The Devil's Daughter (Hidden Sins #1)(16)
“Got it.” She stood. “I’ll call you when I know something.”
“Wrong. I’ll take you out for dinner tomorrow night and we’ll compare notes.” When her mouth dropped open, he smiled. “We’ve both got to eat.”
She didn’t trust his one-eighty any more than she trusted anything in this town. Zach showed every evidence of being a smart man, which meant he fully intended to keep her close, though whether that was to protect her or keep an eye on her was anyone’s guess. Both, most likely. Eden just nodded. “See you then.” She dropped her cup into the trash and headed out into the brisk evening. The temperatures dropped with the sun around this time of year, and it would be bitterly cold before too long.
No one jumped out to accost her, and she made it to her rental car and locked the doors. Old habits die hard. There had been a case a few years back where a killer would wait for single women to get behind the wheel and turn on the engine, and then he’d jump in the passenger seat with a gun and tell them to drive. He’d killed five women before Eden and her partner caught up to him. She shuddered.
As tempting as it was to leave things until morning, there was always the chance she’d been wrong about her welcome. Wouldn’t that just be ironic? I make this big claim that I can always walk through the gates of Elysia and then I’m turned away. She brought up her mother’s contact in her phone and pressed “Call” before she could talk herself out of it.
Two rings and Martha picked up. “You never changed your number.”
Her stomach lurched, the coffee threatening to rebel. “It seemed like failing if I did.”
“And you’ve never failed at anything, have you, baby?”
She wasn’t about to touch that with a ten-foot pole. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m staying in town for a little bit. I’m not of the mind that reconciling with you is even possible, but I’m willing to give it a shot.” Lies, lies, and more lies.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with that girl who was found yesterday morning, would it?”
She wasn’t surprised Martha already knew about it. She made it her business to know everything that went on within her realm of influence—especially if it was something that could be used to benefit her—and this girl’s murder fit the bill. Eden turned onto the highway. “Does it matter?”
Silence for a beat, and then another. When Martha spoke again, her voice was warm enough to bring a smile to Eden’s face—if she didn’t know any better. “Not if it means my baby girl is coming home.”
“I’m not coming home. I’m staying in Clear Springs—not in Elysia.”
“For now.” Martha kept going before she could correct her. “And you know you don’t have to ask, baby. You’ll always have a home in Elysia, and the gates will never be barred to you.”
She gripped the steering wheel, fear and anger creating a toxic mess inside her. Her mother had always known exactly what buttons to push to edge her into whatever reaction Martha desired. No matter how superficially welcoming she was, she couldn’t help sticking Eden a little, while she was at it.
She wanted to scream that Elysia had never been home—would never be home—but that reaction would just allow Martha to pat her on the head, secure in the fact that she knew her daughter well enough to provoke the desired response.
It didn’t matter if she was right. Eden refused to give her the satisfaction. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“And what a tomorrow it will be with my baby coming home. I’ll see you in the morning after communion.” She hung up.
Of course she didn’t question that Eden would still know Elysia’s schedule, even after all this time. The most screwed-up thing about it was that she did.
She tossed her phone onto the passenger seat. “Into hell I go.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Neveah Smith has been missing for three days now. We’ve confirmed that she’s not in any of her usual haunts, and her phone has been turned off.” That fact alone signaled trouble. Every single time Zach had seen her during the last two years, she’d had the thing attached to her hand, so he couldn’t think of a good reason she’d turn it off completely.
He looked at the faces around the room and did his damnedest to project confidence he didn’t feel. “Her parents have talked to her friends, but we’re covering that ground again. I’m not prepared to bring in Randolph from Augusta, but if we don’t get some sort of lead by the end of the day, that’ll be the next step.”
Chase rubbed a hand over his face. From the bags under his eyes, he didn’t look like he’d had much sleep since finding Elouise’s body. “I’m still following up with the colleges. You want me off that?”
“No.” There just wasn’t enough manpower to cover both a missing person and a murder, and the murder had to take precedence. Zach just hoped with everything he had that that’s all this was. They weren’t equipped to deal with this level of shit. But he had a sick feeling in his gut that the trouble in Clear Springs wasn’t going to end with a single murder. “Henry and I’ll get it started. I have a few of our volunteers coming in, too.” They were mostly retired folk who put in time at the station on the rare occasions when schedules just didn’t line up because of sickness or vacation.