Page 48 of The Note

“Oh, Kelsey.” Lauren closed her eyes.

“That’s not the biggest problem,” May said. “I stopped the interview because David Smith is dead, and if that detective didn’t tell us that, he thinks we’re involved somehow.”

The sun-kissed pink drained from Kelsey’s face. “He’s … dead?” Her breath sounded uneven.

“I’m pretty sure,” May said. “A couple friends posted RIP notes on his Instagram.” She retrieved her laptop from the kitchen and turned the screen to face them.

Just heard the news. I can’t believe you’re gone. Sending love to you, Mrs. Smith.Someone named Megan Levy.

I’m broken. Best friend a guy could ask for. RIP, my brother.Simon Bowlby.

The scream that came from Kelsey’s throat was visceral. It brought back memories of that horrible sound that had come out of May on the subway platform, a noise she didn’t even know she was capable of making until she saw the video. Kelsey moved to the outdoor sofa and grabbed a throw pillow, holding it to her face as she yelled into it.

Lauren stood behind Kelsey and rubbed her back. “Honey, calm down. It’s going to be okay.”

Kelsey’s shoulders were shaking as she sobbed into the pillow.

“Lauren’s right,” May offered. “It’ll be all right. It was just a stupid note. A practical joke. It’s not a crime. And you told the truth. That cop can’t do anything to you.”

Kelsey sniffed, trying to catch her breath as she wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. “None of that matters. Oh my god, my life is over.”

Lauren looked to May. She seemed as confused as May felt.

“Why would you say that?” Lauren said. “What are you afraid of?”

The question made Kelsey begin crying again. “Talk to us,” May said. “We’re here for you. Is there something we don’t know?”

Kelsey dropped her head into her palms. “Don’t you see? What he said about Luke? And now David Smith is dead too? How could this happen? They’re going to say I killed them both. I can’t go through it all over again.”

29

May had come inside to use the bathroom but found herself delaying her return to the deck. She needed some quiet time to herself. And she needed to put distance between her and Nate. He wasn’t actually flirting with her, she now realized. He was just being himself—his cool, confident, gorgeous self—and she hated the effect it was having on her. When Nate first returned to the house after Decker’s departure, Kelsey immediately walked him through everything that had transpired in his absence. May had taken the opportunity to pull Lauren aside to unpack Kelsey’s meltdown.

“You didn’t see how bad it was when Luke was killed. She said those same words—that her life was over.” Lauren’s eyes darted to the deck. “That everyone thought she was behind it. I was seriously worried she’d harm herself. She still doesn’t know, but I called Nate and her father to make sure they were keeping an eye on her. The last thing she needs is the two of us judging her emotions. She needs our support.”

May nodded, hoping the surprise didn’t register on her face. She couldn’t do anything now about not being there for Kelsey when her husband died, but Mayhadsupported Kelsey today. She supported her by running outside the second she realized David Smith was dead and ending the police interview. But that hadn’t stopped her from feeling terribly sad that a man’s life had ended. A man they had met before so many years ago. A man who used to be the boy who had refused to leave the lake until his girlfriend was found. The boy who had wept openly at Marnie’s funeral.

He was gone now, and Kelsey’s immediate reaction was to think about total strangers who might judge her for leaving some stupid petty note over a stolen parking spot. A man was dead, and Kelsey was making it all about Kelsey. How could Lauren not see that?

May wasn’t ready to go back outside yet. She poured herself a glass of water, giving herself a few more minutes to be alone with her thoughts.

*

May knew from Danny Brennan that Carter wasn’t some grunt cop chasing down loose ends unlikely to lead anywhere. He was the detective in charge. The fact that he’d spent valuable time trying to interview the three of them so soon after learning that Smith was dead meant that he had expected to find important information here.

She kept replaying Carter’s questions in her head, trying to figure out what he’d been after.

He’d asked about the note, of course. It was possible it had been found along with Smith’s body, but then he probably would have accepted her invitation of a bottle of water or a soda to get a fingerprint for comparison. Another possibility was that they had found Smith’s girlfriend and she told him about the note, which would mean she was still alive.

He’d also asked whether she recognized that phone number he’d recited. She hadn’t been able to commit the entire thing to memory, but she had googled the area code: 959. It covered northern Connecticut—another dead end.

And then there were the questions about the house rental. She had construed them at the time as icebreakers to get the conversation started on a friendly note, but that was before she knew the case had escalated into a murder investigation. And in retrospect, Decker’s questions had beenunusually specific for generic chitchat. Who found the house? How long had the trip been planned? What rental agency?

May had only known the rental website because she had looked up the house after Kelsey sent them photographs. She remembered thinking how lucky Kelsey had been to find it, since the house seemed to be booked solid for the summer.How long have y’all been planning the trip?Why had he wanted to know?

Did it really matter when Kelsey had booked the rental? It must, or Carter Decker wouldn’t have asked.

She made her way over to the far end of the kitchen counter, where Kelsey had left the homeowner’s detailed instructions after removing them from the refrigerator. She entered the number provided at the bottom into her phone.

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