Page 14 of They Say a Girl Died Here

“I was out of it when something woke me. I opened my eyes to see someone in a horrible clown mask sticking a needle into my arm. They probably thought the dose would kill me. Shut me up permanently. Don’t know why it didn’t, to be honest. I’d never been into drugs. But they won anyway. It turned me into this. And who listens when a junkie speaks?”

Anna watched him, staring into the middle distance, as if reliving it. He believed what he was saying, she could see that. Was it a lie he’d told himself so often it had become a truth? Or could someone in this town actually have done what he said? She knew how people could be monsters inside and perfectly decent on the surface, hiding in plain sight.

“Couldn’t the guy in the clown mask have been Michael Cairns?”

“Not possible.” Jamie looked at her and there was sharpness in his eyes. “Wrong season. He was a summer worker. This happened to me right before Thanksgiving. Michael Cairns was nowhere near here. Whoever wore that clown mask was one of us.” He sniffed hard. “Maybe they’ll try killing me again now I’m dredging it up, but I won’t stop. It’s nearly the anniversaries of the murders again. Another three years. Even if all I do is scare people enough to make them stay home so it’s harder for him to pick a target, it will be worth it. Lila would be proud of me. If I can save one life, that’s the only thing that matters.”

It made Anna shiver, just the thought of it. Men in masks had done something bad to her too, and she couldn’t even remember who they were to bring them to justice. She pushed her cigarette butt down into the empty beer bottle.

“It’s always easier to blame a stranger,” he said softly. “Harder to think someone here could be like that. Someone alongside you at church. In the grocery store. A serial killer.”

“A serial killer?”

“Two here, and who knows, maybe more elsewhere. The way he killed them. A blow to the head, then strangled, and then that square of skin missing on their backs. Too weird.” He looked at her. “Not exactly a crime of passion.”

Anna nodded, her mouth unpleasantly dry. Of course whoever had done it was a serial killer, but it was surreal to think that one might be living and breathing in Harper’s Creek.

“And I promise you, Anna, on my love for Lila, I’m staying clean.” He leaned forward, deadly serious. “So, if anything happens to me, like I’m found dead or anything before the anniversaries, you’ll know.”

“I’ll know what?”

“You’ll know I was right about the killer still being in town. Because they’ll have murdered me to shut me up.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Anna’s skin tingled with an anxiety that belied her words. Harper’s Creek was supposed to be a safe place. A move from the city. From the bad things that happened there. Had she in reality gone from the frying pan into the fire?

“But if it does.” Jamie’s gaze was so intense she was glad when the sound of a car engine getting closer broke the moment, making them both look up. “Who’s that?”

The car, a blue compact SUV, pulled up by the curb.

“Anna?” The voice was clear across the distance. Shit, was that the deputy? “That you?” The tall frame of Todd Greenbough stepped out of the car, a dark shadow against the bright sunlight.

“You friends with Todd Greenbough?” Jamie glanced at her, suspicious.

“No, I’m not.” She didn’t move, hoping Todd would get back in his car and drive off, but he didn’t. Shit. She was going to have to see what he wanted.

17

She left Jamie at the door to his motel room and headed over to where Todd was standing, concerned, by the car. “You okay?” he said. “What are you doing out here?”

“What’s it look like?” She folded her arms across her chest, defensive, squinting in the harsh sun. “Talking to Jamie. We were considering grand theft auto but decided crime didn’t pay, so nothing in our conversation to interest you. That all right?”

“Sure, of course.” He shrugged, as open as she was closed. “I just—well, I guess I’m just surprised. And good call on saying no to crime. Waitressing definitely has better long-term prospects. Not much, but better.” She didn’t laugh and he glanced past her toward the motel.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t looking to score.”

“I know.”

“How do you know? You don’t know me.”

“No, but I know Jamie’s not a dealer.”

He’d taken his aviators off and his eyes were light hazel, and in the dusty sunlight his hair was the kind of brown that really wanted to be blond, hovering indecisively in between. Anna didn’t like how much she noticed about him. He made her nervous in a different way to Pastor Keene. She didn’t like that either.

“Yeah well, anyway.” She drained the last of her water, now with an unpleasant tang of plastic where it had warmed. “I’ve got to get my sister from school.” She started to walk away, not bothering with a goodbye.

“You as well?” he called after her. “Another joy of being the adult sibling. Look, I’m headed to pick up Holly, so I can take you both home if you want. It’s too hot to walk.”

“I’m good.”