AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sheila studied Jonah Tournay across the table, taking in his nervous demeanor and the dark circles under his eyes. Finn sat beside her, his notebook open and ready.
"Mr. Tournay," Sheila began, "thank you for meeting with us. We understand how difficult this must be."
Jonah nodded, his hands wrapped tightly around a steaming mug of coffee. "I just want to find my sister," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sheila glanced around and noticed Mrs. Hendricks at a nearby table, pretending to read a newspaper while obviously eavesdropping. In a small town like Coldwater, news traveled fast, and Mrs. Hendricks was known as the local gossip hub.
That's the last thing we need,Sheila thought.Someone figuring out that Sophie's disappearance might be related to Laura's death—and terrifying the whole town.
Sheila caught Finn's eye and gave a subtle nod toward Mrs. Hendricks. Finn understood immediately. He stood up, smoothing his uniform.
"Mr. Tournay, if you'll excuse me for a moment," Finn said politely before making his way to Mrs. Hendricks' table.
"Mrs. Hendricks," he said warmly, "I'm so glad I ran into you. I was hoping to speak with you about the neighborhood watch program. Do you have a moment?"
Mrs. Hendricks blinked, puzzled. "The neighborhood watch program? What could that possibly have to do with me?"
"A lot, in fact. Why don't we go over to a table by the wall where it's quieter? I'd love to pick your brain about…"
That was all Sheila caught. Then Finn was leading a bewildered Mrs. Hendricks across the room, where there was no risk of her eavesdropping on Sheila's conversation with Jonah.
Sheila cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Jonah.
"I apologize for the interruption, Mr. Tournay," she said. "What can you tell me about Sophie? What's she like?"
Jonah's eyes softened, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the worry etched on his face. "Sophie's...she's amazing. Kind, smart, always helping others. She volunteers at the local shelter, teaches Sunday school. She's very religious, has been since we were kids."
"How old is she?" Sheila asked, jotting down notes.
"She just turned twenty-nine last month," Jonah replied. "We had a small party for her at our parents' house. She seemed happy then, but looking back...I think something was bothering her."
Sheila leaned forward, curious. "What makes you say that?"
Jonah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's hard to explain. Sophie's always been...I don't know, serene? But that day, she seemed distracted. Like she was carrying a weight on her shoulders."
"And you said she was meeting with a priest?" Sheila asked, keeping her voice low to avoid attracting attention.
Jonah nodded. "Yeah, she mentioned it last week. Said she needed to talk to someone about...about something she'd done."
Sheila kept her expression neutral, but her mind was racing with the parallels to Laura Hastings' case. "What do you mean, Mr. Tournay?"
Jonah shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting around the restaurant before leaning in closer. "Sophie...she made a mistake. A big one. She was really torn up about it."
"What kind of mistake?"
Jonah sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "She...she had an affair. With a married man. It was brief, but Sophie was devastated. Said she'd betrayed everything she believed in."
The revelation hung in the air between them. Sheila felt a chill run down her spine as she remembered Laura Hastings' marital troubles. Was it possible the killer's MO involved infidelity? But if so, why not target the married man Sophie had cheated with?
You're getting ahead of yourself. As far as you know, Sophie's disappearance may have nothing to do with Laura's death.
"Did Sophie tell you who the man was?" Sheila asked, keeping her voice low.
Jonah shook his head. "No, she wouldn't say. Shedidtell me she was torn up about it, though."
Sheila nodded. "And that's when she mentioned meeting with the priest?"
"Yeah," Jonah said. "She said she needed guidance, needed to make things right with God. She said she was too embarrassed to talk with her own priest—he knows the person she had an affair with. She wanted to speak with someone outside the situation...and I guess this priest fit the bill."
