Page 75 of Control

As for Reed, there had definitely been something going on with him. That meeting we’d had in the Sanders’ mansion was far too tense for my liking.

Taking a step back to consider all the possibilities, I had two possible suspects. Mark, the man who’d brought an extra cup of coffee with him while he visited the woman he’d loved and lost, the woman who refused to take him back. Reed, the brother who’d been at odds for years with his sister, because he believed she’d spend the family’s fortune.

Both men had motives, even if I couldn’t quite decide which was more tragic. And if I really took the time to consider what happened to me, there was no question Reed had the resources to pull something like that off. Maybe Mark did, too, but I got the feeling he was honest with his reaction when he learned I was doing a story on his former girlfriend.

“Clearly, I’ve said too much,” Mark mumbled. “Am I going to wind up in this story as the bitter ex-boyfriend?”

“What? No. Of course not. I don’t see you as that, but even if I did, this is supposed to be a positive, uplifting piece. Is there something you’d like to contribute, something you think others should know about Annie?”

Mark focused his attention on the headstone again, and even through the heavy layers he was wearing, I couldn’t miss how his breathing had changed. It took him some time, but when he returned his attention to Ty and me, his eyes were wet and red-rimmed. “Her confidence.”

I tipped my head to the side, surprised by his answer. “Her confidence?”

He dipped his chin. “Annie knew what she wanted, and she went after it. She lived her life doing what she felt called to do, what made her happiest. If there was a thought in her mind about something she wanted to accomplish, she didn’t let anything stop her. I don’t think she ever thought her life would be cut so short; I don’t think any of us ever thought that, but even if she did, I don’t think she would have changed a single thing about the way she lived her life. If people can learn anything from her, it’s to live like that. To live with confidence that they’re making all the right decisions. Some of us won’t get that chance again.”

Mark paused, and I had a feeling he wasn’t done speaking. Rather, he needed a moment to collect himself. He held up the two cups of coffee. “I’ve been buying two cups of coffee every day since she died. One for each of us. I come here and sit with her, and I apologize for the things I did wrong when it came to her. I sit here and wish I could go back… do it all over again. We never think it will end. We get caught up in how we believe things are supposed to be, how we believe we want them to be, but the moment it all gets ripped away, it’s the moment we realize just how wrong we were. There isn’t anything in this world I wouldn’t give for a second chance to do it right with her. Maybe then, I’d still have a piece of her here with me. I come here, because it’s the only way I can be close to her.”

Kids.

He was referring to the kids Annie had wanted. The kids he hadn’t wanted.

“I’m so sorry for the loss you’ve suffered, Mark. I can’t imagine the pain you must feel,” I said softly, genuinely.

No matter what my instincts days ago told me, no matter how I’d perked up when I’d first learned about Mark after meeting with Bethany and Clover, this man did not kill her. He was consumed with remorse. But it wasn’t remorse because he’d killed her. It was remorse because he’d lost her.

Maybe he’d been selfish when she was alive. He’d live with that regret for the rest of his life. But deep down, I fully believed there wasn’t a chance he was the one who killed her.

“Thank you. I think you might be the first person who isn’t related to me that has said that,” he shared.

“I came here, hoping for an angle on this. I was looking for some inspiration on that very personal part of Annie I wanted people to feel. I think I’ve found it now, and I hope when it comes out, you can find some peace and comfort in it.”

He nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”

I offered a friendly smile and shifted closer to Ty, a silent indication I was ready to leave. After he took two steps in the opposite direction, I said, “We’ll leave you to enjoy your coffee with Annie. But can I offer just one piece of advice?”

“Sure.”

“You know who Annie was, perhaps better than most. You know what made her proud. I think, if you really wanted to be closer to her, there are other ways than this. I can’t imagine anything would make her happier than to know someone was carrying on the important work she did while she was here on Earth. Who better than the man who loved her like you?”

Something dawned in his expression, but he didn’t say a word.

Then again, I barely took in his surprise before I ended, “It was nice to speak with you, Mark. I hope you can find some peace.”

I turned and walked away, Ty following just a step behind me. And as we walked to the car, it was safe to say I didn’t know how to feel.

It was four days after we saw Mark in the cemetery when Ty and I finally got more action. Admittedly, I’d been grateful for the time, because I had been reeling for a bit after the meeting with Mark.

But once I’d gotten through the emotional turmoil that encounter had taken on me, I knew we needed to keep pushing for answers. Next up, Bethany and Reed.

Since both were so standoffish, I didn’t expect we’d be able to set up a meeting or interview with them. It was going to require surveillance of both.

And that’s where Blaze came in. He did some investigation on his end, gave us names of some spots he recommended scoping out, and we’d done that for the last two days. Yesterday hadn’t gotten us anything useful.

Today was proving to be different.

Because for a girl who claimed she was so unlucky when it came to love, who claimed she had been rejected by the man she loved, Bethany was certainly cozy with Reed this afternoon.

Ty and I had decided to follow Bethany today, to get a feel for her. And after sitting in Ty’s vehicle for about thirty minutes thismorning at the place where Bethany worked, she left for what we could only assume was her lunch break.

---