Page 40 of The Hanging Dolls
Was this the man Lily saw? “Do you know Lily?”
He frowned, confusion marring his face before recognition struck. “LilyBaker, you mean? The dead girl in the woods? What does that have to do with me?”
Zoe noticed the tremor in his hand. “Is that just a nervous tick?”
He hid his hand under the table and his lips flattened into a thin line. “Parkinson’s. My father had it too. Symptoms started around now.”
There were no hesitation marks on Lily’s skin. A tremble like that wouldn’t have led to those clean striations. Disappointment filled her to the brim. “You can leave for now. But stay away from that school, Mr. Malone. It makes children uncomfortable, you lurking around.”
“You don’t want to end up on a registry.” Scott’s smile was brittle.
Phil swallowed hard and nodded.
They left the room and Zoe almost felt bad for chasing him down and throwing him into her car. “Maybe I should buy him a milkshake.”
Scott’s lips twitched into a smile. “It was a good shot. But Lily might have been referring to another man.”
The rain came down in sheets, creating a murky backdrop for the gathering of reporters huddled under their umbrellas. Regina stood before them, her raincoat pulled tight around her, droplets running off the brim of her hat as she faced the small group of media representatives. The scene was bathed in hues of gray and black. Regina fought the wave of moroseness that was threatening to pull her under. Despite Harborwood being in the Pacific Northwest and being more used to clouds than sun, thetown was still a place of comfort. A town forged in old bonds and loyalties.
But now that briny ocean breeze had gotten too chilly, the lush leafiness had become a thick green maze and that mist was turning into smog.
She took a deep breath and her voice carried over the patter of rain. “This morning, I stand before you with a heavy heart. Tara Bennett, one of our own, is missing. And just days ago, we found Lily Baker, a young girl who had her entire life ahead of her, dead. Harborwood was once a safe town, but today, it feels like anything but. Our children, our most vulnerable, are not safe.”
The reporters murmured among themselves, pens scratching across notepads, cameras flashing intermittently. Regina continued, her tone sharpening. “And while our children are at risk, Mayor Hicks is more concerned with his political agenda than with the safety of our community. I have dedicated myself to making real changes. Just last year, I oversaw the construction of a new school for children with special needs—a place where every child can feel valued and safe.”
The rain intensified, but Regina’s voice remained steady. Then, a reporter, a young woman with sharp eyes, stepped forward, her voice cutting through the sound of the storm. “Regina, there are rumors circulating that the ground the school is built on isn’t stable. Something about it being prone to erosion and unsuitable for heavy construction. Can you comment on that?”
Regina’s heart skipped a beat, her confidence wavering for just a moment. No one had asked her that question before. She rearranged the papers in her front of her fruitlessly. She forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Those are just rumors, completely unfounded. The school was built with the utmost care and consideration for the safety of the children.”
The reporter didn’t seem entirely convinced, but Regina quickly shifted the focus back to the issue at hand. “Right now, our priority is to find Tara and ensure the safety of all our children. That’s what we should be focusing on. As mayor, the first item on my agenda would be to increase police funding in this town. We have brave officers on our force, but they are held back by limited resources. By expanding our police force and ensuring we can afford access to the latest technology and skilled consultants, we will make our town safeagain.”
As the cameras clicked and the questions continued, Regina wrapped up her statement and began to walk away from the group, her mind still reeling from the unexpected question. Away from the prying eyes and flashing lights, she grabbed Connor’s elbow, pulling him aside with a firm grip.
“What the hell was that about?” she hissed. “The question about the ground—where did that come from?”
Connor shrugged and was already thumbing his phone. “Hicks must have planted that question. It’s just opposition research—trying to make you look bad.”
Regina’s eyes narrowed, anger simmering beneath the surface. Connor was orchestrating her entire life.Shewas the candidate. If she won the election,shewould be the mayor. Then why did it feel like she was living someone else’s life?
“I followed you the other night, Connor. I know where you went.”
Connor’s expression froze, his eyes widening slightly. He looked around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s to save our asses, Regina. Everything I’m doing is to make sure we stay on top of this. Trust me, it’s all part of the plan.”
Her grip on his arm tightened. “What do you mean? Is something going on that I’m not aware of?”
He released an exasperated breath. “We’re running low on cash.”
“What?”
“Yeah.” Despite his puffed chest and hands on his waist, he kept shifting on his heels. “We’ve been aggressive in our approach which has been good for our numbers?—”
She almost lunged at him, her blood frothing. “Where did the money go, Connor?”
“Advertisements are expensive.” He held his ground. “But it’s a necessity. That’s why I went over there. We need to cut our losses.”
“How bad is it?”
His expression was as hard as stone. “If we don’t trim the fat or find extra resources, we got a month.”
