When Rene suggested they hike to Tangle Falls, something inside Hadley resisted. She sensed she might need a quick escape route. Yet he wanted to go somewhere private.
“Let’s walk to the cemetery,” she said. “There’s a path through the forest. It’s nice and peaceful in there.”
“I guess that will work.”
Rene was acting jittery and unfocused, like he was strung out on something. Sunglasses shielded his eyes so she couldn’t be sure.
They followed Riverside to Providence, with Rene setting a brisk pace, but once they reached the shelter of the forest, he slowed.
“I want to ask you something, Had. It’s going to seem like it’s coming out of the blue. But we’ve known each other all our lives, right? We were best friends in school.”
Best friends was stretching it, but she gave a noise of agreement.
“I’ve always said Jesse got the best girl back then. But now you’re free and so am I. So why don’t we get married?”
She stopped dead and stared at him.
It was dark in the woods, but still he kept his sunglasses on. “Don’t say no right away. Think about it. I could provide a good life for you and your daughter. A beautiful home, lots of money. You wouldn’t have to work at the diner anymore. Your daughter wouldn’t have to go to daycare.”
He kept saying your daughter. Hadley bet he didn’t even remember Madison’s name.
“Rene this is crazy. We’ve never even dated.”
“So? We’re thirty-seven. Old enough to know what we want. And I’ve always wanted you, Had. We could make a great team.”
A part of Hadley was tempted. She was tired of being on her own and he was offering so much of what she wanted. Stability. Safety. Financial security. “Forget it, Rene. I’ve got health issues. And they’re serious.”
“I know. My mom told me. That’s why you need me, Had. I’ll help you get through it. And you will. You’re tough. A survivor.”
Her defenses crumbled a bit more when he said this. It would be such a relief to have a partner by her side as she went through the next few months. But could that partner be Rene? Was it possible she’d underestimated him?
As if sensing her weakening, he took one of her hands. She could feel the energy, the tension, coursing through him. “Let’s do it now. Fly to Vegas and do one of those quickie weddings. Wouldn’t that be a blast?”
Gently she eased her hand away from his. “Why now? Why the hurry?”
He turned his head away from her for a moment. Then he pushed his sunglasses up on his head so she could finally see his eyes. “Jesse’s been telling lies about me. I always thought he resented my success, and this proves it. I need someone in my corner. I need you.”
He was playing her. Her defenses back on high alert, she asked, “What kind of lies?”
“He’s claiming I didn’t drive him home the night of the Halloween party. He’s accusing me of going to the Linderman’s. Starting that fire.”
She stared at him a long time. “Did you?”
“Hell no. We followed you for a while, then I U-turned and took Jesse home. Just like I told you. But now that Jesse’s gone all jealous and started making up stories, it would sure help if you would back me up.”
Hadley felt a chill run down her back. “And how would I do that?”
“If anyone asks—and I’m not saying they will, but if they do—just say you saw us turn toward Jesse’s farm. It’s basically the truth, because we did end up there.”
He was trying to reel her in. Obviously. Figured he was such an amazing catch she would agree to lie in order to snag him.
She was going to laugh until she remembered Dean. Of course, there’d been another witness to what happened that night. Dean Kavanaugh.
Only that witness was now dead.
Fear, primal and gut-wrenching, stole her ability to speak. But her mind whirled. Had Dean, like Jesse, threatened to tell the truth about that night? Why now? It had to be her. She’d moved back to Tangle Falls and that spooked Dean.
That explained why he tried so hard to talk her out of moving back. He knew she’d seen them drive in the wrong direction—away from Jesse’s farm, not toward it. He must have worried she’d seen them pull into the Linderman’s farm, which she hadn’t, but Dean had no way of knowing that.
More pieces fell into place, and now she understood why Rene had come by the other night with that bottle of wine. He’d wanted to find out if she’d seen them drive into the Linderman’s access road. When she hadn’t challenged his assertion that he’d eventually pulled a U-turn and taken Jesse home, he must have figured he was safe.
Until Jesse’s confession. Now Rene was so desperate he was trying to buy her silence with marriage. The poor deluded guy actually thought he was that big of a prize.
“Rene,” Hadley said, “you killed Dean, didn’t you?”