Page 81 of Begin Again

She shrugs. “Just saying. Weareinvestigating poisonings. I feel like a murder revelation is inevitable at this point.”

Mo exhales sharply, pressing her fingers against her temples. Orion grumbles under his breath about turning the car around.

Cassie’s house appears ahead before anyone can argue.

It’s an old place, tucked away between towering pines, with vines creeping up the wooden beams of the porch. Wind chimes of different shapes and sizes hang from the eaves, catching the breeze and singing a strange, melodic tune. A wreath of dried herbs and flowers adorns the front door, some of them faded and brittle with time.

A few garden gnomes peek out from flower beds, their beady eyes following us as we step out of the car. There’s a welcome mat at the door with words written across it, though I can’t quite make them out from this angle.

Orion parks, and we pile out, exchanging glances. None of us seem eager to be the first up the porch steps.

“You sure she’s home?” Selene asks, eyeing the place like she expects it to disappear into the mist.

“She’s home,” Mo says, striding forward with a confidence that Iknowshe doesn’t feel.

I knock once.

Before I can knock again, the door swings open.

Cassandra stands there, hands on her hips, peering at us with wise, dark eyes and a knowing expression.

She’s in her mid-forties, with short, dark hair, in comfortable, practical clothes worn by someone who has spent over twenty years wrangling pre-teens in a classroom. There’s a tiredness to her, but not the kind that dulls her—more like she’s spent her life always two steps ahead, ready for whatever nonsense is about to come her way.

She looks us over, her gaze sharp despite the warmth in her expression. “Took you all long enough,” she muses.

Orion tenses. “You knew we were coming?”

Cassie chuckles, stepping aside to let us in. “After your last visit, I figured it was just a matter of time, I just didn’t expect so many people.” Her eyes land on Bennett for a moment, something flickering across her expression. Recognition? Hesitation? It’s gone before I can pin it down. Then she turns her gaze to me.

Then she turns her gaze to me. There’s an added layer in her expression. Almost like… regret.

I shift my weight, uneasy under her scrutiny.

“Don’t forget, shoes off.” She points to the welcome mat.

I finally read the words:Shoes off, snacks welcome.

Celeste grins. “I like her already.”

Cassie winks at her, then steps aside. “Come in, then. I imagine you all have a lot of questions.”

She has no idea.

As Mo steps over the threshold she tells Cassie, “We need to talk.”

Nodding with a sigh Cassie leads us to the den as she singles me out, “Theo, why don’t you come help me in the kitchen to get a drink for everyone.” Looking around the room she asks “Does anyone have any requests or is everyone okay with Strawberry Mint-infused water?”

There’s a collective shrug from the group as I follow Cassie into the kitchen.

The kitchen is exactly what I expected to see.

Warm, cluttered, homey.

Mismatched mugs hang from hooks near the sink, and the smell of cinnamon lingers in the air. It’s lived-in, a space that has seen countless mornings of hurried breakfasts and late-night cups of tea. Cassie moves to the fridge, pulling out a pitcher of infused water and setting it on the counter.

For a moment, she just looks at me.

Then, softly, she says, “I’m sorry.”