Page 72 of Unhinged

“We were supposed to go out that night,” she admitted.

“That’s as good a reason as any. Separate the two of you, eliminate Audrey so he had you all to himself.”

“I just… Something doesn’t fit.” She bit her lip. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

Andrew offered a small smile. “Well, let the police do their jobs and investigate. I’m sure they’ll turn something up. Maybe all of the evidence will point to Steve Iverson.”

“Maybe.” But like she’d told Andrew, she seriously doubted it. There was something she was missing—something big. She could feel it.

“I know you’ve said no in the past, but I’m really hoping you’ll reconsider this time.” Her heart dropped as Andrew glanced away, an uneasy expression on his face. “You’re more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need until they catch this guy. You’ll be safe with me.”

“Listen, Andrew, I really appreciate everything you’ve done. You’ve been a great friend, but…” She took a deep breath. “I think we need to keep our relationship professional from now on.”

Confusion creased his features. “Have I done something to upset you?”

Her heart constricted at his dejected tone. In a lot of ways, Andrew was like a puppy, sweet and eager for approval. Despite his loyalty, he was beginning to interfere in her personal life and she cared too much for Luke to lose him now.

“You’ve given me some really great advice over the years, and I probably never would’ve confronted my fears without you. It was your idea for me to get out and date again, and I’m incredibly thankful to have a good friend like you. But I’m seeing Luke now and I need to focus on my relationship with him.”

“And he views me as a threat?”

She nodded. “He does. He’s worried about another man—you, specifically—trying to sway my opinion.”

Andrew threw a pitying glance her way. “Oh, Hannah, I’m so sorry.”

“Maybe you’ll meet a woman and we can double date.” She offered him a smile.

“I’d enjoy that. I just hope you know what you’re getting into.”

“I know you worry about me, but Luke is really amazing. He even gave me this.” Andrew’s eyes widened as she pulled the locket out from where it lay concealed beneath her shirt. “Remember my friend who was killed back in high school? Selah? We had matching necklaces. Mine was broken, but he had it fixed up for me and put our pictures inside.”

Luke had surprised her with the gift yesterday and the unexpected gesture had brought tears to her eyes. She’d been reluctant to hand it over to Detective Sanchez last weekend, afraid to part with the last remaining tie to Selah, even for a short period of time.

After it had been released from evidence, Luke had apparently taken it to a jeweler to be fixed. She had no idea how he’d come across their pictures, but it was as if they’d been taken yesterday. Selah and she smiled at each other from opposite sides of the locket, frozen in time. Last night she’d thanked him for the wonderful gift—twice.

She smiled at the thought as she tucked the necklace safely away next to her heart. She met Andrew’s unhappy expression, steeling herself for his words.

“Well, that’s… interesting,” he remarked.

“It was a lovely gesture,” she said defensively. “He knew how much it meant to me.”

“Exactly. And now he’s taken something important from your past and made it all about him.”

“That’s not⁠—”

“I’ve seen a lot of women in your shoes, Hannah. They change who they are for a man—a man who controls them and manipulates them to their advantage. This is how it starts, Hannah, you know that. First, you’re alienated from your friends and family. He’ll feed you empty promises, anything to get you to stay.”

“Luke’s not like that.” She shook her head. “He’s sweet and caring and...”

He leaned forward and took her hands in his own. “It’s a hero complex, Hannah. With everything that’s happened recently, you’ve developed an attachment to the man. I understand⁠—”

“That’s not true.”

His eyes flashed as she yanked her hands away. “How well do you really know him? What if he’s preying on you because you’re too inexperienced to know better?”

“You’re only saying that because you’re jealous,” she shot back. “We’re friends, Andrew. At least, I thought we were. If you cared about me at all, you’d support me in this.”

Andrew sat back in the chair and steepled his fingers. Finally, he gave a little shake of his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”