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It took a long time, longer because she’d gotten sick once, then broken down twice. But she managed. She’d do it all again in the strong daylight if she needed to.
She tossed the takeout, allowed herself a single glass of wine in hopes it would help her sleep.
And in the quiet, in the empty, she lay down in Nina’s bed, hugged the pillow that smelled like Nina’s shampoo.
Though she thought she’d emptied herself of tears, she wept again.
As dawn broke on another April morning, she finally drifted into the peace of sleep.
Chapter Four
Morgan tread water in a well of grief. She couldn’t sink, couldn’t allow herself to just go under. She had to talk to the police again. Answer questions, make formal statements. It kept the grief fresh and the water in the well deep.
Nina’s family had become her family, and she couldn’t help them if she sank. She sat with them, mourned with them, did her best to help with the funeral arrangements.
Both her bosses insisted she take a week off, and coworkers dropped off food. Casseroles, pasta dishes, ham, chicken.
She shared it with Sam. If he wasn’t with Nina’s family, he was with her.
He had his own well.
She sat with him while they both picked at the latest casserole.
“Still no word on your car?”
“No.” Since he’d brought wine as his contribution to the meal neither of them much wanted, she sipped at her glass. “I guess it’s gone. The cops don’t say that right out, but what they do say makes it pretty clear. I filed the insurance claim today.”
He gave her hand a sympathetic rub. “Nightmares?”
“Yeah, well.”
“Me, too. Offer’s still open for me to stay any night you want, or for you to bunk with me.”
“I know.”
“Or if you have a bad one, just call me.”
Now she rubbed his hand. “Same goes. Bill’s been great about lending me his car, but I need to start looking for one. Before I go back to work.”
“If you want help with that, just ask.”
“Thanks.”
She didn’t mention the insurance payoff would be a hell of a lot less than she’d paid for the car—already used and with significant mileage—minus her high deductible.
But that was a problem for another day.
“We finished packing up her room today. Nina’s sister and mother and I.”
He nodded, met her eyes. “I stopped to see her parents before I came over. The photos you helped them choose for the service are perfect.”
“They don’t blame me.”
“Because you’re not to blame.”
“My head knows that. Or it’s almost got that. But… I never, never imagined anyone breaking in here. Honestly, what did the son of a bitch get out of it? Even the car isn’t worth that much. If I’d put in better locks, or invested in an alarm system.”
“Stop.” This time he took her hand, held it. “Stop that. She texted me her boss sent her home—so we could say what if her boss hadn’t sent her home. We could say what if I’d come over to bring her some cold medicine, make her some soup or whatever. Plenty of what-ifs. But the fact is, nobody’s to blame but the person who did this. Nobody.”
