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The next day, just before lunch, Noelle stood at her home’s huge windows and looked out at the inch of snow that had fallen overnight.

It was just enough to blanket the ground and firs in white and make a beautiful contrast against the deep-blue sky.

The world looked peaceful and calm. But inside her head were warring thoughts and memories.

Last night in the hospital had been rough.

She’d struggled to sleep, and it hadn’t helped that the nurses frequently came in to check her vitals.

Eve and Lucia had stayed in her room. One sister had slept on the built-in bench below the window and another on a small cot that a nurse had supplied.

Savannah had eventually gone back to her hotel, and Noelle had missed her presence throughout the night.

Her sisters had slept just fine, not having to deal with a light frequently flashed in their eyes.

It felt as if Noelle had just fallen back to sleep when the light would come again.

She finally agreed to the sleeping medication the nurses had offered.

It wouldn’t allow her to sleep through the interruptions, but she’d fall back to sleep quicker.

The drug had worked, but it’d kicked her dreams into high gear.

Especially the one where she arrived at her home the day Derrick died.

But the medication had changed it up. Her grandfather no longer stood over Daisy, holding a rifle as she lay motionless on the bloody floor in the home.

This time he held a crowbar, and it was Eve in a pool of blood below him.

And Derrick’s vehicle had replaced Lucia’s minivan in the driveway.

But it ended the same. Noelle frozen with shock as she stared at her grandfather, unable to speak, the world silent around her.

Over and over the dream had invaded her sleep.

Now she felt like she hadn’t slept at all. She was on her second cup of coffee, attempting to attack the aftereffects of the medication and poor sleep. The earlier drive home was a blur. Detective Bolton had been appointed chauffeur for the three women after Noelle was discharged.

After he’d dropped off Lucia and Eve, Bolton tried to arrange for a deputy to sit watch outside her home, but Noelle had refused.

She had a top-notch security system and knew the department was tight on manpower.

She didn’t want a babysitter, and Savannah was coming over soon.

Her car out front would tell everyone that Noelle wasn’t alone.

“What’s the latest on the explosion?” Noelle had asked Bolton on the drive to her home.

He’d given her a look. “Why don’t you leave that to us?”

Annoyance had sparked in her fuzzy brain. “Seriously? How would you react to that answer if you were in my shoes?”

“Touché.” He’d told her that the remains of the device had been rushed to the FBI lab overnight and that a new video from a business down the street had shown a different angle, catching a person smoking several cigarettes while loitering in the alley next to the yoga studio.

The person had stayed there from the time Noelle parked until the women had gone to the bakery.

“Man or woman?” she’d asked.

“Couldn’t tell. The view was distant.”

“Did they approach my SUV?”

“Possibly. The person appears to drop down at one point after you go to the bakery where he—or she—sort of blended into the building’s shadow, which extended to include the front of your vehicle. Ten seconds later, they walked away down the alley.”

“It could have been someone tying their shoes,” Noelle had said in exasperation.

“My thought too. But they approached from the alley, waited over an hour beside the studio, and then left back down the alley. Why?”

“Maybe a vagrant? I know there’s a group of tents not far from there.”

“I’ve got a deputy questioning the people staying there. Even if someone didn’t see that particular person, they all heard the explosion and probably went to see what’d happened. Maybe they saw something we didn’t.”

As they sat in her driveway, he’d shown her a few of the videos on his phone.

Now Noelle couldn’t get rid of the vision of herself and her sisters being knocked to the ground as her vehicle exploded.

That one will haunt my dreams too.

She sipped her coffee, still concerned about the effects of a second major blow to her head.

She didn’t need to work to support herself; she had plenty of funds from Derrick.

But she needed her job to fuel her soul.

It was the reason she got up in the morning.

She loved to work for the sheriff’s office and knew her life would never be the same without it.

If she had to give it up because of this . ..

I’m worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet.

Or had it? Today she’d opened her fridge and stared at three take-out containers of Chinese food that she had no memory of ordering or eating. They were all half-empty and held her usual order.

Clearly I forgot.

With shaking hands and churning stomach, she’d thrown them out, uncertain of how old they were. She couldn’t check her credit card to see when she’d bought them because she always paid cash at the little mom-and-pop restaurant.

Her doorbell rang, jarring her out of her dismal thoughts. Expecting Savannah, she checked her camera app and saw Daisy’s smiling face. The woman faced the peephole, not the doorbell. Noelle had explained the camera on the doorbell several times, but Daisy never seemed to remember.

Will that be me soon?

A text from Adam popped up.

I just dropped off Daisy. All good?

He said that like I knew she was coming.

Yes. All good

Noelle strode to the door, checking her call log to see if there’d been a call from Daisy about coming over. Daisy had a simple cell phone she used for calls. She didn’t text.

There had been no calls.

She opened the door and Daisy’s happy, loving aura surrounded Noelle even before her great-aunt stepped in. “Hi, Daisy.”

Noelle was enveloped in a hug, and she rested her cheek against the top of the woman’s head, inhaling the familiar scent of her cold cream, which she’d used for as long as Noelle could remember.

I swear she gets tinier every year.

Daisy stepped back and eyed her critically. “You don’t look too banged up.”

Noelle led her inside to a cushiony chair with a view of the snow. The oddly patterned chair was a bit small for Noelle to sit in comfortably, but she kept it because it was the perfect size for Daisy. “I’m fine,” she told Daisy. “Some bumps and bruises.”

“And your head?” Her concerned gaze went deep, touching Noelle’s heart and making her sniffle.

“I think it will be okay,” Noelle whispered, all her fears roaring to life at the question. “Won’t know for a while.” She forced a smile. “Can I get you some coffee or tea?”

Daisy patted her hand. “Whatever you’re drinking is fine.”

Noelle quickly brewed an americano but dumped out half of the espresso before adding hot water. Daisy preferred just a hint of coffee flavor, not the deep black stuff that Noelle drank. She set the cup on the end table by Daisy’s chair and slid a chair closer for herself.

“You haven’t asked me why I’m here,” said Daisy.

“I assumed it was to check on me after what happened yesterday. I appreciate you coming all the way over here.” Daisy didn’t leave the retirement community on her own.

“I asked Adam for a ride,” said Daisy. “And I told him you were expecting me. Sorry I didn’t warn you.”

Noelle blew out a breath and pressed her hand to her forehead. “I thought I’d forgotten that we’d made arrangements.” She was suddenly lightheaded as the fear evaporated.

Concern filled the soft, round face. “Oh dear!” Daisy’s eyes crinkled in distress. “I didn’t even think about that. I didn’t mean to scare you. I know you worry.”

Daisy knew her secret fear. They’d commiserated over what Daisy called their “senior moments.”

But I’m not a senior yet.

“I’m just glad you’re here,” Noelle said as a rush of affection for her aunt swamped her.

“I had to check on you,” she said. “I knew you would be here alone. At least Lucia lives close to Eve for support.” She leaned back in her chair with a smile and sipped her coffee. “Now. Tell me what’s up. I felt like you were holding back when you brought me dinner the other night.”

Noelle had to think back. The Indian takeout they’d shared seemed a long time ago.

At least I remember that dinner.

She remembered that Max had been in the parking lot with a motorcycle. His helmet and heavy gear had surprised her. Before that she had only been able to picture him in a suit and tie. But after they’d talked for a minute, the gear seemed right on him.

“Noelle.”

Noelle blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

Daisy leaned forward, studying her face. “I know you enjoyed the Indian food, but the memory of dinner isn’t what put that smile on your face. What on earth did that?”

“Before I went inside your place that night, I ran into the FBI agent who’d interviewed you earlier that day.”

“Paulette’s grandson or the other one?”

“The grandson. Agent Rhodes.”

“Good-looking man.” Daisy nodded approvingly. “Tall too. Paulette talks about him all the time. A little too much, if you ask me. Talks isn’t the right word; she brags about him. Always says he’s working on important cases. Good thing I have you to counter her.”

“Me?”

Daisy’s face lit up. “You’re always catching the bad guys. And you’re local too, so most of the other residents know about you. That’s much more impressive than a grandson in another state.”

“So you’re saying you use me to win bragging contests.” Amusement filled her.

“Yep!” Her great-aunt looked extremely pleased with herself. “I’m one of the few people who can top Paulette’s stories.”

“Congratulations,” Noelle said with a straight face. “Glad I can be of some help.”

“Has he figured out who killed Derrick?”

Noelle’s brain struggled to follow Daisy’s abrupt topic shift. “No, not yet.”

“Hmmm. He seems like a smart one. He will.” She contentedly lifted her cup to her lips.

She’s up to something.

“Daisy, who do you think killed Derrick?” If Daisy was going to be blunt, then Noelle would be too.

Daisy tipped her head. “My dear girl. Do you realize that’s the first time you’ve asked me that in thirteen years?”

“That can’t be right.” Noelle emphatically shook her head and winced at the stab of pain. “We’ve talked about it dozens of times.”

“Yes, we have, but you’ve never asked me what I thought.”

Noelle attempted to sift through their years of conversations and abundance of topics.

Is that true?

“Maybe I didn’t want to know.” The words came out of Noelle’s mouth before she thought them through.

Daisy arched her brows. “Why on earth would you not want to know?”

“Because I’m scared of the answer,” she said slowly, her nightmares spinning through her head. “I don’t know what’s real sometimes.”

Her aunt leaned forward and set a hand on Noelle’s knee, worry in her eyes. “I think you better tell me what you mean by that.”

Noelle held her gaze, not knowing how to share the madness that sometimes ran through her head. “I’ve told everyone I can’t remember what happened. But I have dreams, and part of me worries that they’re true—or at least partially true. Another part of me believes it’s simply my brain running wild.”

“Tell me one.”

Noelle swallowed hard, seeing this woman she deeply loved dying in a pool of blood. “I frequently dream you died that day in the house. You were there.”

Daisy tightened her hand on Noelle’s knee. “You can see that I’m just fine, dear. It clearly didn’t happen. But go on.”

Her aunt didn’t break eye contact, and Noelle leaned into that invisible rope of support. “Poppa was there too,” she whispered. “But he was okay.”

“That’s good. Right?”

“No.” Noelle’s mouth dried up. “He had a rifle. He was standing over you.”

“I was shot?”

Noelle closed her eyes for a long second, trying to recall a wound on Daisy. “I don’t know. I can’t see where you’re bleeding.”

“Maybe because your brain knows I’m not dead?”

“Maybe.” She studied her aunt. “In some dreams Poppa has a crowbar.”

“Aha. The missing weapon.” She gave Noelle a sad smile. “Your grandfather didn’t kill anyone, honey. He didn’t have it in him.”

How many times have friends and family of other killers said that to me?

“Plus he was home with me at the time Derrick was killed,” Daisy pointed out. “You can’t put any stock in these dreams.”

“Last night I dreamed Eve was in your place, bleeding on the floor.”

“You three girls could have been killed yesterday. No doubt fear for your sisters was in your subconscious.” Sympathy filled her eyes.

Noelle sat very still, feeling something poking around in her thoughts, trying to come to the surface. She had experienced it dozens of times over the years, but nothing ever emerged.

Do I have the killer’s identity locked in my memory?

She wasn’t sure. She’d been to three different hypnotists without results.

“I’m just thankful you’re all safe after that horrid incident,” said Daisy, sitting back in her chair. “Now let’s talk about something cheery. Did you know that Adam is planning a surprise trip to Hawaii for Eve?” Her face lit up.

“No! I didn’t know that.” Actually Adam had told Noelle about the surprise last week, but Daisy looked so pleased to spill the secret, Noelle went with it.

“Yes! He is so excited.”

Daisy was in full gossip mode now, so Noelle tried to relax and enjoy her coffee, occasionally interjecting a reaction to Daisy’s one-sided conversation.

But Noelle was thinking about her grandfather. He couldn’t have been involved in Derrick’s death.

Why don’t I feel more certain about that?