“I’m fine.”
“Then lock the door when I leave.”
Nodding, I turn on the back-stoop light.
“It’s locked,” I call as Liv walks to her car.
I wait for her to back away. It’s as I turn that I stifle a scream. “Shit. You scared me.”
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
“Sorry,” Keith says, standing in the living room. “I wanted to check on you.”
My quickening pulse doesn’t slow with his words or the fact he didn’t knock. I scan him up and down. Is there something different about him, or is it my imagination enhanced by everyone’s warnings?
Keith takes a step closer and tilts his head toward the back door. “Better lock that.”
Nodding, I turn and double check. It’s locked and the bolt is secure. When I turn again, Keith is standing at the breakfast bar, with his back to me, looking toward the lake. “I’m leaving in the morning.” His voice sounds defeated.
There’s something else, something odd in his demeanor.
I want to ask him about the girls, if any of them came on to him, but instead, I answer him. “That would probably be best. What about your quest?”
“I came up cold with the sheriff. This town isn’tgiving up its secrets. I feel so helpless and useless. Maybe it’s better for all the Gilberts to leave.”
“Serena and Joey?” I ask.
Keith turns my way. “Everyone needs a fresh start.”
“Did you follow up with Sheriff Manes?”
“Yeah, to no avail. When I first arrived, before Craig was found, Manes was open to hearing from me. Now, he’s closed off. I think it’s all of it, the girls and the inclusion of the county and state departments. Manes is used to being in control, and now he feels boxed in.”
“But you did talk to him again today. Did he offer any new information on the camera? Does he know where it came from?”
Keith walks around the breakfast bar into the kitchen, only a few feet away. “Jill, if that camera belongs to the person who hurt your sister and killed Marty, then you’re in danger. I should never have taken you out to the memorial.”
“You said you met the girls. What did you think of them?”
“That they are kids,” he says.
“Did they...come on to you?”
“If you mean did they flaunt their stuff, yes. I’m not my brother. Girls that age aren’t my fuel.”
Sexual assault isn’t about sex; it’s about power.
I take a step back, my sense of unease growing in the pit of my stomach. I tilt my head toward the back door. “That was just my sister—Liv. She invited me to her place. I’m going to put a few things in a bag and head up to Three Rivers.” I hadn’t planned to go, but I can’t shake the feeling from everyone else’s concerns.
Keith’s expression changes. “You are?”
“Yes, I’m going to leave soon. It’ll be nice to spend some time with her. She’s the only one in the family who’s reached out to me since my dad...”
“I thought I heard...” He shakes his head. “Good. You should go.” He turns back to the bar and lays his hand on my closed computer. “Have you come up with anything more from the pictures from the Mills County Coroner?”
“I did, but I need to get to Olivia’s; she’s expecting me.” I feign a smile. “If you give me your email, I can send you my findings.”
