Carolyn nodded, seeming hesitant but curious.
He called up childhood photos of them and their grandparents on his phone and handed it to her.
She scrolled through them, stopping on one of them. “Bandit.”
“Our grandparents’ dog.”
“How do I know his name?”
“The same way you knew mine. Once upon a time, you loved us both.”
A handsome man with dark hair and a serious expression came through the door and stopped short when he saw Carolyn, Jesse and Memphis.
She held out a hand to him. “This is my husband, Kane.”
Jesse stood to shake his hand. “I’m Jesse Best, and this is Memphis Rose Costello.”
“What do you want?” Kane asked.
“I believe your wife is my sister, Jordan, who’s been missing for twenty-six years.”
* * *
Sam had been close to home when she’d had to ask Vernon to divert to HQ. “So sorry, guys.”
“It’s fine,” Vernon said. “Nature of the job, just like it is for you.”
“The nature of the job often sucks,” Sam said.
They laughed.
“Sure does,” Vernon said. “But most of the time, it’s pretty cool. At least people at parties think it is when they find out I work with you all day long.”
“Are you using me to impress your friends?”
“Every chance I get.”
“Haha,” Sam said. “I’m sure they’re bored senseless hearing about me.”
“Um, no, they’re not. Granted, they get only the high-level ‘I work on the first lady’s detail’ details, because what happens in the SUV stays in the SUV.”
“Thank God for that.”
“No kidding,” Vernon said, grinning at her in the mirror.
“If people knew the truth…”
“They’d still be impressed.”
“Sure they would.”
Vernon pulled into a parking space outside the morgue entrance.
“Hopefully, I won’t be long,” she said when he held the door for her.
“Take your time,” he said as he walked her to the door.
They’d compromised on him not coming inside with her, even though she knew he would prefer to keep her in sight at all times.
