Page 12

“I have it,” she said into the phone. “The book.”

“Good. For years, we thought we were dealing with a vagrant and didn’t have any reason to talk to people at the funeral. Can you get it to me?”

“I can scan it in and send the file to you today so that you’ll get it faster.”

“That would be great. I can arrange a virtual meeting with a sketch artist for you, too. It’ll just take a day or two. We don’t have one on staff, so we call someone whenever we need them. How far away are you?”

“We moved after it happened, and we didn’t live close to the cabin, either, so I’m about a seven or eight-hour drive away. Not a long flight, though.”

“Don’t get on a plane just yet. Let me do some legwork here, and I’ll get back to you if I need you to fly out, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” she replied. “Do you think you’ll be able to catch him?”

“I don’t know. It depends on how strong your identification is and if anyone remembers him at the funeral, including that friend of your mother’s. Speaking of your mom – doessheremember anything about this man from the funeral?”

“She… hasn’t said,” Eliza answered. “I can still ask her, though.”

“Please do,” Detective Cleric requested. “Tell her what you’ve told me and see if she remembers anything about this guy from the funeral or the wake.”

“She spent the whole thing in her bedroom. She was still in shock. I’m not sure she’ll be of much help.”

“Oh, okay. Well, still talk to her for me.”

“I will.”

“And send me those pages from the book. What was the name of the friend at the funeral?”

Eliza gave him the name, and they talked for another minute before he hung up and said he’d call her with news when he had some.

A few moments later, Lydia walked back into the house, holding the guest book out to Eliza.

“Do you think he’d write his name in this? Like, his real name?” she asked as she sat in the chair next to Eliza.

“I don’t know. Maybe. If not, it’s people the cops can talk to who might recognize him after I give them a sketch.”

“You’re going there?”

“No. He said I can do it from here, and he’d tell me if I need to fly or drive there.”

“I’ll go with you,” Lydia offered. “If you need to go, I’ll go with you. Just tell me when.”

Eliza looked up from the book to her best friend and smiled at her. She’d been in love with this woman for her entire adult life, and she’d been terrified of losing her for just as long. It was irrational, she knew. If she were going to lose her, she could lose her as a friend just as easily as if they were together, but the worry had been there all the same. She’d also lost her chance at love with Lydia, and she kept reminding herself that time and time again. It had beenherfault that they’d broken up; her fault that she hadn’t told Lydia about why she’d pushed her away back then. It was also her fault that she hadn’t told Lydia how she felt about her since the last time they’d said they loved each other on Lydia’s final visit to Eliza’s dorm right after Eliza had started therapy.

Twelve Years Ago

“Imissed you,” Lydia said as she pulled Eliza into her arms.

“I missed you, too,” Eliza replied and held on to her.

“Your roommate is gone this weekend, right?”

“Yes.” Eliza laughed against Lydia’s neck.

“So, we’ll have some privacy?”

“Yes. She’s staying with her boyfriend, like she did last time you were here. He has an off-campus apartment.”

“God, I want one of those,” Lydia told her as she pulled out of the hug. “It can even be with a roommate. I just want my own bedroom, with a door and a lock on it, so that when you visit, we can close it and do whatever we want without worrying about someone just walking in.”