I park on the street, step outside, and force myself to walk up the path. Whatever truth there might be in Caroline’s story, I still need to tell him about the police. He hasn’t been making great decisions since Grace’s death, and there’s every chance he left incriminating evidence on the property.
But before I can get to the door, it swings open.
Bradley! I resist the urge to run up and hug him, but I can’t help but smile. For the last 24 hours, I’ve had to face everything alone: the funeral, Jesse, the police.
“What are you doing here?”
I’m about to step closer, but his tone is harsh. It’s like a warning shot. I get it. We can’t be too friendly.
“I need to tell you something. The police?—”
“You need to leave me alone!” He’s projecting his voice like an actor trying to reach the back row. It’s probably loud enough for people in the neighboring houses to hear. “This is wildly inappropriate.”
“What’s going on?” I reach out to him, but he pulls away. “Bradley, please!”
“You’re obsessed with me! It’s not healthy.”
I see movement over his shoulder. A small woman is standing at the door. She looks like Grace, if Grace wore mom jeans.
I lower my voice. “Is this for them?”
“My wife just died!” he says, and if I didn’t know this was an act, I’d say he was genuinely angry at me. “Give me some peace! Please!”
I step back as if he’s slapped me. Even though this is a performance, he’s selling it much more than he needs to. Couldn’t he just be polite? Why does he need to yell?
“The police are at Pine Ridge,” I say rapidly. “That’s why I’m here. I thought you might want to know.”
To my surprise, I see his mouth curve slightly at the edge. “You should go.”
“Don’t you want to call someone?” I lower my voice to a whisper. “A lawyer, maybe? Who knows what they’ll find?”
His eyes shift from mine to the street behind me. “I think maybe I could give you the same advice.”
I look over my shoulder to see Detective Gelman getting out of her car. A police cruiser has pulled up behind her.
“Oh no. Bradley. They must have found something!”
This is it—the nightmare is coming true. They’re going to arrest him in front of Grace’s family. It’s all over.
Except when Gelman makes it up the front path, she stops before she gets to Bradley.
“Ms. MacKenzie.”
“What?” I imagine, stupidly, that she’s come to tell me that the pickup needs a warrant. Maybe the rear tire is a little flat. Or my brake lights are out.
Something normal.
“Come with us, please.”
“Why?” I say, feeling myself beginning to hyperventilate. “No. I don’t want to. Bradley! Tell her!”
But he simply crosses his arms and glares at me. As if he doesn’t love me. As if he doesn’t even know me.
“I have to insist.” She grabs my arms firmly. “We need to ask you some questions concerning the death of Grace Little.”
PART 3
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
