A few droplets of coffee dribbled from Ava’s cup onto the table. She wiped them up with a napkin, clearing her throat awkwardly. “I love this place. I came here after our meeting with the cops the other day, actually. I was so freaked, I just wanted the biggest frappé I could buy. That was really stressful, don’t you think?”
Parker squinted, trying to recall what she’d done after the police station. She’d blown off Julie, she remembered, not waiting to meet up with her after Julie’s interview with the psychological profiler. She’d felt bad about that later—she remembered bringing it up to Fielder yesterday. Julie probably wanted me to stick around and see how it had gone, she’d said. But I just . . . couldn’t. Fielder had asked Parker why, and she’d told him she’d felt compelled to bolt. Because of something that happened? Fielder had asked, but Parker said she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because the idea of someone prying into people’s psyches scares you, Fielder pointed out. You have trust issues. Am I getting somewhere?
Parker realized suddenly that Dr. Rose hadn’t yet contacted her for her own interview. Then again, that was probably good: She already had a psychologist. She didn’t need another one.
She looked up and noticed Ava wasn’t listening anymore. She had spotted something by the front door and frozen in her seat. “Uh oh,” she whispered.
Parker spun around to see a blond, bedazzled, heavily tanned blur barreling straight for Ava. “What the—” She watched in confusion as a middle-aged woman in a gray silk dress grabbed Ava by her arm. After a beat, Parker recognized her from Ava’s house the other day. It was Ava’s stepmom.
“I knew I’d find you in this shithole!” the woman spat, smelling heavily like booze and perfume.
“Hi, Leslie,” Ava said through clenched teeth. She turned toward Parker. “I’m sure you remember my friend—”
Leslie cut her off. “I come all the way down to school to sign you out so you can help me set up for my mother’s arrival tonight, and they can’t even find you, you ungrateful bitch.” Leslie yanked Ava to her feet roughly, pelting her with questions. “Do you skip school often? What do you think your father would think about that? And how dare you not be there for me?”
“I’m sorry,” Ava said. She pulled away from Leslie and straightened her clothes. “I—I forgot. And didn’t think you wanted me involved.” Her voice was strong but guarded. Parker recognized the tone—she’d used the same one with her dad plenty of times. It was her don’t wake the bear voice. Don’t say anything to piss him off. Though, inevitably, Parker always had.
Leslie tossed her head. “Oh, I don’t want you involved. In fact, it would be best if you were absent the entire weekend. Your father agrees.”
Ava gasped. She glanced around the coffeehouse. Patrons were staring. “He would never say that,” she whispered.
Leslie tittered. “Just ask him. He’ll tell you. He wants you out of our lives completely, Ava dear. And you know what? All those things you’re accused of? He thinks you’re guilty.”
Ava’s eyes flashed. “You’re a liar.”
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Takes one to know one.”
Ava’s bottom lip trembled. “I should tell him all the things you say to me. How much you drink. I think he deserves to know the real you—don’t you?”
Leslie’s mouth dropped open. With frightening speed, her talon-like fingers flicked out and wrapped around Ava’s wrist again. “How dare you.”
Ava winced in pain. Parker stared at Leslie’s nails. They were digging so deeply into Ava’s skin that little flecks of blood began to appear. All at once, Parker was awash in a flood of similar memories about her father. She felt the cuts in Ava’s skin as acutely as if they were on her own arm.
Parker shot to her feet. “Hey,” she started, reaching toward Ava to pull her back.
But Leslie had released Ava’s arm as though nothing were amiss. She turned to Parker, looking at her for the first time. At first, there was a hint of a sweet smile on her face, but then her eyes narrowed, and her look turned dismissive. She turned back to Ava. “You’re following me. Now.”
With that, she spun on her absurdly high heels and marched back to her car. Tears streaming down her face, Ava grabbed her purse, leaving her coffee on the table, and with one heartbreaking sob, she headed out the front door, too.
“Ava!” Parker followed fast on her heels. “Ava! Wait!”
But Ava jumped into her car and slammed the door before Parker could get to her. She revved her engine, backed roughly out of her parking space, and was gone.