Page 127 of Jack
“I got out of the car and hid. And saw the guy get out, search for me. And I thought,Get back in the car; drive away. But I couldn’t move Ty from the driver’s seat, and that’s when the guy rounded back and grabbed me. I got ahold of Ty’s keys and held on to them even when I was thrown into the trunk. When we got to Loon Lake, I remembered what Ty had said about his blue icehouse. I got away, hid, then made my way out here and hunkered down.”
“Why on earth did you stay out here?”
“Because I knew the guy was looking for me, on an ATV, more than once. I figured, at the very least, there’d be people here over the weekend.” Her face turned wan. “At least, I hoped so.”
Harper couldn’t help but reach back, take Penelope’s hand. “You’re safe now.”
“Maybe. Because as soon as my podcast drops and I give all the reasons why it’s not Holden, then there is only one person left.”
“Who? Who killed Sarah Livingston?”
She met Harper’s gaze. “The same man who killed my sister’s fiancé.”
A beat.
“Derek Swindle.”
“What? Who—wait. Walsh’spartner? Why? How?”
“The only thing the police had linking Walsh to Sarah that night was his car, caught on camera in her apartment parking lot after the gala. The time stamp has him there the same time that the man was seen fleeing her house. My guess is that it was planted there by Swindle.”
“So Walsh is being framed.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I think it has to do with information on Sarah’s stolen laptop.”
“Why did you never mention that in your podcast?”
“I was waiting until I found out what’s on it. Which would lead me to why. And hopefully, to the intruder in her house that night, the actual killer.” She looked away, out into the night, a look of determination on her face. “I don’t know why Swindle wanted Sarah dead, but I’m going to figure it out.”
Right.There was a story to tell, and Penelope wanted to be the one telling it.
They’d entered the town of Duck Lake. “Where to?” Jack asked.
“The sheriff,” said Harper.
“The wedding rehearsal,” said Penelope.
“Great,” Jack said. “Fine. Wedding rehearsal, just so we can put Boo’s mind at ease, then to the sheriff’s office.” His jaw flexed then, and he looked over at Harper.
And she didn’t know if he was kidding or not when he said, “You owe me a hundred bucks.”
THIRTEEN
He wasn’t a chump.Hadn’t been played. The woman had truly been in danger.
At least, that’s what Jack kept trying to get through his brain as he stared into the mirror in Doyle’s master bathroom, tying and retying his stupid bow tie.
The sun cast its rays through the windows—a glorious day for a wedding.
“Can’t we just have clip-ons?” He ripped the stupid tie from his shirt, wanting to crush it in his hand.
“Take a breath there, Goldilocks,” Stein said, walking up to him. “Give me the tie. Simple knot tying 101.”
Jack handed Stein the tie, lifted his jaw.