She may have had a reputation, but she was one of Bright’s Ferry’s own, and the community was horrified and saddened by her abrupt and brutal death. In the small cemetery overlooking the bay, Colin stood over the gravesite with Jenny Bright and Susan Gunterson, who wept openly next to Deirdre’s parents as the preacher performed the service. From the corner of his eye, he could see Evie standing with Tony at the edge of the crowd, not listening but watching instead, taking in the expressions and reactions of his friends and neighbors with her sharp gray eyes. It bothered him, the idea that someone he knew and cared for had most probably done this – the crimes were too personal to be a random killer passing through, but the rational conclusion was almost impossible to believe. It bothered him more that he seemed to be at the center of the killer’s focus, and as a result, the people in his life were now in danger. He stared down at Deirdre’s coffin as it was lowered into the ground, thinking about the loss of a beautiful, fun-loving woman, overwhelmed by guilt.
