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There was always speculation about why. Why change his MO? And why leave me alive? There were so many answers that we didn’t have, even after all this time.
“I want to help, Reid,” I said, breaking the silence we had fallen into.
“Help?”
I nodded. “I want to help find her.”
“Lark.” His voice softened. “I don’t know if there’s anything you could do.”
“There has to be something.” My fingers tightened around his arm. “I don’t want to sit around and do nothing, again…I can’t. I need to help.”
“I get that.” He nodded.
“I’ll do anything. Whatever you need help with. I’ll make posters or design social media posts. Whatever.”
His expression brightened. “That’s right…you’re into graphic design.” He lifted his hand from on top of mine, and I finally let go of him, my arm dropping to my side. “That’s actually not a bad idea. You said you worked in marketing, right? Maybe you can be in charge of spreading the word. Someone out there could’ve seen something and we need to know about it.”
“What about the police department? Will they be okay with it?”
He shook his head. “I don’t really care what Xander thinks anymore.”
“Xander Cohen?” I asked, wondering why I was surprised to hear that name.
Reid nodded. “He’s the lead detective. He’s actually running for sheriff now.”
My eyes widened. Xander had dated Thea for almost a year before she died. I never expected Xander would ever become a detective one day, let alone sheriff. He never seemed too fond of his father in the first place. “Wow.” I shook my head.
“Anyways, he’s been so stuck on Owen that I don’t think he’s seeing the whole picture.”
“Owen?” The name struck another chord.
“Owen Davis was the last person seen with Lily before she went missing. But he either truly doesn’t know anything or isn’t willing to talk. We need to get more information, with or without him.”
My brows screwed together as I concentrated on that name, trying to place it. “Owen…” I murmured, mostly to myself. Then, it hit me. My eyes jerked up to Reid’s. “He was Delainey’s boyfriend. The night she…” I didn’t finish, but Reid nodded. He already knew what I meant.
“Yes, and that doesn’t do him any favors in this case. I’ll run it by Xander, but even he will have to admit that this isn’t working. We need more information, and we need it fast. The girl isn’t a local. She’s been commuting from out of town to the college, and I think that’s why people haven’t heard much about it. They don’t know her because she’s not a part of the community. But if this is the Shadow Stalker, we don’t know how much time she has left. We need to get her story out there.”
I pressed my lips together. “Right. I can do that.” Now that the idea was out there and I had a path that led me to my next steps, a weight lifted off my shoulders. “Give me all the information you have, and I can get it out to the public.”
Reid grinned, though there was a touch of sadness behind it. “I have a feeling we’re gonna make a great team, little butterfly.” He gave me a wink.
The use of the nickname froze me for a moment. I was surprised he even remembered it.
He hadn’t called me that name in a very long time.
10
Lark
Nine Years Ago
It wasn’t just one drink. I guess it never was with Thea.
She had dragged me right to the kitchen where a group was settled around the table, playing a game involving quarters. It was my first time playing and I was surprisingly good at it, with Thea as my biggest cheerleader.
Despite my knack for bouncing pocket change into a small shot glass, I wasn’t the only one who was good at it. Which meant, I’d gotten my fair share of drinks. Plural.
Turned out, alcohol really made it easier to enjoy the party. Who would’ve thought?
