Page 133 of This is Why We Lied

“I don’t know.” Will ran his fingers along a piece of figured maple. Another expensive choice. “I want to talk to Sara, but I think I remember a case where a guy was using eye drops as a date rape drug.”

“If Mr. Weller was using them on women, why would he use them on himself?”

“I can’t answer that right now,” Will tapped a piece of acacia. It was soft and dried out from exposure, not the kind of thing you wanted in your fireplace. “What do you know about wood?”

“More than I’d like. Back in the day, I worked a sexual assault case against a carpenter.”

Will didn’t ask for details. “I get the feeling Christopher and Chuck had a side-hustle. Mercy was important to the operation. The aunt told me that Christopher and Chuck were hanging around the woodpile when she drove in.”

“Find out why,” Amanda said. “The clock is ticking.”

The line went dead. Will had to hand it to her. She knew how to end a conversation.

He clipped the phone to the back of his pants. He knelt down in front of the stacked logs. Everything but this one section was oak. Why were they storing expensive wood outside in the elements? What kind of business would put two hundred grand each in Christopher’s and Chuck’s pockets? And why wasn’t Mercy being paid?

“Will?” Sara’s voice sounded tense.

He stood up. Faith was nowhere in sight. “What’s wrong?”

“I found the broken knife handle in Keisha and Drew’s toilet tank.”

Will stared at her. “What?”

“Keisha told me her toilet was dripping, so I looked and—”

“Does she know you saw it?”

“No. I put the lid back on and told her she would need to talk to Christopher.”

“Where’s Drew?”

“He went to the equipment shed to find Christopher.”

“Did you see him? Where the fuck was Faith?” All he could think to do was physically put himself between Sara and Drew’s cottage. “What were you doing going in there by yourself?”

“Will,” she said. “Look at me. I’m okay. We can talk about this later.”

“Fuck.” Will unclipped the phone. He hit the walkie button. “Faith, come in?”

There was static, then Faith said, “I’m heading toward the main house. Where’s Sara?”

“With me. Hurry up.” He clicked the button again. “Kevin, come in?”

“Right here.” Kevin was walking toward them. He was covered in mud and debris from wrangling Chuck’s body up the trail. “What’s going on?”

“I need you to locate Drew. He’s supposed to be at the equipment shed with Christopher. Keep an eye on him. Don’t approach. He could be armed.”

“Got it.” Kevin set off at a brisk pace.

“Will,” Sara said. “Keisha told me that the last time they were up here was two and a half months ago.”

He didn’t need a reminder. “Around the time Mercy got pregnant.”

“What’s up?” Faith had passed Kevin as she walked across the compound. She was wearing her Glock and a pair of baggy black pants. “Sara, where did you go? I wanted to look over the map.”

Will told her, “We need to secure cottage three. The broken knife handle is in Keisha and Drew’s toilet tank.”

Faith didn’t ask questions. She started jogging toward the cottage, her Glock down by her side.

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