There was a bitterness in her voice, which she wasn’t trying too hard to hide. “Just fair warning that Emma is known for being a little bit less than reliable, so I’d make sure you work out an agreement ahead of time,” she said. “Something pretty concrete. Just my two cents. Trust me, I have firsthand experience.”

I wanted to learn as much as I could. Every single detail seemed to count. If I could just find something, anything, I could go back to Hooks. I cleared my throat and tried to keep my expression as neutral as possible. “Are you saying she’s someone I shouldn’t work with?”

The girl shrugged. “I’m just saying she’s a complicated person. I shouldn’t really go into much more detail than that.”

“What you’re trying to say is that she’s a nutso bitch,” the man said. He turned back to face the clerk who was punching something into the register.

The girl smiled and began to turn back too but stopped and looked back at me.

“Don’t listen to us,” she said. “We’re just being nosy neighbors. If she wants to hire you, I say go for it.”

She turned her back to me, signaling that the conversation was over. I watched them finish up and leave the store before buying my scarf and heading back out to my car.

As I drove away, my phone buzzed, and my breath caught when I saw that I had a new Twitter notification.

@RyanHooksOfficial is now following you!

And a direct message.

Send me your number.

My mouth was dry as I turned the corner and began to head home.

Chapter 11

Claire

The Night in Question

Claire was sitting next to Meggie Bentley on the couch in her sister’s living room. She watched as an investigator bagged up the red shoe and carried it away.

“I need to ask you a few questions about what happened tonight,” Claire said. “Is now a good time?”

With her bright-pink hair and small frame, the only clue that she was related to the tall, slender woman whom Claire had interviewed just moments earlier was the sparkle in her bright-green eyes. Meggie’s gaze darted back and forth between the detective in front of her and her sister, who walked by and toward the short hallway that led to her bedroom.

“Okay,” Meggie said slowly, crossing her hands in her lap. Where her sister had trembled with every breath and seemed unable to process what was happening, Meggie was calm, quiet, and collected. “What is it that you want to know?”

“You’re the one who found Mrs. Brighton’s body, yes?” Claire asked. “With your boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Meggie said, and she exhaled through pursed lips. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get that image out of my mind.”

“Where is your boyfriend now?”