were covered in a layer of dust. This one wasnât.â He started thumbing through the photos. After a few moments he gave a low whistle. âThis is you.â
She peered over his shoulder. Yes, that was her. A shot of her that had been taken right after Nateâs murder. A police officer was pushing her into the back of a patrol car.
For just a moment, a memory of that scene flashed into her mind. So strong and clear.
âMiss...what happened here last night?â The copâs eyes had been kind.
At first, anyway.
âThere was so much blood.â She leaned forward and picked up another photo. Revulsion poured through her. That shotâit was one of the crime scene photos. Nateâs handsome face was so still, and the pool of blood beneath him was clear to see. So much blood.
âIn the picture, you didnât have any blood on you,â Mac said.
âNo...no, IâI only touched him once. To see if he had a pulse.â But even then, sheâd known it was too late.
Macâs head tilted. âI need to know everything, Elizabeth. Just what went down in your past?â
Hell.
âYou know you have to tell me.â
âI canât tell you what I donât know.â She saw another photo. This one was of the cabinâs exterior. The snow had been so white. It had been so cold. Sheâd been in that closet, shivering, for hours and hours before sheâd heard the voices of the police officers.
âElizabethââ
âWhatâs in the notebooks?â That mattered. She reached for one, flipped it open, and she saw her name at the top of the page. Her name and age andâ
Possible accomplice? The words were written in a rough script.
Her phone rang, making her jump and drop the notebook. She pulled out the phone and read the words on her screen. Unknown caller.
âPut it on speaker,â Mac instructed her.
She slid her finger over the screen and then hit the icon for the speaker.
âI know where you are,â the low voice told her.
âAnd Iâm getting sick of you calling me,â Elizabeth fired back.
Macâs gaze shot to her. It seemed likeâadmiration?âlit his stare.
âDonât worry, Elizabeth. This will be your last call.â
A shiver slid down her spine.
âI knew youâd search his house. Did you find the surprise I left for you? Tick, tick... â
Mac swore. He grabbed her arm, dragging her to her feet. The photos and the notebooks fell from her lap.
âStop!â Elizabeth saidâthe order both to Mac and the psycho on the phone. âI donât know what youââ
âGoodbye, Elizabeth,â that voice told her. âYou canât hide this time. I see you. And the new lover. Youâll go out together in a blaze of fury.â
A blaze of... Understanding burst through her. Heâd said tick, tick.
Mac dragged her out of the closet. âThereâs a bomb! We need to get out of here!â
But the evidence was in there! They couldnât leave the photos and the notebook. She jerked away from him and ran back for the closet.
âElizabeth, no!â Mac bellowed. Then he grabbed her andâ
They didnât make it out.
An explosion shook the house. Fire erupted in a big, tumbling wave, spiraling out from the den. Mac threw his body toward Elizabeth, and they hit hard in the closet, falling even as the world exploded around them.
* * *
W HEN THE FIRE lit the sky, he smiled. Two more problems eliminated.
That had been easy. Heâd made that last call to assure himself that Elizabeth was inside the house. It wouldnât have done for her to be outside when the bomb exploded. But heâd been able to tell by her fearâ you were inside, werenât you, Elizabeth? Did it hurt when the fire erupted? Did you have time to scream?
The fire was so big and bright. When would a neighbor call the fire department? How long would it be before