Page 106 of Indigo Sky

“You’re suspicious of everyone right now,” she guessed accurately.

“Don’t take it personally.”

“I don’t, and I expect it’ll take a while for you to trust me. But for what it’s worth, I promise you that I love Howard and his daughter. I care for them both very much. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt either of them.”

It was exactly what someone with ill intent would say, but I nodded anyway.

“I guess I’ll get back to bed now,” I said, turning toward the stairs to leave Angela in the living room.

“Okay,” she replied. “Good night, Rev.”

“Good n—"

“Oh! Before I forget, can you tell Kate that the auto repair shop called? I think her car might be ready.”

I looked at Angela from the foot of the staircase. “Yeah, sure.” Then, something made me twist my lips and ask, “What, um … what shop is it?”

“Oh, Roy’s. Their family has only ever used Roy’s.”

Never had my mouth dried up so quickly. Never had my heart sped up so fast or my palms grown so instantly clammy.

“Roy’s …”

“Yeah, it’s not too far from here.”

“I’m, uh …” I took a quick sip of water to try and moisten my throat. “I’m familiar with it. I’m just surprised. Aren’t there, um, closer mechanics?”

“Oh, there are, but Howard used to work there a long time ago.”

“Howard worked at Roy’s?”

Angela nodded. “Like I said, that was quite some time ago. Kate’s mother … well, she was a bit promiscuous, and around the time of their divorce, it came out that she had been involved with Roy. So, Howard left the business and found a better-paying job with the National Park Service. But …” She released a sharp exhale and laughed uneasily. “Sorry, I’m talking too much. I’ll let you get some sleep.”

She reached out with a cool hand and touched my wrist, then retreated quickly back down the hall, leaving me once again alone in the living room.

I couldn’t breathe.

I could hardly blink.

Howard—Kate’sfather—had known Roy? Assuming we were talking about the same Roy who had once employed—then fired—me, which … it was. Iknewit was without a shadow of a doubt. How could it be anyone else? I didn’t need confirmation. And that only meant …

Katehad known Roy, and he had slept with her mother.

Why would she do business there?

“Holy fuck,” I whispered to the living room, blanketed deep in darkness.

My hand began to shake against the banister. The glass of water became harder to hold onto. And the part of my brain I had tried to keep quiet finally broke its vow of silence and said,Open that fucking door upstairs.

A dread so sick and horrible tore through my gut. I didn’t want to go upstairs. I didn’t want to pass that door. I didn’t want to open it. I didn’t want to crawl back into bed and pretend I didn’t know what I felt I knew now.

Fuck. Why was this happening? Why did it have to happen at all?

“I need to know,” I muttered to myself. Then, before I had the chance to change my mind, I hurried up the stairs and opened the first door to my right.

It was dark, too dark to see. I flipped on the light, and …

That dread began to sink further, further, further toward the hell I belonged in as I took in the sight of white lace and Gilmore Girls posters.

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