So, what are the bigger guns that might not be right for me? It was an innocent enough question—the idle curiosity of a gun novice—but Hope’s interest had been anything but casual. As he rattled off a quick list of larger weapons, it was the .357 that leaped out at her. Then she pulled the trigger of the much-smaller weapon. After all that free physical therapy no one had ever offered her until Hopewell, she thought her wrist strength was almost normal, but nope. Then how in fuck’s sake, she wondered, had she managed fifteen years before, wasted on a bucket of vodka Red Bulls with some mushrooms on top, to not only fire a .357 but land a clean shot into Hitch’s stomach? She obviously hadn’t, and yet Alex had sworn it was so.

She’d googled him over the years, more so in the beginning, but the name was too common to be of much use. But after that trip to the shooting range, Hope had treated it like a full-time job. It was an article that popped up in January from the East Hampton Star that alerted her to his job at the fishing guide operation.

Before she had decided what to do with that information, the pieces began to fall into place by themselves. Lindsay said she was going to check out a summer rental. They’d make a weekend out of it, and Hope floated the idea of a fishing trip for a little adventure.

As they approached the docks, Hope had tried to anticipate Alex’s reaction. Would he hug her, thrilled to discover she was still alive? Ask what she’d been up to all these years? Pull her aside and beg for forgiveness for lying to her about the shooting? But he did nothing. He said nothing. He treated her like a complete stranger. So she moved to East Hampton, intent on proving that he was the one who killed Hitch, blamed her for it, and then left her for dead at the side of the road.

Melissa was asking if she had any memories yet of the night Hitch died.

She shook her head. “Still a total blank.” Pretty close to the truth.

“What about Alex?”

“When I look at a picture of him, I think I sort of remember being with him, but, again, maybe it’s just because I’ve gotten used to the idea by now.” Not at all true.