Watching her the whole time with my family, as her eyes softened whenever she looked at me, made me realize that I was falling for her. Every time she reached under the table and brushed her fingers against mine, I felt a quietsomethingrise in my chest.
After the dessert that Lila had spoiled us with, Maggie wrapped the leftovers before we could protest. My siblings tried to act casual as they said their goodbyes, buteven I could tell they wanted to spend more time around Hattie, too. They’d had even more questions about who she was and how she’d fit into the Holt family. We all sensed that she belonged here with us in our chaotic little household.
“We were extremely normal,” Sage whispered loudly to Lo Lo.
“We were not,” Lo Lo whispered back.
Once we made it to the safety of the porch, Fish whining at our feet, I whispered to her, “They like you.”
“They tried very hard,” she said, smiling. “It was sweet.”
“They were annoying in our group chat all week. You have no idea.” That totally wasn’t a lie, but I didn’t want to break it to her how true it was. They were a bunch of weirdos.
The ride back was quiet in a comfortable way with Fish stretched across the back seat as the first stars appeared overhead, faint and scattered.
“That went better than I expected,” she said softly.
“I told you they would like you.”
“Do they always tease you like that?”
“Worse.”
“They’re all amazing. I loved every second of it.” Shelooked out the window for a long moment before speaking again. “Thank you for bringing me.”
My hands tightened on the wheel. “I wanted you there.” She turned toward me, slow and thoughtful, her knee brushing mine.
She reached across the console and laced her fingers through mine. I lifted her hand from the center console and raised it to my lips, brushing a kiss over her knuckles.
CHAPTER 32
Pod
The J & J Hour, Episode 42 — “What Happens Next?”
HATTIE HARPER:
Welcome back toThe J & J Hour. I’m so happy that you’re with me again tonight. Know that I appreciate every one of my listeners and followers. You’re the ones who keep us going and provide us with the push to do what we do.
It’s been a busy few days. Exciting ones. First, let’s recap for any new listeners before we talk about what comes next.
Allison Finch disappeared on April 3rd. Her car was found abandoned at a remote vista area outside Briar Falls.According to the cops, she left town and started over.
Allison was twenty-seven years old. Married. No children. She worked online, and she kept all her money in a private account. That detail matters more than it should, and yet it barely made it into the original case file.
Her vehicle was recovered within forty-eight hours of her disappearance, but it was never properly processed. There was no forensic sweep, and no fiber analysis.
Let that sink in. There was a missing woman, and no one thought to look closer.
When my team obtained images of the car taken at the scene, we noticed something immediately. A dark stain on the passenger-side seat. It could be nothing. Coffee. Mud. Oil.
But no one ever tested it, so no one ever proved it was nothing.
That is not how investigations are supposed to work.
Now, listen up.
I have it on good authority from an anonymous source that Allison Finch was saving money. Quietly. Carefully. She wanted out of her marriage. She wanted something better than the life she felt stuck inside.
