“It’s not a good look,” Annette said. “I don’t know what university policy is but the last time he pulled this kind of thing, well, the last time we know of, he got in trouble with the law. I know what you’re gonna say—better to be in hot water with his employer than to be facing murder and kidnapping charges—but as much of a weasel as he is, he’s also smart. He knew or suspected you didn’t have enough on him to press the issue and that if it came to it, he could produce the alibis.”
“Why put his job in jeopardy unless he absolutely had to,” Gretchen said.
“Exactly.”
“Annette,” Josie said abruptly, scraps of conversations starting to coalesce in her mind. “When Dani decided to come here to Denton with Turner like a ‘scalded cat,’ you said, did she tell you why she changed her mind?”
Turner had said Dani had started using her maiden name before the move. They were sleeping in separate bedrooms,avoiding each other at home. When he was there, she would go to the gym or get her nails done.
“Oh,” Annette said, momentarily thrown off by the sudden change in subject. “The same old shit. She wanted to give it another try.”
“Because of Cassidy?”
“Oh, I mean, sure. Cass was always a factor.”
“When she told you she’d decided to follow Turner, did she mention Cassidy?” Josie pressed.
Annette laughed. “Why do I feel like I’m in an interrogation room? Honestly? I don’t remember. I’m sure she did. It was a lot of things. Not wanting to keep Cass from her dad, feeling sorry for Shitbird even though he was the one who ruined everything, not wanting to live alone with just Cass, feeling like she should give it one more try.”
The little loose ends of everything Josie had read and heard the last few days started to form a theory. “Dani said she didn’t want to live by herself?”
“Yeah. Stupid, right? She’s living in Denton by herself, isn’t she? Even though she gave me some line about living alone being too creepy and how she didn’t feel safe. I figured it was because of Emmer. I told her they could move in with me or vice versa, but she went after Shitbird anyway.”
“Josie,” Gretchen said, brows drawn up in curiosity. “What’s going on?”
As the realization hit her, it caused an uncomfortable prickling sensation racing over her skin. She opened her mouth to answer but the words got lodged in her windpipe. Clearing her throat, she said, “The pattern is similar.”
Annette said, “What did you say?”
There was no way Josie was going to say the words out loud to Annette. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I’m just exhausted. Goingin circles. I don’t even know what my point was with all those questions.”
“Been there,” Annette said.
Josie and Gretchen thanked her for her update on Dustin Emmer and said their goodbyes. Once the call ended, Josie tossed the records back onto her desk and sank down in her seat.
“You want to tell me why you look like you just ate a truck stop hot dog and it’s coming back to haunt you?” asked Gretchen.
“We’ve got things reversed,” Josie said. “Dani came first. Her marriage to Turner broke down while they were still in Alden. Things were really bad. She started using her maiden name and then came the self-care. Gym. Nails. Who knows what else? She didn’t want to stay in Alden but living alone there was too creepy. She changed her mind about coming here on a dime, if Annette is to be believed.”
“Because she was running,” said Gretchen. “Not because she wanted to try again.”
Lover. Stalker. Kidnapper.
“Yeah,” Josie said sadly. “She was having an affair. The killer didn’t see Dani while he was stalking Maxine. It was the other way around.”
THIRTY-FOUR
“Oh darling, don’t cry.” Her mother cradled her face in both hands. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
She shook her head vigorously, wriggling away from her mother’s touch. Frustration burned over every inch of her skin. There was no holding back her anguish. She had tried. Had tried to be everything her mother needed. Making herself small and silent. No trouble. She would never say aloud the worst parts that she’d stayed quiet about, but her questions came pouring out now, in this cold room that was slowly killing what little was left of her soul.
“Why? Why were you with him? How could you even let him touch you? Dad was a good man buthim—he’s…” she shuddered violently. “Evil.”
Her mother’s jaw dropped open, which only made her more infuriated. Had her mother truly never seen what he was like? Was this really a surprise to her? Or was she just shocked that her pliable, pleasing daughter was finally calling her out on it?
“It—it was a mis-mistake,” her mother stammered. “I was lonely and he came along and, well, he wasn’t always like this. I’m sorry. Maybe you’ll understand when you’re older. There isnothing I regret more than this but right now, I can’t look back. I can only try to fix it.”
More tears streamed down her face. Snot leaked from her nostrils. She was so tired of crying. “You don’t understand. You can’t fix this. It’s too late. Much too late.”
