Good Girl Bad (28)

She would look after her all day, all week, all year if need be.

She watches her little face, and wants to protect her, and make the world better for her sister than it is for her.





23





Wednesday

Watch your back.

The text message pops up on Rebecca’s phone and cuts through the awkward silence in Rebecca’s kitchen.

Nate has already called Detective Casey, called Freddy again, unable to sit still and wait.

He can’t think of anywhere else Tabby might go. Except to her older lover’s house, but they have no idea who that might be—except Leroy, however much Rebecca might deny it. Is there some special place they’d go to meet?

A dead Leroy supports that theory, in Nate’s book. They drive somewhere to… God, he can’t even think about it. It makes him want to be sick.

They fought.

Tabby…pushed him off the bridge?

Even to Nate, it sounds far-fetched. Tabby is so slight. Leroy is a well-built guy. He just can’t see it playing out that way.

Nothing unusual was found in Leroy’s car. Long, blonde hairs, which could be Rebecca’s or Tabby’s, but they know Tabby has been in the car. There’s no point even testing them.

Was she in there on Sunday night is the question.

But there were no signs of a struggle, no body fluids, no unusual objects. The keys were in the ignition, which suggests that Leroy exited the car in a hurry.

Was he chasing someone?

Was he being chased?

Now, they all stare at the phone in stunned silence. It’s lying face up; there’s no hiding it. It’s been seen by everyone sitting around the table.

Thank God Genevieve was in the bathroom.

“It’s the same number.” Nate is matter-of-fact, reaching for the phone, handing it to Rebecca.

They’d given it to the police, of course, but they were unable to trace it.

Cheryl looks so shocked that Nate feels sorry for her. He explains about the other message. “I should let Detective Casey know.” He stands up heavily and goes into the next room, leaving Rebecca alone with her parents.

“What’s the link?” Casey muses on the phone to him. “The one to Tabby sounded like someone angry about who she’s seeing. A jealous ex. A jilted wife. But the one to Rebecca… Are they threatening Rebecca because they hold her responsible for her daughter’s actions?”

Nate starts. “Is she in danger? Are they saying…Leroy was first. You’re next?” His heart is hammering wildly in his chest. Rebecca was difficult to live with, but the thought of anyone harming her fills him with terror. “Or are they telling her her husband is having an affair? Are they warning her or threatening her?”

“It would be good if someone stayed with her. Or even if she went to stay in a hotel while we look into this.” Casey sounds calm, soothing even, but Nate doubts she makes those kinds of recommendations lightly.

“Her parents are here.” Nate hesitates. “They’ve been basically estranged for as long as I’ve known Rebecca. Apparently Genevieve called them and filled them in. She’s kept in touch over the years, apparently. We had no idea.” He notes that he and Rebecca have become a “we” again overnight, and he shudders, though he can’t quite say why. Is it because it took him so long to untangle himself from that relationship that the thought of getting sucked back into it is terrifying? Because he lost so much of himself in it that he ended up some place where he didn’t even recognize himself?

Is it just a vague sense of danger, being close to this woman?

“Have they said why they’re there?”

“They said they want to help. They seem upset. Genuine. Maybe a crisis is an opportunity to reconnect, to reach out?”

“Maybe.” Casey sounds thoughtful. “Where are they staying? I might have a chat with them. I’m going to talk to Leroy’s parents today too.”

Nate startles again. Leroy’s parents. He forgot that Leroy existed outside of Rebecca, of Tabby. That there would be other people who loved him. People who would be devastated by the loss of him.

He shivers. All he’s been able to think is that Leroy was abusing his daughter, and feel relief that he was out of the picture. Now, that realization makes him feel guilty. All he’s thought about are his family, not Leroy’s.

What if Leroy is innocent?

Nate realizes with a start that it’s his family that harbor secrets. Maybe Leroy just got caught up in the mess that was the rest of them?

“I’ll find out where they’re staying. I’ll let you know.”

Nate returns to the kitchen slowly. “The police might want to talk to you,” he tells Cheryl and Rob, and for a second he could swear he sees panic on Rebecca’s face, but it’s gone as fast as it appeared, and he rubs his eyes. Everything feels too surreal to trust himself.

“We’ve booked into the Hyatt. We’ve booked an extra room if Gen wants to stay with Cheryl, and I’ll bunk next door.” Rob looks at Nate steadily. Nate can’t read his expression at all.

“Bec?” Nate still defers to her. He resents it, but he can’t help it. “What do you think? Casey thinks perhaps you should stay in a hotel, too.”

“Rubbish. What do they think, they’ve gotten Leroy, now they’re coming for me? I’ll stay here, in case Tabby comes home.” She looks uncertain, though, and Nate wonders if she wants him to stay there, too.