Page 50 of Vows of Murder

I texted Amy.Lunch tomorrow?

I watched as the bubbles bounced on my phone. Please have lunch with me since I’m lonely now. I didn’t text that since it lookeda little needy.

I blew out my breath when I read her response.Sure, eleven?

Perfect.

At least I had one appointment that wasn’t just work. Now that my degree was finished, the wedding was over, and I’d figured out what was happening with the coffee shop, my to-do list looked a little bare. Maybe I needed to get a hobby or take some classes. Amy was busy remodeling her house with Justin, but maybe Darla or Esmeralda would take something with me. I’d put it on my list to see what was available, then throw out an invite to everyone I knew.

Okay, maybe not everyone. Like not Josh Thomas, but I might see if his new wife, Mandy, was ready to do something without her husband.

Or maybe I’d find new friends when I figured out what my new hobby was going to be. As we went down the stairs to the beach, I sawMolly walking with a young woman. As she flipped her hair out of her eyes, I realized it was Carlie. Molly had reunited with her daughter.

I didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, but Molly waved me over to where they had sat down on a blanket on the beach. Emma and I joined them. We were the only ones on the beach. Emma watched the seagulls playing in the waves. I unfastened her leash and she ran to the edge. “Don’t go far,” I called after her.

The girl laughed as Molly hugged her. “Jill, this is Carlie. We’re hanging out in the area until she goes back to school next week.”

Carlie stood and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m a recovering member of the New Hope cult. I read a lot of books that came from your store in the last few months. You have quite the collection.”

“I don’t remember seeing you in the store.” I shook her hand. “And we’re all recovering from something, right?”

“I like your attitude.” Carlie grinned at her mom. “Mom and I went to your store last night. It was my first time there. Maryanne used to bring me the books I wanted. Kane didn’t like me to leave the compound. He knew Mom was looking for me. A fact he never shared with me.”

Molly grimaced at the mention of Kane. “Well, I was out there. Crying in the wilderness.”

Carlie squeezed her mom’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I wrote you letters, but I guess they never left the compound. Kane used them to get deeperinto my head.”

I felt horrible for her. “I’m so sorry for what youwent through.”

Carlie shrugged. “Mostly, it was fine. I just missed my mom at times. I got swept into Kane’s world and didn’t even realize what was going on. I’d make a horrible interviewee for one of those talk shows.They kept me in the dark, but it wasn’t a bad life. I’m ready to get back to school, though, and figure out what I want to dowith my life.”

Emma barked at a stubborn seagull that wasn’t moving. I started to get up, but Carlie reached for the leash. “I’ll get her, if you don’t mind. We weren’t allowed to have pets atthe compound.”

I handed her the leash and watched as she went up to play with Emma and distract her from the seagulls. “She seems good.”

“She’s a lot better since she spent some time with the local minister, Pastor Bill.” Molly watched her daughter carefully. “Shethought leaving the compound meant she was turning her back on God. Kane had convinced her that New Hope was the only way. And that the end of the world was coming soon.”

“She talked to Bill Doyle?” Now my spidey senseswere tingling.

“That’s one of the reasons we’re still here. If I had my way, we’d be in Maine or somewhere farther away from New Hope. Bill seems to calm her. I guess you must know that about him, since he performed your wedding ceremony. He’s also been helping me talk through my jumbled thoughts since I came to town. About Carlie, and then the entire Vince thing. I wish I could thank him.”

“Did you meet with him Sunday morning before last? Before you came to see Kane at the mission?”

Molly nodded. “I wasn’t sure if I should go. I was worried about putting Carlie in danger. He convinced me to go and at least see what he wantedto talk about.”

“Molly, did you tell Greg about this?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I was so upset after finding Kane like that. I think it just slipped my mind. And no one asked. They just wanted to know when I got there and why I agreed to meet Kane. Why?”

“I think I have a way for you to thank Bill. Can you tell Greg what you just told me? About meeting with Bill?” I dialed Greg’s number and after he answered, I asked him to hold on while I handedher the phone.

Chapter 20

Greg came home early Wednesday night. I hadn’t started dinner because he’d said he would be late, but I’d kept my promise to Emma and we’d gone through ten wedding gifts. The thank you notes I’d written were sitting on the coffee table. I thought it would make it look like we’d done them together if he at least signed the card.

“I thought you were working late.” I muted the cooking show I’d had on for company as I read with Emma. Well, I’d read while she’d cuddled and watched them cook food on the television. It workedfor both of us.

He leaned down and kissed me. “Someone took my best suspect off the list. And thank you, by the way. I don’t think Sadie would ever have forgiven me if I’d arrested her fiancé.”