Roxy reads it over my shoulder, then looks up at me.
"What do you think?"
"I think we keep moving, but I won’t be able to attend every event, I won’t be able to get the time off work."
"We can be selective."
"We can manage it.”
She kisses me.
"Good."
Because this is working, being celebrated with nobody knowing who the hell we are.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ROXY
I'm in the darkroom developing prints from our last hunt, when Dom appears in the doorway holding an envelope.
Not a bill or junk mail, an official letterhead. Arizona State Police. My hands freeze mid-development, the print half-submerged in the chemical bath.
"When did this come?" I ask, my voice steady despite the ice spreading through my chest.
"Just now. Certified mail. I had to sign for it."
He crosses to me and sets it on the counter beside the developing tray. The red light makes the letterhead look like blood.
Detective Lily Chen
Criminal Investigations Division
Arizona Department of Public Safety
I don't touch it. Just stare at it like it might explode.
"Open it," I say.
Dom picks up the envelope and tears it open carefully. Inside is a single typed letter on official stationery.
He reads it aloud, his voice flat and controlled:
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Brennan,
I am writing to request your voluntary cooperation in an ongoing investigation into the death of Gary Hollis, whose body was discovered outside of Flagston, Arizona, approximately eight months ago.
Our investigation has identified you as persons of interest based on witness descriptions and timeline analysis. I would like to conduct voluntary interviews with both of you at your earliest convenience.
Please contact my office within ten business days to schedule these interviews. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Detective Lily Chen"
The silence that follows is absolute.
I can hear my own heartbeat. The hum of the darkroom ventilation with distant sound of traffic outside.
