“My father-in-law’s car was there, and I saw both him and my mother-in-law before I left the house earlier. The other car belongs to Bobby. That’s Shumi’s husband.” And Diya’s protective big brother. “They had to have come together—Shumi doesn’t drive.”
“Oh man.” The brunette glanced at her partner—a wide-shouldered Polynesian man—and got a nod. “Look, don’t tell anyone we told you, but she was stabbed, just like your wife.”
I shoved both hands through my hair. “None of this makes sense. They’re just a normal family.” Wealthy, yes, but not Beverly Hills levels of obscene money—or the stalkers and other nutcases that came with that. “Who goes in and stabs a normal family?”
The paramedics said nothing, but I had the feeling of words hanging in the air. “Did she jump into the lake?” I asked, trying to answer one question at least. “Shumi?”
A nod from the man. “Only reason she didn’t drown was that she got caught on a large branch that must’ve gone into the water in that last big storm and washed down by the house. She was unconscious by the time the fire crew found her, so without that branch…”
My stomach roiled. “Do you know if…if they found anyone else?”
Chapter 4
Private notes: Detective Callum Baxter (LAPD)
Date: Dec 2
Time: 23:15
Death notification made to Virna Musgrave’s son, Jason Musgrave. He was distraught and didn’t ask many questions. I’ll follow up with him tomorrow morning, when he’s had time to process the information.
Perez is back tomorrow so we can split up the tasks—all this money everywhere. Jason Musgrave’s mansion was the real deal, complete with fancy Italian tiles and all that—I don’t know, I get a bad feeling about it. Might be nothing, but we got to make sure we cross everytand dot everyi, or the family’s piranha lawyers (it’s like the rich get them from the same vicious pond) will fucking eat us alive.
At least the higher-ups aren’t leaning on me yet. That’ll probably start tomorrow after Jason Musgrave gets over his shock and starts demanding answers.
Chapter 5
“No, man, I’m sorry—we didn’t see the fire guys bring out anyone else.” The male paramedic squeezed my shoulder. “But we left straight after the ambulance that brought in your wife. The cops will have any new information.”
His partner nodded. “This is the first place they’ll look for you, so I’d stay here.”
“I have no plans to leave. My wife’s in surgery.” I wasn’t a man who overshared, but the words wouldn’t stay inside, didn’t even feel real. How was it possible that I’d kissed my wife good-bye on the drive and left to get cake and come back to blood and fire?
My last image of Diya before the fire was of her in pajama shorts and a navy blue hoodie she’d stolen from me; it swallowed her up, but she loved the thing. Her feet had been in flip-flops, her hair still piled on top of her head as she waved me off. She hadn’t had her shower yet, had been planning to do so while I ran the errand.
“I think I’ll wash my hair, do the full curls routine,” she’d said to me before I left. “You can take me out for a date tonight.”
“As long as you wear the green dress.” Already in the car, I’d stuckmy head out the window. “You know what that dress does to me. Last time around, I married you!”
Her laughter had been wild and sweet, the kiss she blew me the kind of goofy romantic thing newlyweds did. No shadows in her eyes, none of that weight that seemed to crush her at times, no fear inside me that my wife would vanish if I turned away.
Blood—God, there’d beenso much bloodon her.
Something crackled on the brunette paramedic’s shoulder, the speaker coming to life to indicate an urgent call for assistance.
I stepped out of their way.
It wasn’t until I was back inside the public area of the Emergency Department that I realized why else they’d told me to stay here. I had no idea if the fire was out or if it continued to rage, but the firefighterswouldeventually gain control.
And the situation would shift.
Forensic officers on the scene. Vans destined for the morgue. Bodies…or body parts being carried out.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Sir.” A nurse walked up to me, her eyes a concerned hazel against freckled white skin, and her scrubs a deep blue. “Are you bleeding?”
“What? No.”
