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The videos. The fact she knew about them before Aaron disappeared could incriminate her, but they really incriminated Aaron. What the girls said. His voice in the background. Using their bedroom in one of them. Once released they might make it impossible for him to slink back into town.
The front door opened, and Jared’s voice floated through the now-quiet house. “Lila?”
“In here,” Tobias said as he stood up.
Jared stalked into the family room in an uncharacteristic rush. He wore a dark gray suit, but he’d loosened his tie. His wrinkled jacket bunched up on one side. His hair stood straight up, as if he’d been combing his fingers through it. She’d say his state was not quite disheveled, but he came as close as she’d ever seen him.
The ruffled look shook her. “Have you heard something?”
“No.” Jared looked from Lila to Tobias and back again. “I didn’t know you were in town.”
The “no” didn’t convince her. “I called him and asked for help.”
The men shook hands, but Jared’s focus stayed on Lila. “In searching for Aaron?”
“The ultimate goal is to keep the police focused on Aaron and not get sidetracked.” Tobias offered Jared a glass of wine.
Jared shook his head as he sat down across from Lila. “Speaking of that, who is Ryan Horita?”
The name vibrated through her. She called up every ounce of control to hold her expression and keep her body still. Energy pounded through her as she struggled to keep her voice steady. “He’s a client. I sold him a house.”
“Why do you ask?” Tobias asked.
Jared’s gaze wandered over her face. “The investigator asked about him.”
Tobias picked up his glass again. “Okay. I’ll try again, why?”
Jared shrugged. “That’s what I was wondering.”
Lila knew exactly why, and having a possibly alive husband was no longer her biggest problem.
Chapter Twenty-One
Seven Months Earlier
MARCH ON CAYUGA LAKE. THE TEMPERATURE STILL HOVEREDin the midforties. The snow had cleared... for now. With the sun out and the bright blue sky calling, Lila and Aaron headed out for a hike. Lila insisted it be a short one because even at a brisk pace and with the best gloves on the planet, the chill coming off the water seeped right into her bones.
They stuck to the southern end of the lake. The muddy ground slushed beneath her boots. With most of the leaves gone, she had a good view of Cornell University in the distance. The clock tower loomed. In the fall, the area would be awash in color and the population would almost double in size due to student and tourist traffic.
Bright oranges and reds. She missed living in the South, but nothing compared to those few weeks of fiery colors breaking through a blanket of green and blue.
They moved back from the shoreline now, following a paththat led them to a series of boulders stacked at the bottom of a scaling hill. Aaron hit the incline, grabbing on to tree limbs to boost him up.
She wasn’t ready to leave the quiet lapping of the water. She sat down, startled when the coldness from the rock passed right through her jeans to her bare skin.
Aaron looked over his shoulder then stopped walking. “What are you doing?”
Instead of answering, she lifted her head and let the warm sun beat down on her skin for the first time since winter set in last October. “Enjoying the scenery.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I think I’ll join you.” He slid back over the rough terrain and plunked down next to her.
She smiled but kept her eyes closed. “It also helps that I have the car keys.”
“Then I’ll definitely sit with you.” Not really one to stay still for long, he picked up two sticks and rubbed them together.
The breeze whipped around her. She inhaled, letting the fresh air fuel her. Out here in the quiet, while other hikers nodded and walked around them, ideas popped into her mind. Questions she’d never bothered to ask. But life kept racing past them, and with her jacket warming her, lulling her into a false sense of security, she asked a question that had been dancing in her head.
“Do you ever wonder if there’s more?”
