“You think that Lexi and Penn and that other girl are somehow involved with the murders? That’s what you’re suggesting?”

“I don’t know,” Harper said, then changed her mind. “Yes. I do. I think they’re connected.”

“At the risk of being accused of being a sexist pig, I’m going to say something—they’re just girls.” He took a small step back from Harper, as if he expected her to hit him, but she didn’t. “I get that it’s the new millennium and equal rights and girls can be serial killers just as well as boys. But those three girls don’t really look like they have the upper body strength to, you know, eviscerate somebody.”

“I know, but…” She furrowed her brow. “They’re evil, and they had something to do with it. I may not understand how yet, but I know it.”

Daniel watched her for a minute, thinking, then he nodded. “No. I believe you. Now what?”

“I don’t know.” She sighed. “But I’m not letting Gemma go anywhere near them again. I’ll tie her to the bed if I have to.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“Where is Gemma?” Daniel asked.

“She’s over at Alex’s.” Harper gestured to his house next door. “She’s comforting him.”

“So we know she’s safe and taken care of?” Daniel asked, and she nodded. “Good. Then why don’t we do something that you want to do?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. What do you like to do?”

“Um…” Her stomach rumbled, since crying always made her hungry. “I like eating breakfast.”

“That’s so weird.” Daniel grinned. “Because I like making French toast.”

“That works out, doesn’t it?”

Together, Harper and Daniel made breakfast. Her dad came in when he smelled it cooking, and the three of them ate together. It could’ve been a little awkward, but it wasn’t. Daniel was respectful and funny, and Brian seemed to like him.

She knew that when Daniel left, her dad would be full of inquiries about the nature of their relationship that she wasn’t prepared to answer. But it was still worth it.

21. The Island

TWENTY-ONE

The Island

Being on the island brought back memories. It had been far too long since either Harper or her father had been out to visit Bernie McAllister, so when Brian invited her to tag along with him that afternoon, she happily accepted.

With Gemma still over at Alex’s, it was just the two of them, and that was a bit of a shame, since Gemma had always liked Bernie, too. Although, to be fair, Harper had never been that sure if it was the old man or if she really just loved the island.