too awkward. “But back to my purpose here this summer. If you must know, I feel I owe this community a little something after... after what my father did. So I’m happy to bear the expense of the investigator.”
“ You did nothing wrong, Lucy. You don’t owe anyone anything.”
She looked out over the dark shapes in the yard—shapes that were obviously benign in the light of day but could spook her
at night. “Maybe it’s not totally logical. But there’s a sense of responsibility that goes with being so closely related to
a man like my father.”
“Did you see anything strange the morning after the Matteos were killed? Any blood on his clothes or boots? Was he acting
weird?”
“He came home and washed his own clothes that morning, which was a bit odd since he generally left all the cooking and cleaning
to me. But he said he wanted to wear a particular shirt, and I didn’t think twice about it.”
“It’s a plausible enough story. I think people were just looking for a target—something or someone they could blast to make
themselves feel better.”
And she became collateral damage.
They sat in silence for the next several seconds, each of them sipping their wine. “About the investigator...” she started.
He lifted a hand. “That’s already handled. The guy comes highly recommended, so I know he’s good.”
Should she continue to insist she be the one to find and pay for an investigator? It would mean she could retain control of
what happened here, to a point—keep Ford at arm’s length. But she didn’t even know where to find an investigator, not one
she could trust. And Ford had far more resources than she did.
Maybe she should let him help. After all, he’d known Aurora much better than she had. And after Darren’s visit, she was even more confident
that her father wasn’t the one who’d taken Aurora’s life. “He from around here?”
“DC. So close enough that he can come out if and when he needs to.”
She finished what was in her glass. “You’re taking a risk. You realize that.”
“In what regard?”
“If someone finds out you’re paying for an investigator and word begins to spread, there are plenty of people who won’t be
happy about it.”
“The Clarks.”
“Yes, the Clarks. They don’t want you or anyone else to upend what they believe—take away the closure they’re so grateful
for. But there are others who want things to remain exactly as they are.”
He seemed mildly surprised. “Who else would care that much?”
“Kevin Claxton, for one. In case you’re not aware, he’s the chief of police these days. And he’s not happy I’m back in town.”
“How do you know?”
“He told me as much when we bumped into each other at the grocery store the other day. He said it’s taken a long time for
this community to heal and revisiting what happened back then won’t do anyone any good. But I’m willing to bet he’s more worried
about the reputation of the police force.”
“If they settled for a jailhouse snitch instead of digging for more solid evidence, forensic evidence, and the real killer went free... I can see why that would make him nervous.”
“The question is... how far will he go to stop me?”
Ford lifted his glass. “Further than he’d go to stop us .”
She studied him for several seconds. “You’re serious. You’re going to plow ahead, even though I’ve warned you?”
He stood. “I’m not seventeen anymore, Lucy.”
“Which means...”
“I know what I want to do, and I’m not going to change my mind.”
She wished his confidence didn’t appeal to her, but it did. That he was willing to get involved impressed her, too, because he had nothing to gain. “Okay, but I hope you don’t wind up regretting it.”
“We’re only after the truth. I don’t see where that’s a bad thing.”
“A fight is a fight, Ford. And that’s what we’re looking at. I’m telling you for the last time—you don’t want to be on my
side.”
“That’s the thing. I really do,” he said and put down his glass before showing himself out.
Lucy had locked up again and was trying to fall asleep despite the oppressive heat when she received a text from him.
It’s not nearly as hot over here...
Ignoring the invitation, she got up and opened the windows. Then she took the bat to bed.
The fact that she had an investigator on the case—who’d been vetted by someone who knew more about who to hire—was a relief,
but that relief didn’t really hit Lucy until morning. As a gentle wind wafted through the window of her bedroom and washed
over her, making it possible for her to cover up for the first time since going to bed, she lay there, watching the curtains
flutter while remembering her talk with Ford last night. He wanted to make up for what he’d done. He’d made that clear. And
she wasn’t opposed to letting him. She was in favor of forgiveness. It was working together that worried her. If she truly
believed he wasn’t a threat to her peace of mind, that wouldn’t be a problem, either. But when she looked at him, she still
felt the same magnetism and desire that’d brought them together in the first place. How was it that hadn’t changed?
With a sigh, she squeezed her forehead. Bottom line, she could really use the financial help he was offering. She had her savings, but if he was willing to step in, why would she waste it? He had more resources than she did. And finding out what’d happened to the girl they both knew wasn’t technically her responsibility, as he’d said—especially her responsibility alone.
At least, that was the justification she was allowing herself. She hoped it was all about saving money but feared it was more
about craving Ford’s time, attention and involvement.
“Ugh. You’re so weak.” She kicked off the sheet so she could go out and make some coffee. But she’d tried to dissuade Ford. She figured,
at this point, he’d made his decision and wasn’t going back on it.
She took a mugful of coffee and went out to the porch, which was quickly becoming her favorite place to be in the cottage,
and started writing to her father. He’d never said anything about running into Darren Clark the night Aurora went missing,
but if Darren was right, Mick had been totally wasted, so maybe he didn’t remember it.
Still, what Darren had told her might give him a reference point, jog his memory.
Dear Mick—
She couldn’t make herself use “father” or “dad,” didn’t plan on calling him by either of those names ever again.
I had an unexpected visitor yesterday. It was Darren Clark, Aurora’s older brother. He claims he saw you at the liquor store
right before it closed the night Aurora was killed. Do you remember anything about that? Did he speak to you? If so, do you
recall what he said? And can you tell me where you went after you left the liquor store? Did you see or talk to anyone else
that night?
He’d probably write back to tell her he didn’t remember anything. He’d said as much before. Still, it could be worth asking
again.
She’d just signed the letter with her name and stuffed the single sheet into an envelope when she received a text from Ford.
Are you awake yet? If so, can you come over? The investigator would like a word with you. I thought we could call him together.
“See?” she said aloud. As long as he was paying for the investigator, he’d want to be part of everything.
She almost refused, except having him involved would certainly be beneficial to her end goal, and attaining that goal was
why she’d come to North Hampton Beach in the first place. Besides, she was an adult, no longer a vulnerable young girl. She
could keep up her defenses.
Even if she couldn’t, nothing would come of it. He was dealing with a divorce and had a baby on the way. He’d have to go back
to solving his own problems eventually. And she was returning to Vegas at the end of the summer. Maybe she wouldn’t even stay
that long. If they found what they needed before then, she’d be able to head home early.
Give me thirty minutes.
Do you remember which house it is?
She wished she could say she didn’t. But she wasn’t going to lie. She’d stood on the beach, gazing up at that elegant structure
too many times to ever forget where it was or what it looked like.
After putting a thumbs-up on his text to signify that she could find it, she went to take a shower.