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I sed thickly, and my voice fell to a hush “I think Jillian’s alive”

Surprise coated his handsoh and washed it away He wanted to believe, but he ary of hope “What makes you say that?”

“Jillian had a lot of friends, but her younger sister Tiffany is her best friend They aren’t just close, they’re inseparable If anything rong, Tiffany would know about it, and if Jillian was planning so, wellshe’d tell her sister” I focused in on the faint dark blue line that ringed his irises “As we sit here, the La Jillian’s memorial service Everyone is devastated, especially her parents Ansel’s a ht now?” I paused for effect “Tiffany”

His eyes clouded “That doesn’tit” He tacked it on under his breath “People deal with grief in different ways, trust me”

A strange pang flitted through rief He’d lost both hisand then his stepo

“Can I?” I asked “Trust you?”

Maybe he leaned closer so he could hear better, or perhaps he’d done it to provide reassurance, but his proximity made the booth feel intimate, and my heart beat quicker

“Because most of the people in Cape Hill can’t be trusted,” I added, “and I’o out on a limb here, Mr Hale”

He considered“You can trust me If it helps, Jillian did” His voice was steady and quiet and genuine “And it’s Vance”

I nodded in acknowledgement and opened my mouth to speak, but his face abruptly contorted

“I ht she did,” he said

The tightness in ree “I knohat you mean” He’d been as blindsided by her disappearance as I’d been “She didn’t telllike thisI’d know”

“Yeah”

We sat in our shared silence for a longIt was nice not to be alone in this sadness

It came from me in an uneven voice “I heard you were the last person to speak to her Can I ask what you talked about?”

He scrubbed a hand over his face, his fingertips tracing the sharp angles of his jaw “Nothing iiveShe soundedhappy”

But he’d said it with dread, like her being happy was a bad thing—