Watcher in the Woods (Rockton #4)(115)

When he’s gone, I turn to my sister. “We need a doctor. You know that. I would love to have you. But this is . . . not what I expected. So I need to ask: is there something you aren’t telling me?”

The twitch in her posture tells me there is, and my hopes plummet. Still, I push on. “If there’s a reason you want to be here, something you have to escape for a while, then we can talk about that. But we need to know. You saw what we just dealt with, having a Federal marshal show up. We cannot be blindsided.”

“You need a doctor, Casey, and I am offering to do that. I don’t believe I require a reason.”

“Actually, yes, you do. I’m sorry, April. While I don’t know you nearly as well as I’d like, I still know Rockton is not your idea of paradise. It wasn’t mine. I came here for Diana, and yes, I love it now, but there are very, very few people who’d hear about a place like this and say ‘sign me up.’ You aren’t one of those. You want to stay for a reason.”

She glowers at me, and I’m ready for her argument. One that will make me feel like a bratty child for questioning my sister’s motives. I stand firm, and she meets my gaze, and there is a silence that seems to stretch forever.

Then she says, “I need a break.”

“Okay.”

She wants to leave it at that. When she can tell I’m not going to let her, she marches across the room.

She stands in front of the fireplace with her back to me. More silence. I don’t break it. I can’t.

“I love my work,” she says.

“I know.”

“It is not easy work. I appreciate a challenge. I have, in the past few years . . .” She takes a deep breath. “I pushed myself harder than I should have. After you left . . .”

She spins on her heel. “You left, Casey. With a ten-second phone call, you left.”

“I told you I was going. It wouldn’t have been a ten-second call if you hadn’t made it clear I was interrupting—”

“I was distracted. I wasn’t paying attention. I thought you were . . .” She flutters her hands. “Being you. Diana has a crisis. Poor Diana. Must run and save Diana. Forget your family. Forget your sister. Diana needs you.”

I step toward her, but she backs up, stiffening. I lower my voice. “You never needed me, April. If you had, I’d have been there—”

“You weren’t there.”

“Since Mom and Dad died, you have made it very clear you wanted nothing to do with me.”

“I still knew you were there, if I ever needed you. And then you weren’t. First, Mom and Dad, and then you . . .” She sucks in breath. “I pushed myself too hard at work. I had an episode. I needed a rest.”

A breakdown. That’s what she’s telling me, in her way. She had a breakdown while I was gone.

“April, I’m sorry—”

“No need. I am fine. I have questioned . . .” She stops, her voice quaking. “Regarding my work, I have questioned what I am doing and where I am going. I need a break. I know that. I hated stopping during my episode, and yet when you offered me the chance to come here—the excuse to take a few days off—I jumped at it. When you first suggested I might not be able to leave quickly, I panicked. And then I was relieved. I need a break. This will do.”

I nod slowly. “All right. That makes sense. We’ll speak to the council, but I suspect it’ll be an easy yes. We can take you home to make arrangements. You’ll need to speak to friends and colleagues, set them at ease, particularly whomever you called before you came up here—”

“No one.” She blurts the word. Her cheeks color, and she averts her gaze. “I feigned placing a call. There is no one . . .”

When she trails off, my heart breaks a little.

“Colleagues then,” I say quickly. “You need to let them know you’ll be gone.”

She nods.

“We’ll sort this with the council,” I say. “And then we’ll take you home to straighten everything else. First, though, I have a murder to solve.”





FORTY-SIX

We put Isabel in charge of talking to Phil about April. I know my sister is eager to get an answer, and this is really not the time for me to handle it. I have a suspect to test, and a plan for doing that. This plan involves Diana again. She knew that, and she’s been waiting. While Dalton goes to give Isabel her task, I set out to speak to Diana.

I’m talking to her behind the general store when she spots Paul.

“Perfect timing,” she says, and she starts to leave.

“Hold up,” I say. “Eric’s not back yet, and Paul isn’t going anywhere . . .”

Too late. She’s already jogging toward Paul, and if I chase her, he’ll suspect a setup. Damn Diana.

I shake my head and glance around for Dalton. Then I turn my attention to Diana, as she walks briskly across the road from Paul. He spots her, slows and crosses to speak to her.

Bait taken.

I walk from behind the store and peer about, as if looking for someone. Diana grabs Paul’s arm and whispers something. He glances in my direction, and then quickly looks away. Diana shuttles him off, their backs to me.

Now, the plan is for her to take him into the woods to talk. I’ll follow at a—