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“It appears she did hide the fact she made the call,” Rhodes said gently. “Why do you think she’d do that? Thirteen years is a long time to keep that sort of secret.”

“Her anxiety,” murmured Savannah. “She’s dealt with stress and nerves since then, right? Always worried about someone coming to hurt her and especially hurt you.”

“She’d always been a bit flighty,” said Noelle. “Even before that. Her emotions ran deep, and she wore them on her sleeve. Poppa always said she was wired a bit differently than the rest of us.”

“If she witnessed something horrible—like Derrick being beaten to death and you being hit—then possibly it affected her in a unique way,” said Savannah. “And so she didn’t do what you or I would have done.”

“She’s kept it silent for a reason,” said Rhodes. “Possibly—”

“She’s kept it silent because she wasn’t there!” Anger shot through Noelle. “She didn’t see anything!”

Minivan.

“She wasn’t there,” Noelle repeated weakly, her emotional denial rapidly losing steam as the FBI’s evidence overpowered her instinct to protect her sister.

She was there.

“She’s a good kid,” Noelle added, reluctantly accepting the truth. “Honest to a fault.”

“She’s thirty-one,” said Rhodes. “Definitely not a kid now.”

“I know.” Noelle leaned back in the recliner, her world starting to spin. “But she’s always seemed younger. For some reason she’s never viewed the world like an adult.”

“Could be from trauma,” Savannah said softly.

Noelle held her best friend’s gaze for a long moment, seeing sympathy and concern. “Why wouldn’t she say anything?” she whispered.

“Possibly because she’s protecting someone,” said Rhodes. “Or else she lives in fear of someone coming after her for what she witnessed. Or maybe she thinks she would be in trouble with the police since she was there.”

Is it possible?

“This can’t be right.” Noelle couldn’t think straight, her mind shooting in dozens of directions as she tried to imagine why Lucia would be there and, if so, why she’d told no one. “She’d tell someone.”

“It could be she’s not the only one keeping the secret,” said Rhodes. “Who would she trust?”

“Me,” Noelle said immediately. “She knows she can trust me.”

But clearly she didn’t tell me.

Unless I forgot.

Noelle pressed her palms against her eyes in confusion and disbelief.

“Lucia trusts everyone,” said Savannah. “She always has.” She looked at Rhodes. “Your voice comparison is wrong. Have them do it again.”

“They did it three times. I was told they’re one hundred percent positive.”

“Oh my God,” muttered Noelle. “What does this mean?”

Savannah knelt next to the recliner and took one of her hands, holding her gaze. “They’re wrong. They have to be wrong.”

I can’t deny the evidence, no matter how much I want to.

Lucia made the call.

“Daisy and your grandfather said they were with Lucia during the time of the murder,” said Rhodes.

“Either they knew something about the situation, or somehow Lucia snuck out and back in without their noticing.” He paused.

“During my interview Daisy sort of indicated that your grandfather may have done something to Derrick. She may have known Lucia was gone and had been protecting her. Actually it’s possible both your grandfather and Daisy were protecting her.

I feel like people have deliberately tried to guide the investigation in wrong directions. Both now and thirteen years ago.”

Noelle’s phone rang and she checked the screen. “It’s Eve.” Her finger hovered over the button to answer. She was uncertain she could carry on a normal conversation at the moment.

She answered. “How are you feeling today, Eve?” Her voice was wooden as she tried to sound casual.

“Something’s happened to Lucia!” Eve was sobbing.

Noelle rocketed up in her recliner, adrenaline kicking through her nerves. “ What? ”

“I don’t know! I went to knock on her door because she wasn’t answering my texts and found her purse spilled on the stairs and her door left open!”

Lucia’s apartment was over Eve’s garage. A narrow set of outdoor stairs went up the far side of the garage. “Her car?”

“Still here.”

“Call the police now!” Noelle ordered, making eye contact with Rhodes, who was listening closely.

“I already did, and then I immediately called you.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Don’t touch anything.” Noelle ended the call, pushed to her feet, and then repeated Eve’s words to Rhodes and Savannah. “I need to go.” Slightly dizzy from standing quickly, she stumbled forward. Rhodes shot to her side and grabbed her arm before she could fall.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

She turned a frenzied gaze on him. “Something’s happened to Lucia. She would never leave her door open like that, let alone not pick up her spilled purse!”

“I know,” Rhodes said firmly. “But we just had a discussion that it’s possible she’s hiding something and has been scared into silence for thirteen years. It could be someone is worried her silence won’t last any longer.”

“Like with you,” said Savannah to Noelle. “You almost died yesterday. Someone might think you’re also a risk.”

Noelle was frantic. “But nothing’s changed! I don’t remember what happened! Why would they think that now?”

“I don’t know,” said Rhodes. “But your sister could be in a lot of danger.”

“Was the explosion yesterday intended for her?” whispered Noelle.

“They’d have targeted Eve’s car, not yours, right?” asked Rhodes.

“Yes. Eve always drives her to yoga.” Noelle’s brain couldn’t keep up.

Rhodes sent a text, then pulled on his coat. “I’ll let you know what we find.”

Noelle opened her mouth to argue that he couldn’t keep her away. Instead, she slammed it shut and nodded. The second he was gone, she raced for her coat and slipped on her boots. “You’re driving me to Lucia’s,” she informed Savannah.

“Way ahead of you, Detective,” said Savannah, her coat already on and holding up her keys.

Noelle teared up in gratitude. “Let’s go.”

Lucia has to be okay.