The Best Man to Trust - By Kerry Connor Page 0,22

in years before today. I admit she’s a lot more unpleasant than I remember, but I don’t know how much of that is just an indication of how much she’s changed over the years.”

Meredith swallowed. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

Tom cleared his throat. “I guess we should finish what we came here to do. The others are going to be wondering what’s taking us so long.”

He was right. She surveyed Haley one more time, considering how to proceed. “There’s an empty room down the hall,” she said finally. “We can put her in there.”

“Sounds good,” Tom agreed.

Retrieving a sheet from a nearby closet, Meredith spread it out on the floor. Working together, Tom and Rick placed the body on the sheet and gently wrapped it. Meredith moved ahead to open the door to the room, stepping out of the way to let them carry the body inside. They quickly did so, wasting no time stepping back out once the task was done. As soon as they were back in the hallway, Meredith locked the door.

When they were finally done with the grim task, no one seemed to be much in the mood to talk. They made their way back to the living room in silence.

Everyone gathered in the room looked up at their entrance. No one said anything, but the question was clearly in their eyes.

“It’s done,” Meredith confirmed. “Everyone can head up to bed.”

No one gave any sign of relief, only acceptance as they began to rise from their seats.

“In the meantime,” Tom said, “until we get to the bottom of this, I’d like to suggest everyone try to stay together and not go anywhere alone. It should be safer that way.”

“Unless the person you’re alone with is the killer,” Alex said darkly.

The comment was met with a nervous silence. Meredith saw Jessica shudder. Rachel leaned a little closer into Scott.

Meredith turned to Rick and Ellen. “Would the two of you like to stay upstairs with the rest of us, so you’re not so isolated on the other side of the house? There are still plenty of rooms.” Even without the one that had been turned into a makeshift morgue.

Rick and Ellen glanced at each other, seeming to share a look, before turning back to Meredith. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d rather stay where I am,” Ellen told her.

“Me, too,” Rick agreed.

“All right,” Meredith said. While she wouldn’t have minded having them close so she’d have a better idea whether they were safe, she could certainly understand why they would want to be away from the wedding guests. After listening to all the bickering and suspicions, being isolated on the other side of the house away from these people—one of whom might be a killer—didn’t sound like a bad thing. Not to mention, Rick likely wasn’t in any hurry to spend the night upstairs near the body after what he’d just had to do. “I guess I’ll see you both in the morning then?”

They both nodded.

She watched them go, disappearing into the other wing and the darkness that led to the rear of the house.

The rest of the group made their way up the staircase without speaking. Meredith didn’t know if it was exhaustion or the traumatic events of the past few hours that kept them quiet and subdued. She wouldn’t have blamed them for either.

When they made it to the second floor, Jessica hurried to her room, quickly slamming the door shut. The sound of the lock fastening was audible down the hall.

Scott glanced back when he and Rachel reached their room, Rachel ducking inside first. “Good night,” he said.

“’Night, man,” Tom said. “See you tomorrow.”

With a nod, Scott went inside.

Down the hall, Alex and Greg retreated to their respective rooms.

Until she and Tom were the only ones left.

Meredith felt a sudden awkwardness as they stood there in the echoing stillness of the corridor. It seemed strange. After everything they’d been through in the past few hours, she should feel comfortable around him. But there it was nonetheless.

“Thank you for your help tonight,” she said. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done without it.”

“I’m glad I was able to do something,” he said. “You’re sure you’re all right?”

She remembered when he’d asked her that in the downstairs hall, remembered the way his low, deep voice had washed over, remembered the kindness and concern in his eyes, much as it was now.

Remembered how she’d freaked out a little when he’d touched