Page 20 of Last Seen

A night out sounds fun if she could let herself get loose.

A few other people from town—Halley didn’t go to the high school in Jasper like the rest of this crowd.

She wonders if she really will know people, but it doesn’t matter.

She needs food; it will be nice not to have to cook.

And she has to admit she’s curious about how Aaron has turned out.

They’d had a couple of near misses, but he was four years older and a little bit of a player.

Cute. Lacrosse captain, lifeguard at the pool.

Always had a girlfriend but wasn’t ever in trouble.

Wholesome. She often wondered about him when she left but was always too embarrassed to ask.

He helped teach her to drive in the pool parking lot the summer before she got her license.

Kissed her softly by the lifeguard stand under the fireworks.

Getting together with friends feels like a betrayal of her mother’s ghost. She is consumed with the need to see this right, to find her sister and confront her, find out why she’s taken away the one thing Halley can’t ever replace.

Her anger is bubbling below the surface, and she’s trying hard to keep it in check.

Her sister is probably dead, and that’s the second slap-in-the-face injustice of all this. But she has to know. Has to find out more. Has to find out why.

Her dad’s got color in his face today, and they’ve helped him bathe—his skin is pink from a fresh shave, and his hair is damp, curling around his ears.

And there is a woman in his room, standing by his bed, holding his hand. He is gazing at her with a goofy smile. She is not a nurse.

“Um . . . hello?”

They startle and drop their hands. The woman turns, and Halley recognizes her former English teacher at Goode. “Mrs. Patterson?” she asks, incredulous. Her dad clears his throat.

“Halley. Hi,” she says with a blushing smile.

She is pretty, with cornflower blue eyes and blond ringlets framing her heart-shaped face, her hair pulled high on her head.

She’s wearing a blue button-down, the same color as her eyes, and khaki slacks.

There is a glint from her left hand, and Halley’s jaw drops.

“Something you want to tell me, Dad?” Halley asks archly. She can’t decide whether to be happy or furious.

“Halley. You rushed off the phone and came down here before I had a chance to say anything. I ... I didn’t ... I wanted to tell you in person. Anne and I have been seeing each other for a while now, and ...” He is sputtering, and Halley squares her shoulders and decides to be pissed later.

“You’re allowed to have a girlfriend. And a wife. Mrs. Patterson—”

“Anne. Please,” she adds softly.

“You and Anne make a lovely couple.”

She isn’t kidding; she actually means it. The idea that her dad hasn’t been alone this whole time brings her a surprising amount of joy—and relief. He won’t be alone if she leaves to investigate Cat’s disappearance.

Now that is a selfish thought, Halley James.

Her dad also blows out a relieved breath. “I didn’t think you’d mind. Anne’s been, well, we’ve been timing her visits so I could break this to you gently, and you caught us off guard. With everything that’s happening, it felt like a lot to pile on.”

“Seriously, Dad, Anne, this is great. I’m very happy for you. When’s the wedding?”

“Oh, we don’t know. Especially now.” Anne gestures toward his leg. “Quentin was hoping we’d do it this summer sometime, but I’d like him to be comfortable and healed. We don’t need anything big. We just didn’t want you to be shocked or dismayed.”

“I am far from dismayed. This is the happiest news. I’m thrilled for you both. Congratulations.”

Anne opens her arms for a hug, and Halley gladly steps into them.

The emotions coursing through her are positive ones, for the most part.

Her mom’s been gone for a long time. This joy is overdue.

Halley admires the ring, a stately, classic round affair in a Tiffany setting, then gives her dad a hug, too.

This is a good thing; she knows it deep in her soul.

“If it’s okay with you, Anne could move into the house now and help me get back on my feet.”

Anne’s almost vibrating with excitement. “I absolutely could. School’s out next week and I don’t have plans. But now that you’re home, Halley, I can postpone for a while. I don’t want to intrude.”

Halley avoids the invisible fist pump, feeling only a tiny bit guilty at her internal reaction.

This is the freedom she needs. No responsibilities for a few days so she can really dig into this situation with her sister.

“Not intruding at all. I think that’s a wonderful idea.

If you’re here to take care of Dad, and Ailuros . ..”

Anne’s eyes are shining. “I am. They are both safe with me.”

“I’ll be up and around in no time,” Quentin bellows, and both women look at him and shake their heads in unison, sharing a sideways glance.

He won’t be up and around, not for a few weeks at least, but with this surprise, now Halley has nothing to stop her from finding out what happened to her sister.

They catch up a bit—Halley always liked Anne Patterson—and when her dad starts yawning, Anne checks her watch. “Why don’t I let you two chat for a bit? I have some errands to run.”

She kisses Quentin on the forehead and pats Halley’s arm. “Want to have dinner tonight? I’ll cook. Lasagna still your favorite?”

“I was supposed to go out with some friends, but I can totally reschedule.”

“Oh, don’t do that. I’m sure you have loads of folks to catch up with. We’ll do it another time.”

When Anne’s gone, Halley looks at her dad with an arched brow.

He laughs, that nervous-hyena thing the drugs are pressing him into. “I know. I should have told you we were dating.”

“Ya think?” Halley grows serious. “We need to talk for a minute. I’m very happy for you, but I’m really upset with you, too.

What else are you keeping from me? These are some pretty big life changes to take in all at once.

Finding out about Mom, then Cat, now Anne?

If there’s more, you better hit me now.”

“There’s not. I swear.”

“I need to talk about it. It’s too much. I’m starting to remember things.”

He immediately grows wary. “What are you remembering?”

“Snatches. Words. Flashes, images. Nothing that makes sense. I’m trying to fill in the blanks, but there’s nothing to work with. I need you to fill them in for me.”

“You should let this go, Halley. I know you’re a curious woman, and I know this seems like a grand mystery for you to solve.

But it’s not. Chances are Catriona isn’t alive.

And that would be a relief, to be honest. She had dark thoughts, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she hurt herself, ended her own life.

When I say she was troubled, I am not kidding.

There are things in this world best left alone. ”

“I can’t. This is too big to ignore, Dad.” She fills him in on what she’s discovered, noticing with interest how he withdraws from her. She’s not the only one experiencing pain at these revelations. “It’s not fair that you won’t talk to me. I understand that you’re hurting, but this is huge.”

He takes her hand. “I know this week is throwing you for a loop. If there’s any way I can counsel you to not get involved, I will.”

“Dad. She murdered my mother.”

She watches his face for more, but his lids are heavy. This is exhausting him. As much as she wants to hear more, she needs to leave it alone for now.

“I hear you. I promise. I won’t take this too far. But if she is alive, and she is dangerous, finding out where she is won’t be a bad thing.”

“I love you, Halley. I don’t want to lose you, too. Please, let this lie.”

She squeezes his hand. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.”