JJ quickly came to his defense. “I never told Trey the details. He was with Magnus during the search and … well, you know he stopped workin’ for the task force. I was hopin’ to find out what happened before I brought it back up.”
Trey reached his hand across the table. Ava stared at it for a moment, then reached for him. He squeezed her fingers gently, not letting go. It was a simple gesture that made her chest ache with so much love for him.
“I’m still searchin’, but I’m runnin’ out of ideas.”
“Did you talk to her parents?”
“I have not,” JJ admitted, and Ava could see her reluctance to say as much. “I haven’t gotten up the nerve yet. I don’t want to cause them any more pain. If she did disappear ten years ago … I didn’t want to give them false hope.”
“What about closure?” Ava prompted. “If they don’t know what happened, it might ease their minds to know at least.”
Ava would want to know if it were her child who’d gone missing.
“Will you at least keep looking?” Ava implored.
JJ’s eyes softened as she nodded. “I will. And if I find anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
That was the least she could ask for. “Thank you, JJ.”
***
Trey drove Ava back to Magnus’s afterthey finished their lunch. She’d been quiet since learning those things about the man she’d been married to. Trey could tell it bothered her, but he also got the feeling she was trying to shrug it off. He wasn’t sure whether he should bring it up or let it go, so he opted for the latter. With any luck, JJ would find something, and Ava could get the closure she mentioned the girl’s parents needed.
He should’ve known that Ava wouldn’t be able to let it go for long, though. It wasn’t in her nature. She was far too inquisitive to let such a vital matter get swept under the rug.
“I think I need to go back to my house,” Ava declared as they were sitting down to dinner, the three of them in Magnus’s small breakfast nook.
Magnus’s fork hit his plate with a clatter, his eyes slamming into Ava.
“I don’t mean to live there,” she said quickly. “I just…” Her narrow shoulders lifted and dropped. “I think it’s time I see it again.”
“Trey already got everything you asked for,” Magnus said, clearly not approving of her request.
“I know.” She smiled at Trey. “And I’m grateful. But I still want to see it.”
“Did you talk to Dr. Briggs about doin’ that?” Magnus asked.
Ava looked down at her plate, forked a bite of beef stroganoff into her mouth. She shook her head as she chewed.
“Do you think you should?”
Trey knew Magnus was only worried about the effect seeing the home where her mother and husband died would have on Ava. Not that there were any traces, because the crime scene had been cleaned for the most part. The mattress where Harrison had breathed his last breath had been destroyed, and the hardwood floors had been stripped, removing all the blood. It was no longer a gruesome scene, but it didn’t look the way it would when people lived there. Then again, it had been months since Trey had been out there, so who knew what it looked like now. Magnus had been paying the utilities and for a cleaning service to come in once a month, but that was only because he wasn’t sure whether Ava would ever want any more of her things. Harrison’s estate had paid the house off, and all the bank accounts had been changed to Ava’s name. It had required Ava to grant Magnus power of attorney to get it all done, but Trey had understood the request. Magnus was looking out for Ava. Always had been.
Rather than argue, Ava looked at Magnus, her heart in her eyes. “I’d really like to. But I’d like you both to come with me.”
Magnus glanced at Trey.
Trey nodded. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but Ava was the only person who could determine that. They’d coddled her long enough. Now that she was seeking therapy, Trey had noticed a significant difference. The strong, resilient woman he knew her to be was emerging. Pretty soon, she wouldn’t be backing down at all. He liked the idea but doubted that was the case for Magnus. He was overprotective when it came to her. Rightfully so, perhaps.
“Okay, just tell me when.”
Ava’s eyes flashed with warmth. “Thank you. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll talk to Dr. Briggs on Thursday when I go back.”
Magnus nodded, then exhaled heavily. His relief evident.
After dinner, Magnus took the duty of cleaning the kitchen since Ava had cooked, so Trey took the opportunity to sit on the couch with her and watch TV. He honestly couldn’t say what was on, because from the moment they’d sat down, Ava had been pressed up against him, the sweet scent of her hair teasing his nose.
He felt like a teenager on the first date. He was tempted to put his arm around her but resisted the urge, only to be tempted again and again. He finally mustered the nerve when Magnus joined them, taking a seat at the opposite end of the couch. His actions were thwarted when Ava lay down, putting her head in Trey’s lap and her feet in Magnus’s.
