Since She Went Away(106)

“That’s what I meant about things changing in the spring,” Bobby said. His voice echoed off the concrete surface of the pool. “Pretty soon, Kirk’s family would open this up, and they’d see what was in there.”

“But Kirk didn’t kill her,” Jared said. Not asking. Stating a fact.

“He doesn’t know anything about it. Unless he’s looking out a window right now.”

Jared looked up at the house. The morning sun was hitting the windows, reflecting and obscuring anyone who might be looking outside.

“He’s probably hungover.”

Jared watched as Bobby started to cry, his face dissolving into tears, his body shuddering. “My dad. Her. All of it.”

Jared couldn’t move. The body in the water kept him transfixed.

The only sound in the quiet morning was Bobby’s sobs, which grew quieter and less frequent.

“Who did it?” Jared asked.

Bobby looked up, wiping his face. He stared at Jared, not saying anything.

And then Jared saw that Bobby was looking past him. His eyes were fixed on a spot behind Jared.

Something. Or someone.

Before Jared could turn he was hit in the back and knocked forward.

Jared was propelled into the air, out over the lip of the pool, and he landed in the screaming-cold water, his body bumping up against the frozen block of a human being.

? ? ?

Ursula didn’t answer calls or texts.

Jenna and Ian checked the park, the school—anywhere she might be spending time. Thirty minutes passed, then forty-five.

Detective Poole called. Ian answered and explained the situation. Naomi promised to spread the word about Ursula.

“But don’t make a big deal out of it,” Ian said. “Don’t embarrass her. This may be nothing.”

Ian hung up. Jenna was driving so that Ian could keep trying Ursula.

“We know she came home last night for some amount of time, right?” Jenna asked. “And you didn’t see her this morning?”

“No. I didn’t hear her either. And I was up early.”

“Could she have gone back to the party last night? Maybe to meet people or drink more?”

“Worth a try.”

“Do you know where she was?” Jenna asked.

“The Embrys’ house. Kirk Embry is the kid’s name.”

Jenna turned at the next stop sign and accelerated.

“Ian,” she said, “I have to ask you a question. Did anything else happen in your house the night Celia disappeared? Is there something we all don’t know?”

“Oh, Jenna . . .” Ian had the phone out again. Dialing and dialing.

They came to another stop sign, one on the edge of downtown. When it was her turn to go, Jenna didn’t. She put the car in park and turned toward Ian. “What else is there, Ian? Is this something about Ursula?”

“I don’t know,” he said.

“You don’t know?”

Ian stared straight ahead for a moment. Then he reached out and banged his fist against the dashboard. The noise made Jenna jump.

Ian still didn’t look at her.

His breathing grew heavy. “I wasn’t home that night.”

A car pulled up behind them and then went around when it saw they weren’t moving. Jenna struggled to put her thoughts together. And then she struggled to find words. “Where were you?”

“It only happened one time. I swear, Jenna. One time. Celia probably went out that night because I wasn’t home either. I was gone and you called . . .”

“A woman? You were with another woman? And all this time you’ve let everyone think—everyone know—that Celia had affairs? And you weren’t even there when she left?”

“I said we’ve all done things we aren’t proud of.”

“So you don’t know where Ursula was that night? Or what Celia was doing before she left the house?”

Ian didn’t answer. He looked at his phone.

“Wait,” Jenna said, reaching out and placing her hand on Ian’s phone. “You lied to the police? You lied to everybody?”

“What did it matter where I was? What matters is where Celia was.”

Jenna felt a pressure in her chest, a combination of anger and shock. “But if you lied, Ian, do you know what that makes you look like?” She stared at him, her lips parted. “Did you hurt Celia?”

Ian’s forehead creased. “Are you kidding, Jenna? Never. Never.”

“So Ursula lied for you?”

“Jenna, can we talk about this later?”

“No. Now. Ursula lied for you? Your own daughter.”

“We agreed it was best.”

“Where was she that night if you weren’t home?” Jenna asked.

“Home.”

“How do you know?” Jenna asked.

Ian didn’t answer.

Jenna continued to the Embrys’.

? ? ?

Jared scrambled away from the stiff body, reaching for the metal ladder above him.

The water in the deep end of the pool came up to his chest, and it helped to break his fall. But he was freezing, his lips chattering, his insides burning with cold.

He reached for the ladder and looked up. He used one hand to clear his eyes and saw Ursula standing on the edge of the pool where he had just been. She looked down on him imperiously, her face hard, her jaw set.