Indigo tilted her head. “You’re silly. You’re too big for me to help.”
“What does Delaney call him?” Theo asked.
“Paul Bumyun.”
Jordan laughed. “Close enough.”
“Do you remember who Paul Bunyan was?” Theo asked.
“A giant who cut down trees.”
“Exactly. He was a lumberjack. Pull hard,” Theo instructed. “Our lumberjack is tired.”
“And he’s a giant!” Indigo said, dropping Pickles, her stuffed cat on the ground so she could take hold of both Jordan’s hands. She pulled with all her might and Jordan finally came off the couch, surprising Indigo by bending and flipping her over his shoulder. She let out a happy squeal, jolting Ashley from her slumber.
“It’s okay,” Theo told her when she tried to sit up. She touched Ashley’s shoulder, urging her to stay where she was. “You’re okay. Be still.”
Ashley blinked several times and brought her hands up to her face. “Oh, wow … I’m so sorry I came over. Just showing up like that … that was just rude … and you’re my boss … and I’m just …”
“Stop it,” Theo said. “I am your boss, Ash, but I’m also your friend.”
“And she’s a pretty terrific pillow,” Jordan added, coming back into the room. He still had Indigo slung over his shoulder and he held a washcloth in his hand. He gave the cloth to Theo but kept the child, spinning her around in a circle. Indigo giggled, her legs and arms wild as they turned. Jupiter danced around the two of them, eager to be a part of their game. Jitterbug watched the activity from her spot on the back of the couch near Theo, her eyes half closed. It was just a normal Sunday morning at the barn as far as the cat was concerned. Only, it wasn’t.
“We’re going to start some breakfast,” Jordan announced. “Ashley, can I get you a cup of coffee?”
Ashley sat up and Theo handed her the washcloth.
“That would be really great,” she said.
“Lots of cream, lots of sugar, right?”
She nodded, wiping at the skin beneath her eyes. “Yes, please.”
“Do you like omelets?”
“You don’t have to cook for me,” Ashley said, swinging her legs around and planting them on the floor. “Actually, forget about the coffee. I should just go.” She stood up and Jordan turned to face her.
“I would be more than happy to make you a cup of coffee,” he told her. “And your stomach is gonna get all grumbly when you smell eggs and bacon and ham cooking. You might as well fill it with a little bit of breakfast.”
Ashley looked back at Theo who gave her a smile.
“We’d love to have you,” she said, pulling herself up from the couch. “Come on.” She took ahold of Ashley’s wrist and gently pulled her toward Glory’s room. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but there’s a tub in here, or if you’re more into showers, I’ve got one of those, too. There are fresh towels, soaps, shampoos … I even have a brand-new toothbrush if you want it.”
Ashley stood in the middle of the room, her eyes fixed on the row of framed pictures that lined the top of the dresser. Theo was pretty sure the woman wasn’t seeing the people with fixed smiles who stood on the other side of the glass, though.
“I feel hungover, but I didn’t have a drop of alcohol last night.”
Theo was quiet for a moment. “How did you find out about your friend?”
“Mina and her mom are very close.” She stopped, looked down. “They were very close.” Theo watched as Ashley swallowed. It looked as if it caused her pain to do so. “She’d been using a bunch of dating apps the past few months. She had a bad breakup about a year ago. She pretty much swore off guys, and that lasted for a while, but then she kinda swung the other direction, started dating like crazy. She was on Siren, Fling, and another app called Flirt. She had a date on Friday night, and Libby, Mina’s mom, always checked in with her if she knew she was going out. We both just started worrying about her a little. She kinda went a little crazy, going out with guys I never imagined she’d have an interest in.”
Ashley reached up and pushed her hair from her face. “Libby called yesterday because Mina wasn’t answering her phone.” Ashley shrugged. “Libby’s cool. She’s not a pain in the ass like a lot of moms. They talked on the phone a lot.” She took a deep breath and looked up at Theo. “She didn’t know if Mina had gone out the night before. She thought I might.”
“And you did.”
Ashley nodded. “I did. I don’t know who the guy was, but I knew she had a date. I hung up with Libby and I went to Mina’s house, but she wasn’t there. Her roommate said she thought she might be at work. She’s a waitress at South Street. She was supposed to open, but she didn’t show up for her shift.”
South Street Steakhouse was an upscale restaurant located on Main Street right in the heart of town. The establishment was known for superior food and excellent service. Mina most likely brought home at least $200 in tips even if she worked a short shift. According to Ashley, she’d been employed at the restaurant since before she graduated high school five years ago.
“She’s never late for a shift, and she never calls in sick.” She sighed. “Shit.” Her eyes filled with tears. “She was never late. I can’t wrap my head around it, you know?”
Theo reached up and pressed her fingers against Ashley’s arm. “I do.”
“When I found out she hadn’t shown up, I knew something was going on. It wasn’t until some camper showed up to cabin four yesterday afternoon that any of us knew what had happened.” Ashley looked up at Theo, and Theo saw the pain swimming in the blue of Ashley’s eyes. “That sick sonofabitch raped her,” she said, tears spilling over her lower lashes. “Then he strangled her to death. I’m so angry. I don’t know what to do with it all.” She turned, looking around the room. It was almost as if she was just now realizing where she was. “Oh, my god,” she said patting the pockets of her jeans. She reached in and pulled out a set of keys. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated, suddenly flustered. “I need to go. I need to leave. I’m so sorry I bothered you.” She left the room quickly, Theo close on her heels.
“Ashley, please stay.”
“No,” she shook her head, her black hair flying around her. “Thank you. You and Jordan are … god, you’re so unbelievably kind … I’m gonna go.” She looked around for her coat, found it slung over the back of the couch and she grabbed it, taking it with her instead of putting it on. “I’ll see you Monday,” she said over her shoulder as she opened the door and ran outside. Theo realized Ashley hadn’t taken her boots off the night before and was grateful now that she hadn’t. She moved quickly and shut the door before any of the cats got it into their heads to go exploring. Then she moved to the front window and opened the blinds, watching Ashley execute a speedy three-point turn before she took off down the driveway.
Theo turned and located her cell where she’d plugged it in the night before. She could hear Jordan and Indigo in the kitchen. She knew Jordan had made Ashley’s coffee, and that the mug was cooling on the counter because he wouldn’t have bothered her in Glory’s room. She flipped through her phone and waited as it rang. When Trix picked up, she heaved a sigh.
“I think Ashley needs you,” she said. Then she told her why.
8. FROZEN DINNER
At six o’clock sharp that evening, Theo served pork chops with apple and corn stuffing and a rosemary mustard sauce. There were new potatoes, green beans and buttermilk biscuits with softened butter. For dessert, Theo spooned warm, chunky applesauce over scoops of vanilla ice cream.
