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“It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done to help me.” Naya kept her gaze on the road, one hand on the wheel. A glance at Zack would risk a greater collision than the one in her heart. His car was already totaled. She didn’t need to add hers to the tally.
“Powells told us to park around back and use the deck door. Said there’s an old gas station parking lot we can pull into.”
“I hope this turns out to be worthwhile.” Naya glanced in the rearview mirror before making a left-hand turn, to ensure no one was following them.
The gas station was closed down, and the building was falling apart. A few shingles littered the pavement, and a dumpster sat to the side.
Naya took a deep breath. “You ready?” She studied Zack’s face. This meeting might be difficult for him. Dredging up memories of the past. Reminders of what no longer existed.
“Ready or not.” Zack shrugged.
Naya didn’t believe this was no big deal to him. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it—a gesture she’d started back when they’d been next-door neighbors. A simple reminder that he wasn’t alone.
This moment was important for Zack. For his own sake, she wanted him to find the truth and get closure. He had to realize that he wasn’t to blame for his parents’ deaths.
“Well, partner, let’s get this show on the road.” Naya opened the door.
Powells’s backyard stood three hundred feet from the gas station. Six other houses lined the area. Each property had enough space to warrant a riding lawn mower.
Arborvitaes lined the perimeter of Powells’s house.
“He seems to like his privacy.” Zack brushed back a few branches and followed the stone path to Powells’s deck.
“It’s quite a nice house for a single guy too. It must be lonely living out here by himself.”
“If that’s how he wants to live, that’s his choice.” Zack surveyed the area around them before stepping up to the back door.
Naya’s shoulders relaxed. They were both on alert. No one had followed them out here, and with the tree covering, it would be easy to spot something—or rather, someone—who shouldn’t be in the backyard.
Zack pressed the doorbell. It sounded deep into the house.
A middle-aged man opened the door a crack. He peered out from the corner. “You Stephens?”
“Yes, sir. Thanks for agreeing to meet with us.” Zack motioned to Naya. “This is my friend, Naya Michél.”
Powells ushered them inside, then locked the door. “Have a seat.” He showed them to the dining room table. The space was void of any personal touches. Minimal light peeked through the closed curtains. A damp, musty smell filtered through the air, and Naya shivered.
The man was sturdy, a guy who’d been built for his job, but his face was hard. Stoic. Gray peppered his brown locks, and he bore wrinkles that showed the toll his work had taken on him over the years. He wore a flannel and whitewashed jeans that were well past their prime.
Zack cleared his throat.
Naya didn’t want to overstep boundaries, so she waited for one of the men to speak up. This was Zack’s battle. Often the best information came from being silent and observing body language.
Powells’s shoulders remained rigid, and his eyes fixated on everything around the house but his guests.
“All these years I believed my parents’ deaths were an accident that I was to blame for.” Zack scooted closer to the table. “That’s whatyoutold me. The report tells a different story. Arson. You want to help me understand what that means? Why I was told a different narrative?”
This man had been a friend to Zack’s dad and a witness to his parents’ deaths. He should have known better than to instill a lie in a child—the lie that Zack was responsible for what had happened to his mom and dad.
She couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for him. Losing them. Believing he was at fault. Not knowing the truth told a different story. And now, he was so close to finding out what had happened.
Give him the benefit of the doubt. The truth might surprise you.Ingram’s response echoed in her mind. What if the truth of Zack’s disappearance was different than what she’d believed allthese years? She tucked the thought away for later. Right now, she needed to focus on the situation in front of her.
Lord, is he going to find answers, or will all this be for nothing?
Naya wanted to help him find closure and move on. No matter what it took.
She owed their friendship that, at least.