“It seems like you’re gathering suspicions, not information.”Heather stood, signaling the end of the interview.“I’ve answered your questions as a courtesy, but I think I’ve said enough.If you have more, you can speak to my attorney.”
Jenna and Jake rose as well.“Thank you for your time,” Jenna said.“We may need to follow up as the investigation progresses.”
“I’m sure you will,” Heather replied, moving toward the door.“And I’m truly sorry about Amanda.Whatever issues existed between us, I would never have wished her harm.”
The statement sounded sincere, but something in Heather’s eyes—a guardedness, a calculation—made Jenna wonder what lay beneath the perfect surface.As they were escorted back through the shop, Jenna noticed that several customers had departed, perhaps put off by the police presence.
Outside, the morning sun had climbed higher, burning away the last of the morning chill.Jake waited until they were back in the cruiser before speaking.
“So?Do we consider her a person of interest?”
Jenna buckled her seatbelt, contemplating.“I don’t know.She might have had motive—the lingering business rivalry, Amanda’s social media posts about her.But motive alone isn’t enough.And we’ve seen no connection with Derek.Or with yarn, for that matter.”
“So far.But that comment about being ruthless...”
“Exactly.People who pride themselves on being ruthless in business sometimes don’t recognize when they’ve crossed a line into something darker.”
Jake started the engine.“Where to next?”
“The Community Wellness Center,” Jenna replied, already reaching for her phone.“Meanwhile, I think Ms.Banning could use some extra attention.”
As Jake pulled away from the curb, Jenna began to dial the station to assign an officer to keep an eye on Heather—not obviously enough to constitute harassment, but thoroughly enough to note any unusual behavior.Also to have someone start checking out craftspeople who used yarn, at least for their opinions or possible information about the killer’s source.
Even as she made the call, her mind kept seeing those intricate patterns wrapped around Derek Sullivan and Amanda Hartford.What could have bound those two people together in death?The answer was out there, and if she couldn’t untangle it fast enough, someone else’s life would soon be woven into this killer’s grotesque tapestry.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Frank Doyle cast occasional glances at the silent woman in the passenger seat of his car.As he wove carefully through the morning traffic of Trentville, Piper Graves just stared out the passenger window.
Frank had known Jenna’s twin as a young teenager, but after she’d returned he’d been struck by both the uncanny resemblance to Jenna and the strange sense of otherness that clung to Piper.While Jenna could command attention with the sheer force of her personality, Piper reminded him of a figure in an old photograph, present yet somehow disconnected from the world around her.
“Beautiful day,” he offered, breaking the silence that had stretched between them since leaving the Graves home ten minutes earlier.“September’s always been my favorite month in Missouri.Not too hot, not too cold.”
Piper nodded, a slight movement that acknowledged his words without inviting further conversation.
“Dr.White is good people,” he continued, determined to draw her out.“Known her since we were both youngsters.Her family’s been in Trentville almost as long as mine.I’m glad you’re seeing her.She’s sure to be a great help.”
This time, Piper turned slightly toward him, her green eyes—so like Jenna’s—focusing briefly on his face before drifting away again.“Mom said you’ve been helping Jenna with her investigations,” she said, her voice soft but clear.“With solving those murders.”
“Not officially,” Frank corrected gently.“I’m retired now.Just offering perspective when she asks for it.So your Mom told you about the case?”
“Yes,” Piper replied.“Mom told me about the deaths, and what those things I said had to do with them.And Mom also said that Jenna has experiences something like mine.”
“Your mom explained all of that to you, too?”
“Jenna told me, but then she had to leave.Mom filled in a lot of the details.Like it only happens for Jenna when she’s asleep.And only dead people talk to her.And that it helps her solve crimes.”
Piper’s next words came so softly that Frank almost missed them.
“But it could be my fault they got killed—these two people the last couple of days.”A single tear traced down her cheek.“I never should have come back.”
Frank’s foot jerked involuntarily toward the brake before he caught himself.He glanced sharply at Piper, who had drawn her knees up to her chest, making herself smaller in the passenger seat.He steered the car onto a side street and pulled over, putting the vehicle in park before turning to face her directly.“Piper, look at me.”
Reluctantly, she met his gaze, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.
“Those deaths are not your fault,” Frank said firmly.“The only person responsible for murder is the one who commits it.Period.Sometimes knowing things others don’t can feel like a burden.Like you’re carrying something heavy that nobody else can see.But knowing is not the same as causing something to happen.”
“You sound like you understand.”
