“If I can’t have her, no one can?”

“Yes.” Louisa nodded. “That I could believe.” She took a long breath. “When we were children, Blaine had a small sailboat. As a punishment for some misdeed, his father took it away and gave it to Blaine’s younger brother. Blaine sank it out of pure spite.”

The fact that Blaine could be crazy jealous, emphasis on the crazy, scared Conor even more. “So you’ll talk to the police again?”

“If you think Blaine could have killed Riki and Zoe, then I’ll have to.” But her discomfort was clear on her face. “They know who Blaine is because he showed up at the ER that night, but even though it’s impossible to prove, they should hear what he did.”

Probably not a good time to go to sleep. Conor located the remote and found the movie they’d been watching in the other room. But no amount of clever cinematography could possibly make an old ghost story as frightening as real-life murder.

His mind reeled with all of Louisa’s revelations about her father, her aunt, and Blaine. Their relationship seemed to have turned a corner tonight, but how could he be sure she wouldn’t hold back on him again? Was she even capable of being in a long-term relationship? And if she wasn’t, what would it do to him?

CHAPTER 27

27

Louisa awoke in a cold, empty bed. Her hand automatically swept the sheets next to her, seeking him.

Where was Conor? She got up, picking up her robe from the floor and putting it on. She tied the sash, remembering the look of raw hunger on Conor’s face when he viewed her naked body. Then his resignation when he refused to have sex with her a second time.

She remembered every moment of the previous night.

He’d been right. Blaine must have put something in her drink at the party. Why did that make her feel better? If anything, the truth made her more of a victim. But it also verified what she’d always known inside and never admitted, not even to herself. Blaine had done more than capitalize on her vulnerability and take advantage of her sadness at her father’s absence, and he’d been lying about that night ever since.

But did Blaine’s actions mean he could kill two young girls? The police hadn’t said whether or not the girls were sexually assaulted. Blaine clearly didn’t have a conscience, but was he a murderer? The theory felt like a huge stretch.

By the time she’d turned sixteen, she’d already fielded his advances numerous times. So Blaine obviously did whatever it took to get what he wanted. Was he doing that now?

Later this morning, she would call Detective Jackson and tell him everything. Perhaps the information, even unsubstantiated, might make the detective look at Blaine more closely.