An Accidental Woman Read Online Free PDF Page B

society, because Heather is the last person I would ever accuse of anything, much less false identity and murder. But someone did. So I’m driving along here,” now on the road that circled the lake, with no other cars in sight, just tons of snow, scads of naked trees, and plenty of questions, “and I’m thinking about who the canary could be. No one in town would snitch on Heather, because everyone here loves her, and even if they didn’t, they love Micah, and even if they didn’t, they wouldn’t betray one of us for fear of reprisal from the rest. So I’m thinking it has to be one of the bozos who was in town last fall during the whole mess that gave Lily her unwanted fifteen minutes of fame, and those guys are your friends—”
    â€œThey are not,” John broke in, “but hold on, back up. What happened to Heather?”
    Slowing when a deer darted across the road ahead, Poppy watched its white tail twitch as it leapt gracefully over a snowbank and loped off through the trees. “She was arrested by the FBI. I don’t know much more. Micah dropped the girls here in a rush and went to get Cassie. They were going off after the Feds. I don’t know where—”
    â€œTo Concord. The Feds go to federal court, and the nearest one is in Concord.”
    Poppy drove on at full speed again, both hands tight on the wheel, though the road was beautifully plowed. “Federal court.” She tried out the words. “Heather in federal court. Doesn’t work for me.”
    â€œThat’s because you assume she’s innocent.”
    â€œWell, don’t you? Think back to every single interaction you’ve ever had with her. Did she ever sound like she was concealing a dark past?”
    â€œNo, but that’s because I don’t take her for a pathological liar. If she were one, though, chances are she could fool people. You’d be amazed at how convincing a pathological liar can be.”
    Poppy bristled. “Heather is totally honest. People trust her. Ask Charlie. He knows how to spot the good ones. It took him less than a year to get Heather out of the kitchen and into managing the restaurant. Hell, Kip, she’s the one he leaves in charge when he and Annette go away with the kids—and, technically, she isn’t even working for him anymore! Would he do that if she was dishonest?” She edged the Blazer to the right when an old station wagon approached. It was the postmaster, Nathaniel Roy, on his way to work. Nat was a bespectacled seventy-five, but he was sharp enough to know Poppy’s Blazer and would have been agile enough to flick his headlights if he wanted her to stop. The fact that he simply waved and drove on told her that he hadn’t heard about Heather, either.
    â€œPoppy, you’re preaching to the choir,” John said. “I agree with you. But it’s not like we’ve known her all her life.”
    â€œWe haven’t known you, either,” Poppy pointed out. “Or Lily. Both of you spent years away.”
    â€œBut we were both born here.”
    â€œAnd you’d condemn Heather because she wasn’t?”
    â€œPoppy, Poppy,” John pleaded, “I’m not condemning her. I’m just making the same point that other people are going to make.”
    Poppy wanted to argue, but she knew he was right. “Fine then, let’s move on. Can you make some calls? Find out where she is? Try to keep a lid on things? I don’t want history repeating itself. Lily was hit with false charges, and the result was two lost jobs, an abandoned apartment in Boston, and a media circus.”
    â€œThe result of which,” John noted, “was that she fell in love with me.”
    â€œBut Heather already loves Micah,” Poppy reminded him sweetly. “She already loves the girls. She doesn’t need a crisis to bring her to her senses. Honestly, why would someone do this to her? I