by Lena Gregory
“Oh, stop, Savannah. Your whole family got the good genes.” Savannah still looked the same as she had the day they’d met.
She laughed.
Gia stuck a forkful of pulled pork into her mouth, savored the tangy flavor, then swallowed. “Okay, how do you want to start? With the seniors, or just flip through from the beginning?”
Savannah sipped her Diet Coke, then closed the book before answering. “Since we don’t know for sure all of the players were in the same grade, why don’t we look through from the beginning?”
“Makes sense, and make sure to stop and check anyone with long blond hair.”
“She could have dyed it, you know.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Gia tried to remember what the woman from the front of the café looked like, but although her long blond hair stood out, her features didn’t. “I don’t know if I could pick her out with dark hair. Probably not.”
Savannah took another bite and flipped open the yearbook. A senior group picture spelled out the graduation year on the opening pages. “Do you recognize anyone?”
Gia squinted and leaned closer, whacking her head against Savannah’s. “Ouch.”
Savannah rubbed her temple. “Watch what you’re doing. You’ve got a hard head.”
“Skip this. It’s too small to make out people I don’t know that well, but I did spot Hunt.” He stood toward the back, wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and work boots. Gia’s stomach flipped over, and she put her fork down. She hadn’t had much time to think since they’d last spoken, or more likely she’d just been avoiding thinking about him.
“Hey, you there?” Savannah waved a hand in front of her eyes.
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” She dragged her focus back to whatever Savannah was pointing out. “Who’s that?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s Mitch Anderson, but it’s hard to tell from this picture. I’m used to seeing him in a suit and tie, and here he’s wearing board shorts and a T-shirt, and he’s a lot younger.”
Gia tried to imagine the boy in the picture with close-cut salt-and-pepper hair and a suit and tie, but she couldn’t be sure. The surfer dude look threw her. “It’s hard to tell for sure. Let’s keep going.”
They skimmed through the staff pages while they ate, then started on the seniors. Mitch Anderson stared out at her from the first page, his politician smile firmly in place, his “Time to Climb” quote beneath the picture in bold print.
Gia pointed the quote out to Savannah. “What do you think that means?”
Savannah shrugged. “I’d take it as time to move up to bigger and better things.”
“That’s about what I figured too. Do you think he had political aspirations even back then?”
“It would make sense. He comes from a powerful family in the community.”
The look in his eyes reminded her of a shark—cold, predatory—but that could be her own opinion of him coloring her perception.
“Do you want to tell me any more about what Skyla told you?”
She thought about it for a fraction of a second, mostly because she thought Savannah’s input might help Skyla with whatever she was going through, then dismissed the idea. “I can’t, Savannah. I wish I could, believe me, but I can’t betray a confidence.”
“Can you at least tell me if she’s in trouble?”
“I just don’t know. She seems scared, and I don’t think she told me everything. Everyone involved might be in danger at this point.”
“From whom?”
“Isn’t that the question of the day?” And if we could answer it, I bet we’d clear Trevor.
Gia turned the page, and a younger Gabriella Antonini stared back at her. “I don’t know what it is about her, but she looks so timid. Of course, every time I’ve seen her someone’s been yelling at her or confrontational in some way, so maybe I’m just feeling for her, but even in this picture, she just looks…I don’t know, meek.”
“Let me see.” Savannah leaned over the book, careful to avoid Gia’s head this time. “Her smile looks fake, and if you look in her eyes, they look empty.”
Skyla had mentioned Mitch giving people drugs. “Does it look like she’s on drugs to you?”
Savannah considered Gabriella’s picture. “Not really, more like she’s just jaded or something, or kind of blasé. Even in the picture from when she was a kid, she’s got a world-weary look about her.”
“I guess.” But something about the young girl tugged at Gia.
Savannah flipped through the pages, both of them scanning the pages for a blonde. She stopped and pointed. “Here’s Trevor.”
The same photo Gia had seen on the website stared back at her.
Gia frowned. “He looks so serious.”
“Yeah, like something was on his mind.”
“I wonder if this was around the time he was arrested?”
“Arrested?” Savannah blurted and jerked back to stare at Gia.
“Uh…” Uh-oh. Keeping secrets from Savannah was unnatural. How could Hunt get mad at her for slipping up? Everyone should realize she shared everything with Savannah. Hunt most of all. If he didn’t want Savannah to know something, he shouldn’t have told Gia.
“Gia.” Her tone held a note of warning.
Gia cringed. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”
Savannah flopped against the back of the couch and folded her arms over her chest, sulking. “Seems there’s an awful lot of that going around lately.”
“Savannah—”
“Nope.” She held up a hand to stop her. “I wouldn’t want you to tell me something you’re not supposed to.”
“Please, Savannah, I—”
“So, who shared this juicy nugget you’re not allowed to tell me about? Skyla? Donna Mae?”
“Uhh…”
“What?” She lifted a brow. “Not even allowed to tell me that much?”
Gia caved. Not like she hadn’t already let the cat out of the bag anyway. “He was arrested when he was a juvenile. His record was sealed on the condition he completed an anger management program.”
“Hunt made you keep this from me? Really?”
“Come on, Savannah. In all fairness, it’s not like that. He didn’t even want to tell me, but I wouldn’t agree to stay away from Trevor unless he gave me a good reason.”
“Was that before or after you dragged me to his house and got shot?”
Touché. “Ugh… Don’t be this way, Savannah, please.” An argument with Savannah was the last thing she needed.
“Don’t be what way?” She slid forward and perched on the edge of her seat. “Any time you’ve ever needed me, I’ve stood by your side. I’ve broken into houses, hotels, yards with big—really big—dogs, even been shot at. And all I’ve ever asked of you is that you be honest.”
“I know. And you’re right.”
“Am I? Because I don’t see a whole lot of honesty going on lately.” She shoved to her feet and stormed toward the kitchen. “I need some air.”
Thor scrambled to his feet and followed her.
The back door opened, then closed, the two people—well, one person and one dog—that meant more to her than anything else leaving her alone with her thoughts. And then there was Hunt. As if he wasn’t already aggravated enough with her, now he was going to be in trouble with Savannah too. Ah, man. She’d really messed up. And for what?
Gia sagged into the couch, weaved her fingers into her hair, and squeezed. At the end of the day, why was everyone mad at her?
Because she believed in a friend and was willing to stand by him no matter what.
She stood and went after Savannah. She found her leaning on the back deck railing, looking over the vast forest surrounding the yard.
As soon as Gia walked out, Thor trotted to her.
She reached down to pet his head, cher
ishing the moment he spent cuddling against her. At least things with him were good. He took off too quickly, running into the fenced area to stretch his legs.
“I always feel so small when I stand out here.” Gia moved to her side and leaned her elbows on the railing, watching as Thor rolled onto his back and squirmed back and forth in the grass.
“Here feels more natural to me. I always felt small when I lived in New York, insignificant, as if I didn’t matter,” Savannah said quietly.
“You always mattered to me.” Savannah had been like a sister to her almost since they’d met. The first family she’d ever truly had. “I’m sorry, Savannah. You’re right. I shouldn’t have kept things from you.”
“No. I’m not right, but thank you for apologizing.” She turned to Gia and smiled. “One of the things I love most about you is your loyalty. I would trust you with anything, because I know you’d never betray that trust.”
“I didn’t want to keep things from you.”
“I know. Believe me, I understand. I’m just stressed, on edge with all of this going on, worried someone is going to get hurt, scared you’ll get in over your head.”
“When have you ever known me to get in over my head?”
Savannah stared hard and lifted a brow.
“All right, but every time I do, you’re always there to bail me out.”
“I know, but lately I feel like I’m trying to do that with one hand tied behind my back. You’ve never been secretive—”
“I already told you, I’m not being secretive, it’s just—”
“I know, Gia. I understand. But look at it from my point of view. You’ve barely known Trevor for six months. Granted, he’s a local business owner and by all accounts is a really nice guy, but how much do you actually know about him?”
Not as much as she’d thought, obviously.
“You have trust issues with everyone else, but for some reason with Trevor trust comes easily and blindly.”
“That’s not true.” But the argument held no real conviction.
Savannah didn’t bother to argue the point. They both knew she was right.
“You don’t have to betray any confidences, but could you at least tell me why it is you believe so strongly in him?”
Gia watched a tall, gray bird with red on its head land on the back lawn, followed by another.
Thor lurched to his feet, his attention firmly focused on the newcomers.
“I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I do trust him.”
“Do you have a thing for him?”
She tried to rein in her patience. What was it with everyone thinking she and Trevor had more than just a friendship? Realization dawned. “Actually, no. I think the reason I trust him so much is that we’re just friends. There’s no further expectation, so my trust issues don’t really factor in.”
“I’ll help you, Gia, as I always have, but you have to understand I don’t share your same faith in him. I’ll do everything I can to help prove his innocence, but only if you can agree to at least consider the possibility of his guilt.”
The birds flew off, one after the other. “I’ll agree to look at all the facts we find.”
“Even if they point toward Trevor as the killer?”
She shifted, uncomfortable with the thought, but ultimately agreed. Savannah was right. If she didn’t consider the possibility of his guilt, and it turned out he was guilty, she could end up hurt. “I’ll keep an open mind.”
“Fair enough,” Savannah agreed.
“Now, let’s go see what we can figure out. Since I’m already going to earn Hunt’s wrath for slipping, and even worse getting him into trouble with you, we may as well try to figure it out.”
“He’ll only get mad at you if I tell him I know.”
Hope surged. “You won’t tell him?”
She offered a sly smile. “Other people know how to keep secrets too, you know.”
“What secrets are you keeping?”
Savannah laughed and called Thor into the house with her.
Gia followed, and they settled back down on the couch.
Thor jumped up between them and lay with his head resting in Gia’s lap.
She stroked his soft fur as they resumed where they’d left off with the yearbook. Not wanting to deal with any further discussion about Trevor’s guilt, Gia flipped the page. Skyla’s picture came next. “Wow, Willow looks exactly like her.”
“No kidding. It could be Willow’s picture, except her face is a little rounder.”
“Yeah.” Probably because she was already pregnant with Willow when the picture was taken.
“And her quote is great. ‘Why live in the past when the future holds so much promise?’ Such a great outlook.”
“Yes, it is.” Especially considering what’s she’d been through.
“Do you notice something, though?”
“What?”
“None of them really look happy.”
Gia hadn’t considered that, but Savannah was right. “Even in the pictures where someone is smiling, the smiles don’t seem genuine.”
“Maybe things were no better back then than they are now,” Savannah said.
“If what’s going on today has anything to do with the past, that would make sense.”
“Well, what makes you think it does?”
Gia tried to look at the situation logically, with no emotion clouding her judgment. “Well, first Gabriella and Bobby show up after being away for however long, and also just happen to show up in the café Skyla’s daughter works at. Coincidence? Maybe. But who knows? Nothing about either of them particularly stands out, other than the fact that they knew Skyla. If not for that, I could pass them ten times and not recognize them, especially considering how much time I spend in the kitchen.”
“You think they came in before that day, hoping to run across her?”
Phrased like that, it didn’t seem likely. “Maybe, or maybe they followed Skyla until they figured out a way to arrange a chance meeting.”
“Possible,” Savannah conceded.
“Then Trevor comes in and says he found a man dead in his freezer, a man who turns out to be another member of the high school crew, a man who’s running against another man who also hung with that crowd. First, a mysterious blond woman, and then the wife of one of the men, are both seen yelling at a woman who was also part of that group. In public, no less. It’s hard to believe the past is not somehow intertwined in the present.”
“Yes. It definitely is.” Savannah stared at the book as if it would jump up and offer answers. “So, you think one of them is the killer?”
“Or the next victim.”
Chapter 21
“Victim?” Savannah turned to face her fully. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, think about it. Ron was killed, then someone went after Trevor—”
“Wait.” She gestured toward the bandage around Gia’s bicep. “You think whoever shot you was aiming for Trevor?”
“It obviously wasn’t a random drive-by. Someone there was the target, and I can’t imagine why anyone would have targeted you or me, so yes, I think Trevor was the target. And so does Hunt, obviously, since he doesn’t have bodyguards plastered to our sides.”
“Leo said pretty much the same thing.”
“Wait, what? When did you talk to Leo about it?”
A blush crept up her cheeks. “He might have mentioned it the other night. But he wasn’t supposed to talk to me about it, and he made me promise I wouldn’t tell anyone, even you since you’re so close to Hu…uhhh…”
Gia plastered on her best self-satisfied smile.
“Oh, knock it off. Smug doesn’t suit you.”
She laughed out loud.
“Getting back to what we were talking about…” Savannah turned her attenti
on back to the book.
“Oh, right. Well, assuming Trevor was the target, that’s two of the group. Add in Skyla’s being scared enough to take off with Willow…” Though Gia also knew she could simply be afraid of the past being dredged up and Willow’s paternity being questioned.
“And don’t forget Donna Mae’s frantic pleas to look out for Harley,” Savannah added.
“Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. It does.”
Gia flipped the pages, skimming through each picture until she came to Robert Fischetti. The quote beneath his picture read, “Bobby the Bully,” and the cocky grin he wore drove the sentiment home.
Savannah leaned closer. “That sure is an ugly smile; makes him look like he’s fixin’ to steal candy from a baby.”
Gia tried to imagine the man she’d seen in the café wearing such a nasty grin. “Funny, I don’t remember getting that impression when I saw him in the café.”
“No?”
“He seemed pleasant enough. An act? Or do you think he just moved away and grew up over the years?”
They searched the rest of the senior portrait pages. Ron Parker’s picture didn’t come as a surprise, since Gia had already found it online. “Weird, isn’t it? He’s the only one that looks genuinely happy.”
“I almost expected to find Felicity Anderson’s picture in here,” Savannah said. “Of course, it wouldn’t have been Anderson then.”
“No. I was looking for a Felicity, but I didn’t see one.”
“Unless she changed her name.” Savannah stood and lifted both glasses. “I’m going to get a refill, want some more?”
“I think I’ve had enough caffeine for the day. I’d love a cup of tea, though, if you don’t mind. There’s peach or mint in the canisters.” Gia picked up the yearbook and sat back.
Thor scooted farther onto her lap.
“I know you think you’re a lap dog, Thor, but this is getting ridiculous.” She laughed and sat back to make more room for him, then skimmed the underclassmen photos and the team and club photos. The chess club photo stopped her short. Trevor stood with the rest of the kids but slightly off to the side, there, but not quite included.
By the time she’d finished, Savannah was back with two cups of tea. She set them on coasters on the coffee table and sat back down. She laid a hand on Thor’s side. “Anything?”
