“Chilly,” Bill replied, his deep voice rough with what she recognized as insufficient sleep.“But the case is wrapping up.Looks like the drownings were accidental after all.”
Riley leaned back into the couch.“Three people accidentally drowned in the same tidal creek over six months?That seems...”
“Statistically improbable, I know.”Bill sighed.“But the evidence doesn’t support homicide.All three victims had high blood alcohol levels, all went missing during particularly strong tides, and there’s not a shred of evidence connecting them beyond geography.Local PD is installing better warning signs and lighting around the creek.”
“So you’ll be home tomorrow?”Riley asked, ignoring the slight edge of eagerness in her own voice.
This had been Bill’s first case in weeks—he’d been resistant to go away on field work since the threats had emerged.
“Should be back by late morning.”There was a pause, then: “Everything quiet there?”
The subtext was clear.Any sign of Leo?
“All quiet,” she confirmed.“Though I just spent fifteen minutes reviewing overnight camera footage, so I think your paranoia is contagious.”
Bill chuckled, the sound warming her even through the phone.“It’s not paranoia—”
“—if they’re really after you,” she finished with him, an old joke between them.“I know.But still, I’ll be glad when you’re home.The house feels...”She trailed off, unwilling to admit how vulnerable she felt without him there.
“I know,” he said simply, and she knew he did.“I’ll be home soon.Give Jilly a hug for me.”
“Will do.Stay safe.”
“Always.”
The call ended, and Riley rose from the couch, following the increasingly potent aroma of breakfast into the kitchen.Gabriela stood at the stove, her sturdy frame wrapped in a floral apron, expertly flipping the last of a stack of cinnamon pancakes onto a waiting plate.
“Buenos días,” Gabriela greeted her with a warm smile.“Coffee is fresh.”
“You’re a saint,” Riley said, making her way to the coffee maker.As she poured herself a mug of the dark, fragrant brew, Jilly appeared in the doorway, her hair still damp from a shower, dressed in jeans and a band t-shirt that Riley didn’t recognize.
“Morning,” Jilly mumbled.At fifteen, Jilly had blossomed from the desperate waif Riley had rescued in Phoenix into a strong, resilient young woman.But there were still shadows in her eyes sometimes, remnants of the abuse she’d suffered before Riley had found her and, eventually, adopted her.
Like Riley and April, Jilly had dark hair, but her build was smaller, more wiry.Now in her early 40’s, Riley’s own hair had touches of gray, but she was still strong, tall, and very fit.
“Bill says hello,” Riley said, taking a seat beside her daughter.“He’ll be home tomorrow.”
Jilly nodded, accepting the plate Gabriela handed her with a quiet “Thanks.”
“Take it into the dining room,” Riley said.“I’ll join you there with mine.”
When they were both settled at the long wooden dining room table, Jilly poked at her food and gobbled a few bites before pulling a notebook from her backpack.
“I still can’t figure out this stupid problem,” she grumbled, flipping to a page filled with equations and frustrated doodles in the margins.
Riley leaned over, studying the algebra problem.“It looks like you need to use the quadratic formula,” she said, pointing to a particular line in Jilly’s work.
“But how do I get it to look like that?”Jilly asked, frustration evident in her voice.
“You need to set the equation to zero,” Riley explained, taking a pen and showing the steps.“Then you can plug in the values for a, b, and c.”
Jilly watched carefully, and Riley could see the moment understanding clicked into place.“Oh!So then I can solve for x.”
“Exactly.”Riley smiled, squeezing Jilly’s shoulder gently.“You’re getting it.”
Jilly quickly worked through the rest of the problem, her confidence growing with each correct step.The sight warmed Riley’s heart—these small, normal moments were what she fought to protect, what made all the darkness she encountered in her work bearable.
Her phone rang, cutting through the peaceful moment.The caller ID displayed “Brent Meredith.”Riley’s stomach tightened—a call from the Special Agent in Charge this early in the morning rarely brought good news.
