Chapter 41

It’slate afternoon by the time the paramedics have checked Chloe over, and she, Bastian, and Maisy have given their statements to the police. They’re drained and exhausted but free to finally leave Dead Man’s Hollow. But they don’t, because Jordana is on her way over with Amy, who’s going to pick up Rich’s SUV and drive it home. Rich is on his way to the county lockup.

While Chloe’s ordeal is over, Amy’s is just beginning. The knowledge tempers Maisy’s excitement at having had such a big break in the case. She leans against the hood of her car, several yards away from the Tremblays to give them some privacy. Their heads are bent together and they speak in low tones.

Jordana’s driving Amy’s vehicle. She turns off the bumpy road into the parking lot. Amy launches herself out of the car before it comes to a complete stop. She runs to her sister and wraps her in a tight hug. Jordana parks and exits the car more slowly. She looks as tired as Maisy feels.

“You okay, sugar?”

Jordana gives a short laugh. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“I just had to deal with one enraged, delusional man. You had a houseful of worried women and seven kids on your hands.”

“When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense that I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.”

Maisy jerks her chin toward Amy. “How’s she doing?”

Jordana twists her mouth. “She’s putting up a good front for her kids, but she’s a hot mess.”

It’s to be expected. Within the space of two days, Amy’s learned that her husband slept with her sister in high school, covered up the death of a teenage boy, and abducted and threatened her sister. All marriages have their ups and downs, but these valleys are particularly deep.

“What has she told the kids?”

“Nothing yet. She didn’t want Emilie to overhear and go into a tailspin. Once Chloe’s back at the house, Amy will tell them.” Jordana wrinkles her forehead. “Are we still calling her Chloe? I mean, you said her memory of being Heather’s returned, right?”

“It seems so. She remembers what happened that night, at least. But I think we keep referring to her as Chloe unless and until she tells us otherwise. I mean, she’s been Chloe almost twice as long as she was Heather.”

“Makes sense.” Jordana hesitates, then asks the question Maisy knows she’s been dying to ask all along, “Did you get any audio of the altercation?”

Maisy blows out a breath and gives her a long look. “Girl, do you think I’m some kind of amateur? Of course I did.”

Jordana breaks into a wide grin and she bounces on the balls of her feet. “I can’t wait to get my hands on it.”

“We have a lot of work to do,” Maisy tells her as the Tremblays and Amy approach them.

Tears glisten in Amy’s eyes. “Thank you for rescuing my sister.”

“I don’t know what these two told you, but it was a group effort.” Maisy pauses, then says, “I’m sorry about Rich.”

Amy shakes her head with a grimace. “I feel sick over it, but it’s also a relief to have it all out in the open. You know?”

Maisy does know. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”

“Who said that?” Amy asks.

“Justice Brandeis.”

Everyone turns to stare at Jordana.

“I used to work at a law firm, remember? And the actual quote is ‘Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.’”

“Amen to that,” Chloe says.

Bastian loops an arm over his wife’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of this accursed place.”

Amy groanswhen she pulls into the driveway and sees Michelle and Lynn sitting on the front porch.

“What’s wrong?” Bastian asks from the back seat.

“Just some unwanted visitors,” she tells him. “I don’t really have the energy for them tonight.”

Beside her, Chloe leans forward to squint through the windshield. “They look familiar. Did we go to high school with them, too?”

“Yes, they were in my grade. Michelle and Lynn.”

Chloe presses her mouth into a thin line. “So, word’s getting around?”

“Probably,” Amy agrees.

“We need to talk to the kids now before they find out some other way.”

Her sister is right, but first she needs to deal with the women on her porch. She pulls Rich’s car into the garage. “Go ahead inside. I’ll get rid of them.”

Chloe and her husband enter the house through the mudroom, while Amy walks down the driveway and circles around to her front porch. As she draws near, Michelle and Lynn both pop to their feet.

“Hi,” Michelle says.

“Hi. My sisters didn’t invite you inside?” Amy wouldn’t put it past Diana to let them cool their heels on the porch, but surely Kristy would have let them come in.

Lynn shakes her head. “They offered, we refused. We don’t want to intrude, but we were hoping to talk to Maisy.”

As she finishes the sentence, Jordana drives up in Amy’s car, which she parks in the driveway, followed by Maisy, who parks on the street behind Lynn’s minivan.

“Well, you’re in luck.” Amy reaches for the door and is about to go inside.

Michelle puts a hand on her forearm to stop her. “We’re going to tell her where Andre might be buried.”

Amy rotates in a slow turn to stare at them. “You knew all along?”

“No,” Lynn hurriedly clarifies. “We didn’t know any of it. But last night, when you kicked Rich out, he went to Brett’s. Andy and Rachel were over there hanging out, and the guys talked about it. Rachel was in the other room with Brett’s wife, but she heard bits and pieces of their conversation. She came to Michelle today and said enough’s enough.”

“We’re done—we’re all done—covering for the guys,” Michelle says.

“Better late than never, I suppose.” She goes into the house and closes the door in their faces.