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Authors: Erica Spindler
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Bailey.”
“Doesn’t it, Logan?”
“What does that mean?”
“I … overheard some conversation. About True.”
He stiffened. “You want to be more specific?”
“That she … that she didn’t leave you. That she went missing and should have been
considered a victim of foul play. Like the other two.”
“I told you this would happen, I told you about the gossip.”
“But not about these other two … I just thought we should talk about it.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. True left me. Those other two women, no one knows
what happened to them.”
“But—”
“You’re going to believe gossip over what your husband tells you is true?”
“That’s the problem. You haven’t told me anything.”
“What else do you need to know?”
“Everything! How can I defend you if I don’t know—”
“Why would you have to defend me?”
“Against people who have an ax to grind.” She slipped out of bed and into her robe.
“Or these small-minded gossips.”
“It shouldn’t matter to you.”
His voice vibrated with hurt. She steeled herself against the way it made her feel.
“It doesn’t.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “What matters is you being completely
open and honest with me. Hiding things from me—”
“Now I’m hiding things from you?”
“I didn’t say that. I simply—”
“You, too, Bailey?” He threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. He grabbed his
jeans and yanked them on. “One trip into town and suddenly I’m a monster?”
“I didn’t say that, either!” She jumped to her feet. “Logan, I’d never say that.”
She watched helplessly as he put on his shirt and socks, then stalked to the closet
for his boots.
“Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“Just tell me what happened!”
He spun to face her. “I did! I came home and she was gone. What else do you need to
know?”
“Why do people say that about you? Why would they?”
“Because they found her vehicle at the side of the road!” The words exploded from
him. “Unlocked, her keys in it! And I lied about the last time I saw her! Satisfied?”
She brought a hand to her mouth, took a step backward. “Oh, my God, like the others.”
“I’m out of here.”
“Wait! Talk to me!” He didn’t and she ran after him. “Why’d you lie to the police,
Logan?”
He stopped, face white with fury. “My pride,” he ground out. “Ironic, isn’t it? I
didn’t want our relationship to be on everyone’s lips, and it’s still all they’re
talking about. Even you.”
Bailey flinched at the disdain in his voice. She followed him downstairs and out to
the courtyard. “Stay, Logan! Please, let’s talk this out.”
“We shouldn’t have to.”
“Logan!”
Helplessly, she watched as he crossed to the truck, climbed in and left her behind.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bailey awakened with a start. She had fallen asleep on the keeping room couch, waiting
for Logan to return. Her eyes were scratchy and swollen from crying. Her head hurt.
What time was it? She reached for her phone. The display glowed 12:46.
Where was Logan?
Bailey brought the heels of her hands to her eyes. Dammit. How could she have bungled
that so badly? He was her husband; they should be able to share everything. She should
trust that if she asked, he would answer. Instead, she had danced around her own questions
and he had gotten defensive.
“Do you think I’m a monster, too?”
“I’m your husband, you shouldn’t need to defend me.”
He was right. She should believe in him. Without question.
Bailey sat up. Did he really believe that? That she—or anyone else—thought he was
a monster?
Billy Ray Williams did. Death follows him, he had said. It follows his family. What
did that mean? His mother had died in an accident, who else? His father?
Where were all their family photographs?
“Why did you lie to the police, Logan?”
“I didn’t want our relationship to be on
“Doesn’t it, Logan?”
“What does that mean?”
“I … overheard some conversation. About True.”
He stiffened. “You want to be more specific?”
“That she … that she didn’t leave you. That she went missing and should have been
considered a victim of foul play. Like the other two.”
“I told you this would happen, I told you about the gossip.”
“But not about these other two … I just thought we should talk about it.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. True left me. Those other two women, no one knows
what happened to them.”
“But—”
“You’re going to believe gossip over what your husband tells you is true?”
“That’s the problem. You haven’t told me anything.”
“What else do you need to know?”
“Everything! How can I defend you if I don’t know—”
“Why would you have to defend me?”
“Against people who have an ax to grind.” She slipped out of bed and into her robe.
“Or these small-minded gossips.”
“It shouldn’t matter to you.”
His voice vibrated with hurt. She steeled herself against the way it made her feel.
“It doesn’t.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “What matters is you being completely
open and honest with me. Hiding things from me—”
“Now I’m hiding things from you?”
“I didn’t say that. I simply—”
“You, too, Bailey?” He threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. He grabbed his
jeans and yanked them on. “One trip into town and suddenly I’m a monster?”
“I didn’t say that, either!” She jumped to her feet. “Logan, I’d never say that.”
She watched helplessly as he put on his shirt and socks, then stalked to the closet
for his boots.
“Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“Just tell me what happened!”
He spun to face her. “I did! I came home and she was gone. What else do you need to
know?”
“Why do people say that about you? Why would they?”
“Because they found her vehicle at the side of the road!” The words exploded from
him. “Unlocked, her keys in it! And I lied about the last time I saw her! Satisfied?”
She brought a hand to her mouth, took a step backward. “Oh, my God, like the others.”
“I’m out of here.”
“Wait! Talk to me!” He didn’t and she ran after him. “Why’d you lie to the police,
Logan?”
He stopped, face white with fury. “My pride,” he ground out. “Ironic, isn’t it? I
didn’t want our relationship to be on everyone’s lips, and it’s still all they’re
talking about. Even you.”
Bailey flinched at the disdain in his voice. She followed him downstairs and out to
the courtyard. “Stay, Logan! Please, let’s talk this out.”
“We shouldn’t have to.”
“Logan!”
Helplessly, she watched as he crossed to the truck, climbed in and left her behind.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bailey awakened with a start. She had fallen asleep on the keeping room couch, waiting
for Logan to return. Her eyes were scratchy and swollen from crying. Her head hurt.
What time was it? She reached for her phone. The display glowed 12:46.
Where was Logan?
Bailey brought the heels of her hands to her eyes. Dammit. How could she have bungled
that so badly? He was her husband; they should be able to share everything. She should
trust that if she asked, he would answer. Instead, she had danced around her own questions
and he had gotten defensive.
“Do you think I’m a monster, too?”
“I’m your husband, you shouldn’t need to defend me.”
He was right. She should believe in him. Without question.
Bailey sat up. Did he really believe that? That she—or anyone else—thought he was
a monster?
Billy Ray Williams did. Death follows him, he had said. It follows his family. What
did that mean? His mother had died in an accident, who else? His father?
Where were all their family photographs?
“Why did you lie to the police, Logan?”
“I didn’t want our relationship to be on
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