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Back The Newcomer Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

“I wish it were that easy. But I can’t prove a negative. I can’t prove I didn’t kill my sister. And in the meantime, what happens to Maya? If I went back, Evan’s lawyers would either get a judge to award him custody, or they might put her in foster care. I can’t let that happen to her.”

Isabelle was bagging up linens, too. She took her stack and placed it in another laundry cart and added the stack Letty had just finished. “So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know how, but I guess I’m going to have to prove Evan Wingfield killed Tanya,” Letty said. She put the last stack of linens into the cart. “But first I’ve got to deliver all this laundry.”

“I’ll help,” Isabelle said. “With both. I’m good at figuring stuff out.”

“Absolutely not,” Letty said. “I never should have told you anything. Don’t even think about trying to play detective, Isabelle. You don’t know Evan. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

19

“UGH,” AVA SAID, PUSHING AWAY from the computer monitor. She’d been working with the new booking software all morning, mumbling and cursing under her breath. “That’s enough of that for today.”

Letty came in from the storeroom, where she’d been reorganizing the shelves, and looked over her boss’s shoulder at the spreadsheet. “This looks great, Ava. You’ve uploaded all the upcoming reservations. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“It was a lot easier when I just had a paper calendar and a registration book,” Ava groused. “Why is progress always such a royal pain in the patootie?”

“You’re getting there,” Letty said. “Okay, I’ve cleaned out a bunch of shelves in the supply room, and labeled everything, so I’d say that’s progress. Hope it’s okay that I threw out all the old outdated rate cards, promotional flyers, and motel stationery. I found stacks and stacks of brochures that were so old they didn’t even have our area code.”

“Good work,” Ava said.

“Letty, look what I did,” Maya said proudly. “I do good work too.”

She’d assembled a large wooden puzzle that was a map of the United States.

“That’s great, ladybug,” Letty said. “Where’d you find the puzzle?”

“I gave it to her,” Ava said. “That used to be Joe’s. And then Isabelle’s. I know I promised to clean out every closet in the place, and I did get rid of most of their old books and toys, but there were a few things I just couldn’t part with.”

Maya placed her hands protectively over the puzzle. “Mine.”

“What’s next on my list for today?” Letty asked, wiping her dusty hands on a paper towel.