Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
Since the momentI left Evie, I’ve resisted the urge to check in with her as often as I’d like, in person and over text. Toting the fine line between worrying about her after the latest murder and wanting to see her for purely selfish reasons is a more difficult feat than one would imagine. Save for the breakfast deliveries to her door every morning from a local Main Street business, the casual texts throughout the day, and the happy hour drink I allow myself after work at Firefly before getting home to Lucy and Francine, I try to give her space to process the latest events.
The news is already proclaiming the kill to be the work of the Firefly Man. Which is mind-blowing, considering whoever is responsible has left no clues behind, as far as the public knows.
My eyes skim the morning paper’s front-page story.
Body of Firefly Man’s suspected twelfth victim found miles away from original kill site
Published June 21st, 2024
Robert McClain, 31, male, was found late in the evening of May 20th at Backcountry Camp 60. McClain was traveling alone on a backpacking trip through the Appalachians and was reported missing two weeks earlier by his wife after he stopped responding to her calls and messages.
McClain is the suspected twelfth victim in a string of linked serial murders across the Great Smoky Mountains. Due to the nature of his injuries as well as the collected evidence, McClain’s murder is suspected to be linked to the infamous Firefly Man. Backcountry Camp 60 is just over three miles from Deep Creek Campground, the site of the first Firefly Man murder.
I close the paper and set it aside, hating that this is the world my daughter is forced to live in.
“Hey, Lucy,” I say, pouring her out more cereal. “What do you think about inviting your daycare friends here for your birthday? We can get a bounce house with a slide and make the backyard a fun waterpark.”
Lucy’s eyes grow wide. “Yesss!” She pounds the handle of her spoon into the table. “Can I invite all my friends?”
Francine gives me a look of utter concern, but I shrug. What could possibly go wrong with a bunch of kids playing at our house? “Of course you can, sweetie. I’ll fill out the invitations now, and you can hand them out today.”
I walk over to the kitchen counter where the pile of invitations sits.
Francine is right there by my side. “Maybe limit the invites, Linc. Ten, tops. There are twenty kids in her daycare class.”
“It will be fine,” I assure her. “There’s no way every kid will make it to the party with such short notice. You’ll see.”
Francine scoffs. “Do you even know if there’s a bounce house available to rent?”
I make a face. “Of course one will be available. I’ll take care of all the details. I mean, I don’t know of a better plan.”
“A better plan is to limit the invites to her closest friends and avoid promising things like bounce houses when you don’t even know yet if you can rent one.” Francine crosses her arms. “Lucy would be perfectly fine with a few friends and a tea party.”
I can’t help but laugh. Francine means well, but she doesn’t understand what these milestones mean to me. If Lucy wants a giant party with five bounce houses and a tea party in the sky, I’m going to make it happen. “Do you mind making sure Lucy remembers to hand these out today? Better yet, could you hand them directly to parents if you see them at pick-up or drop-off?”
Francine sighs before shaking her head, apparently giving up. “You got it, but I warned you.” She points a finger in the direction of the dining table. “I got you a printout of the names of the daycare kids. Maybe just leave out that boy AJ.” She leans in and drops her voice to a whisper. “He’s a little asshole.”
I swipe the invitations off the counter and lean in to plant a kiss on Francine’s cheek. “You’re the best.”
“I know, I know.”
Smiling, I sit down beside Lucy with a pen in hand. As I start to fill out the blank lines of the invitation, I peer over at my daughter. “Are you excited to invite your friends to your birthday, Lucy Goosey?”
She nods, eyes wide and shining bright. “Mm-hmm,” she says around a mouthful of food. Then she swallows and points at me. “You get one too, Daddy.” She grins at Francine. “You, too, Gammy.” She takes another bite of her cereal and chews for a bit before her eyes light up again. She can’t swallow fast enough before she shouts, “Evie! Can I invite Evie, Daddy?”
I chuckle at her excitement. “Of course you can. Anyone else?”
Lucy scrunches her nose and shakes her head, her blonde hair wildly whipping around, which effectively ends the conversation until another thought pops into my head.
“How about I pick you up from daycare today and take you to Firefly, and you can hand Evie the invitation yourself? Would you like that?”
Lucy claps her hands together and nods eagerly, just like I knew she would, and I give her a wink. She’s my precious little girl and I would do anything for her, but she’s also my secret wingwoman.
It’s four o’clock on the dot when I walk into Firefly with Lucy on my shoulders. I spot Evie immediately at the entrance to her office. Her back is turned and she’s wearing another one of her skirts that stretches nicely around her curves, this one navy and paired with a simple white tank top. At closer inspection, she seems to be having a heated conversation with someone inside the room.
Lucy must see her, too, because she’s squirming in an attempt to climb off my shoulders. “Evie!” Lucy yells.
Evie’s head snaps toward us, her face flushed and weighed down with stress. Her eyes connect with mine first then slide up to Lucy. Suddenly, her entire face changes, illuminating with the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen from her. For a moment, she’s relaxed, happy, and free. All because of my little girl.
Unfortunately, that peace only lasts a moment.
As I’m helping Lucy off my shoulders and setting her down, another figure appears in the doorway.
Officer fucking Gabe.
My blood boils, and my hands ball into tight fists. Evie takes two steps away from Gabe then turns to face him. I wish I could hear their conversation. If only I knew exactly what he had done to make her lovely light fade into the depths of her own shadows. I could end him.
Lucy runs to Evie, her messy ringlets flying in the wind. She launches herself at Evie, who’s ready with open arms. She scoops Lucy up like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and I swear my heart leaps like it just bounced off a fucking trampoline in my chest. Despite Gabe’s presence looming behind them both like an annoying cloud, I grin when Lucy hands Evie the invitation.
Evie reads the card, her smile growing with every second. Then she looks straight at Lucy, nodding as she says something, and wraps her in a hug. Something about the way Evie’s eyes close during the embrace tells me she needed that hug.
For a second, Evie’s eyes find mine. No words are needed. She’s grateful—for what exactly, I’m not sure, but specifics don’t matter when the woman you’ve come to admire connects with your daughter on a level like this.
When Lucy comes running back to me, she has the sweetest smile on her face. I pick her up, my eyes wide to demonstrate the suspense she’s put me under. “Well, what did she say?”
Lucy’s face is alight with excitement. “She said yes!” she squeals.
I can’t help but laugh. “Of course she did, silly. Who could say no to you?”
The pride on my little girl’s face says it all. I look back over to Evie and mouth the words, “Thank you.”
Despite our eyes locked in silent exchange, I’m not oblivious to the man in uniform standing beside Evie, a heated scowl radiating on his face. If Lucy weren’t here, I wouldn’t even hesitate to put my body between them and ask him to leave. It doesn’t matter that he’s probably here on police business—surely he’s asked all his questions by now. It’s time for him to go.
Evie must sense my reluctance to leave her there with Gabe because she gives me an encouraging smile and mouths the words, “It’s okay,” before nodding to the entrance, releasing me from whatever need I might feel to protect her.
With a rush of disappointment that I didn’t get to even speak to her, I respect her wishes and carry Lucy back to the sidewalk.
“Evie is pretty, Daddy.”
Just like that, my foul mood dissipates, and a smile curves my lips. “She is, isn’t she?”
Lucy nods. “You should kiss her.”
She says those words so innocently, having no idea that kissing Evelyn Vaughn has been a fantasy of mine since I first laid eyes on the woman.
“Maybe I will, goose.”