Mine to Keep (Mine 2)

“I can handle it,” Claire said. “But I have to know for myself. I have to see…that it wasn’t him.”

Trace’s head jerked up. Alex’s gaze snapped to instant attention. “Him?” Alex repeated.

Trace stepped toward Claire. Unlike Alex, he didn’t make the mistake of touching the other woman. “Claire,” Trace’s voice was low, soothing. “Ethan Harrison is still locked up. He had nothing to do with your sister’s death.”

Trace knows about her past.

And he also knew to treat Claire very carefully. He glanced over at Alex. “She just needs to see Sara’s face. Give her that.”

Alex nodded, but then he said, “You tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Of course,” Trace murmured.

Alex waved toward Skye and Claire. “You two wait in the conference room, and we’ll get things ready.”

***

The conference room door closed with a faint click. Skye sat down at the narrow table. Claire didn’t. Claire wrapped her arms around her stomach and stood near the right wall.

Skye reached for the coffee pot that someone had conveniently set up for them. “Let me get you a cup of coffee. It might make you feel a little better.” Right. Like coffee would fix what was wrong with Claire.

“You’re not asking about Ethan.” The words were sharp, accusing.

Skye shook her head.

“Is it because you already know? Did Trace tell you? Do you know all about my breakdown?”

At that, Skye flinched. “No,” she said softly and she put the coffee aside. Definitely won’t help. “I don’t, Claire.”

“You must think I’m so weak.” Claire swiped at her tears. “You survived. I read your story—he had you for days. You made it out.”

“We each have our own hell.” Skye was coming to realize that statement was true more and more each day.

Claire rocked back on her heels. “Yes, we do.”

***

“I should’ve known you’d be showing up, Weston,” Alex muttered. “Where Skye goes, you follow.”

They’d just left the main PD building and were taking the stairs that led to the ME’s office.

“I need to see the other bodies,” Trace said.

Alex glanced back at him. “And I’m just going to give you access to them because—”

“Because after what happened to Sara, you have to know that I’m not the killer. She was still warm when we got there.” Trace had touched her skin. He’d hoped that maybe—

Too much blood.

“You didn’t kill her, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t take out the others. And maybe you just sent someone else to kill Sara. After all, she blew your alibi to hell and back and you—”

“Showing me the bodies won’t make me any less or more guilty. But maybe… maybe I’ll be able to see something,” Trace said, his words rolling over Alex’s.

“Something?” Alex parroted as he squared off with Trace. “That’s what we have an ME for. To find that ‘something’ left behind by the killer.”

He wanted to grab the detective and toss him against the nearest wall. “Listen. The killer is playing a game with me. You’ve got to see that. He might’ve left a message for me in the damn kills themselves. Just let me see the bodies, okay? I won’t touch anything. You can stand there the whole time and watch me.”

Alex’s jaw tightened. “One condition.”

“What?” Trace snapped.

“Save me some time. I can go and dig into Claire’s past and find out who this Ethan Harrison is, or you can tell me now.”

Trace raised a brow. “So I’m doing your detective work for you.”

“You are such a dick. You already did the work, tell me—and we both know I’m going to research later to make sure you’re not just blowing smoke up my ass.”

Fine. “Ethan Harrison is Claire’s ex-boyfriend. She met him when she was a junior in high school…”

So young to meet such evil.

***

“I didn’t have a lot of money growing up.” Claire’s blue gaze seemed focused on the past. “But that never seemed to matter. So my clothes weren’t new. So I didn’t go on big vacations. My family was happy. I was happy, and then I-I met him.”

“Ethan?”

“He was the most handsome boy I’d ever seen. The first time he smiled at me, I swear, I felt that smile go straight through me.”

Skye knew exactly what Claire meant. She felt that way when she got Trace’s rare smiles.

“I worked at a diner in town, and he came in there one day. Everyone was whispering about him. His dad was a senator, and Ethan…he drove this cherry-red convertible. All the other girls wanted to ride with him.” Her voice dropped. “They wanted to do everything with him, but Ethan seemed to only want me.”

Hearing the pain in the other woman’s voice, Skye hurt for her.

Claire’s lashes lowered as she stared at the floor. “I hadn’t dated before Ethan. I was nervous and scared, but he seemed so patient with me. He sent me flowers. Waited for me after work. He seemed so perfect.” She glanced up. “It didn’t take me long to realize that perfect was just a lie.”

***