She went into a jeweler’s and picked out a lovely charm bracelet, gold with tight links. Elegant, just like the woman her sister had become. She’d left the weed behind and came close to being a teetotaler. She was the prime example of how a child could rise above a shitty upbringing and make something of themselves. Her sister might disagree as she always downplayed her accomplishments. But she held a job at a local bank and had worked her way up from teller to manager.
“It’s perfect. I’ll take it.” She told the jeweler and added assorted charms to the final purchase. Each of them was to mean something. That was more important than simply filling up the bracelet. She was especially pleased when she scored the ruby—the real stone—and more extravagant than Shell would ever allow herself to buy.
“Anything else?” He smiled at her, and with his gaze dipping back into the glass cabinet, her eye followed the direction in which he was looking.
She pointed at a two-piece heart charm in the display case. “I’ll take that, but please wrap one half with the other charms, and I’ll take the other half.”
“Here you go.” He handed her the one half, which she put into a zippered section in her wallet, as he put the bracelet and other charms in tissue paper and inserted them into a bag with the jewelry store’s name emblazoned on the side.
Claire walked out of the store, bag in hand, head held high. She was so proud that she could do this for her sister, even though she realized it wouldn’t come close to compensating for her exit from Shell’s life. Not that she was telling her sister that in so many words.
Shell might question where she got the money for such a gift. But that wasn’t an answer her older sister would ever get—not if Claire could help it. All she knew, and that was probably too much, was that Claire worked part-time at an art gallery.
Thankfully, she’d never questioned Claire’s sudden interest in the finer things, starting at sixteen. It certainly wasn’t something they were accustomed to, living in the mobile park as children. But Claire took to the world of culture like a baby bird who left the nest only to soar to the high heavens. She was good at sniffing out the most exquisite pieces, whether they be gems, artwork, or sculptures. As Nick had told her more than once, she was a natural. And as far as she was concerned when you were blessed with a gift, you put it to use. Anything else would be a waste.
Claire knocked on Shell’s apartment door and presented her gift. Her sister admired it and didn’t even ask how she could afford such a thing. Still, Claire told Shell about the amazing job opportunity in Nebraska that she just couldn’t turn down. She recycled the same story she’d given Logan and hoped Shell would buy it with as much confidence. But it was the look on her sister’s face that would stay with her forever. She knew Claire wasn’t telling her everything. And she was right.
FOURTEEN
Amanda felt about two inches tall. She hated it when Trent directed his anger at her, but it wasn’t like she’d left out the bit about Claire’s father on purpose. There’d just been so much to catch Trent up on as it was, and then they had the other information they’d mined that morning from the officer interviews, autopsy findings, evidence log, and crime scene photos. And her mind was spinning with her own drama. Logan’s face constantly appeared, asking why the hell this was happening to him and why she wasn’t doing anything about it.
And after sitting there with Michelle Maxwell, listening to her talk about Claire and how they’d become estranged, it had Amanda thinking about her own life. Claire had pulled herself away from her sister, just as Amanda cut out her family after Kevin and Lindsey had died. Amanda thought by doing so she could protect her heart from more pain. She lived under that illusion for the better part of six years.
Trent was driving to the hotel where Claire had been staying—or at least where the key card in her purse belonged. They’d discussed that much before dipping into a tense silence.
Amanda was sitting in the passenger seat trying to figure out what she could say that would get through to him right now. But he had this hard edge to him. Could any words break through? She was trying to piece together why he was so upset that she left out telling him about the father. It really hadn’t been intentional, but he wasn’t buying that… so why? Was he really hurt she hadn’t mentioned the father killing the mother, or was there more to it, something that smacked personal for him? She racked her brain, then recalled that Trent had told her some time ago about his aunt and how she’d married an abusive man. Could that have something to do with his reaction?
“What’s really bugging you?” she asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
So it was personal…“Does this have to do with your aunt?”
He didn’t look over at her, but his cheeks flushed red. Silence.
Might as well be admittance. “My not mentioning the domestic violence wasn’t intentional or left out to protect you.”
“Good, because I don’t need you to protect me.” He shot a cool glance at her now, sending a chill through her.
“I know you can handle anything that comes your way. And I had every intention of telling you, but there was a lot we were learning about the case, most of it coming at us quickly.”
“Is there anything else you might have left out?” he asked.
“Not that I can think of off the top.”
He turned into the parking lot for Lux Suites.
“We good?” She hated how much she wanted to make things right between them, and with every syllable from her mouth, she felt her personal power slipping away.
“We’re good.”
Her phone rang, and caller ID told her it was Logan. She answered before the second ring. “I’ve got you on speaker. Trent’s here. You’re out?”
“I can’t go home. It’s still locked down as a crime scene.”
“Right…” She felt for him, but he’d have to bunk at a friend’s place or get a hotel room. She couldn’t offer her place for at least a couple reasons. One, it would confuse Zoe, and two, she was working the case he was involved with.
“Mandy, are you helping me? What’s going on?”
