Nina’s gasp echoes through the room, mirroring the shock reflected in my own wide-eyed expression.
“They didn’t take anything, as far as I could tell, which only adds to the mystery,” Lanie explains, her voice tinged with frustration.
“What possible motive could someone have for breaking into your place?” Nina questions, her concern evident in her furrowed brow.
I don’t say a word, thoughts swirling in my mind. It was clear to me from Richard’s scandal that Lanie has been entangled with some bad company. She turned down a proposal from Marcus Wells, and although he’s behind bars, his associates, whoever they may be, aren’t. Marcus was so caught up doing Richard’s dirty work that someone had to be doing his. At least, that’s what my intuition is telling me.
“It’s all good. I have Nick on the case,” Lanie says, and my head snaps up.
“Nick? How the heck did you get him clearance to take on a break-in?” I ask. “Especially considering how busy he is with Chelsea Grayson’s murder.”
Lanie bobs her head. “It took a bit of persuasion,” she admits. “Let’s just say he’s looking into things on his own. It wasn’t reported to the police.”
“Why the hell not?” Nina crows, clearly distressed by this. “You need to report it.”
Lanie throws her head back and groans. “Don’t start nagging. Nick has been debriefed on my reasoning, and he’s looking intothings. While he does that…I’m here. With you two.” She looks between Nina and me. “Can’t that be enough information for now?”
My eyes narrow in on Lanie, and while I said I wouldn’t pry, I feel like I need to, now that the door has been cracked.
“No, Lane. Something has been going on with you, and I’m worried. Why won’t you confide in us?” I ask, my voice laced with worry. “You’ve seemed really on edge lately, especially since New Year’s Eve.”
Lanie’s response is quick, almost too quick, as if she’s been rehearsing her answer. “Oh, that was nothing,” she attempts to assure us, but her tone is strained. “I was just going through a weird time, you know? Being overly superstitious and all that. It was just a dream, nothing more.” Her words ring hollow.
“So you’re fine with the fact we didn’t even finish the ritual?” I interject, trying to determine if she’s being honest. “Remember, the scarecrow never burned?”
“All good.” Her voice trembles slightly, giving her away.
Lanie’s reaction speaks volumes. Despite her attempts to mask her fear, I can see the telltale signs—the slight tremor in her hand, the haunted look in her eyes. Fear. It grips her tightly, refusing to let go, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s hiding behind that carefully constructed façade.
I peek over at Nina to find her face pinched and lips smashed into a thin line, a sign she’s not buying Lanie’s story either.
Lanie closes her eyes and inhales deeply. “Fine,” she snaps. “You wanna know what’s wrong? My past is catching up to me, and I’m worried.”
“Does this have something to do with Marcus?”
Her head moves back slightly, confusion evident. “Wells? No. This is pre–Knox Harbor, things I did in my youth that I thought I got away with. I made some enemies of some dangerous people.”
“Lanie.” Nina’s voice softens. “What can we do? How can we help?”
She huffs a humorless laugh. “Nothing. We allow Nick to investigate, and hopefully he finds something before he has to rush back to Falls Haven to deal with that second body.”
The atmosphere grows heavy as Lanie drops the bombshell, her words hanging in the air like a heavy fog. My entire body locks up, eyes blinking uncontrollably as a chill creeps up my spine. The gravity of the situation sets in.
“Oh my god,” Nina says, head snapping to me. “It’s happened.”
Lanie’s eyes squint. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with her?” she asks, pointing to me.
“How do you know there’s another body?” I ask, eyes trained in on Lanie.
She makes a face, looking back and forth from Nina to me as though we’ve lost our minds. “It was on the news.”
The heaviness that was pressing down on me lifts immediately, and I have to wonder where my mind went that had me feeling so tense.
Was I questioning Lanie’s character?
No. Never.
I trust her with my life. It has to be something else. Something I’ll have to worry about later.
