“Did you know Jenna?”
“She was a regular. She came in every morning to get her coffee. She liked it extra hot with a dash of almond milk.” She wasn’t sure why she’d added that. It felt like she had very little control over any words coming out of her mouth. “She’s dead.”
Dead. The word wasn’t sinking in. Her most reliable customer, a woman she saweveryday,spoke toevery day, was dead. Murdered. Right here in her hometown of Deep River.
Gasps and voicesskittered throughout the room. Scared voices. Distraught voices.
Joel barely paid them any attention. All his focus remained on Polly. On her wide eyes. The way all the color had leached from her cheeks.
He inched closer, the need to comfort her, to make this just a bit easier, consuming him.
But he couldn’t make this better. He couldn’t undo what had been done.
Ryan was at the front of the community center now, talking to the town. Joel didn’t take his eyes off Polly. “I’m sorry.”
Her eyes swung from his chest to his eyes. “She…”
“She what?”
Polly’s mouth opened and closed, then she looked down at the popcorn on the floor and cursed.
He lowered with her and helped her put it back in the cup. Her fingers trembled as they scooped at the kernels. “You’re shaking.”
She fisted a hand like she was trying to stop the tremble. “I’m just in shock.”
When all the popcorn was back in the cup, they both stood.
“I’m going to go,” she whispered.
Joel didn’t even have a chance to respond before Polly turned, dumped the popcorn into a nearby trash can, and stepped out of the hall.
He didn’t hesitate. Hell, he didn’t even tell the guys he was going. He just followed her.
“Polly.”
Either she didn’t hear him or she ignored him.
Three quick steps and he touched her shoulder. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” Her gaze wasn’t on him, and she kept moving.
“Where’s your car?”
“I walked.”
“You can’t walk home by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine.” But even as she said it, there was something in her voice. A thread of fear. An edge of uncertainty. That was what every new missing woman did to this town. Took away a little more of their safety.
“I’ll walk you.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t need you to.”
She turned and started walking down the path, and he walked beside her, easily keeping pace.
