Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
The paramedic smiles and says, “You’ll live. Take it easy for a day or two. Just to be careful.”
“Thanks.”
Detective Hahn approaches with a very serious face. She is not happy to be out here in the middle of the night. Fair enough.
“She said she killed Grace,” I say. “Basically.”
She turns to frown at the small crowd gathered behind the police lines. An assortment of reporters and camera operators along with locals and the plain curious. “I’ve been looking for her to discuss some phone calls and payments made to your cousin.”
“So she was taking money from Dianne too?” I think it over. “Grace was probably supposed to make me look worse than she did. I think that’s what the angry phone call was about that night at the hotel. The reason Dianne gave her for wanting to meet.”
“Maybe,” says the detective. “I am just grateful we can hopefully give your aunt some closure.”
“Yeah.”
She pulls out her cell to record our conversation. Starting by giving the date and time. “Give me the rundown on what happened, Sidney. What were you doing out here?”
“We were walking the dog. Going to the lake and back again,” I say. “Then I noticed the same car that followed me earlier when I went to the hotel where my cousin was staying was following us now.”
“Why did you go there?”
“To see the place and ask some questions.”
Her expression isn’t happy. “And it was definitely the same vehicle?”
“I believe so.”
“Have you seen it before today?”
“It might have been parked on our street the other night. When Grace went missing. But I don’t know for sure.”
“You told me Ryan’s girlfriend had been hanging around,” she says.
“She has been. Though I haven’t seen her for a while. But apparently Dianne decided to get in on the action too.” I set aside the lightweight silver blanket. “Auggie, my dog, was peeing on the gnome a couple of houses back. Noah was holding the leash. I noticed the car just hanging behind us and then it started coming toward me. No chance I could outrun it, so I headed for the tree instead.”
“You were lucky.”
“Very. She said Grace was mouthy. That Ryan was going to get out. Then she mentioned you wanted to talk to her and she didn’t want to give you the satisfaction.”
“Was that everything she said?”
“I think so.” I take a deep breath. Then I take another. “Grace died because of me. I knew that was the likelihood…but it sucks to know for sure.”
“How did you contribute to what happened to your cousin? What deliberate steps did you take that you were cognizant of that were likely to result in her demise?”
I frown.
“That’s what I thought. You didn’t.” She presses stop on her cell and gives me a look. “Do you really think you have a chance of finding those other missing women’s bodies?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. But with any luck, this will slow down the #justiceforryan movement. Cast some doubt on his supposed innocence. Give us more time to search. He needs to stay behind bars for everyone’s safety.”
“Keep in touch, Miss Walsh,” she says.
Noah wanders over with Auggie in his arms. “He’s decided he’s had enough. We’ve been offered a ride home by an officer. Want to go?”
“That sounds like a great idea.”
“How did it go with the detective?”
“I sense that she thinks I’m a drama queen.”
His brows rise. “Someone just tried to run you over. I feel like you’re entitled to a moment or two.”
“Mm.”
Detective Hahn talks to another officer near the car wreck. Screens are being erected to shield the site from both the media and the general public—to stop them from getting a gory picture. Who knows how long it will take to remove the body from all the twisted metal. There’s a sea of lights from cameras behind the police lines. No doubt some of those news crews are filming us right now.
Noah leans in and places a kiss on my forehead. While Auggie takes the opportunity to lick me on the chin. Such a very good boy. One day my life will be normal. Not today, obviously. But one day.
“Wish I knew what I’d done to deserve you two,” I say. “Because guaranteed I would do a whole lot more of it.”
Noah smiles. And that smile almost makes getting flattened like a pancake seem worthwhile. Almost.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Laura cries in such an aesthetically pleasing fashion. It’s sort of disturbing how good she is at it. Over the next couple of days, I watch her on the news and various other shows. The woman has turned her prospective mother-in-law’s attempted homicide and head-on collision with a tree into both a very sad thing and a publicity boon for the #justiceforryan movement.
“The immense sadness and pressure that Dianne was under these past ten years…that dear sweet woman was tormented by what happened to her son.” Insert a tear rolling over the smooth curve of Laura’s cheek here. “How his life was derailed by this one dreadful relationship. Is it any wonder she snapped and acted so out of character?”