He flinched when I wrapped my hand around his. Then, he relaxed. “It’s not your fault,” he said, voice low. His words meant only for me.
But it was. “I shouldn’t have left you.”
“You needed to save yourself first.”
The words echoed in my mind like the strike of a gong. Maybe eighteen-year-old Skye had needed to find a way to save herself, but she’d done it in the wrong way.
“That’s not an excuse,” I whispered.
Ash didn’t reply. Or perhaps he hadn’t heard me. He focused his attention on Graham. “I think it’s a safe bet that he was keeping tabs on Skye in some way.”
Graham nodded. “But there’s a reason why things were different between Skye leaving, and your mother…” he said cautiously, as if giving the information time to sink in.
The truth had been there this whole time. Maybe I’d always known it was a possibility, but had never wanted to acknowledge it.
Something cold settled inside my chest.
“He’s threatening me because he already knows who Jane Doe is,” I said, my voice lifeless. Monotone. “He knows that it’s my mother, and he doesn’t want me looking into her death because he’s the one who killed her.”
17
Fox
Herwordsweighedsoheavily it was almost suffocating.
I had suspected it might be the case. That her father was responsible for her mother’s disappearance.
“It’s not off the table that the Shadow Stalker could still be Jane Doe’s killer,” August said.
Graham nodded. “The police were right to have Jane Doe as a possible victim. The case has similarities to his MO, too many to disregard. She was so close to one of his most known dump sites.”
Skye’s grip on my hand tightened more. I wasn’t sure what had made me reach for her. It hadn’t even been a thought, really. It was instinct.
“We don’t even know for sure that Jane Doe is Skye’s mother,” Emersyn pointed out.
Skye and her brother were quiet. I’d been impressed with the way Skye had handled this meeting. She’d been through a lot tonight—really, since she’d come back to Ember Hollow—but from the moment we set foot in this conference room, she had held her head high.
“I think Reid has been speaking with the police on getting a possible identification through DNA.”
Skye sat up straighter. “Detective Whize has been working on that, too. DNA is expensive, though, and can take awhile. We’ve been working on getting access to the evidence in her case so I can get a look at Jane Doe’s belongings to see if I recognize anything.”
“Good.” August looked up from his notes. “I’m not sure what more we can do tonight. In my opinion, I think you’re right, Skye. If your father is making threats about you digging into Jane Doe, he had to have something to do with her. Maybe he killed her. Maybe the Shadow Stalker did. Either way, your safety is a priority.” His gaze shifted to Ash. “Do you think that you’re in any danger as well? If he’s following Skye, he’s got to know that the two of you are speaking. He could assume the two of you are working together.”
Ash shrugged. “I’m not afraid of my father anymore.”
Skye looked at her brother with a mix of worry and admiration. “You need to be careful. I want you to be safe.”
“I haven’t heard from the man.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re not going to,” Skye pointed out.
“She’s right,” August agreed. “Do you have a security system?”
Ash paused. “Yeah, I do.” He bumped Skye’s shoulder, a small smile pulling at his mouth. “Don’t worry about me, sis. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”
Skye bit her lip. “Promise you’ll let us know if anything happens?”
“I appreciate the concern, but I’m good.”
