Page 30 of I Know She Was There

“Because she’s gone,” he said, his voice hollow.

That stopped me. “Gone? Who’s gone?”

“The woman who lived in this house. Annie Connolly.”

I couldn’t contain the gasp that escaped me. “You knew her?”

He looked down. “Don’t say that—knewher. Makes it sound like she reallyisdead. Let’s not assume that, okay?”

Thoughts flitted through my mind at breakneck speed, freezing me in place. “Okay.” Who was this woman? And what did she mean to Jeffrey Trembly?

He looked up at me. “It’s funny, really, that we both showed up here. I was planning on swinging by your place. I just didn’t know how to do that without seeming like a stalker.”

Fear spiked adrenaline through my bloodstream. “Why would you come by my house? We don’t even know each other.”

“I know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But you’re the only link I have to her now.”

“That’s not true,” I blurted out. “You have a key to her house.”Shouldn’t have revealed that. I took another step back.

“Yes,” he admitted quietly. “I know you saw me locking the place last time we were here. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

I stared at him. My eyes had adjusted to the dimness, allowing me a full view of the grief spread across his features. “You were in love with her—arein love with her.”

He nodded, his gaze straying out to the yard beyond me. “We’re in love with each other. She was initiating divorce proceedings.”

I gnawed the inside of my cheek. No reason to confirm his suspicions, that maybe Ray Connolly hadn’t taken kindly to the idea of his wife cheating on him. He could have flown into a rage. Killed his spouse and cleaned up after the act. No one would be the wiser, right? They’d already sold the house. It was a foolproof plan, except for one little flaw. Me. I’d witnessed what he’d done. I thought about the handsome guy I thought of as Matt, clipping that hedge. If he was indeed Ray Connolly and I could identify him, he might be able to identify me too—even though he’d hardly ever glanced at me. Where did that leave me and Emmy?In danger.

“I couldn’t ask this of you the other day—I was too distraught—but could you describe the woman you saw in the window?” Jeffrey’s voice wobbled. “I have to be sure she’s...”

I took a deep breath. I suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here, amid this man’s grief, exposed to potential danger. Why the hell did I find it necessary to prowl the darkened streets and insert myself into strangers’ lives? What was wrong with me?

“I mean,” he continued, “if you could just tell me her hair color, her eyes, and build.”

I sighed. “Dark. Dark hair. She was slim, hard to say more from the distance between us.” I took a deep breath. “She had large, dark eyes. Probably brown. Very... expressive.”

Jeffrey dropped his head into his hands. “That sounds like her,” he said, his voice on the verge of a sob.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “But lots of brown-haired people have dark eyes and slight builds. It may not be Annie Connolly.”

He looked at me, his eyes glistening. “In her house?”

I looked away from his tearful eyes, wishing for once all the misery we were mired in was truly just in my mind. “Look, we need to get out of here.”

I felt rather than saw his nod. “Yes, of course.” He walked next to me. As we rounded the corner, me pushing the stroller, he looked at it. “The baby doesn’t make a peep, does she?”

I snorted. “A new development, for which I’m grateful. As I told you, she’s colicky. When she’s in the throes of it, it’s a nightmare.”

“Yeah, my sister was pretty bad, back in the day. But my ex and I didn’t have kids, so I never had to deal with it.” He straightened. “Good thing you have her bundled up. It’s cold out here.”

“Yeah,” I said, looking at him. “Emmy’s still a bit unpredictable though. It’s best if you don’t just drop by my house, okay?”

“I won’t,” he said, his voice suddenly as cold as the breezy air. “You understand, though, I can’t just let this go. If I promise not to darken your doorstep, could you give me your cell number?”

I looked down at Emmy’s carriage, realizing there were all kinds of dangers I needed to protect her from. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides, what good will it do? I told the police everything I saw, and they made it clear they will not be pursuing the matter.” I backed away from him. “I know you live on Woodmint. If I can think of any way to help you, I’ll stop by your place.”

“Okay.” His voice was bleak.

As I pushed Emmy ahead of me, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the way he stood in the dark, looking so alone. I felt a sudden pang in my throat. I knew that feeling of loss. I’d been abandoned by the one I loved too.

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