Page 50 of Dead Man's Alibi

Aly looked down, presumably at her still flat stomach.“Well.”She seemed to consider this, or maybe she just wasn’t going to say anything, but after a few moments, she turned to face Sam.“I just wanted to wait until I had a doctor’s appointment before I made any official announcements to anyone.Did you know they don’t do any sort of exam oranythinguntil you’re eight weeks?”

“I didn’t.”Sam knewnothingabout pregnancy.Childbirth.Kids.And she sure as hell didn’t want to think about it now.

“Yes, well, they don’t.So… I was waiting for that.Not because of…”

“My boyfriend being in jail for murder?”

Aly’s blue eyes were sympathetic, but her tone was firm.“My brother-in-law, yes.And yourfiancé.”

“Right.Yeah.”Sam looked down at the ring.

The symbol of the future that mocked her now, and yet she couldn’t work up the guts to take it off.Not after Nate got so mad at the suggestion.

“I tried to give him his ring back,” she heard herself say, and then wondered why that was something she needed to tell someone.

“Why on earth would you do that?”Aly demanded, hands on her hips.

Maybe that was why, because she needed Aly, her old best friend and new friend, to snap her out of whatever this was.She needed to accept what Landon had said last night.

They were all in this together, and maybe that meant leaning a little bit.Unburdening herself a little bit.“Because I was feeling a little bit cursed.And hey, maybe if he’d listened, he’d be sitting here now.”

“He wouldn’t, because that’s ridiculous, Sam.”Aly sounded firm and sure, like a mother or teacher scolding a child.

It almost made Sam smile.Yeah, that was definitely what she needed.

“I know this must bring up a lot of old, bad memories.”

“For all of us,” Sam said, before Aly could apologize or self-blame, like Landon had done last night.

Had he told his wife about that?Had he kept it to himself because it was damn embarrassing for the both of them?

“I guess so.But…” Aly trailed off, frowning before moving toward the doorway between the kitchen and the hallway that led to the living room and front door.“I thought I heard a car door slam.”

Sam stood to follow Aly, bringing her coffee with her, hoping Aly would be distracted enough by a visitor not to demand Sam finish that food.

Out the big picture window, they could see Cal at his SUV, and Jill getting out of her old truck.

“Cal and Jill together this morning.Hm.”Aly peered out the window.“Separate vehicles though.”

Something about the way she said that, like it was disappointing, had Sam staring at her.“Are you matchmaking Cal and Jill?”Sam didn’t know why it was such a surprise.

It was just the kind of thing Aly would do, but… Cal?He was kind of a mess.

Aren’t you all?

“Of course not,” Aly replied with a sniff, moving toward the front door.

“Liar,” Sam muttered, following her into the living room where Cal and Jill stepped inside.

The sight of Cal tightened any knots that had loosened immediately.He’d texted some rote updates about Nate, but nothing worthwhile.Nothing important.

“Did you see him?Talk to him?Do we know anything?”she demanded.

She knew too much to think he would have gotten a bond, but a girl could dream.

“Not on the Nate front directly.I’m going to go break down the prosecutor’s door today if I have to.I’ll try to corner Hayes, too, for a few reasons.But I thought we should talk about whatever Olivia told you yesterday first.You were excited about it.”

Right.Olivia.Had that just been yesterday?Hadshe been excited?It was like a weird, fuzzy memory that felt light-years away instead of yesterday.With Nate injail, it now felt less like a thread than it even had yesterday.“She told me that Jules went to the police in Marietta.And that someone there must have taken her somewhat seriously, because she came back in a good mood.”