“You have to know that Dad was having an affair with Kim,” Cooper said, knocking back a shot of whiskey. “He and Mom fought when they thought we couldn’t hear.”

  As the oldest, Zack had known about the arguments, the marital strife. Piper had been quite young, and they’d protected her from most of it, but she’d still heard a few.

  “He’s always said that she wasn’t happy those last months,” Piper said. “But that’s bullshit. She was happy. You were all gone off to college and your careers, but I talked to Mom every single day. She was excited about prom and my graduation. We were making plans that she was looking forward to. She wouldn’t just disappear and start a new life. She wouldn’t do it.”

  “Dad knows things that he’s not sharing,” Cooper argued. “He may not be a killer, but he’s kept secrets. I believe he’s protecting someone.”

  “Who?” Frankie asked. “Dad never cares about anyone but himself.”

  “Aunt Kim,” Cooper replied. “He’d protect her. Probably.”

  “Christ, you’re all giving me a headache,” Sam groaned. “Listen to all of you, bitching and moaning about things you don’t even understand. You don’t know anything, but you act like you do.”

  Cooper jumped out of his chair, sending it crashing into the wall behind him.

  “And you do? Are you going to tell us that Dad is totally innocent? That there’s no way he would ever do anything wrong? He’s such a fucking saint, our dad.” Cooper leaned down so he was face to face with his youngest brother. “Dad wouldn’t piss on you if your guts were on fire in the street. Or mine, for that matter. You know it, and I know it.”

  Zack’s instinct was always to jump in between his siblings when there was a disagreement. He’d been doing it since they were all kids, and it had become second nature at some point. He’d caught himself beginning to stand, but then forced himself to sit the hell back down. This wasn’t his fight, and he was tired of playing peacemaker and referee. For once, Cooper and Sam were going to have to settle it themselves. As long as they didn’t bust up the joint, it might be good for them to get whatever was driving them out in the open.

  The Winslow family didn’t know shit about communication. It might be time to learn some.

  Frankie was giving him some side-eye, but Zack deliberately didn’t look her way.

  To his surprise, Sam didn’t hop up from his chair or yell back at Cooper. The youngest Winslow sibling simply smiled as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  “You’re right,” he said. “I’ve always known that. Dad only cares about two people - himself and Zack. And when Zack isn’t around, he treats Kim decently. At least financially. I doubt he’s any sort of emotional support, but I guess she has friends for that.”

  Zack wanted to say that it wasn’t true. But it was. Whether he liked it or not.

  Sam’s attention swung to Zack.

  “I know you’re not trying to kiss up to Dad, so relax. You don’t have to be defensive with me. But I will ask this one question. Are you here to take over the firm?”

  “Why would he take over the firm?” Cooper said with a scowl. “He’s got a hotshot job on Wall Street. You don’t leave the big leagues to play Little League.”

  Sam’s smile grew even wider.

  “Zack knows why I brought it up.”

  Sam knew. Being in the financial world, Sam had surely gathered a few friends on Wall Street. Maybe more than a few.

  “I’m not here to take over the firm. That’s never been something I’ve wanted to do. As far as I’m concerned, you run it and you’re doing a great job. I have no part in it.”

  “Then we’re good,” Sam said with a nod. “And as for believing in my father, sadly that ship has sailed. If any one of you had worked with him the last several years, you’d know that no one could keep their rose-colored glasses on. Our father is a total asshole. But a killer? That I’m not so sure.”

  “He knows more than he’s letting on,” Frankie said.

  “You’re probably right,” Sam said. “Joel Winslow is a jerk, but he’s not stupid. If he’s done anything wrong, he’s covered his tracks well. I’ve been closer to him on a day-to-day basis than almost anybody, but I don’t know his secrets. He only confides in one person. And it’s not me.”

  “Rick?” Cooper guessed. “Or Henry?”

  Rick was Joel’s brother and Henry was his best friend.

  “It would be Aunt Lisa,” Tate replied. “Remember when Rick used to tell us stories about how Lisa would cover for Dad when he would do something wrong? She’d get in trouble, and he’d skip out on any punishment.”

  “You’d think she’d be getting tired of that then,” Zack observed. “They were kids. I haven’t seen her cover for Dad since they’ve grown up.”

  “Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” Piper said. “Before Mom disappeared, Aunt Lisa was at the house all the time. She’d come and stay for weeks on end. I don’t think Mom was thrilled about it, but she never said anything out loud.”

  “All I know is that Henry and Dad are practically attached at the hip,” Sam replied. “They spend a great deal of time together. If Dad trusts anyone - and I’m not sure that he does - it would be Henry.”

  Is that why Sam had stayed working for their father? To keep an eye on him? Sam might be the smartest one of them all.

  “So where does that leave us?” Piper asked. “What do we do now? Just sit here and wait? We might not find out anything for days.”

  “I’m going to pour us another round,” Tate said. “If we drink enough, we won’t notice the passing of time.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Cooper approved. “I’ll even go get the bottle.”

  Cooper didn’t make it halfway across the room when Tate’s phone rang.

  “It’s Finn,” he said, holding up the phone so they could see the display. “I’ll put it on speaker.”

  “Hey, Finn. We’re all here. You’re on speaker, okay?”

  “That’s good. It will save me a lot of calls,” the sheriff said. “I have news if you’re ready for it.”

  Zack wasn’t sure he would ever be truly ready, but there wasn’t going to be a better time than this.

  “We are. Go ahead,” Tate urged.

  “Along with the remains we found clothes, shoes, and a small purse. There was identification in it belonging to one Sarah Adams. She went missing about eighteen years ago. From the clothes and driver’s license, it looks like we’ve found her. We’ll be confirming with dental records and DNA if we can extract any. I just wanted to give you a call. I didn’t want this weighing on you all night. I don’t think this is Lily Winslow.”

  His mother was still missing. They didn’t get any answers.

  But…Sarah Adams?

  Zack remembered Sarah from high school. They’d been friendly, and even worked on a group project together once. His father hadn’t been very happy about it for some reason. He’d urged Zack to work with someone else, but the groups had already been chosen. Besides, Sarah had been easy to deal with, and she did her share of the project.

  Joel was always trying to control people, pull their strings, and make their decisions for them. It wouldn’t have mattered who Zack hung out with. If it wasn’t someone that Joel had picked out himself, he was going to be against it.

  Damn. Sarah?

  Zack was ashamed to say that he hadn’t thought about her in years. Everyone had assumed that she’d run away from home, himself included. Her home life had sucked from what he could see.

  And now she was found. Her family could finally mourn and get closure.

  At least one mystery had been solved today.

  Lily Winslow’s would have to wait. Again.

  And that was the saddest thing of all.

  6

  Zack tossed his bag onto the bed in Cooper’s guest room. He’d gone back to the house to get it and managed to sneak in without his father knowing. With a little help from Emma.

  It was clear that Emma had been crying, and he’d given her a huge hug. She sniffled and told him that Lily would eventually be found. It was only a matter of time. After all, Sarah was just found, too.

  “You can stay here as long as you want,” Cooper said. “Or are you planning to go right back to the city?”

  “My plans are sort of up in the air.”

  Cooper didn’t ask him why, which was the cool thing about his brother. He didn’t pry or judge. He believed in living life on his own terms. And not caring what anybody else thought. And while Zack was concerned about how Cooper was paying the bills, he was never worried about whether his brother was enjoying his life.

  “Like I said, my place is your place. You can stay as long as you like. It will be nice to have the company.”

  “I wouldn’t want to mess up your love life,” Zack teased. “I don’t want to be a third wheel if you bring a girl home.”

  “I’ll just go to their place,” Cooper said with a wicked grin. “At my age, I don’t date women who still live with Mommy and Daddy. So don’t sweat it. It’s all fine. I’m going to hit the sack. I put a spare key on the kitchen counter for you, if you get up before me or something.”

  There was no way that Zack was going to sleep after the day he’d had. It wasn’t happening, and he recognized the feeling. It was all too familiar. His mind was going a million miles an hour even if his body was exhausted.

  “I think I might go out for a walk, actually.”

  “A walk?”

  Cooper didn’t sound surprised.

  “I used to take lots of walks at night when I couldn’t sleep.”

  It had been a good way to burn off a little energy, and get some thinking done when it was quiet. His home growing up could never be described as serene or peaceful.

  “I know. I’d see you come in and out of the house. I just assumed that it was a teenage thing.”

  Zack hadn’t known that he’d been discovered. He’d thought his late-night strolls were a secret. Except from Emma, of course. She knew everything that went on in the Winslow home.

  “You could have joined me.”

  “Nah, that was your time. Anyway, I’m going to bed. Have a nice walk, and don’t forget the key. I’m not getting up at two in the morning to let your ass inside. You can sleep on the stairs until I get up.”

  “That’s what I love about you, Cooper. Always the softie.”

  “You’d let me sleep outside and don’t deny it. Good night.”

  Cooper disappeared into his bedroom, and Zack pocketed the key before leaving the apartment. It was located over the old movie theater, and he had some wonderful memories of watching popular films there with his friends. To this day, Zack had no idea how the theater had stayed in business. The tickets had been cheap, especially for matinees, and even the popcorn and soda hadn’t cost an arm and a leg.

  Ah, the good old days.

  Was he becoming one of those people who talked about the old days incessantly? How everything was better and simpler?

  Let’s face it. It was simpler in my childhood.

  The summer day had been warm and a bit humid, but now that the sun was down it was far cooler and more pleasant. There wasn’t much noise except for a few crickets, all the birds and squirrels sleeping peacefully for the night. This was why he loved doing this so much.

  It had been harder in the city to find that quiet. Even at night there was noise. A siren in the distance or even just the sound of a radio drifting through an opened window.

  Tonight there was only the rustling of leaves, and his tennis shoes on the pavement. His head was full of his thoughts, and he was sifting through them one by one when he stopped at the large picture window at the bookstore.

  He could see Lucy walking through the store, flicking off the lights until she was up at the cash registers, grabbing her bag and a set of keys. Her long dark hair was piled up on top of her head in a messy bun, and her glasses were perched on the tip of her nose. She was a petite woman with just the right amount of curves. He’d always thought she was attractive even back in high school, but seeing her again after all this time…she was a beautiful woman.

  She must have felt his gaze on her because she looked up, her eyes going wide and her hand on her heart.

  He could almost hear her groan of relief when her shoulders sagged upon seeing it was just him. She waved at him to come inside, and he didn’t hesitate. He’d wanted to be alone with his thoughts, but for some reason he wanted to spend more time with her. He didn’t waste any time analyzing that feeling, though, simply deciding that he’d been analytical too long. He needed to just…follow his instincts for a change. Being too cerebral might have made him a lot of money, but it hadn’t done him much good when it came to his personal life.

  “Are you roaming the streets tonight?” she asked, closing the door behind him.

  “I knew I wouldn’t sleep so I decided to take a walk.”

  “You picked a good night for it. It’s cooled off nicely.”

  He’d wanted to be alone, but now he wanted her company.

  “You could go with me.”

  She didn’t say yes right away, but she didn’t say no either. Her gaze was appraising as if she was trying to decide if he was serious. She must have decided that he was because eventually she did reply.

  “I could do that. I’m feeling a bit restless myself after the news.”

  “You heard it, too?”

  “In this town? I probably heard it five minutes after you. There are no secrets here. You should know that.”

  “Finn’s probably pissed about that,” Zack said as he held her bag while she flipped off the last light and locked up. “I’m sure he wanted to keep it quiet until he’d had a chance to talk to Sarah’s parents.”

  “At least her mother has an answer now.”

  And Zack still didn’t have any answers.

  “I always thought that Sarah ran off,” Lucy said as they strolled down the sidewalk. “I know she wasn’t fond of her stepfather, and she argued with him and her mom a lot from what I could tell. I thought that she just had enough one day and took off. At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself all of these years. I never thought…”

  “That’s what I thought as well,” Zack replied. “I think that’s what we all thought, or at least that’s the story that I heard the most. Her friend Kelly said that Sarah talked about leaving all the time. I just assumed that’s what she did. I kind of feel guilty that I haven’t given her a thought since high school graduation.”

  “You took off pretty fast after grad night. You didn’t even hang around for the summer.”

  “Back then I was anxious to get out.”

  “And what about now? Are you still anxious to leave? Is that the plan after the wedding tomorrow?”

  That was an excellent question. One that he wasn’t sure he had an answer to. It was a sad fact that for the first time in Zack’s life he didn’t have a plan. Was that a good thing? His brother Cooper had lived his entire life without a plan, and he seemed really damn happy.

  Zack knew one thing for sure though - he didn’t want to become his father. That was one thing he simply couldn’t allow.

  Joel Winslow wasn’t anyone that Zack could admire.

  Zack wasn’t talking much during their walk, but Lucy didn’t push for conversation. She was content to simply wander through the streets of the town, enjoying the cool breeze and the quiet that came from living there.

  They hadn’t discussed it, but they’d left the downtown area and found themselves on the campus of Winslow University. During the school year there would have been more people around, but most of the students were gone until autumn. The few that remained for summer classes were still awake, their doors and windows open and the lights on. Lucy could hear soft laughter and music from a distance. A young couple was sprawled on a blanket on the grass, their arms around one another and kissing under the full moon.

  “I don’t know how long I plan to stay, to be honest.”

  Zack was answering her question so long after her asking it that she’d almost forgotten what she’d said. She’d just been making conversation, but apparently, he’d taken her query rather seriously if he’d been thinking of a reply for the last five minutes.

  “Can you get a lot of time off at your job?”

  Another weird silence. This was becoming awkward. Maybe she needed to stop asking questions.

  “Can I tell you something that I haven’t told anyone else? Can you keep a secret?”

  “I can. Absolutely. But I don’t want you to feel like you have to tell me anything.”

  “I want to tell you. I want to tell someone.”

  “Then tell me. Like I said, I can keep a secret.”

  “There’s an old saying that the only way two people can keep a secret is if one of them kills the other.”

  “Jesus, Zack,” Lucy laughed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Seriously, I can keep my mouth shut.”

  “I believe that you can, and I need to talk to somebody about this. I sure as hell don’t have any answers.” There was a pause and then Zack stopped, his fingers scraping through his dark hair. “I quit my job and ended my lease. All of my stuff is in storage. For the first time in my life, I don’t have a job or a home. I have no clue what I’m doing or where I’m going.”

  Oh. Lucy hadn’t seen that coming. This was…unexpected. Zack had always been the guy that had his life all mapped out.

  “I think…I think that’s wonderful.”

  His brows shot up and he appeared taken aback by her assertion. It was his turn to be surprised.

  “Because you’ve always seemed to have a plan,” she explained. “You were the type that had your entire life planned out before you even graduated. You talked about going away to college, getting a high-paying job, and never coming back to town. Even then, it was clear you wanted to get away from your dad.”