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“Good. I’m good.”

“You made it up there okay?”

“Yeah, everything went fine. Got in the day before yesterday and just getting everything sorted.”

“Good, good.” He paused, the next string of words clumsy. “I hope everything hasn’t been…too hard. You holding up all right?”

The genuine, tender tone of his voice made me feel a little less balanced. One of the first things that had struck me about Quinn the night I met him was his uncanny ability to cut straight through small talk and socially acceptable pleasantries. He wasn’t afraid to get to the heart of things and he didn’t pretend not to notice people’svulnerabilities. There was no wondering what he really thought. Or what he wanted.

“I’m okay.” I swallowed. “It’s hard, but of course it’s hard, right? I knew it would be.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Yes, that’s understandable. I hope it’s an opportunity to get some closure.”

My gaze wandered over the ground, my mind turning those words over. Closure was something I didn’t even know how to wrap my head around. I didn’t have any idea if it was even possible.

“And how are you getting on with Johnny’s research? Making headway?”

I pulled the sleeve of my sweater over my hand and tucked my arm around me, shivering. It was freezing and I hadn’t thought to grab my jacket. “Yeah, it hasn’t been too bad. I’ve got most of the photographs together, just tracking down a couple more. I’m going through the field notes today just to make sure everything’s there.”

“That’s great.” The apprehension in Quinn’s voice vanished, as if he’d been bracing himself for bad news. “Anything I can help with? I’d be more than happy to catch a flight up to Redding and come lend a hand.”

I pulled the phone away from my ear, glancing at the call timer on the screen with a smile. It had taken less than two minutes for him to offer to come up. But the idea of having him or anyone else from my other life here made me squirm.

“That’s okay. Really. I won’t be here long.”

I could hear the disappointment in the silence on the other end of the line, and I hated that feeling. Like every time Quinn tried to open a door, I was gently closing it.

“Right. Well, if you change your mind…”

I looked around me, realizing Smoke was no longer in view. The forest that surrounded the cabin was so thick that I could barely see a patch of sky through the canopy.

“I think I pretty much have what I need,” I said, distracted. “I just have to go through some more records and get everything compiled.”

“I’m relieved to hear that. I don’t know how much Johnny told you about this project, but the purpose is to provide protection for vulnerable populations, and this species in particular has been more difficult to get the data on. Our job is to identify which of those populations…”

I rounded the corner of the cabin, only half listening as I scanned the trees out back. It was late morning, but the canopy was so thick that it was a few seconds before I spotted the dog. His pale gray fur caught the light beaming down through the branches.

“James? You there?”

“Yeah, sorry,” I said. “I actually wanted to ask you. Johnny mentioned someone else on the project. I think her name is Josie?”

“Oh, yes. Josie. What about her?”

“I was wondering if she’s in the area. I mean, in case I have any questions about Johnny’s work.”

“She’s out in Fort Bragg. Not too far. What do you need from her? I could reach out.”

“That’s okay,” I said, a bit too quickly. “I didn’t know if she and Johnny worked together out here in Six Rivers.”

Quinn paused. “Well, she is the one who trained Johnny at the start of the study, and I know they were friendly.”

Again, I turned the woman’s name over in my mind, trying to find some associated memory with it. I was almost sure Johnny had never mentioned her, but I couldn’t shake my curiosity about whether the backpack in the photo was hers. Whether she’d been with Johnny that day in the gorge.

“Why don’t I put you two in touch?” Quinn offered.

“Sure. That would be great.” A frustrated exhale escaped my lips when I saw Smoke pawing at something in the fire pit.

“All right. Well, I’ve sent you a list of everything we need, the formatting, all of that. But honestly, I can take care of the finer details if you just want to compile everything.”