Page 38 of What They'll Say About Us

"Nice image," I said dryly.

"Sorry. Even if that man we saw wasn't after us, it doesn't mean we were safe there or safe here. If Paige was murdered, and we don't back off, her killer might come after us. I know I'm stating the obvious, but I needed to say it out loud."

"I'm very aware of the risk. We have to be careful."

"That won't be easy when we don't know where the danger might be coming from. If it wasn't a random stranger that took Paige's life, then you probably knew them. You might have even called them a friend."

A shiver ran down my spine as I mentally added, or even a boyfriend, to her statement. Because Liam's negative reaction had been just as big as everyone else's. "I can't worry about that now," I said as I got to my feet to go to bed. "I don't know how I'll feel when we get to the truth, but first we have to get there."

After a restless night with haunting nightmares keeping me awake, I got out of bed at seven thirty on Thursday morning. After I'd showered and put on a sleeveless dress and wedge heels, I made my way into the kitchen to make coffee. I was definitely going to need caffeine before my meeting with Detective Barclay and whoever came next. Although, if he was going to reopen the case, that might actually limit our involvement. That could be both good and bad. It would be safer, but we wouldn't have as much drama for our podcast.

Morgan came out of her room, looking even more exhausted than she had the night before. "Coffee," she mumbled, still wearing her PJs, her auburn hair a tangled mess of waves.

"Did you sleep?" I asked, pouring her a cup and then pushing it across the kitchen counter.

She took a sip, then shook her head. "Very little. I couldn't relax, and my brain wouldn't shut off. What about you?"

"Same."

"You look pretty good now."

"Detective Barclay said nine, so I'll head out in a few."

"I want to ask you something, completely unrelated to Paige."

"That would actually be refreshing," I said with a smile.

"Your aunt mentioned your dad was coming to town this weekend. What's the deal with you and your dad? I know you said he wasn't around much when you were growing up, but I don't know much more than that."

"There's not much more to say. My father is a musician who has spent most of his life traveling from city to city, gig to gig. He's a guitar player, and I guess he's good. He can sing, too. He had dreams of being a rock star, but according to my mother, he wasn't ruthless or dedicated enough to make that happen."

"And your mom is an actress, right?"

"She used to be. She tried for a very long time to reach the level of success my aunt got to, but she never made it, even though she was ruthless and dedicated. In fact, I blame her for teaching me that rivals couldn't be friends. And that there was only room for one person under the spotlight."

Morgan smiled. "It's nice to have someone to blame for our bad habits."

I smiled back at her. "Isn't it? I don't really blame her, but I did grow up with two parents who were more focused on pursuing their creative passions than on raising a child. I pretty much raised myself."

"Probably why you're so strong and independent."

"Maybe. My aunt was a good role model, but she was also busy and working. She and mom didn't get along that well. I think my mom was jealous of Aunt Viv. But for some reason, my father and my aunt get along great. Whenever he comes through Chicago, he usually stays with her. When I went to school here, we probably spent more time together than we had in years, but since I left and went to New York, I doubt I talk to him more than once or twice a year, and I haven't seen him in probably three years."

"That's a long time. But it sounds like you can see him this weekend."

"Maybe. We'll see what's happening then."

"Do you see your mom more than your dad?"

"Slightly more. She likes to come to New York. Loves the theater and the shopping, so we get together when that happens."

"Neither one of them remarried?"

"My mom did. She had a second marriage that lasted about ten years. That ended two years ago. She said she's done with marriage now. We'll see. She doesn't really like to be alone. Even when she's not married, she usually has a man in her life. My father also has female friends, but he told me a long time ago that after my mom, he realized he wasn't cut out for marriage. I don't think he was wrong. Anyway, they're both nice people. You'd like them. When we get together, it's usually fine. No one really digs too deep into the other's life."

"Is your mom retired?"

"No. She works part-time for a casting agency in LA. I think she still occasionally goes out on auditions for older character actors, but she hasn't had a part in a while now. She's fifty-eight years old, so there aren't a lot of parts for women her age."