Page 23 of The Souls of Lost Lake

“I never trust no man,” Ava retorted, suddenly feeling backward. Like her words jumbled, and she was shy a string of pearls of being worthy to even sit in the parsonage. Noah Pritchard was cultured. Maybe not rich, but he spoke fine. She was an orphaned child from the woods and had all the etiquette of a groundhog at an evening ball.

“Please.” Much of the spark had dimmed in his eyes. Whatever hellfire he’d been wanting to rage had been put under control. Ava wished she could see the preacher lose his temper. At least then she’d know what to do with him. A small flicker in his eyes made her cheeks warm even more. Enough to make her irritated. Maybe more at herself, but she decided to take it out on him anyway.

Ava wanted to stand, but her knee was throbbing. “Ever seen a bird in a cage, Preacher Pritchard?”

“Noah.”

“Ever seen a bird in a cage,Noah? Near on breaks their wings tryin’ to bust free. Now, I’m no fancy bird, but even a sparrow wants to fly now and then.”

“They think you killed Jipsy.”

Ava stilled. “I didn’t.” She hadn’t wanted to ruminate on the idea of Jipsy being dead. Beingmurdered. She hadn’t been remarkably fond of the older woman, but she’d hardly wished harm on her.

“You sure?”

Her silence answered for her.

Noah blew another massive sigh from his mouth, and he plopped down across from her in a straight-back chair and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “The town thinks you’ve run off, Ava.” Dark eyes lifted to meet hers. “Vanished, and you took Jipsy’s body with you.”

Ava reared back, her eyes widening. “I did no such thing!”

Noah continued as though she hadn’t interrupted. “Let me lay out the facts for you as clear as I’m able.”

“Please do, Preacher Pritchard.” Ava crossed her arms over her chest.

Noah scowled at her. “Widower Frisk found blood this morning all over their front porch. Jipsy has disappeared—not unlike your family did, according to Deputy Larson. Mr. Sanderson states he saw you wandering last night—which you were.”

“You were with me,” Ava snapped.

“They don’t know that.”

“You didn’t tell them? You didn’t tell them you brought me back here?”

Noah held out his hands to slow her down. She sure wasn’t keen on slowing down. Yesterday she’d wanted to run from the crowd of naysayers, but today she wanted to confront them all. How would they like it if they spent their childhood wonderin’ what had happened to their family and why they disappeared and where all the blood came from? How would they like it if the entire town decided they were guilty of killin’ just because their parents died in a similar way?

“Ava.”

The way the preacher said her name brought her frenetic thoughts to a standstill. His voice mesmerized her for a long moment. Kind of like the time she’d seen Ned take a draw from his cigarette and then close his eyes as if some sort of calm had come over him.

Noah edged forward in his chair, nearing her. His nearness was like Ned’s cigarette. Hypnotic in a curious sort of way. What would it taste like? Ava’s eyes dropped to the preacher’s mouth.

For Pete’s sake, she was sure as shootin’ going to hell in a handbasket now.

“Ava,” he said again.

This time she bit her tongue and lifted her eyes to meet his.

“Listen to me really careful now, all right?”

She nodded.

“The townsfolk are suspicious you’re behind all of this, even though no one has found Jipsy’s body.”

“Then how do they know she’s dead?” Ava interrupted.

“Assumption based on the amount of blood.”

“How do you know it wasn’t no pig?”