her. It was going to drive the life right out of her.
She wished it would hurry the hell up and kill her.
“Just go.” She heard the deep male rumble of Trent’s voice vibrate against her ear. “You really should get that search warrant before it’s too late.”
“I will, but first, we should call a doctor. Get her sedated.”
“No. Everything will still be there when she wakes up. She’s strong. She’ll be better in a minute.”
Better? Elise was never going to be better again. Her world had come to a screeching halt and nothing else would ever make it spin again.
Ashley was dead. Elise had let it happen.
Another jagged sob ripped through her and there was nothing Elise could do to stop it.
“Leave the file,” said Trent.
“It’s police property.”
Trent’s voice lashed out like whip. “Leave the fucking file, Bob. I’ll bring it back to you tomorrow.”
Tomorrow? Didn’t he know there weren’t going to be any more of those? How could there be if Ashley wasn’t around to see them?
From a world away, Elise heard the sound of a door shut. A car started, drove away.
“We don’t know it’s Ashley,” said Trent.
A sliver of hope speared through her, making her heart start beating again. “We don’t?”
“No. It could be, but what if it’s not?” He was stroking her hair and over her naked back. She could feel that now, the slow, gentle sweep of his hand.
Elise opened her eyes and tried to find some sense of reason, some shred of calm. Tears blurred her vision, and all she could see was Trent’s lap wavering through a sheen of tears.
“How do we know?” she asked.
“You’d have to look at some pictures. Do you think you could do that?”
No. She didn’t want to see that lifeless body. She didn’t want to have those images burned into her memory.
But Ashley needed her to do it. No one else knew her sister as well as she did. She loved Ashley enough to put her own wants aside. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“When you’re ready,” he told her. “No rush.”
His hand kept moving over her hair and skin, soothing her with the repetitiveness of it—the lazy stroke of warmth over her chilled skin.
Somewhere in the room, a clock gave off a muted tick, marking the passing seconds.
Elise managed to get control over her emotions enough to stop the sobs that shook her body.
Ashley might still be alive. She had to look at those pictures and see for herself. She couldn’t give up hope. What if Ashley was still out there, needing her?
What if identifying her body was the last thing that Ashley ever needed from her?
Elise pushed herself away from Trent. The shoulder of his gray shirt was soggy from her tears. Under other circumstances, she would have been embarrassed, but there was no room for that now. She was already dealing with too much. Embarrassment seemed petty and selfish, somehow.
“Better?” he asked her.
She couldn’t look him in the eye. She didn’t want to risk seeing sympathy shining there. If she did, she was afraid she’d crack, break down again into a swampy mess of hysteria.
“Show me.”
Trent leaned forward and took a file folder from the coffee table. “Let me look first, okay?”
Elise gave him a shaky nod, willing to put off this horrible task a few seconds longer.
“I’m going to cover up part of the photo—the part you don’t need to see.”
She knew exactly which part he was talking about—the place where the head should have been.
Her stomach twisted and she sucked in a deep breath to steady it. Throwing up now would only make her feel weak, and she couldn’t face this if she was any weaker than she felt right now.
“Are you ready?”
“No. Show me anyway.”
Trent pulled the photo out of the file, using both hands to cover up parts of the image. Elise focused on the part she could see, doggedly ignoring the rest.
The woman’s body was the wrong color—too pale. Too blue. Her arms were skinny, her collarbones protruded,
She wished it would hurry the hell up and kill her.
“Just go.” She heard the deep male rumble of Trent’s voice vibrate against her ear. “You really should get that search warrant before it’s too late.”
“I will, but first, we should call a doctor. Get her sedated.”
“No. Everything will still be there when she wakes up. She’s strong. She’ll be better in a minute.”
Better? Elise was never going to be better again. Her world had come to a screeching halt and nothing else would ever make it spin again.
Ashley was dead. Elise had let it happen.
Another jagged sob ripped through her and there was nothing Elise could do to stop it.
“Leave the file,” said Trent.
“It’s police property.”
Trent’s voice lashed out like whip. “Leave the fucking file, Bob. I’ll bring it back to you tomorrow.”
Tomorrow? Didn’t he know there weren’t going to be any more of those? How could there be if Ashley wasn’t around to see them?
From a world away, Elise heard the sound of a door shut. A car started, drove away.
“We don’t know it’s Ashley,” said Trent.
A sliver of hope speared through her, making her heart start beating again. “We don’t?”
“No. It could be, but what if it’s not?” He was stroking her hair and over her naked back. She could feel that now, the slow, gentle sweep of his hand.
Elise opened her eyes and tried to find some sense of reason, some shred of calm. Tears blurred her vision, and all she could see was Trent’s lap wavering through a sheen of tears.
“How do we know?” she asked.
“You’d have to look at some pictures. Do you think you could do that?”
No. She didn’t want to see that lifeless body. She didn’t want to have those images burned into her memory.
But Ashley needed her to do it. No one else knew her sister as well as she did. She loved Ashley enough to put her own wants aside. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“When you’re ready,” he told her. “No rush.”
His hand kept moving over her hair and skin, soothing her with the repetitiveness of it—the lazy stroke of warmth over her chilled skin.
Somewhere in the room, a clock gave off a muted tick, marking the passing seconds.
Elise managed to get control over her emotions enough to stop the sobs that shook her body.
Ashley might still be alive. She had to look at those pictures and see for herself. She couldn’t give up hope. What if Ashley was still out there, needing her?
What if identifying her body was the last thing that Ashley ever needed from her?
Elise pushed herself away from Trent. The shoulder of his gray shirt was soggy from her tears. Under other circumstances, she would have been embarrassed, but there was no room for that now. She was already dealing with too much. Embarrassment seemed petty and selfish, somehow.
“Better?” he asked her.
She couldn’t look him in the eye. She didn’t want to risk seeing sympathy shining there. If she did, she was afraid she’d crack, break down again into a swampy mess of hysteria.
“Show me.”
Trent leaned forward and took a file folder from the coffee table. “Let me look first, okay?”
Elise gave him a shaky nod, willing to put off this horrible task a few seconds longer.
“I’m going to cover up part of the photo—the part you don’t need to see.”
She knew exactly which part he was talking about—the place where the head should have been.
Her stomach twisted and she sucked in a deep breath to steady it. Throwing up now would only make her feel weak, and she couldn’t face this if she was any weaker than she felt right now.
“Are you ready?”
“No. Show me anyway.”
Trent pulled the photo out of the file, using both hands to cover up parts of the image. Elise focused on the part she could see, doggedly ignoring the rest.
The woman’s body was the wrong color—too pale. Too blue. Her arms were skinny, her collarbones protruded,
Similar Books
