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“I’m not sure.” Gavin placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder and squeezed. “But I suspect people in this town are hiding more secrets than either of us realized.”
Eleven
The memorial service was in the church annex. Photographs of Faye—from her birth all the way to adulthood—were scattered around the room. People encircled them, their voices lifting and falling like music. Gavin’s gaze swept the room, noting the crowd in attendance. Faye had been loved.
Claire halted in front of a photograph. Two teenage girls, one summery blond, the other a darker brunette, stood in a kitchen. Faye and Claire. Their arms were wrapped around each other. Bright smiles crinkled the corners of their eyes. On the island in front of them were a variety of cupcakes and cookies. Happiness and friendship radiated from the image. It made Gavin’s heart ache.
“This was the day before we started high school.” Claire’s voice was hollow. “Can you believe Faye knew, even back then, that she wanted to own a bakery? She spent hours trying new recipes. I hate baking, but she roped me into her projects.”
She grew quiet for a long moment. “I should’ve made more of an effort to stay in contact with Faye when I went to college. And then again when I moved home. My attention has been on work, raising Jacob…I didn’t make room in my life for anything else.”
Gavin slipped his hand into hers. She was hurting. There wasn’t much he could say to ease her pain. The best way to help Claire with her grief was to walk beside her through it.
She interlinked their fingers together and leaned her head on his shoulder. Gavin ran his thumb over the ridge of her knuckle. “Tell me more about Faye.”
“She had this bubbly, fun personality. She ate her hot dogs and french fries with mayonnaise. And she loved pranks. Not mean ones, but anything that would make someone laugh. One time she filled my locker with rubber snakes. I jumped a mile high. We laughed about that for months.”
“She sounds like someone I would’ve liked.”
Claire tilted her head to look up at him and gently squeezed his hand. “She would’ve liked you too.”
The look in her eyes tempted him to lean forward and brush a kiss across her mouth. He resisted. They’d agreed to be friends, and he didn’t want to jeopardize the relationship by pushing for more than either of them was ready for.
“Claire.” Mary Ellen approached them. “Thank you for coming.”
Gavin released Claire’s hand so she could embrace Faye’s sister. The two women shared a long hug and a few tears.
“Do you have any news about the case?” Mary Ellen swiped at a lingering tear with a tissue. Her gaze darted between Gavin and Claire. “Maybe it shouldn’t be my focus, but all I can think about is getting Faye’s killer off the streets so he can’t hurt anyone else.”
“That’s on all our minds,” Claire reassured her. “In fact, if you’re up to it, we’d like to ask you some more questions. Is there someplace we can speak privately?”
“Yes. Come on.” Mary Ellen led them out of the annex and down a short hallway to a children’s nursery. Depictions of Bible stories in bright colors decorated the walls. Tables and chairs, sized for toddlers, were arranged in a T shape. She shut the door behind them. “How can I help?”
Gavin hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “We believe your suspicions are correct, and Faye was killed because of her investigation into Stephanie’s disappearance. Since Stephanie worked for you, I’m hoping you can help us narrow down who might want to harm her.”
Mary Ellen sat on a table. Her shoulders curved inward. “I don’t know. Stephanie was a sweet girl. She had issues with her family, especially her stepfather, but I think it became better once she moved into her own place.”
“What can you tell us about Stephanie’s relationship with the Scott family?”
She blinked. “Well, Stephanie volunteered for the mayor’s reelection campaign. She was friendly with all of the Scott family. Heather, especially. They chatted regularly.”
Interesting. When they’d spoken to Heather, she’d failed to mention Stephanie’s volunteer work and had downplayed their friendship. An oversight? Or a purposeful lie? Gavin wasn’t sure.
“What about Ian?” he asked.
“There was a flirtation between Stephanie and Ian, but nothing serious. Some joking and a bit of teasing. Ian was involved with Heather at the time and Stephanie was dating…” Mary Ellen’s eyes widened. “Now that I think of it, Ian’s flirting caused Stephanie a lot of issues with Alex. He was incredibly jealous. I remember one time he showed up at the bakery and accused Stephanie of cheating on him. Alex was furious. Screaming and creating a scene. Faye stepped in and I thought Alex would strike her.”
Alex didn’t have a violent criminal record, but some people were good at hiding their darker sides. “Were there any other incidents you can think of?”
“No. It was just the one time. I didn’t even remember it until now, otherwise I would’ve told you about it during our first conversation.” Mary Ellen chewed her lip. “Do you think Alex could be involved?”
“I don’t know.” Gavin intended to find out though. “Keep this conversation between us for now.”
“Of course.”
Gavin and Claire said goodbye to Mary Ellen and made their way to the parking lot. Dusk was falling. The clouds had dissipated, giving way to a gorgeous Texas sunset. Any other time, Gavin would’ve stopped to admire the view. Instead, his attention was fixed on their surroundings and any potential dangers. He kept close to Claire’s side. “Any thoughts?”
“My head is spinning with them. I—”
