Page 15 of The One Before

“This is my fiancée,” Coop says. He places a hand on my hip.

“Pleasure to finally meet you,” Jim says. “Cooper and I go way back.”

“Jimmy is the Whisper Falls Police Chief now,” Coop says.

The last thing I wanted was to be introduced to yet another family acquaintance. A friend, actually. Not after what Bridgette just told me. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No,” Jim says, clapping his hand on Coop’s shoulder. “I’m not here on business. Just noticed the car parked across the street and thought I’d check in on my old friend.”

“You’ll have to come by the house for dinner soon,” Coop says. “Madison’s spent the day furniture shopping.”

“I’d like that,” Jim says, nodding to me. “You should check out Turner’s. They’ve got some great stuff down there.”

I nod. It’s been difficult trying to contain my upset at this impromptu introduction, and I’d rather Jim leave so I can talk to Coop.

“You still have my number?” Jim asks as he walks out. They stand on the front step, laughing and high fiving. Beneath their suits and titles, they seem little more than young boys reliving their youth. Coop is smiling when he walks back inside, shutting the door and locking it.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“Not really,” I say, looking away and taking a seat in the armchair beside the window, the cracked leather poking at my skin. “I just heard something really awful.”

“What is it?” Coop leans against the front desk, crossing his arms. “Did something happen with my family?”

“Nothing like that,” I say, thinking back to how I reacted in the parking lot with Roman and Josephine. They must have deemed my sudden departure rude, especially after Josephine had paid for our new furniture.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he says. “You’re worrying me.”

I take a deep breath, considering where to start. “Last night, Regina and I went to the football game.”

“I know.” He’d been asleep when we returned from the lake, and I barely had time to speak with him this morning before he was off to the office again. He laughs. “I bet you stuck out like a sore thumb.”

“There was this woman there. Bridgette. She made a rude comment to Regina about Celia.” I struggle to say her name. “Bridgette works at Turner’s. When I saw her, I tried confronting her. That’s when she told me people think you killed Celia.”

Coop stares at me, waiting to see if there’s more, then he looks down. “Bridgette doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

“I gather she’s not the most reliable source,” I say, scooting closer to the edge of the chair. “But is what she said true? Do people really think you had something to do with Celia’s death?”

He exhales, and I can see his body stiffening. “Some people.”

I stand, dropping my bag on the chair. “That’s crazy. Why would people think that?”

“It’s a nasty rumor that got started years ago. I didn’t tell you about it because I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“What makes me uncomfortable is hearing about this from strangers. I don’t want to be blindsided by catty comments.”

“Did Regina say something—”

“That’s not the point,” I say, defiantly. “Whatever story there is about you and Celia, I need to hear all of it. Now.”

He holds eye contact, then nods. “We were both lifeguards at Whisper Lake. The day she went missing, we spent an hour or so at my family’s dock. I left to go to a party. People thought I might be involved because I was the last person seen with her. And that’s it. There’s nothing connecting me to her death.”

He’s told me about that day before, but the scenario materializes more clearly now. I have a frame of reference, locations and faces I can picture in my mind. And a sickening twinge in my gut about the accusations being made. “Bridgette said her head—”

“Her skull was cracked.” For the first time, he looks angry. I’m entitled to these details, but they’re understandably hard for him to give. I’m dredging up memories he’s long buried. “She drowned. Probably knocked her head against something while she was in the water. There’s a lot of dangerous spots on the lake.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me you were accused of killing her?”

“I’ve defended my honor enough to the people around here. I shouldn’t have to do it in my own home.”

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