Dad was already gone when Bel woke up.ย At work,ย heโd texted. But it was a Saturday, and he might as well have saidย anywhere but home.ย Bel knew.
โIโm going out,โย she said, grabbing her shoes from the place they didnโt live.
โWhere?โย Rachel jumped up from the sofa, like she might come too.ย โSeeing some friends.โย Bel shot her down.ย โWill be nice to do something
normal.โย Shooting her farther. They hadnโt talked about last night.
โOh,โย Rachel said, sitting down, covering her wounds with folded arms, because she knew just as well thatย normalย didnโt include her.ย โI have the day to myself, then. Call if you need anything, Anna. Shit. Bel. Iโm trying to get that right, I promise. Itโs only been a week since I found out.โ
Bel crinkled her face at her, an approximation of a smile.ย โBye, Rachel.โย She slammed the front door behind her, harder than she needed to.
One news van outside. No sign of any reporters. But there was something else, a police cruiser parked outside Ms. Nelsonโs house. Bel could see Police Chief Dave Winter, talking to Ms. Nosy herself at her front door, scribbling in a small notebook.
Bel needed to talk to him, actually. Push the police to work on the reappearance while she looked into the disappearance, trap Rachel in the middle. She crossed the road.
Ms. Nelson eyed her warily. Why? Didnโt like seeing her up this close, or didnโt like when Bel watched back?
โHey.โย Bel raised one hand in greeting.ย โEverything OK?โ
Daveโs head tracked over his shoulder, eyes falling on hers.ย โAnnabel. I was going to stop by afterward. Howโs everything going? Everyone settling in OK?โ
โOh yeah,โย Bel said, hiding her hands in her pockets.ย โSheโs made herself right at home.โ
โGood.โย He chewed the end of his pen.ย โMs. Nelson was just telling me that sheโs seen a man standing on the street, watching your house. Late at night.โ
โHe was there.โย Ms. Nelson pointed, grayย ๏ฌyaway hairs bristling in the breeze.ย โHiding under that tree. I saw him at four a.m. when I let the cat out. Not theย ๏ฌrst time this week. Wears a baseball cap to hide his face.โ
โThank you, Ms. Nelson,โย Dave said, the politest way of telling her to shut up.ย โHave you seen a man like thatโAnnabelโhanging around outside your house?โ
โYeah, loads of them. Theyโre called reporters. The news vans.โย She gestured to the last remaining one.ย โThis is theย ๏ฌrst day itโs been quiet.โ
Ms. Nelson shook her head.ย โNo, he wasnโt with them. Standing there for hours, watching the house.โ
โOK, Ms. Nelson.โย Dave closed his notebook.ย โHow about you go inside, make some co๏ฌee? Iโll be in in a minute to get your full statement, OK?โ
โI only have decaf,โย she hu๏ฌed, padding back inside, pushing the door
to.
โDecaf,โย Dave muttered, stepping down to the sidewalk.ย โSeriously,
though, you seen anyone suspicious hanging around the house?โย Oh, only the woman now living inside it.
โNope,โย Bel replied.
โBecause that man is still out there. And until we catch him, he still presents a danger to Rachel and your family.โ
Didnโt he knowโthe danger was already inside the house. And that man didnโt exist. But another man did, and Bel was on her way toย ๏ฌnding out
who.
โHavenโt seen anything. Sorry,โย she said.ย โHey, did our DNA tests come in yet? She de๏ฌnitely Rachel Price?โ
Dave snorted, stopping when he saw her face.ย โSorry, thought you were joking. Yeah, yeah they have. One hundred percent her. But you already knew that, right?โ
โRight. I was joking, got me.โย She raised her hands, eyeing his gun.ย โDid youย ๏ฌnd the tote bag yet? On the road in Lancaster where the man left her?โ
David scratched his hair.ย โYeah, right where she said it was.โย Fuck.
โAnything?โ
Dave thought for a moment.ย โHer DNA is on it, but so far itโs the only pro๏ฌle we canย ๏ฌnd. No leads to the man who took her yet.โ
Because nonexistent men didnโt have DNA. Dave must have read her disappointment as dread.
โDonโt worry,โย he said,ย โweโre exploring every avenue toย ๏ฌnd this guy.
Tracking license plates. Something will turn up.โ
โWhat about her clothes?โย Bel asked. The police were no good to her if all they were doing was looking for a man theyโd neverย ๏ฌnd.
โOnly Rachelโs DNA on those too. Well, and yours. From when you found her.โ
โBut what about the labels inside the clothes? Could you see where they were from?โ
Dave furrowed his brows, not sure what to make of her.ย โLong gone, Iโm afraid. Theyโre so damaged and old; she wore them most days since she disappeared. Your mom couldnโt remember where she bought them.โ
Fuck again. The labels were conveniently gone, were they? That was because Rachel had bought them from Baa-Baa Boutique a few months ago. Sheโd certainly covered her tracks for her reappearance, all these little details. If sheโd messed up anywhere, it had to be with her disappearance; she must have had less time to plan that.
This had been a pointless conversation, the chief of police wrapped around Rachelโs littleย ๏ฌnger. Didnโt matter, Bel could damn well do it on her
own.
โI gotta run,โย Bel said.
She did run, just a little, to get away from him, down the road past numbers 30 and 28. Crossing to get back to the odd side.
It took another forty seconds before she pulled up in front of number 19; Je๏ฌย and Sherryโs house, painted teal on the bottom half, white up top, shutters to match. She rang the doorbell in the way she did, so theyโd know it was her, to the tune ofย โBaby Shark,โย which no one found annoying.
โBel, thatโs annoying,โย Sherry said, pulling open the front door. Her hair was unbrushed, face plain and harassed, scrubbed free of last nightโs TV- ready makeup.ย โIโm taking Carter to ballet in an hour.โ
โSounds like plenty of time for a visit from your favorite niece.โย Bel pushed her way inside the house, winding around to the kitchen.
โTwo seconds,โย Carterโs voice called from upstairs.
โTake your time,โย Bel called back. She meant it. She wasnโt sure Sherry would open up the same way in front of Carter. But it was hard toย ๏ฌnd a time when Sherry was in the house and Carter wasnโt; she tended to follow her daughter around, even though she didnโt have sixteen years to make up for.
Bel went to the refrigerator, an old photo of a girl in a ballerina tutu pinned there by a SpongeBob magnet. Sherry, not Carter; you couldnโt mistake them. Bel pulled out a Diet Coke.
โSoโฆ,โย Sherry said, leaning in the doorway.ย โYou spoken to your mom much since last night?โ
โNot much.โย Bel sipped the foam that erupted out of the can.ย โShe was quiet at breakfast. Dad left early again.โ
Sherry nodded. But Bel needed much more than that.
โSo last night wasย interesting,โย she said, o๏ฌering a smile and a raised eyebrow so Sherry knew Bel was on her side.
โYes,โย Sherry said, those snakes hissing in her voice again.ย โDinner probably wasnโt the smartest idea. Bit too soon. Emotions are bound to be running high, arenโt they? God knows how you feel, in that house, no escape from it all.โ
Well, God didnโt know. But Carter and Ash did.ย โYeah,โย Bel said.ย โItโs beenย interesting.โ
โWhatโs been interesting?โย Carter appeared around the corner, sliding in
past her mom.
She held out her hand, silently asking for a sip. Bel passed the can over.ย โAll of it,โย Bel said, annoyed sheโd wasted those seconds without Carter.
โSince she came back.โ
โSheโs trying,โย Carter said quietly,ย ๏ฌngers denting the can.ย โI think everyone else can try too.โ
โOh, we are, honey.โย Sherry straightened up.ย โItโs not quite as easy as that, when someoneโs been gone for sixteen years. Rachelโs disappearance wasnโt just about her, it a๏ฌected all the people around her. Thereโs bound to beโฆโย She trailed o๏ฌ.
โTension?โย Bel suggested.
โYes,โย Sherry said.ย โItโs an adjustment.โย That word again.
โWell, itโsโโย Carter started, cut o๏ฌย by the doorbell, one long held note. She shoved the can back into Belโs hands.ย โThatโs my package.โย She darted out of the kitchen ahead of her mom.ย โDancing stu๏ฌ,โย she yelled back, pulling open the front door.
The low murmur of a voice.
โYes, thatโs me, thank you.โย Carterโs, crisp and clear. The front door latched shut again.ย โJust going to sort these out,โย she called, bounding up the stairs.
Perfect, now was Belโs chance to swerve the conversation, lay pressure on the breaking points.
โCarter always tries to see the good in people,โย Bel said, because she wanted Sherry to know she didnโt think Rachel was all good either. And Bel knew sheโd been upset last night, Rachel stepping on her toes, using Carter to do it. Although who had Rachel been trying to upset, Sherry or Bel?
โShe does.โย Sherry sighed, eyes wandering to the ceiling, taking her mind with them.
โI donโt think my dad is happy, you know,โย Bel said, pushing just a little harder.
โNo?โย Sherry looked at her.
โNot really. I think things might be a little more complicated than just starting o๏ฌย where they were sixteen years ago.โ
โWellโฆ,โย Sherry said, circling it, Bel could tell, the way her mouth twitched, almost giving in. Come on, Aunt Sherry. She needed one more push.
Bel cut straight to it; she didnโt know how long they had alone.
โI think weโre on the same side, Sherry. Dadโs side. We both want him to be happy, right?โ
โRight?โย Sherry held on to the word, narrowing her eyes.ย โI heard what you said last night, to defend him.โ
Sherry covered her mouth with her hand.ย โI hope it wasnโt recorded. I shouldnโt have said it.โ
โNo, you should have.โย Bel stepped closer, lowered her voice.ย โIt sounded like you thought Rachel was seeing someone else before she disappeared?โ
More a shove than a push. Sherry looked behind her.
โPlease, Sherry.โย Bel stepped forward again.ย โIโm not a two-year-old anymore. Itโs my family. I want to be there for Dad, he needs me. How can I get to know Rachel if people keep secrets from me? I want to understand her.โ
Sherry sighed, the snakes de๏ฌating inside her throat.ย โI donโt know anything for sure. Just something I saw, a feeling I had, back then.โ
โWhat did you see?โย Bel said, stepping back now sheโd cracked Sherry open, giving her space.
The change in Sherryโs face was instant, voice dropping into whisper- talk. Sherry loved to gossip; her eyes bad at keeping secrets, spilling every time she blinked.
โThere was this guy. They were friends, well, Rachelย saidย they were just friends. He obviously wanted more, like a lovesick puppy, honestly. I saw
them together, maybe a couple of days before she vanished. Walking from school to his car, through the snow. Looked pretty cozy if you asked me, like a line had been crossed. Thatโs all I saw.โ
โWho was he?โ
โThatโs the thing,โย Sherry hissed, enjoying this even more.ย โWhy I always wondered if he was the one that killed her. Itโs not just that they were friends, saw each other at work all the time. Itโs that he was theย ๏ฌrst one on the scene when she disappeared. The man that found you.โ
โMr. Tripp?โย Belโs throat felt gummy, trapping her breath there. Something that felt like betrayal again. She pictured him, his thinning red hair and tortoiseshell glasses, as heโd asked her:ย How is she, your mom?ย Which was a fucking joke, because he obviously knew way more about Rachel than Bel did.
โWhy didnโt you ever say anything? Tell the police about Mr. Tripp?
They must have asked you questions like that, right?โ
Sherry bristled, leaning against the refrigerator.ย โThe police had looked into him already. Of course they had; his prints were all over the crime scene from when he found you. They cleared him.โ
โStill,โย Bel doubled down.ย โShouldnโt you have told them?โ โThere can be value inย notย talking, Bel, honey. Think it through.โย Bel tried to think it through, coming up blank.
Sherry sighed.ย โIf Iโd told the police what I thought about Julian Tripp, it would have only hurtย us,ย your dad. Given the police another reason to point theย ๏ฌnger at Charlie. They were already looking at him as a suspect, and I didnโt want to give them more reason to, a potential motive to have killed Rachel. Familyย ๏ฌrst. Always.โ
โFamilyย ๏ฌrst,โย Bel agreed, grateful that Sherryโsย ๏ฌrst instinct had been to protect her dad. That was what Bel was trying to do now.
โBesides,โย Sherry said,ย โit doesnโt matter now. Julian Tripp clearly didnโt kill her. Nobody did.โ
But Aunt Sherry was wrong there; it did matter now. No, Mr. Tripp hadnโt killed Rachel, but he could have been involved some other way. Maybe he was the reason Rachel faked her disappearance, or maybe heโd
helped her, kept it secret all this time. Either way, Mr. Tripp was the key to unpicking Rachelโs lies, Bel was sure, and so was the knot in her gut.
If you need to talk about anything, Bel,ย Mr. Tripp had said,ย you know Iโm right here.
Turns out, they did need to talk. And unlucky for him, Bel knew where he lived.
