Page 53 of This is Why We Lied

Will assumed from the look the request had been for more alcohol. “Did anyone see Mercy after ten o’clock?”

No one answered.

“Did anyone hear any screams or shouts for help?”

Again, he was met with silence.

“I hate to interrupt again,” Max said, though he wasn’t interrupting anything. “But Syd and I need to get back into town.”

Sydney said, “Horses have to be fed and watered.”

Will would’ve expected a better excuse, but there was no point in challenging them. Legally, they couldn’t be compelled to talk, let alone stick around.

“Cecil, Bitty.” Max turned to the McAlpine family. “We’re both so sorry about your daughter. It was a lovely evening spoiled by an unspeakable tragedy. We understand your family needs time to grieve.”

Cecil didn’t look like he wanted time for anything. “We’re still ready to go forward. Now more than ever.”

“Sure,” Max said, not sounding sure at all.

Sydney added, “We’ll hold your family in our thoughts and prayers.”

The pair walked off shoulder-to-shoulder. Will wondered what Cecil was ready to go forward with. The Buckhead couple had gotten special treatment from the beginning. The Wi-Fi password was the least of it. Will assumed the $150,000 Mercedes Benz G550 parked between an ancient Chevy and a dirty Subaru meant they’d been allowed to bypass the hike into the lodge.

“Fuck this,” Gordon said. “I need a drink.”

He headed back toward his cottage. Paul joined him, but not before glancing back at Will. The look sent up a red flag. In the bathroom, Paul had clearly noticed the blood on Will’s pants, but hadn’t been fazed. Now, he was visibly nervous. Obviously, the news of Mercy’s death had changed his demeanor. Figuring out why would have to wait until Will was sure the property was secure.

Six of the cottages were occupied, which left four empty. Dave could be hiding in any of them. Will silently debated the pro of checking them versus the con of giving the family time to regroup. His gut told him to stay put. There was something deeply wrong with how they were behaving. Paul wasn’t the only person making him suspicious. Maybe Sara had a point about tunnel vision.

“Excuse me, Will?” Frank and Monica were the only guests remaining. “I don’t care that you lied about being a cop. It’s lucky that you were here. And Monica and I don’t have anything to hide. What do you want to know?”

Will wasn’t going to start with Frank and Monica. “Could you both return to your cottage? I need to speak to the family first. There are some private details we need to address.”

“Oh, right.” Frank helped Monica stand. The woman could barely walk on her own. “Just give a knock when you’re ready. We’ll do whatever we can to help.”

Will saw that none of the McAlpines had moved. No one would look at him. No one had started in on the questions. Except for Delilah, no one had expressed a hint of grief. The air felt heavy with calculations.

“Will?”

Sara had finally joined them. Will was relieved to see that she was safe, but he was also relieved to have some assistance. He jogged toward her so they could have some privacy away from the McAlpines. She had changed into a T-shirt and jeans. She was carrying one of his button-down shirts under her arm.

She handed him his phone, then passed him the shirt. “It took a while to get a signal, but I sent the text and got a confirmation. Everyone’s been notified. How’s your hand?”

His hand felt like it was caught in a bear trap. “I need you to get the family inside and babysit them while I check the other cottages. Don’t let them get their stories straight. The sheriff should be here soon. See if there’s a missing knife in the kitchen. If you get a chance, Paul has a tattoo on his chest. I want to know what it says.”

“Got it.” Sara walked ahead of him toward the house. She addressed the family using her professional tone. “I’m very sorry for your loss. I know this is a traumatic time for all of you. Let’s go inside. Maybe I can answer some of your questions.”

Bitty was the first to speak. “Are you a cop, too?”

“I’m a doctor and a medical examiner with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.”

“You’re a couple of liars is what you are.” Bitty seemed even more concerned than Drew that they were both law enforcement. Will watched her grab Jon by the arm and drag him back into the house. Christopher took over pushing Cecil’s chair. Chuck quickly followed. Only Delilah hung back. Will needed her to go inside. If Dave was hiding in one of the empty cottages, he could be armed with a knife or a gun. Will didn’t want to risk Delilah getting caught in the crossfire. Or being taken hostage.

He placed his shirt on the stairs, then slipped his phone into his pocket. He put his hand to his chest to help with the pain. Delilah was watching him carefully. She hadn’t gone inside with the family.

He asked, “Did you have something to tell me?”

She clearly had a lot to say, but she dragged it out, pulling a tissue from her pocket, sniffing, wiping her eyes. He didn’t think it was for show. She was truly shaken by Mercy’s death. Unless you were Meryl Streep, you couldn’t fake that kind of despair.

---