Page 134 of Our Daughter's Bones

“It is there. Just waiting for you to discover it.”

She rested her head on his arm. His muscles flexed, and she wondered if she’d crossed a line. But she didn’t want to leave his side. It feltnormal. Finally, something felt normal. He raised a hand—hesitant, almost reluctant.

Her smile began to wilt.

But then, he patted her head.

She beamed. She didn’t move a muscle. Together, they watched the storm in silence.

October 13, 2018

Nick opened the door and helped Mackenzie climb out of the car. She’d woken with a swollen knee, the result of her fight with Falkner the day before. Her feet landed in a puddle. He held the umbrella above them. Rain fell like a waterfall. The Perez house was barely visible beyond the cascade. The bottom of their legs were drenched.

She sniffed, trying to smell the thunder. But there was none.

This rain had washed it out.

It reminded her of the rains that poured toward the end of the rainy season back in New York. They signified the end, the climax.

“Sully will be mad,” Nick shouted over the sound of the rain thrashing against all surfaces. “We should’ve told him.”

“I think he’ll be relieved,” she said. “If we tell him, he’ll have to tell Peck. This way, we’re the only bad guys here.”

Another car glided toward them. Its headlights made the raindrops shimmer. The car parked behind Nick’s and its engine switched off. The door opened, and Daniel climbed out without an umbrella.

Water soaked into his black suit and curly hair, running down his face. “Hey! Thanks for the call.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mackenzie said. “You don’t have an umbrella again?”

He laughed. “I don’t want to get too used to this place.”

“You won’t have to. Ready to go in?”

“Yeah.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Are we sure?”

“Nick called ahead. Samuel is expecting us.”

They knocked on the door. After a few seconds, there was a click.

Samuel’s head emerged in the space between the double doors. His black hair stood in spikes. His beard had grown longer since Mackenzie had last seen him. He was anything but groomed. She could even see his nose hair sticking out of his nostrils. His eyes skimmed over them—unfocused and aloof. “Come in.”

He left the door open. They removed their shoes and coats in the foyer. Samuel walked ahead of them with an idle gait and hunched back.

“Did you smell the alcohol on him?” Daniel whispered.

Mackenzie nodded.

“Let’s talk in my study,” Samuel said.

The room was woody and spacious. His gleaming pine desk sat across from the entrance. The walls of the room curved into an arch and had built-in bookshelves. Behind his desk, there was a window facing the backyard. All Mackenzie saw was churning blackness.

Samuel turned on a single lamp and dragged his feet to his chair. There was a half-empty bottle of vodka on the table. There was also a picture of Erica. He picked it up and hugged it to his chest.

He breathed hard. His nose was red. The corners of his eyes brimmed with tears. “What do you want?”

Mackenzie shifted on her heels. He mourned Erica. The Samuel Perez she had seen around fundraisers and charity events had disappeared.

“We found Abby,” Nick said, warily. But Samuel sniffed and nodded, not looking at them.