Open House(43)

“What are you doing here?” Haley asked him, unable to hide her surprise.

Dean flinched, which was what he always did when she’d caught him doing something he shouldn’t be doing. Not that she’d ever caught him doing anything terrible, but even little things: like if she walked in on him checking his phone when he’d told her he just needed to change clothes. She’d always thought it was sort of cute, but now it put a pit in her stomach. “I came to see Josie as soon as I could,” he said, his voice all business, like Josie was a client or a coworker he was checking on, which was true in a way. It wasn’t like Dean and Josie were close; it was Haley who’d developed a friendship with Josie. And that’s why Haley was so surprised Dean would even feel comfortable enough to come here without her. “But why didn’t you call me first?” she pressed. No one spoke, and the way Dean was looking at her made her realize how petty she was being to nag him with Josie lying there in a hospital bed. “Sorry,” she muttered. She crossed the tiny room to stand next to Josie and put a hand on her forearm. She still looked like a wreck with her matted hair and deathly pale skin. “How are you feeling?” Haley asked softly.

“I’m okay,” Josie managed.

Chris moved closer to Josie, and something about it struck Haley as too territorial. And then Noah said, “She’s not okay, because today she was stabbed by some maniac.”

Haley recoiled, unsure of why his anger seemed to be directed at her. “What’s the latest from the doctor?” she asked. She’d grown adept at redirecting difficult family members in the hospital—recently one of the residents had commented on her ability to defuse tension, and the compliment had made her month.

No one spoke. Dean glanced at Noah like he should be the one to share any news, but he didn’t, and in the silence Haley lost her ability to stay calm and rational. “So where were you guys today?” she blurted at Noah and Chris. “The cops said they couldn’t find you.”

“I was showing a client a home, and I didn’t have service,” Noah said, and before Chris could answer, Noah asked, “Are you accusing us of something?”

The room went still. Chris cleared his throat. Dean said, “I think we need to calm down and stick together.”

“Stick together?” Haley repeated, incredulous. “What are you talking about?” She stared at Dean, trying to recalibrate.

Josie chewed at the edge of a fingernail, and Noah’s sour expression faded. Chris wouldn’t look at any of them. “Your professor Brad,” Dean started, the slightest waver in his voice. “He was a teaching assistant ten years ago at Yarrow. Your sister was sleeping with him.”

Haley felt blood drain from her face. Dean reached for her hand, but she didn’t take it. “No way,” she said, not because she couldn’t believe it, but because something this big had never been uncovered during the course of the investigation. Emma had been sleeping with a teacher at the university?

“She was sneaking around with him,” Dean went on. “And they were definitely in some kind of relationship when she disappeared.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Haley asked, holding on to the rail of Josie’s bed like an anchor.

“We’re sure,” Dean said, exchanging a look with Josie. “Brad never came forward or told the cops, obviously. But you know his wife, Priya, who he was with at the open house today? She taught Emma and Josie art at school. Priya and Brad weren’t married when Emma disappeared, but they were engaged.”

“But how did you find this out?” Haley asked, her thoughts racing. “The police?”

Josie burst into tears. They fell over her cheeks, and she tried to sweep them away with shaking hands. “You’re going to hate me, Haley, I’m so, so sorry,” she said, crying even harder. She flinched as though the crying hurt her wound, and Haley wondered what kind of painkillers she was on—she seemed so lucid given what she’d gone through.

Chris and Noah moved closer to Josie, their synchronicity jarring to Haley. Chris got there first. He lowered himself onto the bed and put a hand on Josie’s arm. “Please calm down, Josie,” he said. “It was such a long time ago.”

“Maybe for you it was,” Haley spat, her cheeks burning. “Maybe you guys have all gotten over Emma’s disappearance; good for you.” Beeping monitors filled an awkward silence. What was wrong with all of them? She whirled around to glare at Dean. “I don’t get it, Dean. How did you find out about this? Did you know something about it before today?”

Dean tried to take her hand. “Of course I didn’t know anything about your sister and Brad,” he said.

“I’m sorry I kept this from you,” Josie was saying through tears as Chris held her arm, “and from the police, from everyone. I just honestly thought your sister killed herself, like everyone else thought. The last thing I wanted was for her reputation to be dragged down, too.”

Haley’s insides were twisting thinking of her sister and Brad, who must have been in his late twenties at the time. “Was Brad the one who gave her that bracelet?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Josie said, like it was nothing, just another thing she knew about Emma that Haley didn’t. Haley bit down hard on her lip, tasting blood. Chris was still staring at his hands, but Dean and Noah were watching Josie carefully. “Haley,” Josie said, lifting her eyes, looking so indescribably sad when she said, “your sister was pregnant.”