the way it had felt when he’d put his arms around her. How she’d let herself wish again for the things she couldn’t have.
Bonnie was watching her with a worried crinkle between her blue eyes. Harper forced a weak smile. “Now might be a good time to tell you I’m going on a date with my ex-boss.”
Bonnie’s face lit up. “That’s my girl,” she said, picking up wine. “Tell Aunt Bonnie everything.”
* * *
Harper woke just after nine the next morning in Bonnie’s rose-colored spare bedroom, with a vague memory of terrible dreams.
The two of them had talked until the bottle of wine was empty. Bonnie had made her eat a sandwich while she told her about Paul Dells. Even though the evening with Luke had made the whole idea of dating Dells seem faintly absurd, it still felt good talking about something that wasn’t murder and danger.
Maybe that was why she felt a bit lighter as she showered, helping herself lavishly to Bonnie’s floral-scented shampoo, and wrapping up in warm towels. Talking about something so normal made the craziness of her world recede, just for a little while.
“Make coffee,” Bonnie called hoarsely from her bedroom as Harper padded downstairs, barefoot. “I’ve got a class to teach in an hour.”
As the coffee brewed and Bonnie showered, Harper dug through her closet, finding a few things to wear that didn’t make her look like an artist.
There was only a small mirror in the cottage at Tybee, and when Harper stopped in front of the full-length mirror on the back of Bonnie’s bedroom door, she was arrested by her own image.
For as long as she could remember, Bonnie had been one size smaller than she was, but these clothes fit comfortably.
She studied the new angles and edges to her body, running her fingers across the bones of her clavicle—they pushed against her skin in a way they hadn’t before. She was paler than she used to be—her freckles stood out against the milky pallor. Her eyes appeared hollow, as if the last few months had drawn some of the life from her.
She tore herself away, hurrying back to the spare room to finish getting ready.
There was little time to chat as Bonnie downed a cup of coffee and ran out without even drying her hair, calling back for Harper to stay as long as she wanted. Deciding to take her up on that, Harper settled on the sofa with a mug and some toast. She texted Myra and asked her to feed Zuzu and let her out.
Once that was done, she began thinking through her situation. Her most immediate problem was finding somewhere to live.
She didn’t think she could wait three weeks. Not with everything going on. She wanted out of Tybee. She needed to be back in the city as soon as possible. But where could she go?
She knew coming here last night was a mistake. She’d taken a long route and made sure she wasn’t followed, but still. Now, more than ever, she didn’t want to involve her best friend in her messed-up life. And she certainly wouldn’t move in with her and expose her to danger. She needed somewhere on her own, not too far from the police.
There was one person who might be able to help.
Billy Dupre had been her landlord in Savannah. He knew everyone who owned property in Chatham County. When she called him, he sounded delighted to hear from her.
“How’re you doing, Billy?” she asked, holding her coffee in one hand and balancing a notepad on her knee.
“Can’t complain, can’t complain,” he said jovially. “How about yourself? How’s your situation?”
“I’m good,” she lied. “Things are looking better. It’s just … Myra’s throwing me out.”
“Yep.” He didn’t sound surprised. “Summer starts before Easter for Myra. Got to get that money while she can. You got someplace to go?”
“Actually, I thought I’d check with you. See if you had anything.”
A self-made man from a dirt-poor background, Dupre had gotten into the property market in the city more than twenty years ago. He’d started with a duplex—living in one apartment, renting out the other. Gradually, he’d added to his rental portfolio. Now, he owned about ten buildings in Savannah, most in the historic district.
He was a great landlord. And a trusted friend. She didn’t want to live anywhere except in one of his places if she could help it. But the news wasn’t good.
“I’ve got nothing right now, chère. I got a couple coming up in a few