Page 85 of Our Darkest Summer
“Did she say where she was going?” Kinsley asked, leaning forward. She must have been thinking about what Evelyn Marsh said. The gray car in town.
Ava hesitated. “Not that I can remember. But there was one thing that stuck with me over the years. Maybe it was the way she said it… or because it was the last thing I heard before she got into her car?—”
The room seemed to still. I shifted to the edge of my seat, and we all held our breaths.
“Hyacinth.”
Hyacinth?The word landed like a rock in my chest, another thing I couldn’t place. The silence pressed down, and I tapped on the glass of my watch. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
“The to-do list,” Braxton blurted, jolting upright. “Wasn’tflowerswritten on it? Hyacinth is a flower. So if you add one and one—” He gestured vaguely while Kinsley pulled out her phone, already searching through the group chat’s photos.
“He’s right,” she murmured. “That’s the last thing on her list.”
I exhaled slowly, my mind circling the new puzzle piece that didn’t seem to lead anywhere. We already knew she bought flowers. Deep purple ones. I could still see them sitting on the counter, like they’d always been there.
I lifted my gaze at Ava, but she only shook her head.
“I wish I could tell you more.” Her voice was regretful. “But that’s all I know.”
Frustration pressed against my ribs. This couldn’t be our last lead. It couldn’t just end here, stranded at another dead end, with more questions than answers. But it was.
As we made our way toward the door, Kinsley lingered behind. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the subtle shift in her posture, her gaze shifting toward the commode near the mirror. Her fingers brushed against something. Then, just as quickly, she slipped her hand into her pocket.
“Thomas.”
Ava’s voice pulled me back. She stood near the door, watching me.
“If Lizzie disappeared on her own, maybe there’s a good reason she doesn’t want to be found,” she said. “You were just a child… adults do complicated things. Mistakes.”
A muscle ticked in my cheek, but I stayed silent, letting her words settle in before asking, “Do you think she left?”
Ava blinked, considering, before shaking her head. “I don’t. But sometimes people do things you never expect.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything else on the topic. “Well, thank you for your help.”
She gave a small nod. “Would you guys want to stay for dinner? We’re ordering from Julio’s.”
Braxton’s excited, “Yes”, echoed through the house. I turned after my brother, but he was already in the car with Kevin. I shook my head.
“We have a lot to do.” I glanced at Kinsley for agreement just as she slipped past Ava.
“I’m sorry, but can I ask if you had any other visitors today besides us?”
What was she doing?
“Dear God, no,” Ava chuckled. “I haven’t even had the energy to unpack yet.”
Kinsley wrinkled her nose. Something flickered behind her eyes, but she said nothing else. We were halfway to the car when Samantha called after her. She turned, her brows lifting, but there was something distant about her. Like her mind was still back inside, circling something.
“Cora, Aaliyah, and I were talking… would you want to come to a sleepover later?”
She hesitated, shielding her eyes, even though the sun was already settling.
“I know it’s a bit weird with everything going on, but?—”
“Okay,” Kinsley answered. “I’m in.”
Samantha smiled. “I’ll send over the address.”
