Lindsey Wozniak wasn’t kidding about her crazy hours. It was half past six by the time Natalie caught up with her at the Kirkpatricks’ estate, where she was supervising a landscaping project on Lazy Bend Road. A tumbledown stone wall enclosed the dead garden. A yellow forklift was in the process of digging up the yard.
“Sorry, I can’t talk,” Lindsey said breathlessly. “I’m facing a tight deadline.”
“Just a few quick questions,” Natalie said.
Lindsey heaved a sigh and tugged off her garden gloves. “Okay, but I’m seriously pressed for time, Natalie. Let’s talk over there.”
They went to stand in the driveway, away from the noisy equipment.
“I need to know more about your relationship with Brandon,” Natalie began.
Lindsey brushed the sweat off her brow, leaving a streak of dirt. “Our relationship? When? Now, or back then?”
“Tell me about your fling in high school.”
“He was a sad little boy, okay? He had a lifelong crush on Daisy, and she didn’t return his interest until … I don’t know, the eleventh or twelfth grade. But he and I were good friends all along. And yes, at one point, he really, really liked me.” She shook her head mockingly. “Let me tell you something, Natalie. Being the librarian’s daughter was no picnic.”
Natalie smiled. “Being a cop’s daughter wasn’t much better. All the boys were terrified of Joey.”
“Right. So you get it. I was this pasty-faced egghead, always with her nose in a book. Even my best friends thought I was a pointy-headed little nerd. But once I discovered Practical Magic and The Witches of Eastwick and Teen Witch, I realized—hey, I can change all this. So we formed our own coven—me, Grace, Daisy, and Bunny. This whole concept of sinners … pfft. Who defines what’s sinful? That’s only to keep you in line. Sometimes ‘sinning’ can be fun. Anyway, I loved everything about it—full moon rites, the witches’ cradle, spiral dancing, all of that stuff … and who in this town hasn’t tried it? You dipped your toe in the cone of power once yourself, didn’t you, Natalie?”
“So let me get this straight,” she clarified. “Brandon had a crush on Daisy, but she didn’t return his amorous feelings until at least their junior year of high school? And during their senior year, Brandon got Daisy pregnant, but she decided to have an abortion without consulting him. So in retaliation, he hooked up with you. And Daisy became so distraught, she attempted suicide. Is that pretty much the gist of it?”
The blunt recap didn’t faze Lindsey in the slightest. “Like I said, Daisy could be quite the drama queen. Their relationship was very bumpy. I was collateral damage.”
“Bumpy how?”
“They had crushes on other people all the time. Jealousy, screaming matches, a long history of emotional turmoil.”
“I heard Brandon had a crush on Willow?”
She nodded. “Oh, yeah.”
“When was this?”
“In the tenth grade, I think. Brandon started dogging after Willow. But now I suspect he did it to make Daisy jealous.”
“Why?”
“Because Daisy had a crush on Justin,” Lindsey explained.
“Justin Fowler? I don’t remember any of this.”
“You were too young to get sucked into the histrionics, lucky you.”
“So Daisy had a crush on Justin Fowler?”
Lindsey laughed. “Oh God. We used to call her Justin’s shadow.”
Natalie paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “I just visited Justin in prison,” she said. “He believes Brandon killed Willow.”
“Brandon?” Lindsey gave Natalie a tight-lipped smile. “What a lying sack of shit. No. Willow broke up with Justin, so he killed her. End of story.”
“But you and Brandon have always been close. Did you ever suspect anything at the time? That he might’ve been involved somehow?”
Lindsey put her gardening gloves back on. “No, Natalie. That’s absurd.”
“What about Ethan Hathaway? Did you know Daisy was having an affair with him?”
“Really?” She shrugged. “Well, as you know, I suspected something was up, but I figured it was none of my business. I didn’t realize it was him.” She glanced over at the forklift, which was making a loud, annoying beeping sound. “I run my own business, okay? I love my job, Natalie. And I’m too busy to worry about other people’s shady romances, okay?”
“But you suspected as much. Why didn’t you mention it to Brandon?”
She shrugged it off. “Like I said, none of my business. Anyway, I’ve got a long list of things to do. Have I answered all your questions? Please, sweetie? I’m swamped.” Her phone chimed. “Can I take this?”
“Almost done. You never told me where you were between four and six P.M. last Wednesday.”
Lindsey took a sharp breath, then reorganized her face into an expression of wounded dignity. “Are you kidding me?”
“Nothing personal.”
“Not personal?” Lindsey balled her fists. “God, this is ridiculously upsetting.”
“You told me you’d look it up.”
Lindsey clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m always working, Natalie. How many times have I pitched you about cleaning up your yard?” She smiled tensely. “Seriously, your crabgrass is out of control. I could give you a discount. Heck, I’d do it for free, just to beautify the neighborhood.” She laughed. “I hate to brag, but I can work wonders.”
“Would you mind checking your schedule for last Wednesday?”
“God, you’re persistent. Four to six?” She glanced at the horizon, where the setting sun had turned the sky pink. “Probably at home, going over my accounts.”
“Did you take any calls that afternoon? Have any visitors?”
She squirmed a little. “Why does it feel like I’m being accused of something?”
“I’m trying to pin down your timeline.”
“My timeline? Am I a suspect? I told you, Natalie, I take advantage of any quiet moment I can get.” She crossed her arms. “When I was growing up, I didn’t think I’d end up here, you know? In my old hometown. I had big plans for myself. But such is life. It can be humiliating, living in the same place where everybody remembers your bad-hair days, your mistakes, and your most embarrassing moments…”
Natalie made a helpless gesture with her hands. “Do you think Brandon found out about Daisy and Hathaway? Do you think he might’ve killed her?”
Lindsey’s face flushed. Her nostrils flared. “God, no. He was so excited about becoming a father. A little apprehensive, maybe. But I’ve never seen him happier. Why would he kill his own baby? Anyway, listen.” She tucked her hands in her pockets. “About last Wednesday? I was probably on the phone with a hundred people, as usual. I’ll dig up my phone records, and then maybe you can stop with the third degree.”
“Can you do it now, please?”
“No, I have to finish here. But I’ll email you later on, okay?” She walked away.