She looked back at him, bold as brass, not caring if anyone was looking. Two could play at this game.

  Zack might not be the kind of man a woman settled down and married, but he was just the type for a fun little fling.

  It had been too long since she’d flung anything, and she was far past due.

  8

  So far, Zack had been unsuccessful in getting anywhere near Lucy. He’d take a few steps in her direction, and then someone would step into his path, starting a conversation. They all wanted to know how he’d been, when he’d arrived, and how long he was staying. They’d say it was a beautiful wedding, that he looked so much like his mom, and then their face would fall as they’d whisper that they were sorry to hear that it wasn’t Lily that had been found.

  He didn’t know how much more he could take. Intellectually, he knew that they were just trying to be nice, but in his heart, it was like a stabbing pain every time his mother was brought up. Years ago, he’d been told that eventually it wouldn’t be as bad, it would dull with time. That person was a damn liar. If anything, it hurt far worse although it was less frequent. In New York, he’d kept himself so busy he didn’t have time to think about much of anything or anyone.

  Is that why I worked so long at my soul-sucking job? So I wouldn’t think too much?

  He couldn’t deny that it was a possibility.

  They’d eaten dinner but the speeches and toasts had yet to be made. Zack didn’t really want to be around when his uncle would stand up and say gushing things about Joel and Kim. He didn’t want to toast to their happiness. He didn’t wish ill on them either - he wasn’t that petty - but he couldn’t pretend that all was right in their world.

  His last girlfriend had told him that he was a real son of a bitch because he wasn’t happy for his father. He’d thought a great deal about what she’d said, wondering if he was being a jerk. He didn’t think that his dad needed to suffer for the rest of his life, but with all the women in the world, did he have to choose Kim? It felt like a slap in the face, especially as he and all of his siblings had their suspicions about when that relationship truly began.

  Perhaps Zack would have been more open-minded if he and his father simply got along better. If they weren’t at each other’s throats all the time, barely agreeing on the color of the sky.

  Darting outside to the back garden area, Zack breathed a sigh of relief. While the hall was gigantic and could easily hold all the guests, he had been starting to feel claustrophobic. Too many people, too much perfume, too many smiles that might or might not have been real. The music had even seemed too loud, and he’d simply had to escape for some fresh air and a new attitude.

  Maybe I shouldn’t have come here today.

  “Hey, man. I heard you were back in town.”

  He’d been found. Turning, he saw that it was Ethan Fields from high school. Zack hadn’t seen Ethan since graduation, and he wouldn’t have known that his old friend was an attorney and married with kids unless Lucy had told him last night.

  Ethan slapped Zack on the back, a grin on his boyish face.

  “How the hell have you been? We need to have a few beers while you’re in town. Catch up some. Although I think I know how you’ve been. I hear you’re a tiger on Wall Street these days, making money and dating supermodels. That must be fan-fucking-tastic.”

  How on earth were these stories going around town? He didn’t tell his family about anyone he’d dated since his college days. How did they even know? And who was the one passing this gossip?

  “Ethan, it’s good to see you. It’s been a long time. How are you?”

  “I’m good, I’m good. Life is good. I work like a dog, but I can’t complain too much. Damn, how long has it been? Ten? Fifteen years?”

  “Eighteen. Since graduation.”

  “Really? It’s been that long? That’s too long.”

  “I hear you got married, had some kids. Congratulations, that’s wonderful.”

  Ethan’s grin grew even wider at the mention of his family.

  “You have to meet Jenny. She’s great. I met her at college, brought her back here to raise our brood. How’s that for ya’?” he laughed. “She slipped into small town life and loves it now. We’ll die and be buried here.”

  As if realizing what he’d just said, Ethan went from giddy and exuberant to sober and sad in seconds.

  “Shit, that came out so bad. I didn’t mean it that way. Damn.”

  “I’m thinking about Sarah too,” Zack replied carefully, watching Ethan’s reaction. “You and she dated awhile.”

  “Well…yeah, but really not for long.” Ethan appeared uncomfortable with the question, shifting from foot to foot, his gaze on the concrete patio. “Maybe a year or so? Not long, anyway. We weren’t serious or anything.”

  A year in a teenager’s life was a long time as far as Zack could remember. His senior year of high school seemed like it took forever to go by. He’d been that anxious to leave.

  “We weren’t even dating when she disappeared,” Ethan went on. “I think she was seeing someone from the university. You know how high school girls are. They like older guys.”

  “I guess we’re all shocked about the news.”

  He didn’t mention that he’d thought it was his mother for a few hours. That they’d finally have some answers.

  “I was shocked. Sarah was smart,” Ethan said with a nod. “I always thought she’d go to school, be successful. You know what I mean? But I wasn’t surprised when she ran off. She and her stepdad didn’t get along at all. They’d fight all the time. I just assumed that she’d wait until graduation. Maybe it got that bad, and she had to go.”

  Zack shook his head in confusion.

  “Wait…you think she ran off? But she was found here in town.”

  “I know, but…I assumed that she was on her way out of town when something happened to her. An accident or something.”

  An accident or something? More like someone.

  “I don’t think Finn knows what the cause of death is yet. I’m sure we’ll hear more in the future.”

  “You’ll have to ask your brothers to keep you in the loop.” When Zack didn’t reply, Ethan frowned, his brows pinched together. “Because you’ll be back in the city.”

  Right. He’d be back at his job for all these people knew. They didn’t have a clue that he didn’t have to be anywhere for the foreseeable future. Did that mean he was staying here though? He wasn’t sure about anything.

  Lucy had said that he didn’t need to make any decisions. He could just sit back and take his time. Decide when he was ready.

  I’m not ready.

  “Maybe I’ll bring the wife and kids there next summer. See the sights. You could give me advice as to where we should go,” Ethan said. “We could meet up for dinner or lunch or something. We shouldn’t let another eighteen years go by again. In fact, let’s set a date for beers right now. How about tomorrow? We could meet at Tate’s at four.”

  Zack and Ethan had been decent friends back in the day, so he wasn’t sure why he wasn’t happy about spending any time together. Was he really in that big of a funk? He’d worked hard for so long he didn’t know how to relax and have fun.

  “Sure, that sounds great. Four tomorrow at Tate’s. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Maybe I’ll invite a few more of the guys,” Ethan suggested, reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. “You know, the more the merrier. We’ve all missed you, man. It’s good to see you home.”

  Ethan lit his cigarette, a billow of gray smoke in the air.

  “Jenny won’t let me smoke in the house, and I don’t blame her. Nasty habit. I’m down to one a day, but I can’t seem to give that last one up. I never smoke around the kids either. I wait until they’re asleep.”

  “It’s probably not easy to give it up. I probably drink far too much caffeine.” Zack caught a glimpse of Lucy as she walked by the open French doors. “It was great to see you, but I need to talk to someone. Tomorrow at four, right?”

  “I’ll be there,” Ethan said. “It will be awesome. I can’t wait to hear all your stories about the big city. And the supermodels.”

  Zack didn’t have many stories to tell unless Ethan wanted to hear about that time he’d worked forty-six hours straight during a big merger. Then he’d slept for two days.

  He couldn’t think of anything interesting about any of the women he’d dated either. They were all hazy in the back of his mind. He was only thinking about one woman, and she was here today.

  Lucy.

  There was a definite buzz in the air today. Everyone at the wedding was talking about Lily and Sarah and what might have happened to the two of them. Although their disappearances were eight years apart, there were many that were conjecturing that it might be the nefarious work of the same person. After all, how many bad people could be in their little town?

  But Winslow Heights, while a lovely little town, wasn’t immune from trouble. It was possible that two very awful things had happened to separate people, and they might not have anything to do with one another.

  The man she was dancing with tonight, however, was on the fence. Zack was obviously troubled about Sarah and Lily. He’d told her about his conversation with Ethan, and how the other man had downplayed his relationship with Sarah. From what Lucy remembered, Ethan and Sarah had been hot and heavy for at least a year, maybe more.

  “You haven’t stepped on my toe once tonight,” she said as they took a turn on the dance floor.

  Dinner had been delicious, far better than the usual nuptial fare. The string quartet from earlier had gone home, and a band had taken their place. Many of the guests were on the dance floor especially when it was a slower song. Zack had declared that the faster tunes were simply beyond his capabilities. He wasn’t as bad as he’d said, though. He clearly had good rhythm and dancing with him was enjoyable.

  “The night is young,” Zack laughed. “Don’t speak too soon.”

  “I’m bracing myself.”

  “We should get out of here,” he declared, his gaze running over the crowd. “I’ll drive somewhere. Anywhere. We can just take off and see where we end up.”

  “Who is this man that I’m talking to?” she giggled. “Are you taking my advice to lighten up and not worry so much?”

  “I’m thinking my brother Cooper might have the right idea. He never looks stressed.”

  “Emulating Cooper might be taking things too far, but you have a point. He’s certainly living his best life.”

  “So what do you say? Are you in? We can point the car in any direction you want. I’m game if you are.”

  It occurred to Lucy that Zack just wanted to get out of town, if even for a few hours. That all of this had brought up his mother’s apparent death and disappearance, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Leaving probably looked like a good idea from where he was standing. Maybe when he came back, all the talk would have died down.

  Except that it wouldn’t work that way. This town was going to be talking about Sarah and Lily for awhile. Since there was rarely anything going on, especially in summer, there wasn’t much news to take its place.

  As they moved slowly to the music, she was reminded again just how handsome Zack Winslow was. Their bodies were close enough that they brushed with each beat, and she was beginning to feel much warmer than when the song had started. Had the temperature risen that fast and far?

  No, it was him. Such a strong response wasn’t usual for her, but with him it didn’t seem strange.

  People were looking at them, though, with barely disguised curiosity. Even her own mother had staked a spot out near the dance floor to watch them, drink in hand. Her father was back at the table, munching on a cupcake from the buffet.

  It would be all over town before sundown that she and Zack were an item of some sort. There would be all sorts of stories, some innocent and a few much more sordid by morning. In all of them, Lucy would look like she’d finally trapped a man. Her mother had told her several months ago that people were worried she might end up bitter and alone with a bunch of cats if she didn’t get out there and date a little.

  Zack’s gaze moved over her shoulder, and she craned her neck to see what he was looking at.

  “It’s Finn and Blake,” he said. “I think they’re trying to get my attention. Do you mind if we cut this dance short?”

  “Not at all.”

  He escorted her off the dance floor where Finn and his deputy Blake were waiting in the corner of the large ballroom.

  “Let’s go out in the hallway to talk,” Finn suggested. “We really need to speak to you.”

  Lucy would have held back, but Zack had taken her by the hand, and she followed him into the hallway where there was less noise and people.

  “Did you learn something new?” Zack asked. “Do you think that it’s not Sarah?”

  “I don’t have any reason to doubt our identification,” Finn said with a shake of his head. “The lab has DNA samples to confirm, but I do think it’s Sarah.”

  “You can get DNA from…bones?” Lucy asked. “That’s high-tech.”

  “It’s a process but it can be done,” Blake piped up. “We don’t expect any surprises. We also have a sample of Lily Winslow’s DNA on file from years ago just in case we ever had anything to compare it to. We’ll compare it with Lily’s and also Sarah’s, of course.”

  “Then how can I help you?” Zack asked.

  “I saw you talking to Ethan,” Finn explained. “He’s refused to talk to me so far. Did he say anything about Sarah?”

  “Kind of,” Zack admitted. “He agreed that he and Sarah dated, but he said that they weren’t together that long. They had been broken up when she disappeared. He mentioned that she didn’t get along with her stepfather so he’d always thought that she ran away. That’s what I always thought as well. That was about it, though. He won’t talk to you?”

  “He won’t. I called him last night and again this morning, but he blew me off. He said he doesn’t have anything to say because he doesn’t know anything that would help. That he and Sarah barely knew one another. He told me to talk to her friends. That they knew Sarah better than he did. Then he hung up on me.”

  Ethan had always been a laidback kind of guy. It didn’t sound like usual behavior for him to hang up on the sheriff.

  “I tried to talk to him as well,” Deputy Blake said with a scowl. “He was even less polite to me. He said he didn’t have any information, and that we needed to leave him alone.”

  “Can’t you just bring him in for questioning?” Lucy queried. “He has to answer questions.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Finn replied. “I need to talk to him because we all know that he and Sarah dated off and on for a long time. He can say what he wants, but we know what really happened. He might have information that could help us without even knowing it. It could be a small detail that doesn’t mean much to him but could be important to finding out what happened.”

  “Did you explain that to him?” Zack asked.

  “I did, but as I said he’s not interested. I can’t force him to cooperate. I can negotiate some sort of question-and-answer period possibly with a lawyer present, but right now he’s not inclined to speak to the cops. I was hoping he might be more open with an old friend.”

  “You’re an old friend,” Lucy said.

  “I don’t think he feels that way. He - and a lot of people in this town - still look at me as an outsider since I didn’t grow up here my entire childhood. I only came back as an adult.”

  That seemed like bullshit to Lucy. Finn was one of them. They weren’t acting like this with Zack or with herself. They’d left, too.

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Zack said. “He didn’t say much. I was puzzled why he was downplaying his relationship with Sarah, but then I assumed he just didn’t want to talk about it. All of this has really stirred up feelings in the community.”

  “It has,” Deputy Blake agreed. “The sooner we can get to the bottom of what actually happened the better.”

  “That sounds like a great idea, but how are you going to do that?” Zack asked. “This all happened eighteen years ago.”

  “I’ll admit that the chances are low,” Finn replied, his tone grim. “But we do have a few pieces of evidence. Sarah’s clothes and purse. The coroner is still working on cause of death so that’s forthcoming. But I have no idea what was going on in Sarah’s life before she disappeared. One of the usual action items for an investigator is to piece together her last day. Unless people talk to me, there’s no way I can do that.”

  “What about her mom?” Lucy suggested. “Will she talk to you?”

  “She will, but she only knows so much. I’m also trying to find Sarah’s ex-stepfather but no one seems to know where he is. I’m not sure how much help they’ll be, to be honest. I remember being a teenager and I didn’t tell my mom hardly anything about my real life. She would have grounded me for years if she’d known half the shit I got up to in high school. I still haven’t told her because I don’t want her to have a heart attack because of me.”

  Finn had a valid point here. Lucy hadn’t told her parents everything either, and most of the “stuff” she’d been doing hadn’t been all that bad. Typical teenage behavior for the most part.

  “Listen, all we’re asking is that you keep your ears and eyes open,” Finn said. “If anyone says anything to you just let me know. This is already going to be a difficult case to solve, but the fact that everyone is being so closed-mouthed isn’t making it any easier. I need every shred of information that I can get.”

  Lucy watched the play of emotions on Zack’s face, each one coming and going so quickly she could barely recognize them. One of them she did, however.

  Doubt.

  Finn and Blake thanked them and went back to the reception, leaving Lucy and Zack in the hallway alone.

  “You want to tell me what you’re thinking? Because I noticed you didn’t jump to tell Finn that you would help him. Don’t you want this solved?”