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“But it is.”

“You’re looking at it in black and white. Either or. And neither option in your mind works. You say you can’t leave your job and this town. And I can’t give up my life in New York and my job.”

“What other options are there? Some long-distance relationship where we see each other on summers or holidays or whenever you’re not flying all over the world?”

“That’s one option, yes.”

“You’d tire of it. And resent me. And I can’t ask that of you. I can’t ask you to give more than I’m capable of giving.”

She pushes a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re not asking.”

“And I never will.”

“It’s my choice, though. If I want to travel to some small town and spend my time with a grumpy cop, I will.”

I laugh. The sound a bark of joyless discontent. “Grumpy cop?”

She grins. “As grumpy as they come.”

“My life is ugly. Hopeless. Every day, I deal with the worst of humanity, and I don’t want to bring that to you.”

“You won’t. Your life is not ugly. Or without hope. It’s the opposite. What you do is important. You’re not just dealing with the worst of humanity. You’re giving hope and closure to the families. And stopping those ugly things from happening again.”

I shake my head. “Don’t romanticize my life. You don’t know everything.”

Her gaze shifts down before meeting my eyes again. “I know more than you think.”

“What do you mean?”

She looks away again. “Nothing. I spoke out of turn.”

“What do you mean, Ava?” My voice is louder than I intended.

She sighs. “I know about your sister.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional, but I knew about it that first day. When you gave me the rock. I’ve known all along.”

“And you said nothing?” Anger coats my tone.

“No, it’s not like that. I saw your sister was missing and that—that you blame yourself for it. That’s it.”

“All this time, you’re withholding this information from me?”

Her eyes narrow. “What was I supposed to say? By the way, Jake. I know about your sister. How would that fly with you?”

“You should have said something.”

“There was nothing to say. What I saw didn’t give me any clues. I don’t have any answers for you. And saying anything before would just have had you throwing me out faster. It wasn’t my place to say anything.”

I need to end this conversation before I say something I’ll regret. “I have to go.”

“Jake?”

“I have to get back out there, find out what’s happening, and put a rush on the medical examiner.”

She leans forward, her face filling more of the screen. “Don’t do this, Jake. Don’t go away mad.”