“Lucy, you know you can call me Dale, right? I’m not your teacher anymore.”

  He’d said it several times, but…

  “It seems weird,” she admitted with a laugh. “You’ll always be Mr. Hayes to me.”

  “I think this is a battle I won’t win so I’ll stop trying. So please tell me there are some new mysteries for me. I’ve gone through all of the ones that I purchased last time I was in. I’ve spent a lot of time sitting in the backyard reading and watching the birds at the feeder.”

  “I do,” she said, placing the last book on the display. “We have the new S.S. Cooper book Murder in the Tower you’ve been wanting. I placed a copy behind the register just for you.”

  The older man’s lined face split into a grin; his cheeks rosy. It looked like he’d been given a fantastic Christmas gift.

  “I was hoping but I didn’t dare ask. This is wonderful news. I can’t wait to read it. Have you read it yet? Am I going to like it? No, no, don’t tell me. I want to be surprised.”

  “I haven’t read it yet, so I can’t give you any information on it. But if it’s as good as the last several, it’s going to be amazing. Are you looking for anything else today?”

  “I’d like to get a couple more, although they’ll have to wait. I know what I’m going to read first.”

  She and Mr. Hayes walked together to the mystery section where she pulled out several new releases for him to look at.

  “Mr. Hayes, was Sarah one of your students?”

  Lucy wasn’t sure why she was asking, but Sarah had been on her mind today after seeing some of the people they’d gone to high school with at the wedding.

  Hayes’ lips turned down at the corners and he sighed before answering.

  “Yes, she was. Sweet girl. Bright and curious. I think she could have done much better academically if she’d applied herself. She was intelligent, that was clear to see, but from what I understand she had some things going on in her life that kept her from really buckling down.”

  “What things?”

  Lucy was genuinely curious what Mr. Hayes might be talking about. Her former teacher appeared uncomfortable with the question, however, avoiding her gaze and shifting from foot to foot.

  “I don’t know for sure. I mentioned Sarah once to one of the other teachers. She said not to bother trying to talk to Sarah. That there were home issues at play, and none of the teachers wanted to deal with Sarah’s mother and stepfather. Apparently, they were…combative, let’s say, and less than interested in their daughter’s education. In my experience, when a parent isn’t involved in a child’s academics there often isn’t anything that we can do to help the student.”

  “I knew that Sarah didn’t get on with her stepdad.”

  “I think that was common knowledge,” Mr. Hayes agreed. “There was some talk in the teacher’s lounge that Sarah was also partying quite a bit as well. If she was running with the wrong crowd, that might be why she disappeared. I hope the sheriff is looking into that.”

  “I know that he’s planning to talk to her parents,” Lucy replied. “And I guess we probably all partied a bit back then.”

  He gave her an odd look, snapping one of the books shut and placing it back on the shelf.

  “You went to that club, too? I’m kind of surprised about that, to be honest. Did your parents know?”

  Club? Lucy didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “I’m not sure what club you’re referring to. Like a school club?”

  Had the chess club been getting involved in hijinks that she hadn’t heard about? The French club had always seemed edgy.

  “I was told that there was a club on campus that didn’t card, so underage kids could get in and drink.”

  Oh…. that.

  “I heard that rumor too, but I have to say I don’t think it was true. A few friends and I tried to go to that so-called club, but they did card us, and we didn’t get in. The bouncer at the door told us to go home to mommy and daddy. It was mortifying, absolutely mortifying.”

  She and her friends had tried to dress up and look “older,” but of course, they’d probably looked ridiculous. A gaggle of giggling teenage girls wearing too much makeup, trying to pretend they were twenty-one to score cheap drinks and meet older guys. The only thing they’d done was make themselves look silly. It had been a painful lesson at seventeen.

  And if her parents had ever found out? She would have been grounded for a decade.

  Mr. Hayes appeared relieved that she’d been rebuffed at the door of the bar, however.

  “That’s good to hear. As a teacher, we hear a lot of rumors, but we often don’t know if they’re true or not. It’s good to know that Sarah wasn’t hanging out at clubs when she was so young.”

  “It is,” Lucy agreed. “It’s good that she was found. Her family finally has answers, although I’m sure they’re not happy about how it all turned out.”

  “Yes, they don’t have any hope that she’s out there somewhere okay and living her life. That has to be difficult.”

  “I hope this brings some peace and closure to her family. Now, I think I’ll take these two along with my S.S. Cooper. That should hold me for a little while.”

  Mr. Hayes paid for his books and went home, leaving Lucy thinking about what he’d said. Had Sarah had that much trouble at home? They’d all known she didn’t get on with her stepdad but had there been any more to that? And had Sarah partied instead of studying? Lucy had been a year younger, and she hadn’t been privy to everything that was going on. It was disturbing to think that Sarah might have fallen in with the wrong crowd and that it could be why she was now dead.

  Finding her remains after all of this time was supposed to feel like they finally had answers, but it simply brought up more questions.

  Just what had been going on in Sarah’s life before her disappearance and death?

  “He’s never come here before,” Cooper said, his smile grim. “I liked it that way. He says he wants to talk to both of us, but I’m thinking he’s here to talk to you. And no, I didn’t offer him a seat because I don’t want him to make himself at home and stay awhile.”

  Zack had been almost ready to leave Cooper’s apartment to go to the tavern to meet some of his friends from high school when he’d heard a knock on the door. Joel Winslow was making one of his rare in-person appearances. Apparently, he wanted to “talk” to his sons. That meant that he wanted to talk and for them to just listen. Ideally, they’d then agree with whatever he said.

  I guess more far-fetched things have happened in history.

  Joel was standing in the middle of the living room, his gaze roaming the small space.

  “This reminds me of the apartment I had in college,” he said when Zack joined him. “I have some good memories of those years.”

  Zack wasn’t in the mood for a stroll down memory lane with his dad. From what he remembered of those stories from when he was a kid, Joel had been a real asshole to people he thought were inferior. In other words…everyone. The funny thing was that he didn’t see it. He’d tell horrifying stories from his youth thinking they were amusing, innocuous tales when all it did was show what a snobbish bully Joel was.

  To this day, Zack wondered what his mother had seen in his dad. He’d asked her once in a roundabout way, and she’d said something about how charming he’d been, sweeping her off her feet with flowers and romance.

  “What’s up, Dad? Why are you here?”

  Zack wasn’t going to beat around the bush, playing games. He didn’t have the patience.

  “Can’t a man come visit his sons?”

  “He can but he never has,” Cooper pointed out. “The question stands. Why are you here? And why aren’t you on your honeymoon? I thought you had a cruise booked.”

  “We’ve postponed the cruise to next month. We thought it might be in bad taste to leave on a vacation after what happened.”

  What happened. That’s how Joel was describing finding Sarah’s remains.

  “You weren’t worried about how it looked yesterday when you got married,” Cooper replied. “So why worry about it now?”

  “I don’t want to get into this,” Joel said. “That’s not what I’m here to talk about.”

  Zack had to give his dad credit. The man appeared completely unruffled by the lack of warmth or welcome from his own sons. He was a person who didn’t like to be challenged but he was acting like this was a completely normal moment between the three of them – chatting in Cooper’s apartment like they did this all the time.

  Joel Winslow had the poker face down to a science along with any body language. There were no tells in his face as to what he was truly thinking, other than the fact that he wanted to be somewhere else. That was his usual, everyday expression. Where he was going was always more interesting than where he was at that moment. He was an optimist that way.

  “Then what do you want to talk about?” Zack asked again. “You’ve come here to say something. We’re listening.”

  For a few minutes, at least.

  For just a second - a mere split second - Zack thought he saw irritation cross his father’s features, but it was gone so quickly it might have been his imagination.

  “I spoke with Finn today. He says that you are talking about hiring a private investigator regarding your mother’s disappearance.”

  Ah, was Joel Winslow irritated about that? Tough.

  “Yes, we think it’s time to have someone dig into what happened to your wife,” Cooper shot back, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “I would think that you would be supportive of this decision.”

  “I’ve been down this road,” Joel replied. “I had an investigator. And it only brings heartache and disappointment. I don’t want my children to go through that. We don’t have any evidence or leads to follow. There’s nothing there. I’m advising you to think twice about this and leave it alone.”

  “We’re grown adults,” Zack said. “We make our own decisions. You can’t shield us from being hurt. As for having an investigator, you did have one. But there have been many advances in technology that we might be able to take advantage of. I think we should try. We won’t end up any worse than we are right now.”

  “You can end up worse. You’re wading in waters that will only bring you sorrow.”

  “Is that a threat?” Cooper asked, his voice so soft Zack barely heard him.

  “Of course not,” Joel barked, his cold mask slipping for a moment, baring his anger for Zack and Cooper to see clearly. “I’m saying this to protect you. There’s nothing for that investigator to do. If there was, I would have already done it. It’s a waste of money and resources.”

  “Is that what you care about? Money?” Cooper challenged. “If I had to spend every last dime to get some answers, I would. I can’t believe you’re bringing up money. That’s some cold shit right there.”

  “If you had any money, you might feel differently,” Joel replied. “It’s easy to spend your siblings’ earnings rather than reach into your own pocket.”

  The tension in the air was as thick as the hot and wet humidity in New Orleans, and just as oppressive. It was as if a black storm cloud had walked into the room, taking up every corner of the space.

  Zack had thought Cooper might go ballistic at their father’s remark, but his younger brother simply smiled and shrugged as if it didn’t bother him in the least.

  “I’ll gladly clean out my bank account,” Cooper said. “I don’t spend my free time counting my money like some people. I can’t take it with me so I might as well spend it.”

  “I have money,” Zack interjected. “And I’m willing to spend it as well. We’ve discussed it and the decision has been made. I’m sorry that you’re upset about this, but it isn’t about you.”

  This might be unwelcome news to his father.

  “If you don’t care about me, what about Kim? Digging into the past is just going to get her hopes up and then she’ll be deeply disappointed. It’s not fair to her to have to go through all of those grieving emotions all over again.”

  His father thought that Kim was going to be the ace in the hole for this argument? Zack didn’t hate his aunt-slash-stepmother, but she wasn’t going to keep him from doing what he thought was right.

  “You’re right,” Zack said. “We shouldn’t have waited this long. We should have done this a long time ago, but it’s not too late to rectify our mistake. If Kim doesn’t want us to do this, she’s welcome to discuss her reservations with us, but ultimately, we’re deciding. Not you. Not her.”

  Zack’s father turned on his heel, pulling open the door partway.

  “I think you’ll end up regretting this.”

  “Another threat,” Cooper mused, a smile playing on his lips. “Nice one, Dad.”

  Joel Winslow didn’t like losing. He hated it as a matter of fact. Zack was shocked that he wasn’t going to stay and try and browbeat them into doing what he wanted. It wouldn’t have worked so perhaps Daddy was getting wiser in his old age.

  Without another word he walked out of the door, leaving it open so they could hear his footsteps on the stairs and the door to the street open and close behind him. Cooper stood and closed it, flipping the lock in place before turning to Zack.

  “He’s not going to give up. He’ll just try something else. He’s already plotting Plan B, and he’s not even to the car yet. Hell, he probably knew we wouldn’t go for it, and he already had Plan B. He’s on the phone putting it into action.”

  Cooper could be a tad dramatic at times, but Zack didn’t disagree. Joel had to have known that he wouldn’t win this argument. This was only the first salvo in a long war. They’d won this first skirmish, but it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

  “Why is he so against this?” Zack wondered out loud. “And why am I so suspicious of his actions today?”

  “Because you have good reason,” Cooper countered. “Because you can’t trust our old man any further than you can throw him. I’ve always said he knows something he hasn’t told anyone, and I’m even more convinced after this. Dad is covering for himself or someone else. Mark my words. He’s going to make our lives very fucking difficult now that we haven’t caved to his demands. You might even not be his favorite for about five minutes.”

  “That’s fine with me.”

  “He thought he could get you on his side,” Cooper laughed. “It’s like he doesn’t know you at all.”

  “He doesn’t know any of us. Not truly.”

  That had been a hard realization that Zack had come to the last time he’d been home to visit. Joel still thought he could somehow make them be what he wanted. He didn’t see them as individuals with lives, wants, and needs separate from himself.

  And now he was against hiring a new private investigator.

  It wasn’t a huge shock, but it did beg the question…

  What was Joel Winslow so afraid of that he’d come to an apartment he’d never been to and ask his sons to stop investigating? That was an answer that Zack would love to have.

  “It’s great, isn’t it?” Ethan said with a grin, lifting his beer in a toast. “All of us together again. It’s just like the old days, and it hasn’t happened in eighteen years. It may be eighteen more so let’s enjoy every second of it.”

  They clinked glasses and all took a drink, laughing at the idea that it might be a couple of decades before they saw each other again. It was probably not far wrong, to be honest. Most of these guys still lived in their little town, and if they couldn’t find the time to get together for a beer, the rest of them didn’t have a chance in hell.

  But then again most of the guys his age were busy with careers, wives, and kids. Zack didn’t have any of that. He was free as a bird, no commitments in sight.

  Unless he counted the job offer from his friend Gary. Then he’d have plenty of responsibilities.

  He hadn’t called Gary back yet. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do about his career or lack of it.

  There were six of them around the table - Zack, Ethan, Dave, Leo, Alan, and Jay. In high school, Zack had pretty much spent every day of his life with these five guys. Now sitting here today it was…bizarre. They’d been practically brothers back then, but now it felt like Zack barely knew them. Had it all just been a moment in time? There was that saying about how a person can never go home again, and Zack was beginning to think it was true.

  And yet when he’d run into Lucy, he hadn’t felt any of that. He’d been right at home in her company from the first moment. So why did he feel so out of place with his old friends?

  Jay had moved away as well, and he didn’t seem to be uncomfortable at all. He was chatting and laughing the whole time like it was senior year all over again.

  Maybe there’s just something wrong with me. Maybe Piper was right about my existence being in some sort of flux state. I don’t belong in New York, but I’m not sure I belong here either.

  It was a strange way to live. Until recently, Zack had never been unsure about his place and where he belonged.

  “Tell us what’s going on with Lucy Gilbert,” Leo said, elbowing Zack. “We all saw you leave the wedding with her last night.”

  “I gave her a ride home.”

  From the guffaws from his friends, it was clear they didn’t believe him.

  “We saw you on the dance floor,” Alan said. “You looked pretty chummy. So what’s going on? She’s nice-looking. Not a supermodel, but definitely attractive.”

  There had been a time that Zack had talked about girls with these guys. His friends knew all the details of dating his ex-girlfriend Angel and their inevitable breakup.

  But that was then, and this was now. He wasn’t the type to kiss and tell anymore.

  Plus, he didn’t much like how they were talking about Lucy.

  “I’m not sure why everyone thinks I date a lot of supermodels. For the record, I don’t.”

  “But you have dated models?” Dave pressed. “Right? We’ve heard about it. We saw your picture in that magazine with that model.”

  Zack knew what photo they were talking about. They’d been at a party that he never would have attended unless he’d been with her. She was a nice woman, but they didn’t have much in common. They’d dated for a few months and then drifted apart.