Page 54 of Dead Man's Hollow

Rachel comes around her cart and hugs Michelle, who stands there awkwardly.

“I’ll let you get on with your shopping. Thanks for understanding.”

“Good luck with the lacrosse team dinner.”

She steers her cart away quickly, eager to get away but, at the same time, grateful that Rachel waylaid her. The conversation has helped her make up her mind about calling Amy back. Andy should have known better than to sic Rachel on her. Michelle hates to be told what to do.

ChapterTwenty-Nine

Michelle Bolandand Lynn Argyle are sitting on Amy’s front porch when she gets home from dropping Rich off at the airport. As Amy pulls into the driveway, she tries to steel herself for the conversation ahead. These women aren’t her friends, have never been her friends, but she needs to appeal to them now.

She grabs her purse from the passenger seat and heads for the door. They both shoot to their feet, dusting off the seats of their pants.

“Been waiting long?” she asks, mainly because she’s not sure what else to say.

“Nope,” Lynn says. “You got a minute?”

“Sure.”

Amy unlocks the door and gestures for them to go inside. The house is quiet. The kids have left for school. She leads the two women to the kitchen and drops her purse on the counter.

“I just got back from dropping Rich off at the airport. I need some more coffee. Interested?” She lifts the carafe and refills the mug she’d left sitting beside it earlier.

They wave her off. Lynn says, “No, we won’t be long. We’ve both got to get to work.”

Amy lifts the mug to her lips and tastes the temperature of the liquid inside. It’s hot enough. She swallows.

“You could have just returned my call.”

Michelle and Lynn exchange a look.

“We thought it would be better to talk in person,” Michelle tells her.

Amy leans against the counter. “Okay. Well, I’ve been trying to get ahold of you because someone sent a tip to the Farley Files about the night Heather disappeared.”

She pauses, and they both regard her coolly.

So she presses on. “I think it was one of you. Actually, I think you did it together.”

Michelle’s eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. Lynn gives a half-laugh.

“Busted,” Lynn says. “How’d you know?”

“The email said ‘we’ not ‘I.’ And you two have been sharing a brain for more than a quarter-century, so it wasn’t the biggest stretch.” She takes another sip of lukewarm coffee.

“Fair,” Michelle tells her. “We thought it was past time to break the silence. But you should know, the reason nobody said anything at the time?—”

“Is because my husband asked you not to,” Amy says wearily. “I know.”

“Yeah, but ’asked’ isn’t the word I’d use. More like ‘ordered’ or ‘threatened.’” Lynn gives her a steady look as she says it.

Amy wishes she were surprised, but she’s not.

“Where’d he go, anyway?”

Amy blinks at Michelle. “What?”

“You said you just took Rich to the airport.”