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When Max arrived at Eve’s home, there were three Deschutes County sheriff’s vehicles on the street, and he spotted Detective Bolton speaking with Eve in her front yard.

Neighbors were gathering across the street to watch, bundled up in their coats, talking in small groups.

Keaton pulled up behind Max’s rental car.

Max had texted him from Noelle’s home when he heard about Lucia.

“I just confirmed that Jason Bell was on his flight this morning,” said Keaton as he approached Max.

“I want a visual confirmation that he’s definitely out of state,” said Max, slamming the door of his vehicle.

“The last time Lucia was seen was when Detective Bolton dropped off her and Eve this morning. I know Bell’s flight was to leave before that, but I want actual eyes on where he is at the moment. ”

“Got it.” Max watched Keaton open Jason Bell’s contact on his phone and hit the FaceTime button.

“What the hell do you want, Keaton?” Jason Bell said as he came into view on-screen.

“Show me where you’re at,” said Keaton.

“I’m in my fucking house.” Bell proceeded to turn in a circle, showing the interior of the home.

Max recognized the kitchen from their previous interview with Bell. Keaton met his gaze and nodded. He’d recognized it too.

“Thanks.” Keaton ended the call as a pissed-off Bell started to sputter at him. “I’d say he’s effectively eliminated. Who’s our next suspect?”

“Lucia could have left of her own accord,” said Max.

“And left behind her purse, phone, and car?” asked Keaton. “Who would she go with?”

“Maybe Eve has some ideas,” said Max. The two men had started in her direction when they heard another vehicle approach, and Max glanced over to see Savannah parking at the curb, Noelle in her passenger seat. “Dammit.”

“She shouldn’t be here,” said Keaton.

“Do you really think Noelle would stay away? It’s her sister.” Max had noted how Noelle had silently nodded as he left her home and had figured it wouldn’t be the last he’d see of her that day. He watched as Noelle leaped out of the car, ignored him, and sprinted toward Eve and Detective Bolton.

“Shit.” Max and Keaton got moving too. Max saw that Savannah stayed with her car, smartly staying out of law enforcement’s way and leaning against the fender to watch. She lifted a thermal travel mug at him in a casual toast, and he wondered if it contained the rest of her spiked hot chocolate.

A couple of deputies stepped forward to intercept Noelle as she raced toward the scene but stopped as they recognized the detective. Noelle quickly embraced Eve, and her sister rapidly spoke, waving her hands.

“Please restart your story, Eve,” said Keaton as he and Max joined the group.

Detective Bolton nodded at both of them. “I’ll take you up to the apartment when she’s done.”

Eve took a deep breath, her hand clasped in Noelle’s.

“I texted Lucia before lunch, asking if she wanted to eat with me. She said no and that she was going to take a nap. I ate and then lay down and fell asleep too. But a half hour ago I texted her again. When she didn’t answer after another text, I went outside to go up to her apartment.

That’s when I saw her things on the steps.

I went up the rest of the stairs, and her door was open, but she wasn’t inside.

I ran around the outside of the garage and house to make sure she wasn’t here, and that’s when I called Detective Bolton. Then I called Noelle.”

“As soon as Eve hung up, I requested units to her home,” continued Bolton. “We’ve cleared the house and the apartment. Lucia isn’t here, and the only camera is on the home’s doorbell.”

“I checked it while waiting for you guys,” said Eve. “The only thing it shows since we were dropped off is me heading to Eve’s apartment and then running to check around the house.”

“No cars passed on the street?” asked Noelle.

“The angle doesn’t catch the street.”

“I’ve got two uniforms knocking on doors, checking for cameras and asking if anyone saw anything,” said Bolton.

“Would she go for a walk?” asked Keaton.

“No,” said Eve and Noelle simultaneously.

“Not her thing,” added Eve. “She would never leave her things on the stairs and her door open.”

“When will forensics be here?” asked Max.

“Any minute,” answered Bolton.

“I need to see her apartment,” said Noelle.

Bolton led the sisters, Max, and Keaton to the far side of the garage.

Max looked up the steep set of stairs. They were painted a light gray and had a rubber tread on each step.

Halfway up lay a small purse with a long, thick strap.

Scattered on other steps he spotted a cell phone, keys, and a sunglasses case.

“Could she have fallen?” he wondered out loud as he studied the pavement around the bottom step, looking for blood.

If she’d been startled or pushed while on the stairs, it’d have been easy for her to tumble to the bottom, but he didn’t see anything to indicate a fall.

The stairs and driveway didn’t have a thin cover of snow like the grass below the trees.

The sun had been shining for several hours and had melted most of the snow on the streets and in its direct path.

Bolton handed out booties and gloves, and the group of five started up the stairs.

Max was about to suggest Eve stay behind since she wasn’t law enforcement but realized she’d be the most likely to spot anything out of the ordinary in Lucia’s apartment.

Max lingered behind the others, taking his own photographs of the stairs and items. “I’ll grab her phone after I get some pictures,” he told the group.

He stopped at the purse, recognizing it from his interview with Lucia and Daisy two days ago.

Lucia had worn it across her body, the distinctive red-checked strap standing out against her white sweater.

He stared at the small bag, imagining it being ripped off over her head or tugged from her grasp and thrown down the steps.

Or perhaps Lucia had taken it off herself, leaving a distress signal for others.

Max picked up the cell phone and slipped it into a plastic bag. Tapping the locked screen showed three notifications of unopened texts from Eve. Hopefully one of the sisters knew the phone’s passcode.

The apartment was very neat inside. No dishes in the sink, her bed made, and a knitted throw perfectly folded on the back of her sofa.

There was no head print in the pillow on her bed.

“I don’t think she took a nap,” said Keaton.

“Even if she’d done it on the sofa, she’d probably have used the throw. ”

“But she would have folded it back up,” said Noelle. “That’s how Lucia is.” Eve nodded in agreement.

Max motioned for Bolton to follow him into the bedroom and found a laundry basket of clothes on the floor of the closet. He pointed at the clothing on the top in the basket. “Was she wearing those jeans when you dropped her off this morning?”

“She wore dark-green yoga pants,” said Bolton.

Max fished through the laundry, not seeing the described pants.

“I think she wore a green striped shirt,” continued Bolton.

“She had on a white jacket that covered most of it.” None of the items were in the closet or the laundry basket.

Max confirmed the detective’s clothing description with Eve.

“We know what she’s wearing,” he said.

Not that it helps us at the moment.

They searched the apartment for anything unusual, checking cupboards and drawers. A laptop was plugged in on her desk. Bolton opened it, but he needed a password to gain access. Neither Eve nor Noelle had any suggestions.

“How about a passcode for her phone?” Max held up the bag with Lucia’s phone.

The women looked at each other. “Maybe her birthday,” said Noelle hopefully. “Or maybe Poppa’s birthday.” Eve looked skeptical. The phone still in the bag, Max tried the numbers, but neither date worked.

“Mom’s birth date,” said Noelle. When that didn’t work, she suggested another date.

The phone opened.

“What happened on that date?” asked Max.

“Our mother’s death,” whispered Eve, reaching out to take Noelle’s hand. “I can’t believe that’s what she uses for a passcode. Lucia was only two when she died,” she told the others. “She doesn’t remember our mother.”

Max was speechless for a brief moment as he wondered why Lucia kept that sad date active in her daily life.

Maybe she had chosen it because she didn’t have the memories her sisters did.

A way to hang on. “I’m very sorry,” he told the women.

He turned his attention to the phone, scrolling through Lucia’s list of texts, noting texts from all her family members.

He clicked on names he didn’t recognize and quickly scanned their messages.

Not counting Eve’s, the last text had been to a friend early that morning, reassuring her that she wasn’t badly hurt.

Her last phone call had been two days ago.

Nothing waved red flags.

“Try the date on her laptop,” said Max.

Keaton typed it in with no results. “Leave it for forensics.”

Max looked at the sisters. “Call everyone who she knows. Call her work, call Daisy, call her friends.”

“I don’t want to worry Daisy. This will really upset her,” said Eve as Noelle nodded. “And Lucia isn’t out visiting friends!” Eve waved at the open front door. “Her stuff is dumped on the stairs!”

“I understand,” said Max. “But maybe a friend has an idea of who would do this. Maybe Lucia told Daisy about someone who was bothering her at work. That sort of thing.”

“It has to be related to the explosion yesterday,” said Noelle. “These two incidents are so close together, I can’t see them not being connected.”

“I agree,” said Keaton. “But we have to explore all avenues. Keep your mind open.”

“I know. You’re right.” Noelle pressed her fingers against her forehead above one eye.

“You hurting?” asked Eve.

“A bit.”

“Take her outside and start making some calls,” said Bolton. “What did your husband say?” he asked Eve.

She glanced at her phone screen. “I texted him after I called Noelle. He must be in a meeting. Nothing yet.” Eve tapped on her screen and opened the text. “It’s not delivered,” she muttered. She touched Adam’s photo at the top of her screen and clicked on his location map.

Max watched as she waited for her phone to locate him, a sense of dread forming in his gut.

“Not found,” Eve muttered. She tried again.

Noelle met Max’s gaze, concern growing in her eyes. “Call him,” he told Eve.

“Straight to voicemail,” she said after a moment. With a stunned expression on her face, she looked at the others. “Did something happen to him too?” she asked in a faltering voice.

“Call his work,” ordered Bolton. “Does his job ever take him out of range?”

“No.” Eve held the phone to her ear, her hand visibly shaking.

“Hi, Lorna, it’s Eve. Can I talk to Adam?

His cell isn’t working.” She was silent a moment.

“Oh ... okay. No, he’s not here. I’ll check with his doctor’s office.

He probably texted me, but it didn’t go through.

” She ended the call, her face pale. “He went in and then left after an hour or so, saying he was sick.” She looked at everyone.

“Something’s happened to Adam,” she whispered.

Bolton pulled out his phone. “I’ll get a BOLO on his truck. It’s silver, right? Make and model?” he asked Eve. “Do you know the plate?”

“Silver Toyota Tundra. I don’t know the plate.” Her voice cracked.

“We can find out.” Bolton headed to the door, his phone at his ear.

“Did you talk to him today?” Max asked Eve.

“I texted him that Detective Bolton was giving us a ride home from the hospital. That text went through,” she said, checking her phone again. “But he didn’t reply—which isn’t unusual since it wasn’t a question. I assumed he was at work when I got home. I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Everyone outside,” said Max. “Start calling whoever you can think of that Lucia or Adam could have been in contact with.”

“What is going on?” asked Eve, her voice rising. “Does the same person who made Lucia drop her things have Adam too?”

Her question echoed in Max’s head.

Or did Adam make Lucia drop her things?

Max exchanged a look with Keaton, seeing in his gaze that they shared the same thought.

He looked at Noelle, who shook her head, disbelief in her eyes. “It can’t be.”

Eve looked from one of them to another, confusion wrinkling her forehead. “What—no! You’re wrong. All of you are wrong!” She stumbled back two steps.

“How close are Adam and Lucia?” asked Max.

“Very close!” said Eve, anger rising in her tone. “He would never do anything to her. He’s one of her closest friends! He loves her!”

Max noticed Noelle said nothing, but a speculative look entered her gaze.

“You’re wrong!” Eve yelled again. “All of you! Something has happened to Adam! Now fucking find him and Lucia!” She spun away and darted out of the apartment.

“Noelle?” Max asked softly. He didn’t like how pale she’d grown.

She swallowed hard, her eyes troubled. “I don’t know.”

“Impossible?” he asked.

“No.”

“Why do you say that? Eve seems certain Adam wouldn’t do something to Lucia.” Max spoke carefully, seeing Noelle was teetering between logic and loyalty to her family.

“I’m not sure. But I can’t say it’s impossible.”

“Okay.” Max touched her arm. “I know you’re trying to consider all angles.”

She jerked her head in a short nod.

Max looked at Keaton. “Our best bet is finding his truck.”