Page 35 of What Lies in the Woods

“We may need to take a look at it,” Bishop said.

“Why?” I asked, baffled. “I told you, it’s in Seattle. In the back of my closet.”

“What were you doing in the woods last night, Ms. Cunningham?” Bishop asked. I stared at her, uncomprehending. And then I understood, and my breath caught. “What were you doing in the woods?” Bishop repeated.

My mouth was dry. I reached for the cup of water someone had given me along with the coffee, but it was empty. I put my hand around it anyway, tightening my fingers until the plastic bowed. “I didn’t hurt Liv,” I said hoarsely.

“That’s not what I asked you.”

“She died last night? There?” It was the only thing that made sense. My breath was thin and sharp and wouldn’t fill my lungs all the way. The pond wasn’t far from the Grotto. Wasn’t far from where I’d been thrashing around drunkenly, chasing after shadows. “I saw someone. In the woods. I thought they were following me.”

“You saw someone. A man or a woman?”

“I don’t know. A man, I think. It was dark.”

“Really.” Her skepticism made the word a bludgeon. Anger flared in my chest. The heat of it licked out along my ribs, piercing the cold, muddled haze of grief and shock that had wrapped itself around me. “You’re sure you saw someone?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I bit out. But I hadn’t been, had I? I’d told myself it was all my imagination.

“Large, small, thin, fat? Could you tell their race, their age?”

“No. They were just a shadow. I saw them moving.” It sounded ridiculous. I’d been drunk off my ass, and she knew it.

“And what time was this?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“I see.” Her tone was unsurprised. I set my jaw. “Your best guess.”

I tried to track the time line back in my mind, but I didn’t remember looking at the clock after dinner with Cody. “After sunset. I had dinner and then I crashed in my motel room for a while and watched TV. I’m not sure for how long.”

“What did you watch?” Almost bored. Like it didn’t matter.

“Forensic Files,” I said. “I watched an episode and channel-surfed for a while. I’m not sure how long. Maybe an hour. I went over to the Corner Store and then drove out. Sat in my car for a while. It couldn’t have been much later than ten. So she wasn’t out there yet.” I sagged, the faintest tremor of relief going through me. If she’d been out there, and I hadn’t heard her, hadn’t helped her…

“What makes you say that?”

“Kimiko heard her coming home early in the morning. Or really late? I’m not sure.”

“The gate code to the Barnes residence was entered at 4:47 a.m.,” Bishop said. She’d already known. So she was just checking my story. “Did anyone else see you?”

“While I was passed out in my car, you mean? I have no idea,” I said, irritated. She was wasting her time.

“Why were you at the pond this morning?”

I was getting a headache. Or maybe I’d had one all along. “I was looking for Liv. I was worried. She’d left me a voicemail that sounded strange. I thought she might try to hurt herself.”

“What time did she call you?”

“Ten.”

“Around the time you were in the woods.”

“Signal is patchy out there. It must have gone straight to voicemail.” Or I hadn’t noticed it. I’d been too wrapped up in myself, in my memories.

“How were things between you and Olivia?”

“Good,” I said tightly.

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