Page 5 of The Lost Bones
“Is my house a crime scene too?” Mackenzie asked Nick.
“If you didn’t notice anything out of place or a lock broken, then I don’t see the need. But I’ll have Peterson do a visual inspection with you inside in case you missed something.”
They were discussing the details of how to tow the car and move the body when the first splat of rain fell on them, and then another. Suddenly the sky turned a shade darker, and a faint drizzle took over. Mackenzie felt the air thicken with gloom as the technicians rushed to put Sophie in a body bag.
The sound of light rain hitting the roofs was like a sad song. This rain didn’t bring out any richness in the hues. It dulled everything, doused all colors in gray and black. Mackenzie felt it trace paths on her skin, almost leaving a cold burn. A harsh reminder that peace was a comforting lie. A sign that the page was turning. Thunder roared, almost shaking the ground, and then Nick said something Mackenzie had been too afraid to think about.
“Why was her body left foryou?”
THREE
Mackenzie focused on the sound of her fingers tapping the wooden table at the Lakemore PD station. A cloudy morning had blown fully into a storm. It was only the afternoon, but the entire town was shrouded in darkness. She looked out the window and felt her chest tighten. Spring had been kind. Colors had been bright. Skies had been clear. There was a general fragrance of cheer in the air. Now monotony had been painted all over it. The spell was over and Lakemore was beginning to slowly slide back into normalcy.
“You satisfied with your statement?” Nick asked.
She nodded and signed the page. “I’m a person of interest now, aren’t I?”
He shuffled his chair closer to hers. They were alone in the conference room, but the walls were made of glass. It was like being in a fishbowl. “Obviously nobody thinks you had anything to do with this.”
“Then why is everyone staring at me?” She tilted her chin toward some officers in the lounge throwing her curious glances and gossiping.
Nick stood up, opened the door, and shouted, “Oi! Don’t you all have something better to do?”
They scattered like rats fleeing a sinking ship. Mackenzie hid her face in her hands and took calming breaths.
“This is going to be a disaster. Does Austin know yet?”
“He’s up in Seattle chasing some leads. He’s on his way back now,” Nick said. “Sully thought it’d be best to inform him in person.”
Detective Austin Kennedy had arrived in Lakemore a year ago from Port Angeles. The tall man with golden curls and glacial blue eyes hadn’t had the best start with Mackenzie, treating her like a suspect in a murder investigation. For weeks they had kept each other at arm’s length, circling suspiciously, like each was trying to catch the other in a lie. It wasn’t until much later that Mackenzie realized they both had secrets they were guarding.
Mackenzie had buried an innocent man when she was twelve years old, after being coerced by her mother, Melody, who had claimed she’d killed him in self-defense. Austin had come to Lakemore to look for his missing fiancée, Sophie Fields, not trusting the Lakemore PD, which had been under investigation for corruption.
The difference was that Mackenzie’s secret was only shared with Nick. Austin’s was out in the open, especially after Mackenzie had spent last summer helping him in her free time.
But Sophie had left no trace after last being spotted in Lakemore.
Until now.
“Speaking of which…” Nick tensed, looking past Mackenzie.
She followed his gaze. Austin was walking past the conference room to Sully’s office. There was a puzzled look on his face, like he had noticed the whispers and stares, like he was wondering why Sully had given him an urgent call. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, his jacket draped over his arm. It was a last glimpse of him before his life would be turned upside down once more. He had no idea that something was going to break inside him forever.
“At least he knows now,” Nick said after a minute. “That’s got to count for something.”
“It’s always better to know.” Mackenzie swallowed the lump in her throat. In her nine years as a police officer, she had been involved in a few cases where the person she was looking for was lost forever, found only on the Washington State Patrol website.
She looked up at the sound of heavy stomping. Austin barreled into the hallway, his hair disheveled, his face red. Sully was behind him, his expression one of grave concern. Austin swung open the door to the conference room hard enough for it to slam into the window behind.
“What the hell happened?” he demanded, coming so close to Mackenzie that she stood up and stepped back on instinct.
Nick was between them like a wall, raising his hands to shield her. “She knows nothing.”
“You know everything we do,” Sully said from behind Austin.
Tears shimmered in Austin’s eyes. His nostrils flared. His wild eyes never left Mackenzie. “Why you? She’smyfiancée. Whyyou?”
Mackenzie was never one to cower. She was tall, broad and intimidating. She had stared down dangerous criminals, wilted people larger than her with her piercing gaze. It came naturally to her. But this time she held back. Because underneath Austin’s anger and confusion, there was the anguish of losing someone he loved.
