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“Leave my brother alone!” someone roared.

Striding toward the group came another man. He wore jeans, heavy work boots, and a stained beige work shirt. He inserted himself between the group and his brother.

“Dean,” Carter called, looking up at his brother.

“What are you doing? Where is my mother? That’s her house. She could be in there.” He held up a cell phone. “She’s not answering her phone. She’s— What are you doing standing around? Did anyone go inside yet? Try to find her?”

Behind him, sitting on the ground with his forearms resting on top of his bent knees and head hanging, Carter started to sob.

Josie wondered if either son knew about Sylvia’s meeting with Trinity that morning. Her question was answered the moment he whirled on her, pointing his cell phone in her direction. “You? You’re that reporter.”

“No,” Josie said. “That’s my sis⁠—”

“This is your fault!” Dean yelled. “You just had to push things, didn’t you? Where’s my mother? What happened? You were here. Did you just leave her in there?”

He advanced on her and Josie could feel her husband’s body tense beside her. Noah knew better than to intervene, especially in a professional situation. Josie held her ground, keeping her voice calm. “Sir, I’m going to ask you to calm down.”

He was so worked up, he didn’t even notice her Denton PD polo or the firearm at her waist. “Calm down?” he sneered. “This is your fault! You think this is a coincidence? She gives you the interview you’ve been harassing her over for years, and the next day her house burns down? Everything was fine before this! No one knew who she was or what she went through. The last week has been a circus and still, it wasn’t enough for you. She told us you were coming here this morning. Well, you’re here and she’s not so I’ll ask you again, what the hell did you do?”

Josie wanted badly to defend her sister but she couldn’t let this become personal. It wasn’t about Trinity at all. Dean West just wanted someone to blame so he didn’t have to process the fact that his mother was most likely dead.

“You will calm down,” Josie said. “Or we’re going to have a problem.”

Something in her tone pierced through the fog of his anger. He stepped back, finally taking in her appearance.

Josie continued. “I’m not a reporter. I’m a detective with the Denton Police Department. You’re thinking of my twin sister, Trinity Payne. We were both here this morning. The fire started when we arrived. We found your mother in her bedroom, but we were too late. I’m sorry to give you this news here, like this, but Sylvia was already deceased when we got to her.”

Macy stepped forward, inserting herself between Josie and Dean. “We are all well aware that this is your mother’s house. Every single one of us understands the gravity of the situation. This is a horrific tragedy, Mr. West, and I am very sorry but you need to let us do our jobs. I know this is difficult, but you need to keep your brother away from the house. I don’t want him hurt and I know you don’t, either.”

That seemed to soften Dean. He glanced past her to the house, lines creasing his forehead. His expression morphed from enraged to tortured. Slowly, he turned to his brother and bent to fit a hand under Carter’s arm, dragging him upright. Dean was taller, slimmer, with sandy hair. While he had Sylvia’s light brown eyes, nose, and cheekbones, like Carter, his chin was softer, jawline less defined. Both men were in their mid- to late thirties, if Josie had to guess.

“But how,” Carter choked out. “What do you mean she was already dead? What happened?”

“There will be a full investigation,” Noah assured him. “Right now, we have to wait until this fire is out.”

“How did you know about it?” Josie asked.

“I’m off today so I was home.” Carter used the back of his hand to wipe tears from his cheek. “One of my buddies called my house. He recognized Mom’s address. Said they got a call. I came right over.”

Dean said, “Erin called me after you left. She was worried because you rushed out without a word.”

“Erin is your wife?” Noah asked Carter.

“Yeah.”

Josie focused her attention on Dean. “Where were you this morning?”

“Home with my wife. Mom said she didn’t want either of us here. Wanted to talk to the reporter alone.”

“Without us ‘hovering’ is what she told me,” Carter sniffled. “Said we were overbearing.”

He let out a harsh stream of expletives, voice growing higher- and higher-pitched. Dean wrapped him in a hug.

Macy made eye contact with Josie and then Noah before signaling for them to follow her. The three of them moved out of earshot of the brothers, though they were still visible. As they briefed Macy on what had transpired, Josie glanced back. Dean’s eyes traveled over the scene. He hugged Carter more tightly, blinking rapidly before his face screwed up in a silent cry of anguish.

Five

“All of you really don’t need to be here,” Trinity said from her hospital bed. “Some of you can go home. I’m fine.”