Charlie took the news without much enthusiasm either. “So Lindy had a key and let herself in the back door.”
“Which proves that you weren’t responsible. She was never truly locked out of the house. She could have come in at any time, and she did. She was still alive at that point and able to stay in the house where it was safe, but apparently she chose to go back out.”
Charlie shook her head. “She went back out to replace the key and was attacked. Shep, you’re splitting hairs. It always comes back to the fact that I locked her out. She was out there screaming and carrying on and attracted a killer. If she hadn’t been locked out...”
He held up his hands in surrender. “You weren’t responsible. I don’t know how many times I have to say that. I thought you’d be more excited about the news. I’m sorry. So tell me about your afternoon. You sounded busy even before you remembered the shower.”
Charlie went into her bedroom and came back out with a wrapped present. “I really don’t feel like getting into it. Do you mind? I don’t have time right now anyway. The good news is that I didn’t see Lindy and I’m assuming you didn’t find anything new on my doorstep?”
“No.” He now wished he’d said something about stopping by her office, seeing her with Daniel, seeing her go into the bar and her boss coming in after her. He’d waited out in the snow until she came out. Alone. When he’d seen that she was headed toward the apartment, he’d beat her home.
Shep told himself that she probably felt it was none of his business. It wasn’t, since it had nothing to do with Lindy or the past or the stalking. He reminded himself that he was only here to solve this problem for her and then it would be time for him to get back to his own life.
He watched Charlie pull on her boots to head out to her party. Then he walked to the door, pulled on his own coat and followed her, afraid of what other secrets Charlie might be keeping from him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AFTER HE SAW Charlie safely to the restaurant where the shower was being held, Shep tracked down the boy Lindy had argued with at school all those years ago.
Austin Fletcher worked as a car salesman on the west end of town. He didn’t look all that different from his senior photo in the yearbook from fifteen years ago.
He’d been a big boy. He was now a large man, thickly built with a head of blond hair, intense blue eyes and a cleft chin.
While striking, his looks were just short of handsome. When he saw Shep looking at a used truck in the lot, he came over to give him a toothy smile and a strong handshake.
“This is a nice one. I know the guy who owned it. Can’t go wrong with this truck, but I do have some rebates right now. I can put you in a new one if you’re interested.”
“I want to ask you about Lindy Parker.”
It took Fletch—that was how he’d introduced himself—a couple of moments to change gears. “Who?”
“Lindy Parker, the girl who was murdered your senior year in high school.”
“That had to be—”
“Fifteen years ago,” Shep said, helping him with the math. “I heard you had a crush on her.”
Fletch let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t know where you heard that but...” He shook his head, seeming at a loss for words.
“But you knew her.”
“Sure. We went to the same school.”
“Her sister remembers the two of you arguing.”
“Her sister?” Fletch said, frowning. “That dark-haired girl?”
“Charlie. She said you grabbed Lindy’s arm and the two of you had words. What was that about?”
Fletch looked around as if wanting desperately to escape. “Are you serious? That was so long ago. You expect me to remember?”
“Did you see Lindy outside of school?”
The man blinked. “What did her sister say?”
“How about you tell me the truth?”
Fletch shifted on his feet. “Are you some kind of cop?”
“I teach middle school math, but I’m a friend of Charlie’s. I’m just looking for answers. Anything you say is between the two of us. I’m trying to get a handle on what Lindy was like and why someone wanted her dead.”
“I thought some vagrant passing through town killed her?”
“So what was Lindy like?” Shep asked. And waited.
Fletch shook his head again and looked toward the Bridger Mountains. They were white with glistening snow in the fading twilight. “She was different.”
Shep continued to wait as patiently as he could. The car salesman had a gift of gab when he was trying to make a deal. Otherwise, it was as if he thought he had to pay for every word he uttered.
“She was a...challenge,” Fletch said, avoiding his gaze.
“A challenge you won?”
It took Fletch a moment before he shifted to look back at Shep. “We met a few times after school down by the creek, but not much happened. She was a tease. The more she thought you wanted her, the more she held back.”
“That sounds like a motive for murder.”
Fletch took a step back. “Not me. I wasn’t even in town the night she died.”
“You can prove that?”
“I can. I was at an away game. I threw the winning pass that night. It’s funny. I was actually thinking about her on the way back on the bus. I wondered if that pass would get me anywhere with her. The bus got a flat and we didn’t get back into town until like three in the morning. I heard about her murder the next day.”
“Who do you think killed her?” Shep asked, disappointed.
“If not a vagrant?” Fletch scratched his head. “I guess someone she messed with like she did me. Someone who was tired of putting up with it.”
“There were others she led on?”
Fletch laughed. “Lindy didn’t just tempt boys. She liked to make our male teachers squirm. She was ruthless, especially with the teachers closer to her age.”
“What teachers?”
* * *
THE MOMENT CHARLIE walked in the door of the restaurant where the shower was being held, her friend snagged her and drew her aside.
“Where have you been?” Tara demanded. “Amanda is in a really bad mood. I thought she might stab herself with one of the cake-cutting knives.”
“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. Is everyone already here?”