Bobbie refused a ride home from her family. “I’ll take the shortcut and walk.” She had a lot to think about. She was stunned to learn that Henri, Tangle Falls’s mayor, had known the truth about the Linderman fire for all these years. The boys had been wrong not to come forward, but they’d been counseled by a man they had every right to respect.
As Bobbie started along the forest path she thought of Monique’s parting words. She’d said she and Henri had different views on how far they’d go for their son. Had she been referring to Rene’s alibi for Dean’s murder? Had Henri been willing to lie to provide him one, while Monique had not?
Realizing she needed more answers, Bobbie circled back to the graveyard. As she hoped, there was Henri, sitting on a bench under an oak tree, looking lost. He’d given up on walking home. Possibly because he wasn’t sure where to go.
She sat on the other side of the bench.
“Go home, Bobbie,” he said wearily.
She ignored him. “Do you know who the RCMP think killed Dean?”
Henri didn’t answer.
“Thanks to a helpful tip from your son, they believe it was George Linderman. You and I know George had nothing to do with Dean’s death. Hasn’t that man suffered enough, already?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about the alibi that isn’t an alibi. You and your son didn’t have an early breakfast meeting the morning of June eighth, did you?”
Henri pinched the bridge of his nose. “Butt out, Bobbie. This is none of your business.”
“You’re wrong. Tangle Falls is my home. And there’s been enough injustice here. The Linderman’s were harassed and scapegoated for years. I say it stops now. You can stop it Henri. I know you love your son. And maybe the fire was just what he said it was, a practical joke gone too far. But Dean is different. That’s premeditated murder.”
Henri whirled on her then, face red, pupils enlarged. “And you think Rene did it? Do you know how crazy you sound? Why would my son want to kill Dean—can you think of a single reason? My son is rich and handsome and popular. Dean was just a postal worker with a reputation for being a jokester.”
That was the key question, of course. Motive. Bobbie had been at a loss on this from the beginning. But now that Jesse had made his confession, a new possibility occurred to her: Hadley Hooper.
From the beginning it had seemed suspicious that the Linderman’s house fire and Dean’s murder had been bookended by Hadley’s departure and return to Tangle Falls. Bobbie still didn’t understand what the connection was. Hadley must have seen something. But what?
She left Rene on his bench and hurried along the path toward town. When she was out of Henri’s hearing, she whipped out her phone. When her call to Hadley went to messages she tried Stella.
“Sorry, we’re closed Bobbie,” Stella said.
“That’s okay. I was looking for Hadley. Is she there?”
“She was. Left a bit early. Rene LaPierre came by. Said he really needed to talk to her.”