Page 35 of The Premonition at Withers Farm

Molly noticed another person behind him on the lower step. A female officer. Dressed in full uniform.

Foreboding climaxed quickly in Molly’s stomach, and shegrappled for the doorframe. Trent. Dear God, she couldn’t take another loss. She knew they weren’t close right now, that there were wedges between them, but she loved her husband. She did. Godhadto know that!

“Molly Wasziak?”

Molly wanted to sit down before she passed out. Instead she nodded, white-knuckling the doorframe.

“I’m Detective Carter. This is Officer Hammish. We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions.”

Questions.Questions? A flicker of relief spiraled through Molly. “Um—” Molly fumbled to right her mind back into a center of normalcy. “Um, sure. Yeah.” She stepped onto the small cement porch. Trent had always told her never to invite strangers into the house. Of course, seeing as they both sported badges, she was probably safe. Nevertheless. “What can I help with?”

Detective Carter offered her a kind smile. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the unfortunate circumstances last week and the body that was found at your neighboring farm?”

“Of course. My husband found her body. He was helping with chores there.”

“Trent Wasziak is your husband, correct?” Officer Hammish interjected. Molly wasn’t sure she was comfortable under the other woman’s sharp, assessing stare.

“Yes?”

“Ma’am, we’ve taken your husband down to the station for some questioning in connection to the victim.”

Molly reapplied nervous pressure to the doorframe. “Connection? How?”

Detective Carter skirted her question. “Do you know a January Rabine?”

“Who?” Molly stared at him.

“Please answer the question,” Officer Hammish commanded.

“No. I don’t. I’ve never heard of her.”

“Are you familiar with your husband’s family?” Detective Carter asked.

“My in-laws. Yes, of course.”

“How about his extended family? Aunts, uncles, cousins?”

Molly looked between the law-enforcement officers on her front porch. She fumbled for an answer. “I-I, maybe? Wasziak is a common Polish name in the area. I mean, Trent has a lot of cousins.”

“What about family from out of state?”

“A few. His uncle. I think. Maybe Trent’s cousin?”

“Which cousin?”

“I don’t know.” Molly couldn’t remember. Not under this type of pressure. She recalled Trent having said something about a cousin he’d skateboarded with a lot in high school. But it wasn’t as though they’d maintained a close relationship. “Some guy, I ... his last name was Wasziak too, I think.” Molly knew the information she’d offered was paltry. “What’s going on?”

“Ma’am, we’ve identified the victim as January Rabine. She’s from Artesia, New Mexico, and is a distant cousin of your husband’s.”

The image of the dead girl in the ditch washed over Molly, and this time she sagged against the wall. The young woman’s name wasJanuary. She remembered Trent staring down at her. Calling the police. But the idea he had anything remotely to do with her death...

“She’s his cousin?” Molly attempted to piece together the information she’d just learned.

“Distant,” Detective Carter acknowledged. “We’ve contacted her family. They will arrive from New Mexico soon. In the meantime, we have reason to believe she was here to meet with your husband.”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Molly supplied.

“Clandestine meeting maybe?” Officer Hammish asked.