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She frowned. “Why do you keep saying that when it’s so obvious?” She managed the whisper around her tight throat.
“Obvious to whom? If you don’t believe anything I’ve ever said or will say in the future, believe this now. You don’t have the victim mentality. I’ve watched you over the last few days and you fight back. Every single time. You are a fighter. Can’t you see that?”
“No! No, I can’t! I can’t see past this stupid person who’s flipped my life upside down. I need to help my parents, but I’m too scared to go to their house because I might lead this person to them. I ... I ... Everyone believes the man I shot and killed is now walking the earth again and I don’t believe it. I won’t!” She picked up the nearest pillow and flung it across the room. Tears she hadn’t planned on crying dripped from her chin, and she swiped them away. James wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her to sit on the couch, where she leaned against him and—ugh—sobbed.
And there they sat.
OnJesslyn’scouch because she couldn’t sit on hers.
Because someone had blown up part of her house. Because ... why?
And her tears didn’t seem to have an off switch. She finally sniffed, and he kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t apologize. You needed that. Now, are you listening?” he asked.
“Maybe.”
“You fight back when fighting is called for. But not only that, you win. You’re amazing!”
She frowned, her heart rate dropping even while embarrassment warmed her skin. “Win? Amazing? Are you crazy? I just had a meltdown while my best friend’s brother holds me and lets me cry and snot all over his nice shirt. That is so not amazing. It’s mortifying.” A rumble started under her ear and she looked up. “And gross.”
He laughed. Like full-on guffawed.
“I’m so glad you find my mental break so amusing.”
“And that’s why I say you’re a winner, Lainie. You might falter, stumble, get knocked down, have a moment of self-pity, but you don’t quit.”
“Well, you’re wrong.” She snagged a tissue from the box on the coffee table and swiped her nose. “I’d quit if I could. I feel like it’s a game to this guy. Like ... like Scrabble or something,” she whispered. “Every time he draws more tiles, his have the better point value. Which allows him to make moves that are worth more.”
“So what if he does? Winning isn’t necessarily about the most points. There are winners and there arewinners. In this game, it’s about not quitting. And you don’t have quit in you, so I don’t believe you when you say you quit. You know as well as I do, in Scrabble, it’s the next turn that may give you the upper hand. But if you quit, you’ll never know. That’s you, Lainie. You always find a way to gain the upper hand. You’re always one move ahead of everyone else inthe game of Scrabble and against this sick guy. We’ll beat him, but you can’t give up, so no quitting.”
“You’re a bully. I can quit if I want to.” Her petulant words held no sting, and they both knew she didn’t mean them. She’d just needed to let off steam and have a good cry. She drew in a shuddering breath and finally tuned into how he held her. Tenderly, carefully, but with strength. Like he knew a good, strong hold wouldn’t break her.
He was right.
And whoever her tormentor was wouldn’t either. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
“You’re welcome.” He shoved more tissues into her left hand.
“James?”
“Yeah?”
“What if we’re so focused on finding Adam that we’re missing something really important?”
He nodded. “That’s a thought. It’s certainly possible.”
“What could we be missing?”
He sighed and rubbed his chin. “I hope talking to Julie Darwin’s going to shed some light on that.” He paused. “Let’s get you cleaned up, then I’m going to make some calls, see if we can’t get a move on with this exhumation. Maybe that will provide some answers too.”
“They won’t do it if we can’t prove it’s his grave, right?”
“They’ll have records and security footage.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and brought up the pictures Cole had taken at the cemetery.
“That marker isn’t there, but the ground says it hasn’t been gone long.”
She leaned in. “Do you have other pictures?”
