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Kayla was done here, they’d be on their way to what Hayley called the Foxworth building.
    After a friendly goodbye to the teller, who happened to be her neighbor’s niece, Kayla stuffed her deposit receipt into her purse as she groped for her keys and the fob that would unlock her car door. At the same time, she tried to shoulder the heavy glass door of the bank open.
    The door suddenly swung open. “Hey, pretty lady,” a familiar voice said, “let me get that for you.”
    She looked up into the face of Chad’s best friend.
    “Hi, Troy.” Troy Reid gave her a wide smile as he held the door for her. “How are you?” she asked.
    Troy had been part of the fabric of her life ever since they’d moved here and he and Chad had become fast friends. Her parents had both liked him, and she suspected they’d secretly hoped some of his charm and friendly manner—and his politeness with adults—would rub off on her brother.
    He shrugged. “Things are pretty grim here. I’m thinking of leaving soon.”
    Kayla felt a surge of empathy. “I understand.”
    “I admire you, Kayla. It takes courage to stay in the place that has so many ugly memories.”
    “I’m in a different house, different neighborhood. That helps. But this is home for me. You always wanted to get out of here.”
    “And I did, for a while,” he said with a wry smile.
    “Did I ever tell you how wonderful I thought it was that you came back to take care of your mom after your dad died?”
    “Yes,” he said, then with a smile added, “but you could tell me again.”
    “It was.”
    She meant it. It wasn’t just guilt that made her say it; she hadn’t made it to Troy’s dad’s funeral. It had been less than a month after the murders, and she just hadn’t been able to face it. Troy understood, had been more than kind about it—something she’d always appreciated.
    “But not wonderful enough to pry you away from Dane.”
    She was sure, after all this time, the irritation in his voice was feigned. His laugh a split-second later proved it. And Dane was not a subject she wanted to discuss just now.
    “So, you’ll be leaving again now?” she asked hurriedly. “Nothing really holding you, if you want to leave, I mean, with both your folks gone.”
    Well, that was tactful, she thought. Teach her to dodge without thinking.
    “And my best friend,” Troy said. “Don’t forget that.”
    Kayla blinked. As if she could forget. But until it had come together like this, she hadn’t quite realized just how many losses Troy had suffered. As many, in fact, as she had, albeit not in such an ugly way.
    “You know, I still don’t believe it,” he said. “I know what the police think, and he ran and all, but I still can’t believe Chad really did it.”
    The words, from someone who knew Chad almost as well as she did, were balm to her battered spirit.
    “Thank you,” she said fervently.
    He studied her for a moment. Then, gently, he asked, “You still don’t believe it either, do you?”
    “No. No, I don’t. Chad couldn’t. Wouldn’t.”
    “I agree.” He sighed. “I’d have been trying to prove it myself, if it hadn’t been for my dad, then my mom getting sick.”
    “I know you would,” she said.
    “Are you still looking for him?”
    She nodded. “And I have some help this time. Some people from the Foxworth Foundation.”
    He blinked. “Who are they?”
    “They specialize in helping people when no one else will. Especially with what they call lost causes.”
    “Never heard of them. Are you sure they’re legit? I wouldn’t want you getting taken.”
    You and Dane, she thought. “Thanks for worrying,” she said.
    Troy reached out and touched her shoulder comfortingly. “If there’s anything I can do,” he said.
    “They may want to talk to you, since you were Chad’s best friend.”
    “Send them around. I’ll be happy to talk to them.”
    “Thank you, Troy.”
    She felt much better now, she thought when Troy had gotten into