Page 88 of Proof

“Boyd Wilson,” she whispered out loud. “Huh. Well, if it isn’t Brendan, then he surely has a twin.”

A few minutes later, Brendan’s body double came around to the driver’s side of the car. He didn’t recognize her at first.

“Brendan. It’s me. Luna.” Tears started to well up.

He went pale. “Luna. You can’t be here.”

“But why? What happened?” she pleaded.

“Luna, please. Get out of here. Do not tell anyone you saw me. You have to go.”

“But . . . but . . .” She was sputtering.

“Please, Luna. Just go.” His voice was stern, almost harsh.

“Okay. Okay.” She started her car and drove off the property, more tears streaming down her face. “Why? Why? Why?”

As she exited, she didn’t notice a second car that had been parked on the other side of the entrance. When she returned to the B&B, Gail was reading a newspaper with the television on in the background. “Hey, chica. Where were you off to so early this morning?”

Luna looked pale. “I . . . I . . . went out to Canyon Farms.”

“Canyon Farms?” Gail looked very confused. “Why?”

Luna sat down across the table and let out a long breath. “Don’t be mad, but when you were in the grocery store yesterday, I thought I saw Brendan again, this time getting into a truck. I took a photo.” She scrolled through her phone and showed Gail the picture of the man Luna claimed was her friend. “I just couldn’t stand it. I had a feeling it was him, and it is him.”

Gail almost dropped her coffee mug. “Holy guacamole. Wow. But why? How? What?”

“When I got to the farm, I asked if Brendan Nelson was there. A young guy said no one by that name worked at the place. Then I showed him the photo. He said the guy’s name was Boyd Wilson.”

“And then?” Gail’s eyes were like saucers.

“And then the kid went and got Boyd. He didn’t recognize me at first, but then told me to go away, I shouldn’t be there, blah, blah, blah. He was almost mean about it.”

“How long did you talk to him?”

“Two minutes. Tops.” Luna’s eyes welled up again.

“So you didn’t have a chance to ask him about the boating accident?”

“Nope.” Luna twisted her mouth. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I think you should do nothing. Maybe he’s in some kind of trouble and doesn’t want to be found.”

“True, but Brendan was never one for getting into trouble. I don’t think he ever got a speeding ticket.”

“Sweetcakes, you need to put this away. Out of your head. You can’t go snooping—” Gail was cut off by a news break on the TV.

“A thirty-seven-year-old man was run off the highway just outside of Canyon Ranch. He was one of the ranch employees. By the time the police arrived on scene, the other vehicle was found abandoned, and the victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. If anyone has any information regarding the accident, please contact the local police department.”

Gail and Luna were frozen, holding their coffee mugs midair. Finally, Gail grabbed Luna’s mug from her shaking hands. “You don’t know if it was Brendan. . . Boyd . . . whatever.”

“No. It was him. I just know it. We have to go to the hospital.”

“Oh no, we do not,” Gail insisted. “You need to leave well enough alone.”

“Well enough? Well enough?” Luna’s voice was at an all-time high volume. Even Max barked in response.

“Listen, if there was foul play, you don’t want to go anywhere near it. There is nothing you can do except send him good vibes. If it even is him.”

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