Page 104 of The Followers

Within twenty-four hours, the FBI had met Oliver at the bank and opened Kristina’s safe deposit box. Inside they found cash, drugs, and incriminating information that linked Rasband to a Pittsburgh-area drug ring. The rest of the story emerged swiftly. The FBI believed that Kristina had somehow learned about Rasband’s involvement; he was her father’s former partner, and she would have recognized him easily. Going to the police would have been complicated, given Rasband’s position and Kristina’s own history of drug use, but Kristina must have been collecting evidence with that goal in mind.

At some point, Rasband must have found out what Kristina had been stashing away. When he came that night for the key, Kristina had hidden Gabriela in the closet, along with the diaper bag containing the key to the safe deposit box. Liv drew some comfort from the fact that Kristina’s last act had been to protect her daughter.

And as the lead detective on the case, Rasband had been able to direct the investigation away from anything that could incriminate himself.

Liv had tried her best to walk the line between helping the investigation and getting too involved. She and Molly had hardly spoken, not wanting anyone to suspect that they had corroborated on their stories. No one knew Jeremiah was even involved, and Liv hoped to keep it that way.

Most of all, she didn’t want law enforcement to know what they had done that night to help Scott disappear. After he drove off with Ella in Jeremiah’s Jeep, she and Jeremiah had driven the Westfalia halfway to the Mexican border and ditched it, then hitchhiked to the nearest town and bought bus tickets back to Durango. They rode several rows apart, and when they arrived the next day, they’d gone their separate ways without a word. They’d had no contact since.

Liv didn’t know how to feel about it; her emotions regarding Jeremiah were still too raw, and she pushed any thought of him out of her mind.

Across the playground, Liv saw Molly and Chloe walking toward her, hand in hand. She’d texted Molly that morning, asking Molly to meet her. At least Molly had shown up. But Liv had no idea how the conversation would go. She assumed Molly was still furious, and Liv couldn’t blame her. She took a deep breath and ran her sweaty palms along her thighs.

Molly wore a faded Denver Broncos baseball cap. Her hair was in a messy braid, her eyes obscured by huge sunglasses. Not her trademark pink ones, though. Liv guessed she was exhausted by the constant attention and trying to slip through the park unnoticed.

Chloe ran toward the playground and Molly sat on the bench next to Liv, facing forward, her spine rigid.

“Thanks for meeting me,” Liv said.

“Thanks for reaching out. It’s been lonely dealing with this on my own.” Molly kept her voice low, her body stiff. Anyone watching them would never assume they had been friends. “Are you okay?”

“Me?” Liv said, surprised. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“I’m okay. But I need to know something.” Molly turned to face Liv. She had removed her sunglasses, so Liv stared directly into those wide, girl-next-door eyes. No makeup. Red-rimmed and puffy. Liv steeled herself for Molly’s questions: How could you do this to me? How could you lie to me? How could you destroy my family like this?

“How did he look?” Molly’s voice caught. “When he got in the Jeep and drove away—you were closer to him than I was.”

Liv sank back against the bench, remembering Scott’s anguish when Molly said those final words: I can’t forgive you. And then: Just go. The pain in his eyes as he drove off. “He looked heartbroken.”

Molly replaced her sunglasses. “I hope he understands. I hope he knows I love him.”

“Listen,” Liv said, trying to get all the words out in a rush, “I want you to know that I’m so sorry—”

“No more apologies. Everything is forgiven.” Molly reached over and took her hand. Relief swelled in Liv’s chest. “You’re leaving later today, right?”

Liv had let Molly know in her text message about her next temp job—she’d chosen the farthest possible location. “That’s right.”

“Why Hawaii? I thought maybe you’d go visit your brother.”

“I will,” Liv said. “It’s just a month-long position, and then I’ll go back to Pennsylvania, meet Oliver there.”

She and Oliver had plans to visit the cemetery where Gran and Kristina were buried, to face the memories and perhaps gain some closure.

Across the playground, Chloe had made friends with a curly-haired boy. They were chasing each other up and down the slide. The boy’s mom sat on a blanket under a tree, holding her phone in Molly’s direction.

Molly tugged the brim of her cap lower, angling her face away. “Any word from Miah?”

Liv shook her head, her throat tight. She knew any connection between them might raise suspicions, especially if the police discovered that Jeremiah’s Jeep was missing. But it still hurt that he hadn’t reached out. “It would never work between us, anyway.”

“It wouldn’t?” Molly sounded gently skeptical. “Believe me, I understand how painful it is when someone you love keeps something of this magnitude from you. But that doesn’t mean what you shared wasn’t real and wonderful and worth it. Do you regret your time with him?”

Memories flooded Liv’s mind, sweet and painful: Jeremiah racing her up a hill, Jeremiah shaking lake water from his hair, Jeremiah’s sleep-soft face on the pillow next to hers.

“No,” Liv said. “I don’t.”

Molly gave a small nod. “We should never regret loving someone with our whole heart, no matter what happens. Otherwise we’re only living life halfway.”

Classic Molly Sullivan, even now. A smile tugged Liv’s lips. “You know, that would make a great video.”

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