And then there’s the fact that Billy’s body was found near the pier, the exact spot Patricia had seen Jo with him. Kevin had been there too, the voice inside her head whispered, but she silenced it by pushing it away. She didn’t want to believe anyone was to blame for what had happened to Billy other than Jo.

Billy and Kevin had been best friends every summer since they were boys. And later they had both become victims, targets of a manipulative teenage girl who flaunted her sexuality, tossing it around as though she were free for the taking, teasing them until neither boy could think straight.

Jo was beautiful, sexy, and careless with what she had been blessed with. She knew how to use her body and good looks to her advantage. She didn’t care who she hurt as long as she got what she wanted. She was out of control. Dee Dee had wanted to shake her, to warn her to be careful with how she used the weapons she had been given. But she didn’t dare touch her because of Billy. He was smitten with her. And Dee Dee didn’t have the heart to say a bad thing about her for fear of hurting him. So she bit her tongue, hoping he’d outgrow what had started as puppy love, and praying he would lose interest, or Jo would.

Neither had happened, and there wasn’t a day that went by that Dee Dee didn’t curse herself for not opening her mouth and exposing Jo for what she really was, a selfish tramp. Although in the end, she wasn’t sure it would’ve mattered.

*   *   *

Patricia walked into the kitchen, dragging her feet. Her blond hair fell in tangles around her face. She looked like a child in the waning light, standing in an oversize T-shirt and underwear. If it wasn’t for the healthy bumps underneath the shirt or her wide hips, she could’ve passed for her ten-year-old self.

“How long have I been sleeping?” she asked.

“A few hours.” Dee Dee dropped the empty beer can in the trash. She had smoked half a pack of cigarettes. She fingered the lighter, contemplating firing up another one.

Patricia shuffled to the table and sat down. She pushed her messy bed hair behind her ears. “Thank you,” she said. “For letting me stay here and for giving me your bed. I haven’t been able to sleep at the Sparrow. All Sara’s stuff is there and … I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

Dee Dee poured a glass of lake water and handed it to her. “There hasn’t been any news.” She was certain she would’ve heard news about Sara had there been any.

Patricia nodded. She sat quietly for a long time. The clock on the fireplace mantel ticked off the seconds one by one. A couple of ducks honked on the lake. The squirrels rustled in the trees behind the cabin.

“Listen,” Dee Dee said, and sat across from her. “I want to talk with Sheriff Borg about what you told me about Billy. I know now might not be the best time to bring this up, but I think it’s important. Sara’s drowning was an accident. You’re not to blame for an accident. But Billy’s drowning might not have been. We owe it to him to find out the truth.”

Patricia didn’t say anything right away. Her face was drawn. She stared at nothing. Dee Dee worried her hands in her lap, waiting, wondering if Patricia would hold up in an interrogation by Sheriff Borg even if she could convince her to talk with him.

She cleared her throat, scratchy from the dozen cigarettes she had smoked throughout the day. “What do you think?” she asked. “Do you think you’re up to talking to the sheriff?”

Patricia nodded. Someone knocked at the door.

Dee Dee turned. “Who could that be?”

Patricia’s hand shot out and grabbed Dee Dee’s wrist. “Sara,” she whispered.

She patted Patricia’s hand. “It’s going to be okay.” She went to the screen door and pushed it open to find Jo standing on her front porch.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

“Well, well, well,” Dee Dee said. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

“We need to talk,” Jo said.

“You bet we do.” Dee Dee stood aside to let her in. The door bang closed behind them.

Jo was somewhat surprised to find Patricia in Dee Dee’s kitchen. “I’m sorry to barge in,” she said to her. Patricia gave her a weak smile. Jo turned toward Dee Dee. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”

Dee Dee leaned against the countertop and crossed her arms, taking her usual defensive position. “Oh no, I think Patricia should be here for this.”

Jo hesitated. “Fine,” she said. “This really can’t wait.”

“No, it can’t.” Dee Dee pulled a chair from the kitchen table. “Sit,” she said.

Jo did what she was told and sat, leaning forward and resting her forearms on the table. Her leg bounced up and down. By the look on Dee Dee’s face, she thought perhaps Johnny had already been here. She had wanted to be the first to break the news to her about Billy being Johnny’s father. On some crazy level, she supposed she had hoped Dee Dee would help her make the situation easier for Johnny. But seeing Dee Dee’s stiff jaw and the anger in her eyes, she knew she had made a mistake. Dee Dee wouldn’t behave rationally about anything.

“So,” Dee Dee said, “Patricia told me some very interesting news today.”

“Patricia?” she asked, confused. How would Patricia know about Johnny? “What news?”

“She has proof you’re a lying bitch.”

Patricia flinched.

Jo rested her head in her hands. “Can’t we have a civil conversation?”

“Patricia saw you on the pier with Billy the night he drowned.” Dee Dee pushed off the counter, taking on a fighter’s stance.

“I don’t understand,” Jo said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I came here to talk about Johnny.”

“Forget Johnny. Patricia was here at the cabin that night. I was babysitting her. And you know we have a clear view of the floating pier from here.” She pointed her index finger in Jo’s face. “She saw you with Billy. He wasn’t alone on the beach like Kevin said. Kevin’s been covering up for you this entire time.”

Jo glanced at Patricia cowering in the chair, clutching Sara’s dolly. She looked like a scared child. “What did you tell her?” Jo asked her. Her tone was harsher than she had intended. But what could she have seen? She had been a child when it had happened.

“I…,” Patricia began, but Dee Dee cut her off.

“Leave her alone,” Dee Dee said. “She’s been through enough.”

Jo ignored Dee Dee and reached across the table toward Patricia. In a more soothing tone she asked, “What do you think you saw?”

“Hey.” Dee Dee poked Jo in the shoulder. “You talk to me.”

“Whoa.” Jo raised her hands. “Back off.”

Patricia still didn’t say anything.

“What did you do to my brother? What are you hiding?” Dee Dee asked.

Jo pushed back in the chair and stood. Her legs wobbled and her arms shook. “I don’t have to listen to this.” She took a tentative step, but before she could get any farther, Dee Dee moved in front of her, pushing her, getting up in her face.

“What did you do to him?”

“Nothing,” Jo said, and tried to step around her, but Dee Dee’s body was big and strong, like Billy’s. Yes, just like Billy’s, and she was certain this was how Kevin had felt when Billy had thrust his chest at him, intimidating him with his physical strength. “Get away from me,” she said in a voice much too weak to have any impact.

“Did you kill him?” Dee Dee grabbed Jo’s shoulders.

“No,” Jo said, panicking. “No.”

“You’re lying.” Dee Dee wrapped her hands around Jo’s neck. “Tell me the truth or I swear, I’ll kill you myself.”

She clawed at Dee Dee’s fingers, gasping for air. Black spots marred her vision. Her head felt light. Patricia sat there, staring at them as though she was in shock, never having seen this side of Dee Dee before. Jo reached for her. “Pattie,” she croaked. When it was clear Patricia wouldn’t be of any help, Jo returned to scratching at Dee Dee’s hands, trying to pry them open. “Let go,” she managed to say.