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“Well, I just assumed that was the reason you’re saying no,” I say breezily. “You’re afraid to step back into the fire. I mean, I get it. You did crash and burn pretty hard last time.”

His lips press together. “You are infuriating.”

“And you are predictable.” I drop my hands to my hips. “You hate unfinished business, Theo. You want answers just as much as I do. So stop pretending you don’t.”

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his dark hair. For a moment, I think he’s going to keep resisting, but then⁠—

“Fine,” he mutters.

It takes a moment to register. “Fine?”

“Yes. But I swear to God, Lila, if I lose my job over this⁠—”

“Oh, relax.” I wave a hand. “It’ll be fun. Like a murder mystery party, but with actual murder.”

Theo closes his eyes, like he’s deeply regretting his choice already.

I try not to look pleased with myself. Probably fail.

Because whether he likes it or not, we’re in this together now.

I gather my things and turn to leave, but he calls after me before I reach the door. “Lila?”

I pause, steeling myself, hoping like hell he hasn’t already changed his mind. I turn back to face him. “Yes, Professor?”

“I know you were invited, but how exactly is it that I’m being toted along without raising suspicion? It’s not like they’ve forgotten who I am just because a few years went by.”

Oh. Valid question.

And, unfortunately, I have a really good answer. One I absolutely did not want to give him yet. But apparently now’s as good a time as any.

“Uh, I may have told her I’m bringing my boyfriend,” I blurt, words tripping over themselves.

Before Theo can so much as blink, I toss out, “Byyyeeee!” and sashay out the door, refusing to look back.

Calla: Lila. Lila. LILA. Answer your goddamn phone.

Serena: Oh, she’s ignoring us. That means she did A Bad Thing™.

Calla: Ugh. She 100% did A Bad Thing™. Again.

Serena: You’d think the girl with a PhD in forensic psychology would have some self-preservation instincts.

Calla: You’d think. But no.

Serena: Neither of us will be shocked when she ends up as a two part special on Casket Case, complete with dramatic reenactments and ominous voiceover.

I talk to Calla and Serena every night, without fail, at the same time. If I’m even three seconds late, they assume the worst—because, let’s be real, it usually is.

We met in an online forensics forum called The Study Room, named after The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. Those tiny, eerily detailed dioramas that changed the way crime scenes were investigated. Obviously we bonded over that. And over our shared admiration for Frances Glessner Lee—Fanny, as we affectionately call her. She practically invented modern forensics, and without her paving the way, well, let’s just say we’d all be a lot less interesting.

It’s mutually agreed upon that as women in forensics, we owe her everything.

The forum started as a place to discuss case studies and forensic techniques, but for me, it became something else entirely.

When Laurel was dying, my world got small.

Too small.