Tilly inhaled a deep breath and squared her shoulders for courage. She hadn’t seen Clint Wallace since high school, but the minute he walked through the door she recognized him. He’d beefed up a little, but he was all muscle, sported a five o’clock shadow and his thick hair was still dark. Dammit, he was as handsome as ever.
His eyes skated over her, a smile crinkling the corners of his mouth.
“Well, Tilly Higgins. I thought I’d never see you back in Brambletown.”
“I thought I’d never be back, but here I am. Still looking for answers about my missing sister.”
His smile faded. “Let’s go to my office.” He glanced at the receptionist. “Why don’t you go on home for the night?”
She nodded, grabbed her purse and darted to the door. The sheriff led Tilly through a doorway to an office on the right. He strode inside and gestured for her to take a seat.
“How are your parents?” he asked, surprising her.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “We’ve been estranged for years.”
“They don’t know you’re here?”
She shook her head. “I saw the press conference. The detective and that FBI agent think those two girls’ deaths were caused by the same person who took Ruth. Do you know why they believe that?”
He cut his eyes away from her. “It’s just speculation for now.”
“Come on, Clint. What doyouthink?”
His eyes hardened. “I think the Sylvester girl and Jacey Ward may be connected. I don’t know about Ruth.”
“What can you remember about my sister?” Tilly asked, her tone blunt. “You were an item back in the day.”
“It was kids’ stuff,” he answered, his expression unreadable.
“But she broke up with you the day before she disappeared. You must have been angry about that.”
Clint grunted. “Like I said it was kids’ stuff. Ruth was always dramatic and had one of her tantrums, but I knew she’d come crawling back in a day or two.”
Tilly gave him her resting bitch face. “She snuck out to meet someone that night. Was it you?”
“No. I was with my buddies.” He folded his arms. “And for the record I don’t appreciate an inquisition by you. For all we know your brother or father did something to Ruth and your family covered it up.”
“Or your father lied to cover for you,” Tilly said with a defiant lift of her chin.
Clint strode around the desk and grabbed Tilly’s wrist, pinning her with an angry glare. “I’d be careful about throwing accusations, Tilly. You don’t want to end up like those other girls.”
His tone ticked her off, and she met his glare with her own, then jerked her arm away. “Is that a threat, Clint?”
He shrugged, a smirk on his face, then gestured to the door. “Take it however you want. Now get out. I have work to do.”
Suspicions rose in her mind. As the sheriff, he had the perfect opportunity to make sure no one found Ruth.
If he had murdered her, had he been killing girls ever since and dumping them near the graveyard?
SEVENTY
Briar Ridge Mobile Homes
Kat finally escaped dinner with her parents. Now Mama was busy cleaning the dishes and her daddy had retreated to his workshop which was off limits to her and anyone else who went nosing around. He claimed he was working on a secret project for her mother for her birthday, but Kat had never known him to be creative or surprise her mother with anything for any holiday.
She had a feeling he had a TV in the workshop—he called it his man cave—where he watched weird sci-fi flicks, along with a worn-out recliner and a stash of moonshine.
Once Mama finished the dishes and putting away the food, she’d settle onto the couch to watch her reality shows where she envied the rich families with money and expensive clothes, things Mama would never possess in her lifetime.
