The Best Man to Trust by Kerry Connor Page B

Scott doing anything, though. He was always kind of a pushover when it came to her. Some things really haven’t changed. After all, it’s why we’re here now. Rachel wanted to get married here, even though it’s so far from where everybody lives. As usual, she got her way.”
    So many things had brought them to this point. If Scott and Rachel hadn’t gotten back together, would any of this be happening now? Or if Rachel hadn’t wanted everyone to come here?
    Meredith studied Kim Logan’s face. She didn’t remember her, but that wasn’t a surprise. She hadn’t exactly moved in this group’s social circle. She hadn’t moved in any social circle, at least not until she’d met Brad and been reluctantly tolerated in his. “What was she like? Kim?”
    “Kim was the wild one of their group. When we would all hang out, she and Greg were pretty tight. That should give you some idea what she was like. She liked to party as much as he did, and could match him shot for shot. I’m not sure what she ended up doing after college. The others said she died a few months ago, and Jessica made a comment about how she wouldn’t have been invited anyway. I’m guessing she and Rachel had some kind of falling-out.”
    It was so sad, Meredith thought, looking at the two of them in the picture. They looked really close. All of them did, the tightness of their bond visibly apparent in the image. And now two of them were dead. Half of their group was gone.
    She forced herself to move on to the next picture, then the rest. There were more group shots of the four girls, then some that started to include the guys. Everyone looked so young, she thought with a twinge.
    And there was Tom. Not the Tom who stood beside her, but the Tom she remembered so well from those old fantasies. He looked so young. She could see what she’d seen in him back then, yet he’d improved so much with age. He really had only been a boy then. Now he was every bit a man.
    Forcing herself to look away, Meredith handed him the stack of photographs to go through in case he spotted anything in them. Wiping her hands on her slacks, she scanned the space. That really was it. Everything else in the room was here when Haley arrived.
    It was a good thing she’d turned down Alex’s offer to “help,” she thought. There was barely enough here for her and Tom to go through. She didn’t know what a third person could have done.
    The thought reminded her of her earlier encounter with him and all the questions she’d had. “What can you tell me about Alex?” Meredith asked carefully.
    “Why do you ask?” Tom said, a trace of wariness in his tone.
    “After breakfast he asked me if he could come in here with us and look around, see if he could help find some clues.”
    Tom relaxed imperceptibly. “Well, that makes sense. He is a reporter. He’s used to asking questions and conducting investigations. I’m not surprised he would want to get involved in the search for the killer.”
    “I know,” she said. “It makes sense. But there was something about the way he asked, almost like he was too eager. I had to wonder if there was another reason he wanted to get in here.”
    “He can be a little intense,” Tom admitted. “I’m sure that’s a good quality for his line of work, but it can turn people off, too. He can come on a little strong, but he’s a good guy. He’s one of the most loyal friends anyone could want.”
    Meredith figured she would reserve judgment on whether Alex was really a good guy. “What kind of relationship did he and Haley have?”
    Tom paused for a moment. “Actually, I think he liked her back in school,” he said thoughtfully. “But nothing ever came of it. I don’t think she was interested.” He shook his head. “I’d forgotten about that.”
    “Do you remember if he was upset about it?”
    “I doubt it. I hate to say it, but he was probably used to it. Back then, Alex never had much luck with girls. He was pretty awkward with