Free Fortunes of the Dead by Lynn Hightower Page B

we thought she could talk to Rob again, and get his advice. And we told her, sure, go for it. And Robbie starts coming to see her again.”
    â€œJust twice,” Ray says.
    â€œOkay, just twice. But I got no idea what was up with them.”
    I wondered that Miranda hadn’t mentioned any of this. “What about Cheryl’s sister?”
    â€œWhat, you mean Miranda?” Van said.
    â€œMiranda,” Ray echoed.
    â€œThe nutcase.”
    â€œShe’s just eccentric.”
    â€œDid she hang out with Cheryl a lot?” I asked.
    â€œEven a little bit would be too much,” Van said.
    Raymond leaned close. “Miranda had a crush on Van a while back, and she caused him some trouble with his girlfriend. So he’s a little down on her. But the thing is, Miranda was jealous of Cheryl. She hated that her dad married Cheryl’s mother, she hated moving away from Pittsburgh, and she was basically a pain in the ass.”
    I tried not to frown. I wondered if these guys would lie about Miranda. I couldn’t think of a good reason. Which didn’t mean there wasn’t one. Unless Miranda was lying.
    Van shrugged. “I can see her viewpoint—Miranda gets uprooted to go live with people she hardly even knows. But after a while, you get over it. And Cheryl was good to Miranda. Tried to introduce her to the kids in Danville, bought her makeup when they were little. Cheryl taught Miranda to drive, and took her to her college orientation. After Cheryl’s mom died, nobody was really looking after Miranda. The dad’s a self-centered dick—sorry—and a workaholic, and Cheryl never liked the guy.”
    â€œI thought he was paying her school tuition.”
    â€œCheryl wouldn’t take it. In her way, she was just as upset about them getting married as Miranda was. Neither one really gave the mom and dad a chance. It might have worked out sooner or later, except Cheryl’s mom got really sick. Some kind of cancer.”
    â€œYou know, I’ve talked to Miranda,” I said.
    Van looked at Ray.
    â€œShe tells me she looked after Cheryl. Said Cheryl had a habit of studying and being kind of a loner. That the two of them were very close.”
    â€œTotal crap,” Van said.
    â€œWhy would she lie?” I asked.
    Ray shrugged. Neither of them said a word.
    â€œLook, guys. I’m not judging, but the more I know the better chance I’ll have of finding Cheryl.”
    â€œHow much chance is that?” Ray asked.
    Van made a fist. “Slim to none.”
    â€œDammit, Van—”
    â€œNo, he’s right,” I said.
    â€œYou think she’s dead?” Van asked.
    â€œYeah, I do. Sorry, but that’s how I read it.”
    â€œSo how come you’re looking for her?”
    â€œBecause I want to know for sure. And I want to nail the guy who did it.”
    Van leaned forward. “Miranda is the social misfit, not Cheryl. Miranda’s been moved, and uprooted, and all that sad stuff, and I don’t think it makes a bit of difference, I think she’d be Miranda no matter what. She was jealous of Cheryl. Cheryl was smart and pretty and made friends easy. Miranda gets under your skin. She pisses people off. She doesn’t mean to, but still. She’s no Cheryl.”
    â€œBut they did hang out sometimes,” Ray said. “Maybe twice a month sometimes, until about a week or two before Cheryl died.”
    I put a picture of Cory Edgers on the tabletop. “How about this guy? You know him?”
    Van smirked. “He’s the old guy. Playing mentor, but trying to get in Cheryl’s pants.”
    â€œDid Cheryl tell you that?”
    â€œNo, we told her.”
    â€œHow did she react?”
    Van looked at Ray, then at me. “It pissed her off. The guy had what you might call an impact. He’s a deputy sheriff from somewhere in Kentucky, and Cheryl thinks he’s some kind of hero.”
    â€œLondon,