I emerged from my bedroom, phone in hand. Officer James was gone.
“Where’d you go?” I called, eyes traveling over the darkened field in terror.
Suddenly, from across the field, I heard the door to the barn slam shut. She’s going inside!
Heart pounding, I raced through the muggy, marshy fields to stop her. What will I do if she finds Andy? We had a plan—Nova and I—but then, Andy showed up and ruined everything! This was never part of the plan!
When I stepped inside the barn, Officer James pointed her flashlight at me.
“Anything else you want to tell me, Clara?” Officer James asked. She was standing next to the old tractor, gripping her flashlight, thrusting it at me like a gun.
“No, of course not. I already told you everything I know.”
Officer James shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s true. Rachel’s dead. Nova’s gone. Lily’s missing…but that’s not all, is it? Someone else is missing, too.”
I took a step toward her, glancing nervously at the tractor. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Just like you had no idea who Nova was, Al.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. She knows. But how…?
“I just got a message from one of my partners. We finally found a local who identified your husband’s mistress. Her name is Rose Martin. Andy’s not in Florida anymore. He left her. And guess where he told her he was headed…?”
I shrugged. What was the point? Everything is coming unraveled…
“Is your husband dead, too? Did you kill all of them, Clara?” Officer James asked. She squatted down beside the tractor, flashing her light underneath.
“That’s my granddad’s tractor. It hasn’t been used in years…”
Officer James looked up at me and frowned. “The tractor’s covered in dust. Even the floor around it is dusty. So, why does the floor underneath look so fresh, huh?”
Horrified, I watched as she squatted down and ran her hand across the floor. Finally, she stopped at the tiny notch where the false floor could be opened.
“There we go.” She looked up at me, her face grim.
I sat down on the floor of the barn, my head spinning as I listened to her call for back-up.