Page 23 of The Lost Bones

“And none of the witnesses reported anyone strange lurking around.” Mackenzie rubbed her eyes, to ease the budding ache.

“Our only hope is forensics.”

Mackenzie swiveled on her chair to face him. “Were you able to figure out why Sophie had come to Lakemore? I never found out.”

He shook his head. “I went through all the statements again, including her texts, but she never mentioned Lakemore to anyone.”

Mackenzie pulled out a copy of a ticket. “But she bought a bus ticket to Lakemore a week before she arrived. She never toldanyoneabout it. Why would she hide something like that? Planning a surprise?”

“She had no connection to Lakemore—” Nick broke off when Jenna interrupted them.

“Nick, I found Ethel Gedrick.” She handed him a piece of paper. “She’s in Seattle. Spent the last few years in Ohio, but moved back two years ago.”

“Who is Ethel Gedrick?” Mackenzie asked.

Jenna turned on her heel and clacked away without acknowledging her.

“I guess I shouldn’t have spoken at all.” Mackenzie mumbled, exasperated.

Nick made a sour face. “Yeah, ignore her. Her attitude is getting worse. Ethel was an old family friend of Sophie’s. From the notes I got from Riverview PD, she called several times showing interest in the case, but nothing came of it.”

“Didn’t she just contact Austin?”

He shrugged. “Apparently not. Austin said he’d never even heard her name before. But she’s the only person associated with this case I haven’t spoken to yet.” He stood up, collecting his keys and wallet. “Come with?”

“You can’t keep me away now.”

The drive to Seattle was painful. Cars and trucks clogged the freeway. Even though they mostly moved at snail’s speed, Mackenzie felt bile swimming in the base of her throat. As she popped a couple of Gravol tablets that Nick kept in his glovebox for her, she looked out the window at the car next to them. A wrinkled old man with a hunched back had one hand on the wheel and the other holding his wife’s hand. He was bony and withering away, but still more alive than Mackenzie in many ways.

“Did I tell you I saw Sterling the other day?” Nick said out of nowhere.

“He’s an ADA. We see him around a lot.”

“No. At Frankie’s. Saturday night.” He hesitated, gripping the wheel a little tighter. “It looked like he was on a date.”

A giggle bubbled out of Mackenzie. Her shoulders shook as she laughed until she almost had tears in her eyes.

“Are you having a stroke? What the hell was that?”

She wiped a tear, reining in her laughter. “No, no. At least he’s going on dates when he’s not married to me anymore. He’s learned his lesson.”

Nick frowned. A flash of fury crossed his face. “He hasn’t. He’ll do this again. People don’t really change.”

Mackenzie imagined Sterling on a date with another woman. Holding her hand, telling her she was beautiful, everything he had done with Mackenzie. She waited for her chest to feel heavy. But she felt nothing.

She asked suddenly, “Weren’t you supposed to be with Luna on Saturday night?”

“Yeah, but Shelly wanted to take her to visit her grandmother and they ended up staying the night there.”

Her chest felt prickly. Like it was filled with needles. “So… you went to Frankie’s?”

“Yeah. With my cousin. For a beer.”

“Oh!” She sighed, the prickly feeling evaporating and leaving confusion behind it.

“Here we are. Finally,” he said abruptly.

There was a row of houses in front of them—white and blue—occupying a small space on the wetland. They looked old, something from the sixties. An old man wheeled his cart on the sidewalk, his gait frail and his cart broken. He whistled a forgotten tune. It was as though time was frozen in this part of town—or at least moving as slowly as the man.