Page 87 of The Summer that Changed Everything

“I found it butting up againstourdock the night of the party and carried it back to the Zampinos myself.”

Ford’s jaw dropped. “Youreturned the boat?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“Now or fifteen years ago?”

“Let’s start with fifteen years ago, when the police were trying to figure it out.”

“No one asked me,” he said.

“And when I brought it up?”

“It took me a minute, but that’s what reminded me.”

“What time was it when you took the boat back?”

“I have no clue. After I got home from the party I hung out in my room for a while, playing video games. Then I tried togo to bed but couldn’t sleep, so I went outside to dangle my feet in the river—and there it was.”

“No one saw you return it?”

“I guess not. By then, it was raining, and everyone had either left or gone inside.”

“I’m surprised the police never came to your door.”

“If they did, they talked to my dad or my mom. No one said anything to me.”

But he came to almost every day of the trial. Wouldn’t he have thought that information was crucial? Lucy drew her eyebrows together in concentration as she listened harder.

“And you didn’t think it was important to say something?” Ford pressed.

“Not at all. I knew the boat had nothing to do with the murder, so I wasn’t worried about it. The police seemed to understand that, too.”

Lucy grimaced. The police had turned their attention to her father almost right away, searched only for evidence that would prove he was the one who’d done it. The boat didn’t help them build their case against him, so they’d simply ignored that loose end.

Ford slid his chair back and offered Lucy a place on his lap—and she could hear even better when she took it. “Do you know where Stephanie lives?” he asked Chet.

“No.”

“You haven’t remained in contact with her?”

“Here and there, but... hang on.” Chet went silent for a few seconds. “Sorry about that,” he said when he came back to the conversation. “Kira needs me. I wish I could be more help.”

“No problem. I’ll talk to you later,” Ford said and disconnected as he looked at Lucy. “You heard that, right?”

She nodded. “I guess we no longer have to canvass the Zampinos’ neighborhood,” she said wryly.

“We should probably talk to the neighbors, anyway, see ifanyone remembers anything strange from that night that we don’t already know about.”

“You think we might actually uncover something?”

“You don’t?”

“I’m afraid no one will talk to me. The people around here are more loyal to Aurora and Aurora’s family than they are to me, so they’ll shut me out even though I’m only after the truth.”

“They think they already have the truth.”

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