Page 77 of A Step You Shouldn't Take

“He had a tattoo on his left arm, between his wrist and his elbow. Not sure what it was because I only saw it for a second. Maybe one of them tribal things?”

A clue! Another clue! “That’s very useful.”

“Good luck, lady. Let me know if you find the girl, will ya? And stop by any time. It’s been a long while since I talked to anyone but Little Miss Sunshine over there.”

“I’ll be sure to do that. Thank you for your help.”

Reed had been waiting at my elbow, both for moral support and to act as a lookout in case anyone saw me talking to myself.

“Ready to go, sweetheart?”

“Almost. Could you help me with one tiny thing first?”

“What thing?”

“We need to drag this dumpster over there.”

Shana screamed blue murder when we positioned the dumpster in front of her, but I ignored her complaints. I’d had plenty of practice at that. Better still, she was short, so the trash muffled her cries and she couldn’t see over the top. Perfect.

I gave Shawn a wave as we headed to Reed’s SUV, and he grinned and waved back. Yes, today I’d learned a lesson in not judging people by their appearances.

“Did one of the ghosts say you had a fat ass?” Reed asked.

“Shana did. I didn’t like her much.” Or at all, in fact.

“Don’t listen to her. She’s talking bullshit.”

Perhaps, but it was always easier to believe the bad stuff.

CHAPTER 23 - REED

AFTER OUR VISIT to Illusion, we headed back to Kim’s since she had more space than Wyatt. She’d bought a hell of a house for one person. This morning, for the first time in months, I hadn’t woken up with a backache, so I couldn’t complain about her extravagance, even if worries over Emma kept me from sleeping properly.

On the way, Kim filled me in on her conversations with Shana and Lil Shawn, and my last bit of hope leached away. Emma had been taken by Tim, and if Georgette’s fate was any indication, she wouldn’t be coming back.

Was it better or worse to know the truth? Before, anger had simmered under the surface every time Emma sent one of her bland messages, but now I felt a mixture of sadness and white-hot fury. More than anything, I wanted to find my sister’s body and give her a proper burial, then make sure her killer rotted in hell.

“Shall we pick up groceries before we go home?” Kim asked. Her voice wavered as though she was trying hard to cling to normality.

“Saves going out again later.”

The only girl I’d ever been food shopping with was my sister, and while Emma used to rush through the aisles picking out the ingredients for all her favourite foods, Kim studied the calorie contents then added delights like a pre-cooked omelette, pre-chopped vegetables, and pre-grated low-fat cheese to the cart.

“Are you still worrying about the ‘fat ass’ comment?”

“No.” She tossed a package of chips back onto the shelf. “Maybe.”

“Ever thought about the reason I always walk behind you?”

Obviously not, but now she did. “Did you just admit to staring at my ass?”

“Yeah.”

Her lips twitched as if she wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or pissed. Cute.

“Uh, thank you? I think.”

I picked up the shrivelled omelette. “You know this is the most expensive way to buy food? And fresh eggs taste much better.”

---