A moment later, she watched Avery and the officer run out into the parking lot. The man in the car must have seen them too, because he took off quickly, squealing his tires. By the time the two men caught up to the spot where the car had been, it was gone.
Rachel’s phone rang, and she picked it up.
“He got away,” Avery said, sounding out of breath. “But we did get a partial plate number. If he’d been an innocent bystander, he wouldn’t have rushed off like that.”
Rachel shivered despite the room being warm. “Thanks for trying. I guess I’ll still have to be on my guard for that guy. It’s creepy. Who would want to stalk me like that?”
Avery snorted. “Who isn’t stalking you right now?”
That made her smile. “Yeah. I suppose you’re right.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stick around?” he asked suggestively.
Rachel laughed. “Go home. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.”
“Okay. The officer is already on his way back up. Lock your door, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Avery said before hanging up.
Rachel changed into a sweatshirt and cozy pajama pants before stretching out on the bed and calling Jules.
“Hi, Mom. How are you? I see you’re still all over the news.” Jules laughed.
“It’s insane. But we’re making progress,” she told her daughter.
“We?” Jules asked. “Are you talking about ‘we’ in general or about that cute guy at the press conference who acted like your bodyguard?” Her tone was teasing.
“Bodyguard?” Rachel asked, confused. “The officer who was standing beside me?”
Jules laughed. “No. The tall guy with the wavy hair who put his arm around you.”
Rachel frowned. Had Avery done that during the press conference? It had seemed so natural, she hadn’t even noticed. “Yes. I guess he’s the ‘we’ in this conversation. His name is Avery, and he’s been helping me. He owns the town newspaper and is interested in the case because it might be connected to the murder of his mother.”
“Oh, wow. I had no idea there were more murders. That’s crazy.”
Rachel caught her up on what had happened all day and their visit with the retired DA. “But now that the press is involved, the county and city are eager to solve this case.”
“I saw on the news they’re going to exhume the little girl’s body,” Jules said. “It’s gory, but it’ll be good to identify her. It’s weird, though, that there were no missing person’s reports for a little girl the same time you were thought to be murdered.”
“Yeah. I don’t get it either,” Rachel said.
“Mom? Was that really your mother who yelled at you at the press conference? She was so scary.”
Rachel shuddered just thinking about it. “Yes, it was. She’s older now but still just as angry. I didn’t stick around to talk to her. And if all our assumptions are right, she’s actually my aunt, and Aunt Julie is my real mother.”
“This is messed up,” Jules said. “The DNA test should show up tomorrow at the facility you instructed me to send it to. I suppose they won’t process it until Monday, though.”
“Yeah. We’ll definitely have to wait on that one, but thanks for having it done and sending it. It’s all a part of this intricate puzzle. How did Aunt Julie react to you doing the test?”
“She was fine with it. Shirley helped me and told her that it was a medical test to check to make sure she wasn’t sick. Aunt Julie was pretty mellow while I was there, so she just let us do it.”
“That’s good. I was a little worried she’d freak out,” Rachel said. “She hasn’t watched the news, has she?”
“No. Shirley and the other attendants are keeping a close eye on what she watches. But everyone there was buzzing about seeing you on the news,” Jules said. “I’m confident they’ll keep Aunt Julie away from it.”
They spoke for a few more minutes and then hung up.
Rachel was yawning and nearly asleep. Too tired to do anything else, she double-checked the door and turned out the light. As she lay in the dark, Rachel wondered what it would have been like if she’d told Avery to stay. She hadn’t had a relationship since her husband died. Rachel had been too busy helping her Aunt Julie, raising Jules, and trying to make a living to think about adding a new man into the mix. And she’d missed her husband too much to even consider it. But now, Avery seemed to have slipped seamlessly into her life, and possibly her heart, before she’d even noticed. He’d been a steadying force over the past week and had a good mind she could bounce ideas off of. And it didn’t hurt that he was quite good-looking.
Rachel sighed. She had far too much to worry about right now without adding a romance into the mix. With that last thought, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
***
Rachel was up and dressed by the time Avery arrived. She’d worn a nice pair of black pants with a print blouse and a black jacket. Even though this was an exhumation and not a funeral, Rachel still felt it was a solemn occasion. Opening the door for Avery, she figured he must have thought the same way. He’d also worn nice clothes in dark colors. And he’d been thoughtful enough to bring coffee.
“Ahh,” Rachel said after taking a delicious sip. “Thanks for thinking of coffee. I needed it.”
“I figured we both did. I brought some for your shadow, too.” Avery nodded toward the police officer still in the hallway. “Although I’m sure he’s ready to go home and sleep.”
She looked at him somberly. “Well, I guess it’s time.”
Avery had parked at the back of the hotel, and they quickly slipped into his SUV before any reporters saw them. They drove to the cemetery and were waved through the gate by a
