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“You’ve said enough,” Raven snapped.

“Raven, baby, it’s okay. I can take care of myself. Ms. Gale is just leaving.”

Raven glared at him, but stormed off.

“She’s just looking out for me,” he said.

“That’s a good thing,” I answered. “Will you at least think about it? I’ll leave my card. If there’s anything you can think of. Friends your dad might have kept. Any other family members. I know law enforcement never solved who assisted in that escape. For Geneva’s sake, I’m hoping I can.”

Boone squeezed his eyes shut and let out a weary sigh. When he opened them, I saw the faint glistening of a tear. Guilt stabbed through me. He was right. Raven was right. I had no idea what this guy had to endure.

“You really do need to go,” he said. “But okay. I’ll think about it. I just don’t really think it’ll do any good.”

“Thank you,” I said. I showed myself out. Thankfully, Raven had retreated to her own office, sparing me that particular gauntlet as I made my way back to the street.

Geneva Bell wasn’t the only one who had to fight to survive the horror of Derrek Sidney. In his own way, his son had been just as much of a victim.

Chapter

Seventeen

We need to meet. There are some things I need you to know.

Geneva’s text came through as I was fifteen minutes from home.

“Would you like to reply?” Siri asked me.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m free tomorrow. Do you want to come to my office? How’s eleven o’clock?”

About thirty seconds after I sent the message, Siri read Geneva’s reply. “Not your office. How about my dad’s house?”

I thought about the last time I went there. Geneva’s father wasn’t my biggest fan.

“Neutral territory,” I responded. “Meet me at McClaren’s out by Jessup Pond.”

It was an out-of-the-way cider mill that served the best pastries in the state as far as I was concerned. Plus, we’d be unlikely to run into anyone who might be curious why we were meeting.

“See you then,” Geneva texted back.

What could she have to tell me? I hadn’t had much of a status update for her yet. Boone Sidney wasn’t quite a dead end. I had the strongest sense that he had something to share with me. If Raven, his girlfriend, hadn’t come on so strong, maybe I could have stayed longer and convinced him to keep talking.

Dan Holland’s mysterious murder book was still on my mind. He knew something. I was sure of it. It had to be more than just the cabin’s layout on Deadwater Lake. It had to be more than petty high-school-girl drama between Geneva and Annabelle Oleson. It made no sense why Geneva would participate in a mass murder because of it.

And it made no sense why Geneva would come to me now. Unless, like my dad theorized, she thought she could use me to uncover who else might have known about her deeper involvement. To what purpose though? So she could silence them?

I pulled into my parking spot behind the office. Dad had plans to meet Uncle Lloyd and his wife, Aunt Carole, for dinner. Lloyd was going to pick him up. I said I’d catch up on a few things at the office, then wait for Dad to get back. We’d take the boat back to the island together.

I passed by the alley on the way in. Dad’s Ford Five Hundred was gone. I froze, staring at the empty space for a moment. Dad must have changed his plans and offered to meet Lloyd out at the restaurant.

I checked my smartwatch. It was just past six. Their dinner plans were for 4:45. I might have just enough time to return a few emails before Dad got back.

When I walked through the side door, my phone rang. Lloyd’s face popped up on my screen. He stuck his tongue out at me in the photo I forced him to let me take.

“You must be psychic,” I said. “I just walked in the door. If ...”

“Mercy, is your dad there? Is he at the office?”

I flipped on a light switch as I walked into the lobby.