I loved it here, I really did. So much more than anywhere else we had ever been. I already felt a sense of belonging, of wanting to make the most of the town, and not just for my son, but for me too. I deserved to be somewhere I could be happy.
“…I know, at the lake. Isn’t it crazy? Who would have thought…?”
I caught a portion of a conversation between teenage girls as I got closer to the restaurant. Intrigued, I slowed down and pretended to do a little window shopping so I could hear what else they had to say. They must have been talking about the lake house burglaries I read about this morning.
“The note is the worst part. I’m here, bitch. Imagine writing that on a dead body.”
I shook my head and picked up the pace again. They were talking about something else, I realized, not the burglaries. But that didn’t stop a lump from lodging itself in the base of my throat, because what they were talking about was too close for comfort. Hearing the words “lake” and “body” in the same sentence had my brain going to a place I didn’t want to linger. But what if it was Brady? Had he left a note on that body for me? I had no idea how he would have found me, but at this point, I wouldn’t put anything passed him.
* * *
The restaurant was welcoming,and the waiter couldn’t stop smiling as he led me to the table where I was going to be meeting Cole tonight. It would have been enough to make the nerves ebb a little if they were only about Cole, but there was something more clinging to the atmosphere now. Whispered words that wouldn’t stop affecting me.
Lake… Body… Note…
It wasn’t just those teenage girls discussing it, it was everyone. All around the restaurant. It was enough to make me run home again. The only reason I didn’t was because I felt like I was being encased in ice, unable to make any rational decision either way. Probably because this was something I was scared of, so to have it coming to fruition was too much for me to bear.
It couldn’t be true, could it? There couldn’t be another dead body in the lake. Brady couldn’t be killing women and chasing me down at the same time. It was just too stupid. Too much for anyone to handle. I’d escaped him, why would he come back?
Someone, maybe a waiter, brought me a drink. Cold water. I didn’t think I even said thanks, I was so lost in my thoughts.
“Miranda, there you are. Good to see you.”
I jumped at the sound of my name. I had all but forgotten I was meeting Cole here tonight. I had to admit that his warm smile helped ground me in reality a little bit. I rose to my feet and tried to force myself to grin right back. I knew it would look weird and strained, but I needed to make some effort. I didn’t want Brady to ruin more of my life—even if he was here and killing again just to torment me.
“Cole, hi!” My voice came out strained, and I cleared throat before speaking again. “How are you?”
He furrowed his brows. “Cole, huh?”
All of a sudden, something strange happened. Which was saying something because today had been full of strange things. As Cole stood in front of me, he also started to walk toward the table in a lighter grey suit. Both Coles looked confused, which made me feel even more confused.
There were two of him, and I couldn’t stop from looking from one to the other repeatedly. What the fuck was going on? What the hell was wrong with this town?