And there is nothing we can do about it.
“It’s him. There is no other explanation. All of it… it’s personal. Who else would it be?”
“I know.” Nico places his hand on my shoulder, giving it a firm grip. “We’ll figure it?—”
A soft knock echoes in the room before the door opens and Mary’s head peeks in, her face grim as her eyes meet ours.
“They found our missing girl.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
JESSICA
“You sure you’re up for this?” Mae asks me for what feels like the hundredth time as we get out of my car.
“Yes, I’m sure. I think if I stay huddled up at Matthew’s place, I’ll go crazy.”
Well, that’s a lie. I’m not really sure, but I don’t have other options. I can’t keep hiding forever.
“I know, but you said it yourself, they weren’t able to arrest Damien,” Mae points out.
My lips press into a tight line. “Because apparently he has an alibi for that night.”
“That’s bullshit if I’ve ever heard it. His buddies don’t count as an alibi.”
“Apparently, the police think otherwise.”
“Policethink.” Mae snorts. “Well, if you want to get rid of him, just say the word, and we can do it together and then be each other’s alibis. All our problems would be solved.”
A surprised chuckle escapes me. “Thanks?”
“Anytime. But seriously, who do they think could have done it, then?”
“They don’t know.”
And neither do I. That’s the problem. The thing that keeps me up at night. The thing that makes me look over my shoulder. I have no idea who else would have done something like this. Or why.
Nico asked me that same question when he called me to give me an update on the case, but I had no answer for him that day, and I haven’t been any closer to figuring it out since. It’s been the only thing I’ve been thinking about for the last week.
Who would do something like this? Why me? Out of all the people in this town, why would they target me?
Everything about the notes and break-in was personal, and the only person I have beef with is Damien.
Soft whispering has me looking up to find a group of people talking in front of Scoops, their faces serious.
“Have you heard any news from Matthew?” Mae asks quietly, tipping her chin at the group.
I shake my head. “No. We haven’t really talked much.”
Matthew texted me the day they arrested Damien. He told me the same thing I heard from Nico, and said not to expect him to come because there was a break in the case of the missing girl, so he was going to have to stay overnight.
The break being, they found her dead.
Just thinking about it makes me shudder. “I can’t believe she’s gone. She seemed so sweet.”
“Apparently they found her in the woods,” Mrs. Darrow whispers to her companions as we pass by them on the way to the gym. “She was pretty beaten up. Somebody tried to bury her, but they didn’t dig deep enough, so one of the hunting dogs found her.”
Other women gasp at the news.
