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“Are you certain I can’t convince you to stay?”
She eased back. “No. I want to sleep in my own bed tonight. Get back to my normal life.”
“I hear you about getting back to normal. Let me take your suitcase for you.”
They walked out to her car in silence, and once everything was stowed in the trunk, Alison pulled her into a tight hug. “Thanks for being here for me this week.”
“That’s what sisters do.” Sophie endured the hug, but her stiff posture didn’t encourage prolonging the embrace.
Alison released her. “Drive safe.”
“I will.” Her sister hurried around the car, slid behind the wheel, and took off with a quick wave through the window.
Like she couldn’t get away fast enough.
Also strange.
Shoving her fingers into the pockets of her jeans, Alison wandered back to the house and quashed the sudden case of nerves roiling the chicken Caesar salad she’d eaten for lunch.
What was the point of worrying, after all? On the off chance Sophie suspected her big sister knew more about certain deaths than she’d admitted, she wouldn’t do anything that would put the only family she had in jeopardy. Sophie was too loyal.
She was also too meek. Her timid, docile sibling didn’t have one proactive, assertive bone in her body.
So no matter what doubts she might harbor about Larry and Nate, she’d keep them to herself.
Alison entered the house and closed the door behind her.
Locked it.
Put her fears to rest.
Because unlike all the other traitors in her life, Sophie would stay true to her to the end.
WHERE WAS NAN?
Marc tossed his keys on the kitchen counter and cocked his ear.
All was quiet.
Was she taking a nap?
He tiptoed down the hall and peeked through her half-open bedroom door.
Empty.
A quick circuit of the house was also a bust.
So where was she?
As if in answer to his question, the back doorknob rattled and she pushed through.
“Marc! Finally! I was beginning to think you’d deserted me.” She removed her gardening gloves and brushed a wisp of hair back from her flushed cheeks.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ve been pruning my roses. They’ve been sadly neglected these past few weeks. Isn’t this one a beauty?” She held up a pink rosebud that was beginning to open.
“Very pretty. But are you up to that sort of work?”
