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Lucy looked out of her front window and was appalled by the scene outside. There was yellow crime scene tape around the front door which, of course, had attracted the attention of her neighbors. A crowd of onlookers had gathered outside, curious as to what the police were doing there.
Zack came up behind her and peered out of the window.
“I see we have an audience.”
“We do,” she sighed. “I think we’re going to have a tough time getting out of here without everyone seeing and asking questions.”
“Fuck ‘em,” Zack replied. “They already know that we’re together so that’s not news. As for the break-in? We’ll hurry into the car and not say a word. It will be interesting to hear in the morning what story they’ve made up.”
“You’re a devious and dangerous man. I like the way you think.”
“Stick with me. I won’t let them get you.”
She’d put the curtain back into place and had turned to look directly at Zack. He had that look in his eyes again that she was coming to recognize. He had thoughts, and they weren’t good ones.
“You think this break-in isn’t as innocent as Finn does.”
“It’s kind of a coincidence. Sarah’s body is found. Ethan is shot in the backyard. Now your condo is broken into, but nothing is stolen. Maybe I’ve watched too many crime shows but it feels like someone is trying to send us a warning. I can’t be the only one that thinks it because you knew what I was thinking before I said anything.”
“It crossed my mind very briefly,” she admitted. “But I rejected it immediately because it seemed far-fetched.”
“A shooting and a burglary in the same day in this town is far-fetched,” Zack replied. “I think there’s a distinct possibility that someone doesn’t like us asking questions about Sarah. Look at how Ed Farrow reacted when we wanted to talk to him. He completely freaked out and called my dad. That doesn’t seem like a rational response to me.”
“If someone is trying to scare me, they’ve succeeded. I don’t feel safe in my own home anymore.”
“You don’t have to stay here. We’ll go to Cooper’s place.”
That would be fine for a night or two, but eventually Zack was going to leave. Cooper was a great guy, but he probably didn’t want Lucy staying at his apartment because she was too chickenshit to go back to her home. She didn’t say that out loud, however. When the time came, she’d deal with it on her own.
Like I’m an adult or something close to it.
“We need to start from the beginning,” Zack went on. “I’m going to call my brothers and sisters and see if they can come to Cooper’s. We’ll order pizza and review what we know and where we go from here.”
“I can call Jane, too.”
“Do that. We can use all the brain power we’ve got.”
Had someone broken into her home to scare her? But most importantly if they didn’t back off asking questions…
Was this person prepared to do more? Or had they already done it by shooting Ethan?
Was she or Zack next on the list?
21
When Zack had returned to Cooper’s apartment, he’d been surprised to see that his brother had returned. Frankie was once again sitting at the kitchen table, a wine glass in her hand while Cooper was texting on his phone.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Zack said. “We have some important business to talk about.”
“I have some news first,” Cooper replied. “Frankie and I met with the head of the private investigations firm, and we’ve hired them. They’re going to start digging into Dad’s business deals first.”
Zack and Lucy quickly caught Cooper and Frankie up on what had happened that day, their amazement growing with each additional detail.
“I knew it,” Frankie said, slapping the table for emphasis. “Our father is in this up to his eyeballs. He just has to be. I remember that slimy Ed Farrow, too. He used to come to my tennis matches and be all creepy. He was always trying to touch me, and I hated it.”
“Touch you?” Lucy asked with a shudder. “That’s disgusting.”
“He made me sick. He’d put his hand on my shoulder and then it would slowly slide down to my ass. He’d try and play with my hair or something like that. After a few times of that, I learned to keep other people between me and him. I could tell he liked them young if you know what I mean. He had eyes for all the young girls on the tour.”
