She straightened a little, smoothed her cardigan with one liver-spotted hand. "Well. When something like this happens practically in your backyard, you pay attention. Some of us do, anyway. It's a tragedy what happened to that Cho girl. Her poor parents."
"It is a tragedy." I hesitated, then gave her what she wanted. "The detectives told me they were grateful for how observant the neighbors here are. Some people were especially helpful."
"Well, I certainly try." Color rose in her cheeks. She tilted her chin, like she was deciding whether I deserved the story. She glanced up and down the street, although no one else was outside. When she looked back at me, her voice dropped. "Between you and me, I didn't tell them everything at first. You never know how things will be twisted."
Of course, she hadn't. She'd rationed it out, one teaspoon at a time.
"I get that." I shifted Apollo's leash, as if I might move on. "I just keep thinking if someone saw or heard anything that night, it might help me make sense of it."
Mrs. Atkins inhaled sharply. "Funny you should say that. The night that poor Cho girl died, most people around here were asleep."
"But you weren't?"
She paused, savoring it. "No," she said at last. "I wasn't. I went for a glass of water. My kitchen looks straight out over the bluff. Sometimes I step out for a bit of fresh air, to hear the waves. Calm the nerves. I remember looking at the clock. 12:30 a.m. exactly. It stuck with me."
"12:30 a.m.," I repeated. "And?"
"I saw something down there, on the beach. The moon was out, reflected on the water. There was a figure. On the sand."
I waited. She wanted me to ask. "What did they look like?"
She pinched her lips, savoring it. "Tall and slim. With a hoodie pulled up. Walking toward Rowan's beach access. They had their phone on, that's how I could see them."
"Did you see a face?"
She shook her silvered head. "No. Too far away. But the way they moved. There's a look about some kids, the sporty ones. Long stride, that spring. You can tell."
"What are you saying?"
Her eyes flickered. "Well, that Hayward girl is tall for her age. And you know, they're out at all hours. That family…" She smoothed the front of her cardigan again. "New money. Everything's very showy. And their mother is always working. Children need eyes on them."
My jaw clenched. "Camille is a highly respected attorney helping my daughter. And Jerome is a dedicated teacher."
Mrs. Atkins's smile didn't move. "Of course. I'm only saying what I observed. One hears shouting over there sometimes. Music. It's a different energy. And that girl, she has a look about her."
I stroked Apollo's spine to stop my hands from shaking. "Let's go back. You saw someone at 12:30 a.m., tall, in a hoodie. Color?"
"Bright yellow." She smiled. "That's how I could see it so clearly. Like a fluorescent marker."
Zara had a yellow hoodie. With the Lakeshore Eagles emblem emblazoned on the front. She wore it constantly. I filed that information away. Mrs. Atkins's property bordered Rowan's acreage, though her house was significantly smaller. "Did you see them turn up at Rowan's?"
"I saw them angle toward it and then disappear against the bluff."
"Did you tell the police?"
She leaned in close, as if divulging a secret. "I only told them I saw someone, not that I thought I knew who it was. I don't get involved in criminal matters. I'm telling you because we share a street, and I like you. You deserve to know what's going on around you."
"If you're certain enough to tell me this, you should tell the police."
"Oh, no. I wouldn't want to get myself involved in such unseemly matters. I have standing. Reputation matters." She shuddered delicately. "I just thought you'd want to know."
I nodded, as if this were a normal, neighborly exchange. "Thank you for telling me."
"Of course, dear. We look out for each other up here."
"You're right."
She mistook my tone for agreement and clicked the trash bin lid closed. "Keep your doors locked. You can never be too careful."
