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I perked up “Handling it? How?”

“I asked, but she wouldn’t elaborate”

“But it seemed like she had a plan?”

Sadness clouded his eyes “Yeah”

I frowned and dropped aze to the tabletop “Maybe this is part of it”

He asked it hesitantly, like he was cautious to put the idea out in the world “You think she faked her death?”

“I don’t know” It was better than the alternative I returned my attention to him, and the rest of the restaurant faded away “I told her to break up with Ansel, too, but I didn’t stop there I encouraged her to get out and start a new life, free from her father’s control I said, ‘Show everyone you can do it on your own’”

His broad chest expanded with his deep breath and perhaps a little hope too “So, she took whatever was in that safe and used it to run?”

I shook ht anything out with her after she finished with the safe, but she was in there a long time And when she came out, she seemed anxious”

Alarm widened his eyes “Like she was scared?”

Jillian had co out of her father’s bedroom with determination etched on her face, not fear “It was ht away”

“But no clue about as inside?”

“No” I lifteddisappoint”

Because Wayne Laht tiet whatever he wanted

The conversation lulled, and as if he’d sensed it, the waiter appeared with our lunch order I stared blankly atfor the man to move on so I’d be alone with Vance and could speak freely

Except Vance beat one “If she did plan it,” he said, “then she had help”

I’d had the saest suspect “But who? Tiffany?”

He considered it “Maybe, but she couldn’t do it alone She doesn’t kno to sail”

“A lot of Jillian’s friends do, though Her friendsand your friends”

He cut into his salht to enjoy his food Was he running through a list of possible suspects?