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“I thought you quit,” I state, placing my hands on my hips as I stand in front of Mindi.
She’s sitting on the cold concrete, resting her head back against the building, cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Jack in the other.
“I’m not smoking,” she snorts, flicking the cigarette, causing the ash to fall.
“Then what are you doing out here?” Mia asks, stepping up next to me.
“What’s it look like?”
Mindi’s a hard-ass. She doesn’t talk about her feelings. She’s normally the one offering her shoulder to cry on, but right now, the roles need to be reversed, as much as she’s going to hate it.
“It looks like my friend is in desperate need of a hug. It looks like the strongest woman I know is falling apart with good reason. It looks like …” I pause and wait for her to lift her eyes to mine before I continue. When she doesn’t, I kneel down to her eye level and lift her chin. “It looks like you’re hurting as much as the rest of us, maybe more, because you’ve kept these feelings bottle up for five years.”
“I should have been here that night,” she whispers, tears glistening in her eyes.
“We all wish we’d been here that night. We all feel responsible because we loved her. It doesn’t change what happened, and blaming yourself won’t bring her back.” Keeping my eyes trained on hers, I try and alleviate the pain, even just a little. “We will find him, Mindi. We will get justice for Sam. I promise you that much. And when we do, you get first crack at him.”
That brings a smile to her face. I can only imagine what she would do to him if left alone in a room without a camera. I doubt he’d be able to walk after she was done with him.
Taking the cigarette from between her fingers as I stand, I drop it to the ground, stomp it out with my foot, and extend my hand to her.
“I need a minute.”
“Take all the time you need. I’ll jump behind the bar and fill in until you get back,” I say, repressing my smile.
“The hell you will,” she roars as she pushes herself off the ground and takes a swig of Jack. “You don’t even know how to properly mix your own drinks.”
She doesn’t resist when I pull her into my arms. Or when Mia wraps her arms around both of us. We stand like that for a few minutes before walking back into the bar as silently as we left it.
The place has emptied out a little, more than likely because of the absence of the bartender. Or maybe people were trying to avoid the rage they expected to see on her face when she returned.
“All good?” Spence asks as Mia and I approach.
“No, but good enough for now,” is all Mia says as she steps between his legs and wraps herself around him.
Spencer holds her tight, his eyes focused on me. I watch them in awe. Their love is as strong as I’ve ever seen. They survived the worst of the storm. They’ve fought to stay together, to stay here, to face Sam’s death head on. To find justice when it appeared all hope had been lost.
“We’ll get him,” I say to Spence after a few beats.
“I know, Andi. The alternative isn’t an option anymore. I need this. You need this. Most of all, the town needs it.”
All I can do is nod as Jay reaches for me, pulling me to his side and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. Pressing his lips to my temple, Jay whispers, “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” I say, letting out a sigh. “What time is it?”
“A little after eleven.”
My body stiffens. We missed our chance. He was here. He’s more than likely gone now. If he went through the park, if he visited the scene of the crime, where Sam took her last breath, we will never know. All we have to go on is the profile and my gut.
“We’re gonna get going. Noon tomorrow?” Spence asks as he pulls me in for a hug.
“Yeah. We narrowed the list down to ten potential suspects. I plan to deliver the profile and then I’ll hand over the list. If he’s on there, you’ll know right away. Listen to your gut, Spence. Trust your instinct. You know this case better than anyone.”
“How confident in the profile are you?” Holding me at arm’s length, Spence stares me directly in the eyes, looking for any hint of doubt.
He won’t find it.
“It’s spot on. Everything points in one direction, to one person. All you have to do is put two and two together and you’ll have him. I promise. I just wish I could be here when you arrest him.”
