Page 67 of The Perfect Hosts

“A man came into the sheriff’s office. He was distraught. Said his daughter was beat-up really bad—had a broken arm, a few broken ribs. She was just a wisp of a thing. Maybe thirteen, fourteen years old. The dad said her boyfriend did it. But then nothing came of it. Not one more word was said. When I asked the sheriff, he said it was all a big misunderstanding, that I should forget about it. A few weeks later I heard that the dad was laid offfrom his job at the meat-packing plant, but he landed a different job in Texas. The family moved away.”

“The boyfriend was Wes Drake,” Jamie says. “And Drake Sr. made it all disappear.”

“That’s what I heard. But again, J. J., if the victims don’t follow through, there’s not a whole lot to be done.”

“When was this?” Jamie asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Before or after? Was this before or after Juneau?”

“Before,” Colson says, looking down at the floor, unable to meet Jamie’s eyes.

“I should go,” Jamie says, getting to his feet. “Thanks for the beer.”

Colson follows suit. “What are you going to do?”

“Get that proof,” Jamie says.

“I’ll do anything I can to help, J. J. You know that, don’t you?”

“I do,” Jamie says.

“And feel free to take that with you,” Colson says, glancing down at the glass tabletop.

Jamie follows his gaze to the black binder that holds all the important information in his sister’s case. He knows that if he picks it up, there’s no going back. He’ll be diving into a rabbit hole that he may never escape. “Thanks,” Jamie says, picking up the binder. It has some heft to it, and that’s a comfort.

Sheriff Colson walks with Jamie to his car and waits as Jamie places the binder carefully in the back seat. “It’s good to see you doing so well, J. J.,” he says. “You’ll have to come over to dinner before you head back home. I know Janet would love to see you.”

They say their goodbyes, and Jamie climbs into his car and pulls from the curb. In the rearview mirror he sees Colson, hands stuffed in his front pockets, staring after him. The sheriff was being kind, Jamie knows. Without Colson checking inon Jamie and his mom in the aftermath of Juneau’s disappearance, Jamie could have gone down a very different path. He is the reason Jamie went into law enforcement.

He meanders through the streets of Nightjar for a few minutes, trying to get his bearings. The binder feels like having Juneau’s body in the back seat and opening the case file will feel like witnessing his sister’s autopsy.Grim!Juneau exclaims.

Jamie rolls down the car window, grateful for the warm spring wind that sweeps across his face, and turns his car toward the motel. He’s got a long night in front of him.

Chapter 32

Madeline

Madeline stares at Mellie standing in the doorway. The nerve of this girl, she thinks, slithering her way into their home, lying about being pregnant, about losing her mother as a young child. Why is she here? What is her endgame?

She’s about ready to let loose on Mellie and order her from the house when she hears Wes’s voice. “Madeline, can you come up here?” he calls.

Madeline hesitates, considers pretending not to hear him, but knows if she doesn’t answer, he’ll come down looking for her.

“Wes is calling you,” Mellie says. “Better shake your ass. He likes that.”

Anger rises in her chest, but Madeline holds her temper in check.

“Madeline!” Wes yells.

She brushes past Mellie and makes the trek up the stairs, and although the doors are closed, she notices the lights are off in both the nursery and Lucy’s room. Breathless, Madeline pushes open their bedroom door and finds Wes sitting back on the bed, still fully dressed.

“What took you so long?” Wes asks. “Didn’t you hear me?”

Madeline goes to the bed and sits down beside him. “Iheard you. I just don’t move as fast as I used to,” she says. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m going to get Dix tomorrow,” he says. “We need one of the guest rooms for him. You have to ask the waitress to go. She’s been here long enough.” Madeline debates whether or not to tell Wes about what she’s learned about Mellie, about all her lies, but figures it will make him even more on edge. No, she’ll calmly and reasonably tell Mellie she needs to go and hope that will be enough.