“As you should be,” Charlie said and started to turn back to her desk. She really wanted to take care of some things before the holiday. But Amanda didn’t take the hint.
“You know, since you’re here... There is something I have to ask you,” Amanda said, dragging her attention back. Charlie thought of her morning horoscope warning her to use good judgment in all things, especially those involving her job and the people she worked with. “I wouldn’t ask, but I’m desperate. I need you to be my maid of honor.”
Charlie felt her eyes go wide. All breath locked in her chest. For a moment she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even blink. “Amanda, the wedding is in two days.”
“I know. I just found out that my friend from Colorado broke her leg and is in traction.”
“You must have another friend—”
“Pat is pregnant and due any day. She can’t fly. I already told Greg that I asked you a long time ago to be my backup maid of honor and you said yes.”
“What? Amanda! Why would you do that?”
“He thought it was a wonderful idea,” Amanda rushed on, making Charlie doubt that had been the case. “So you really can’t say no at this late date.”
“I’m the last person you should ask. I mean I’m sure you have a close friend in town that you—”
“Actually, I don’t,” Amanda said, dropping her voice to a whisper. “I don’t make female friends easily.”
Big surprise, Charlie thought.
“Please. Greg and I both want you to stand up with us.”
Groaning inwardly, Charlie tried to think of anything she might say to make this go away. Her cell phone rang. She snatched it up. “I have to take this,” she said to Amanda and hit Accept.
“I need to see you,” Shep said. “I’m at the apartment. Can you take a break? I could meet you at the coffee shop next door to your office if—”
“That’s quite all right. No, this isn’t a bad time. I’ll be right there.” Disconnecting, she reached for her coat. “I’m sorry, Amanda, a client needs me right now.”
“On Christmas Eve?” Amanda demanded. “Well, I can see why Greg is always speaking so highly of you. But what about—”
“Later. We can talk about this later,” Charlie said, shrugging on her coat and sidestepping past the woman as she headed for the door.
Behind her, Amanda said brightly, “I’ll call you with the details. You won’t regret this.”
The cold morning air was a welcome relief after the office. The last thing she wanted to do was stand up with Amanda knowing what she did about the woman’s deceit—not to mention Greg’s recent strange behavior. But for the life of her she couldn’t think of a way out of it. She’d already said she would attend the wedding. Unless she came down with a contagious disease right after Christmas Day...
She walked the few blocks to the apartment and hurried up the three flights of stairs. She was reaching for the door when it was flung open. Shep’s expression made her realize the wedding and Amanda were the least of her problems.
“What’s happened?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHARLIE LOOKED FLUSHED from the cold and so beautiful that it took Shep’s breath away for a moment. He knew he should have waited until she got off work to tell her the news. But he also knew that she would want to hear this—and right away.
Now that he had her back at the apartment though, he hesitated. He had wanted to tell her here, not sure how she was going to take the news.
“Maybe you should sit—”
“Just tell me,” she snapped.
So he did, repeating everything the judge had told him about the DNA report on the scarf.
“What?” Charlie demanded, looking stricken. “Lindy’s alive? She’s alive, just like I said.”
“No. All I’m saying is that the DNA on the scarf matches Lindy’s. You recognized the scarf. Somehow her DNA survived on the fabric.”
“Just as her fingerprints survived on my doll?” Charlie shook her head and began to pace. “I looked the woman in the eye. It was Lindy. The scarf proves what I’ve been saying all along. She’s alive.”
He argued the facts, and the facts were that Lindy’s body had been found behind their house. A positive ID had been made.
“I know all of that,” Charlie said. “But I also know what I saw. I looked into her eyes. She was startled to see me. She was upset enough that I had her scarf to apparently break into this apartment. If Lindy is alive, then there is only one person who knows the truth,” Charlie said and headed for the door.
“Wait, where are you going?”
She turned to face him. “Shep, don’t try to stop me. It is high time I faced my stepmother. I’ve spent years hiding from the past. Well, now it’s come back to haunt me. I’m not hiding anymore. I’m no longer pretending it will go away if I ignore it. Someone wants me to remember all of it and if anyone knows what is going on, you can bet it’s Kat.”
“Charlie, I already talked to her. She threatened to call the police if she ever saw me on her doorstep again, let alone you. This could be one of your worst ideas.”
Charlie made a dismissive sound. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?”
* * *
KAT OPENED THE door, her eyes widening to see Shep on her doorstep again. Her jaw dropped when she saw Charlie. She tried to slam the door in their faces but Shep got a boot between the door and the jamb before she could.
“Get off my property. I told you not to come back. I’m calling the police,” Kat yelled as they entered the house, driving her back into the living room.
“Call the police,” Shep said as she fumbled her phone from her pants pocket. “I think they’ll be interested in hearing how you’re involved in stalking Charlie.”
Kat hesitated in the midst of tapping out 911 on her phone to look at them. “I haven’t been stalking anyone, especially her. I told you that.”
“We have proof you’re involved,” Charlie said. “You gave Lindy’s winter scarf to the woman you have tormenting me.”
Kat froze, her finger hovering over the send button. “What are you talking about?”
“Lindy. I didn’t just see her this time,” Charlie said. “I literally ran into her. When we collided, I came away with her blue scarf, her favorite blue scarf that you bought her.”