Page 26 of The Girl in the River

As they passed the monuments of the soldiers lining Main Street, she noticed Derrick clenching and unclenching his hands.

A parade was planned for the next day, a service at the local church afterward.

They dropped Derrick’s car at the police station. Deputy Landrum had texted that the camera footage from the resort had been sent over, so they went inside to quickly review it before driving to Mia’s.

Armed with more coffee, she and Derrick watched the reels of film. Bryce was right. The footage captured excited guests arriving. Employees arranging the tables, the florist decorating, wedding planner coordinating with everyone. Mark and Liam arriving, happy and joking, sharing a beer before pictures, then the photographs at the river. Mia turning up with Tori, both women smiling and welcoming the hair stylist and makeup artist. Pixie dancing around animatedly. No sense of trouble on the horizon.

The scenes inside the bridal room were not filmed, but Ellie leaned forward, her interest piqued as something caught her attention: Mark Wade’s mother entering the bridal room. Several minutes passed before the woman emerged again.

Ellie stiffened, noting Mrs. Wade’s body language. Arms folded, shoulders rigid, eyes darting around the hallway as if she was nervous. What had happened between them?

Minutes later, Ellie drove toward Mia’s with Derrick staring out the window.

As she parked in the drive, everything was quiet. Squirrels skittered up the trunks of the tall pines and birds twittered as if welcoming the day.

Yesterday had started off bright and sunny, too. Except it had ended in death.

Were there answers inside Mia’s house?

Five minutes later, Mark pulled in behind Ellie and stepped from his gray Forerunner. He looked rough around the edges as if he hadn’t slept, pain heaped with anger in his expression as he strode toward them.

Ellie and Derrick met him at the path to the door and walked to the porch in silence. With a shaky hand, Mark handed Ellie the key, and she unlocked the door. As soon as it swung open, she went still.

Mark gasped behind her. “What the hell?”

Ellie’s stomach twisted. The house had been ransacked.

THIRTY-TWO

BABBLING CREEK RANCH

Pixie jerked awake with a scream. Where was she? Where was Mommy?

“Shh, honey, it’s okay.”

Her mind felt fuzzy and her eyes hurt. The bright light in the room blinded her.

“Mommy?” Pixie whispered.

Soft fingers brushed across Pixie’s forehead, and she blinked hard, but tears filled her eyes. “It’s Ms. Emily, sweetie.”

“Where’s Mommy?” she cried.

“Ms. Ellie is looking for her. You had a sleepover with Norah, remember,” Ms. Emily said. “We’re making pancakes right now.”

Norah slipped up beside Ms. Emily and pressed one of her dolls into Pixie’s arms. “Here, hug Dolly. You can bring her to breakfast, too. We got chocolate milk.”

Pixie buried her face against the soft cuddly rag doll with red hair. But she couldn’t think about pancakes right now or chocolate milk. All she could do was think about was her mommy and if she’d ever come back.

THIRTY-THREE

CROOKED CREEK

Cord stopped by the Corner Café for breakfast and coffee.

It had been too late to call Lola last night and apologize for abandoning her at the wedding. And… frankly he wasn’t ready to get into it about the whole moving in proposition.

When he walked into the café, he saw her serving coffee and breakfast to Sheriff Waters and Mandy Morley, who he now knew was Bryce’s daughter. That had been a shocker.

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