“I know that none of this is easy for your family,” Blake replied with an understanding nod.

  “Will there be a DNA test?” Zack asked.

  Blake’s brows shot up in surprise at the question.

  “Um, no. I don’t think so. Why would there be?”

  “I just thought that since my dad is now connected to Sarah that there might be a DNA test.”

  He didn’t want to say out loud that his dad might have had a motive to see his illegitimate daughter dead. Zack had never thought his father was a killer, but now two people connected to Joel Winslow had disappeared. He didn’t like it, but it raised a few questions in his mind. It didn’t help that his dad was an arrogant asshole who never explained anything to anyone because he thought he was too important to have to.

  “You might want to ask the sheriff about that. I don’t think there’s any plans to do that.” Blake’s gaze pivoted to the formerly closed office door that had just been opened. “It looks like Finn is ready to talk to you now.”

  Who was walking out of Finn’s office?

  Tracy Daniels, Sarah’s mother.

  And she was making a beeline directly to him.

  15

  It was like watching a car crash in slow motion. Lucy couldn’t drag her eyes away, nor could she get Zack out of the sheriff’s station before the collision. It was simply inevitable, and all she could do was sit there next to him and hope the impact wouldn’t be disastrous.

  Lucy had never met Sarah’s mother Tracy before, although her mom Gail had on a few occasions. Lucy only knew what she’d heard from Sarah herself or through high school gossip. Not that Sarah had said all that much. Most of her anger had been directed at her stepfather Lloyd.

  Tracy Daniels looked to be in her early sixties or thereabouts, with dark hair shot with gray and lines around her eyes and mouth. She was currently scowling, her brows pinched together as she stared directly at Zack, her lips turned down as well. She strode up to him, her gaze never leaving his face.

  “I don’t have to explain anything to you,” she said, her eyes narrowed in defiance. “And I’m not going to apologize either.”

  Well…alrighty then. Clearly, Tracy thought Zack was going to ask for some sort of capitulation. Lucy didn’t have a clue as to whether that was the plan, although she was sure he’d wanted to ask the woman a question or two.

  “I’m not asking for one,” Zack finally replied. “But I only want to ask if it’s true. Was Sarah my half-sister?”

  “What does it matter now?” she demanded. “My daughter is long gone. If you want to ask questions, go talk to my ex-husband Lloyd. He’s the one that likes to run his mouth constantly. I’m sure he’ll tell you all sorts of stories. I’ve had to tell him several times over the last month to leave me alone and get off my property. Sheriff, you’re going to get him to stop trespassing, right?”

  Finn gave Zack and Lucy a look over Tracy’s head before replying.

  “Yes, I’m going to talk to him about that. I’ll make sure he stays away.”

  “I don’t know why he hangs around. It’s all his fault Sarah ran away. They hated each other, you know.”

  “You think she ran away?” Lucy couldn’t help but ask.

  I probably shouldn’t say anything.

  “Of course,” Tracy replied with a careless shrug. “She threatened to do it every other week. So she finally did.”

  “Why did she threaten to run away?” Zack asked. “Was she that unhappy?”

  “She hated Lloyd,” Tracy said. “You know how kids are. They butted heads. He said that she was ungrateful. They fought like cats and dogs. They could barely stand to be in the same room with each other.”

  “And you stayed married to him?”

  Dammit, I really need to keep my mouth shut.

  Tracy’s gaze swung to Lucy, pausing before she answered.

  “My daughter wasn’t going to interfere in my marriage. You can’t let kids run your life. You wouldn’t know that because you don’t have any children, but if you show weakness they’ll never listen.”

  Parenting according to Tracy Daniels. It looked bleak from where Lucy was standing. If she ever had kids, she didn’t want them to fear her. She wanted to help and guide them. Her own parents hadn’t parented by fear either.

  “Sarah was bossy and bitchy,” Tracy went on. “And she was ungrateful. If it wasn’t for Lloyd we would have been homeless. All Sarah could talk about was her own dad who was a complete loser.”

  You’re the one that slept with him.

  “My dad? Joel Winslow?”

  Tracy’s cheeks suffused with red, her lips pressed together in a tight line.

  “No, the man she thought was her father.”

  “You never told her?”

  “No. She didn’t need to know.”

  “Did my father give you money?”

  “Of course, every month.”

  Zack frowned, stroking his chin.

  “Then you wouldn’t have been homeless then.”

  Tracy’s face grew even redder, this time more with anger than embarrassment.

  “It was a figure of speech. You Winslows are all the same. You think you’re so smart and better than anyone else. We all know what you are.”

  The older woman didn’t give anyone a chance to reply, marching out of the station house with one last glare over her shoulder before the door swung shut behind her.

  “Wow, that was…”

  Lucy didn’t know what that was exactly. The encounter had made all of them tense and awkward. Finn looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

  “I’m sorry about that. I thought she’d be gone before you got here. Believe me, the plan was not for you two to meet,” he stated firmly. “She seems to have a chip on her shoulder about the whole situation, and she’s madder than a wet hen that Lloyd spilled the beans.”

  “I guess you finally did get to talk to him,” Lucy observed.

  “Let’s say it didn’t go as I thought it would,” Finn replied grimly. “I was shocked when he dropped that bombshell. At first, I thought he was lying, but he had details that sounded legit, including telling me about a bank account that Tracy had that Joel would deposit money in every month. I followed up with her, and well, you know how that went. She confirmed it, but then called me a cocksucker for bringing it up.”

  “A cocksucker? That’s harsh,” Zack said. “She doesn’t seem to like me either if it makes you feel any better.”

  “I got the distinct feeling that she’s mad at the world,” Finn replied. “Listen, let’s go into my office and talk. There are a few things I’d like to go over.”

  They followed Finn into his office and sat across from him. He settled at his desk and held up a file folder.

  “Blake went through this with you? I wanted to see if you had any questions.”

  “Is it really going to be ruled an accident?” Zack asked. “You can’t know for sure. Shouldn’t there be an inquest?”

  “If the verdict is inconclusive, the coroner may decide to have an inquest, but that is his decision, not mine. There is no definitive evidence that there was any foul play involved here, Zack.”

  “She has a fractured skull.”

  “Which could be from a falling branch or a fall down a hill.”

  “If there’s doubts you should have an inquest,” Zack pressed. “Get answers.”

  Finn sighed and flipped open the file folder, pushing it across the desk in front of Zack.

  “Let’s say there’s an inquest. They bring in the photos of where the body was found. We have the coroner’s report. Then what? There are no witnesses. No one saw what happened. Sarah’s own mother swears that her daughter threatened to run away constantly. All her friends thought that’s what happened. Unless someone comes forward with different evidence then we’re stuck here. Cold cases are rarely solved, and there’s a reason for that. Evidence is lost. Memories fade. I want answers, too, but I think you should prepare yourself that we simply may not get them here. I know that you and Sarah were friends, and now that you’ve found out that she’s your sister, you want to help her because you feel helpless about your mom. I get that. But we have to be realistic here. We may never know what happened to Sarah. We can only make an educated guess based on what we have.”

  Mentioning Zack’s mother might have been a mistake because Zack hopped to his feet, beginning to pace the small area between the desk and the door.

  “I can’t believe no one cares about this girl. She was a person. A human being and something bad happened to her. We know that for sure.”

  “I care about Sarah very much,” Finn said softly, his expression sober. “I want to find out what happened to her. I truly do. But I don’t have much to go on here.”

  “Then we’ll hire someone,” Zack replied. “We’ll get a private investigator for Sarah, too. There’s a strong possibility their disappearances are linked.”

  Lucy’s heart ached for Zack, watching the play of emotions across his face. He was hurting inside, and there wasn’t much she could do for him. He wanted something that no one could give him.

  Answers.

  “Do you know something that I don’t?” Finn asked carefully. “You said that there was a strong possibility that the two disappearances are linked in some way. Why do you believe that?”

  Lucy wasn’t sure that Zack believed it. He’d even said that to her and his siblings. He was grasping at straws, hoping for some sort of clarity in a situation that had none.

  “They both disappeared,” Zack finally replied with a shake of his head. “Okay, they could be linked. Is that better?”

  “There is always a possibility,” Finn said. “But there’s no connection between your mother and Sarah.”

  Zack took a shuddering breath, rubbing at a temple that surely had a headache blooming there.

  “There is now. My father.”

  Joel Winslow, family patriarch.

  All roads seemed to lead in one direction.

  Zack had to tell Piper, assuming she didn’t already know. He was in older brother mode at this moment, wanting to protect his younger siblings from the shock. Not that Piper would be all that surprised, to be honest. She didn’t have a high opinion of their father and hadn’t for the last decade or more. If anything, this was only going to confirm her worst suspicions.

  Lucy had offered to accompany him, but he’d thanked her and said that this was something that he needed to do on his own. He’d stop at her house later, and they’d have a glass of wine. In the meantime, he had business to handle.

  It was only seconds after he knocked on her door that it flew open. Piper waved him in without saying a word, but one look at her expression told him that she’d already heard the news. He was surprised to see Sam sitting on her couch drinking a beer.

  “I guess you came here to break the news to us. We already know,” Sam said. “But grab a beer from the fridge and join us. There’s soda and juice, too. Piper has some baked goods on the counter if you’re hungry.”

  Beer and sugar didn’t sound like an appetizing combination. While a good stiff drink might be just the thing right now, he didn’t want to drink and drive. He’d stick to soda or water. He found a can of ginger ale in the refrigerator, popping it open as he sat down in a chair across from his brother and sister.

  “How did you hear?” he finally asked when settled.

  “Cooper came by,” Piper said. “And Tate went to Sam’s office. They didn’t want us to hear it from anyone else.”

  “Frankie knows?”

  “She does, and she says she doesn’t want to talk about it. She wants space,” Sam replied. “We’re going to give it to her. We can check on her tomorrow.”

  “It’s sweet that you came here to tell us in person,” Piper said, biting into what looked like a fudge brownie. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “It was more than just about Sarah being our half-sister. I was at the sheriff’s station and talked to Finn. I also ran into Tracy Daniels, Sarah’s mother. Let’s just say that she was not happy to see me. She told me that she doesn’t have anything to apologize for.”

  “What did you say to that?” Sam asked with a chuckle.

  “I told her that I wasn’t asking for one. I’m sure she had her reasons for whatever she did, and frankly, I don’t want to hear about them. That’s too much information as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Can you imagine being attracted that way to our dad?” Piper queried, shuddering a bit and grimacing. “I mean…just ick. Ick.”

  “Dad was handsome back then,” Sam observed. “I could see it. He was rich and good-looking—”

  “And an asshole,” Piper broke in. “Let’s not forget that part.”

  “Maybe Tracy didn’t care,” Sam shrugged. “Not everyone chooses a partner based on personality.”

  “That may be the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” Piper declared. “This is why I’m not married.”

  Sam laughed and took another drink of his beer.

  “Our parents are the reason that none of us are married. Although I give Cooper credit that he at least tried it.”

  “I never even met her,” Piper said. “Did you?”

  “I did,” Zack replied. “They both came to New York City to visit years ago. They stayed a couple of days, and we went out to dinner one night. But it was only that one time. They seemed happy.”

  “And then they weren’t,” Sam said. “Story of every relationship I’ve seen or been a part of. Nothing is forever. You just enjoy it while you can.”

  “You sound like Cooper,” Piper said.

  “He seems fucking happy. We could all take a lesson from him.”

  Zack couldn’t disagree. Of all of the siblings, Cooper seemed like the one that was the most content and satisfied with his life. Cooper had once told Zack that he didn’t believe in regrets because they were a waste of time. He couldn’t go back and change the past so he might as well face the future and plow through it.

  “Are you okay?” Zack asked Sam. “This must have come as a shock to you.”

  “I’m fine, bro. I’ve known for years that Dad was paying Tracy Daniels. I just didn’t know why. I assumed it was because he’d done something to get sued for which isn’t far from the actual truth.”

  Piper sat up so abruptly her brownie broke into pieces down her shirt.

  “What in the hell? You knew? You never said anything.”

  “What was I going to say? I didn’t know what it was about. I just knew that he was sending her money every month. She worked for us at one point, so I honestly didn’t think much about it. I figured she had cause to sue him for sexual harassment or something and he was paying her off. And he was, but just for something else.”

  “You never suspected anything?” Zack asked.

  “Not about that,” Sam replied with a grim smile. “I know some of the shit our dad does, but not all of it.”

  “I’m sure he’s not Winslow Heights most upstanding citizen.”

  “He’s not,” Sam confirmed. “He doesn’t let me see everything, but I’m always shocked at what he doesn’t bother to hide.”

  Zack was now positive that Sam had kept working at the family firm to keep an eye on Joel Winslow. Not because he wanted to be the favorite or inherit the company or any of that other bullshit. Sam was too smart for that.

  “He hid this pretty well,” Piper replied bitterly. “I didn’t have a clue. And now Dad is linked to two people who disappeared. Finn better bring him in for questioning again.”

  About that…

  “That was something else I needed to tell you. The coroner may rule the death accidental or possibly inconclusive. It’s up to him to call for an inquest so that’s not a done deal either. If it’s accidental they won’t question anyone. The case will be closed.”

  “Well, fuck a duck,” Piper drawled. “Case closed. No answers. Shit, where have we heard that before? Did our dear old dad pay someone off in the coroner’s office? Because I wouldn’t put it past him.”

  Zack hated to admit it, but he’d had the same thought. Joel thought buying favors was simply a cost of doing business. Totally normal. He hadn’t mentioned it to Finn, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility.

  “I told Finn that we might just hire our own investigator not only for Mom but also for Sarah.”

  He dropped that bombshell and waited for the fallout. Sam and Piper hadn’t known Sarah at all so they might have a different outlook on all of this.

  “That sounds good,” Sam replied. “The two cases might be linked. Or not. But it’s worth a look. Did Finn take it okay?”

  “He was fine with it. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if all of you would be though.”

  “I support the decision,” Piper said, “But we need to talk to Cooper and Tate about it. They’re the ones finding the private investigator. They need to know what we’ve decided.”

  “I’ll talk to them,” Sam offered. “We’ll find someone. I have to ask you, Zack. It seems you think that there was foul play involved with Sarah’s disappearance and death. Am I reading you correctly?”

  Was he? That was the million-dollar question. What Zack mostly wanted was answers. He was tired of being told that no one knew anything. Someone, somewhere had to know something that would help them. They just had to find that person, right?

  “Let’s just say that I’m not fond of unsolved mysteries. And Dad is a link between Mom and Sarah. It’s a strange coincidence that gives me pause. It just feels like we need to keep looking and searching. This can’t be over and done with. It’s unfinished.”

  “She was our half-sister,” Piper said. “That means that she’s family. We don’t give up on family. We have to help her even if it’s all these years later.”

  “I don’t think Tracy Daniels is going to help,” Zack replied. “She didn’t seem all that upset about her daughter’s remains being found. She seems to think that Sarah ran away and died in an accident.”

  “That may be the case,” Sam said. “Do we have anything at all to go on? Anything that can even be investigated? Where do the cops or an investigator go from here?”