Leaning over the body, the injury came into focus. A series of tiny cuts that formed a pattern. One that was familiar. The same design I’d seen in crime scene photos from a case five years ago. Only then, they weren’t cuts. It was a brand.
Something I knew had been burned into Hallie—that gemstone shape with its intricate design.
And now it was here. On this woman’s body.
17
HALLIE
“I’mstarving,”Drew complained as we pulled away from the middle school.
Luke grunted. “You’re always hungry.”
Drew patted his stomach. “Gotta fuel the six-pack. Babe—”
“If you saybabesone more time, I’m going to hurt you,” Luke cut him off.
“Let’s try to hold off on the violence before we’ve even made it home,” I said as I flipped on my blinker. “I’d really rather not have to take someone to the emergency room.”
Charlie giggled at that. “Drew’s had to go four times, and Luke three. But I’veneverhad to go.”
I could only imagine what shenanigans had landed the older two Hartley boys in the ER.
“It’s no big,” Drew said. “Babes dig scars.”
Luke smacked Drew upside the head, and he whirled on his older brother. “Not the hair, bruh.”
“How about we grab an after-school snack downtown?” I quickly suggested before I had a WWE match in the back seat.
“Dockside!” Charlie cheered.
Drew turned back around. “I could go for some french fries and a milkshake.”
I glanced at Luke in the rearview mirror. “I’m good with that.”
The tension in my shoulders eased a bit. Luke was softening. He wasn’t warm and fuzzy, but he wasn’t rude either. I was taking it as a huge win.
I kept going on Main Street instead of taking the turn toward home.Home.The word had warmth swirling deep because that was exactly what it had started to feel like. Somewhere safe and comforting.
It didn’t take long for us to reach downtown. I turned into the parking lot next to Dockside and grabbed an open spot. The kids were out of the SUV in a matter of seconds.
Drew and Luke were still needling each other, but Charlie came straight to my side, grabbing my hand. He swung our arms back and forth. “This is the bestest day.”
I grinned down at him. “Well, that’s fabulous news.”
I wished I felt the same, but I’d been on edge since Lawson left this morning. A million questions had been on the tip of my tongue, but none of them were things I could ask in front of the kids. And I hadn’t heard a word from him all day.
My fingers had itched to text him more times than I could count. I wanted to know what was happening, but I also wanted to make sure he was okay.
Drew paused to pet a passing dog, crouching low to scratch its ears.
The owner grinned at him. “She loves you.”
Drew answered with a smile of his own. “She’s awesome. Is she part Husky?”
The woman nodded. “Good eye. We think she’s a Husky-shepherd mix.”
Charlie moved to pet the dog. “She’s so pretty. We want a dog, but Dad keeps saying no.”
