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  Gram seemed too tired to talk, as if the gravity of her situation had hit her. Ryan couldn’t imagine what sort of conversation Liv was going to have to have with Gram tomorrow. Ryan’s parents and grandparents had died early, before they’d gotten to this point. She couldn’t even imagine Liv going through that alone.

  But that's was what Liv did, faced down obstacles that were strong enough to destroy families, all by herself, without backing down. It was something Ryan loved about her. There was a lot to love about her, even if she didn’t let anyone help.

  They finally got inside. “Wait here,” Liv said, and she helped Gram up the short set of stairs, Mocha by their side.

  The absolute last thing Ryan wanted to do was sit and wait, so she found the kitchen and rifled through the cupboards. She wasn’t being nosy, she told herself. Instead, she found a coffee maker. Pleased, she pulled it down and plugged it in, hearing it sputter to life.

  Next was finding some coffee. Thankfully it was near the front of their pantry, and it was the brand Ryan remembered that Liv used to drink in their senior year.

  She poured a couple tablespoons into the coffee maker, and got it started. By the time Liv got down, there’d be coffee for the both of them.

  Ryan exhaled slowly, working out the kinks in her spine and body. Her pants were wet, the shoes leaving soft marks on the hardwood floor of Liv’s house. She checked her phone out of habit.

  Dane’s reply to Ryan’s text that she was meeting Liv had been simple - Good. She couldn’t quite disagree with that, no matter what she wanted to say.

  “I’m so sorry.” Liv came down the stairs, her voice apologetic.

  Ryan also noted she had changed into clean clothes.

  “Do you have a place I could dry these?” Ryan pointed down to her pants and shoes.

  “Here, give them to me and I’ll put them in the dryer.” Liv didn’t hesitate.

  Ryan didn’t either. The house was warm, more than warm enough to tolerate disrobing. She kicked her shoes and socks off, then shimmied out of her slacks. It was weird, though, being in just a blouse and her underwear.

  Liv had seen her in much less.

  Taking the clothes, Liv disappeared into the depths of the house. She came back with a robe. It felt luxurious, all fancy and stuff. Whatever it was made of, Ryan wasn’t particularly certain she wanted to know. Still, she took it from Liv and placed it on the couch. She wasn’t going to wear it over her blouse.

  “If this bothers you, let me know.” Ryan’s voice was muffled by the thin shirt as she took it off. It wasn’t wet, thankfully, so she laid it out flat so it hopefully wouldn’t wrinkle too badly.

  Liv didn’t say anything, so Ryan took it as okay. She pulled the bathrobe around her, tying the thin belt around her middle. It was warm, as if she had just pulled it out of the dryer. It was nice, especially now that the chill was starting to hit her slightly damp skin.

  “So much for being warm,” Ryan muttered.

  Liv half-smiled.

  Ryan looked at her now, uncertainty there. “I made us coffee.”

  Liv looked surprised.

  “Sorry, I snooped.” Ryan wasn’t entirely sorry as she led the way to the kitchen, where the coffeemaker and mugs were sitting. It wasn’t long before they were both sat on the couch with a steaming mug in their hands. Ryan drank both milk and sugar (the only way she could tolerate the department coffee), whereas Liv took hers black.

  They sat there in silence for a while, just sipping their coffees. It was oddly soothing, just being with her. No pressure, no desire to explain, or argue, or worry. Just existing together, in the same space.

  “I don’t know what to do.” Liv didn’t look up from her coffee.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Ryan smiled at her, a warmth bubbling up in her chest. Liv leaned into her, her head on Ryan’s shoulder, her coffee still in her hands.

  “You could stay the night if you want,” Liv said, the words almost stilted.

  Ryan looked at her, surprised. Then regret surged through her. “I should get back to work.”

  Liv nodded. “Okay.”

  “I’d stay if I could.” The words sounded almost hollow, but she meant them.

  “Thank you.” Liv met her eyes, and then leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. “For helping.”

  “Any time,” Ryan said, and she meant it. She closed her eyes, letting herself bask in the warmth between them. Maybe things would turn out okay. Maybe Liv trusted her, after all.

  Maybe they would get through this.

  Wednesday 19th October; 8am

  Liv stifled yawn after yawn as she tried to prep the coffee shop for the day.

  “Long night?” River asked from her spot near the counter, a smirk on her face.

  Liv thought about throwing a coffee filter at her, then paused. “Something like that.”

  “Did Ryan come by?” River raised her eyebrows. She was smart, she had to know there was a reason Liv was tired.

  Liv hesitated about what to explain and what not to. River knew more than others did. She knew what had happened with her mother, and what had driven Liv and Ryan apart in the first place. But Liv had kept her Gram’s condition a secret from everyone.

  “Nothing happened,” she said instead. “We just talked.”

  River raised her eyebrows.

  Liv tried to ignore her. Last night had scrambled a lot of things up in her head. When Gram had been missing, Ryan had been the first person she had thought to call. She was the only person Liv had thought to call.

  Maybe it was because she was a police officer.

  No, Liv knew it was more than that. Deep down, Ryan was the only person she trusted to handle the situation.

  “How did you know?” Liv pursed her lips at River.

  “I saw the way you looked at each other last night.” River shrugged. “I’m not stupid, you know.”

  Liv stuck her tongue out at her. “Didn’t say you were.”

  “She really likes you, Liv.” River sounded gentle.

  Liv stared down at the counter, at the bread she was slicing for some sandwiches. She knew that. She knew from the way Ryan looked at her, from the way they touched each other. The fire that had burned so long ago was still there.

  She sat the knife aside, not certain she wanted to be holding it in her current state of mind. Besides, she had some time before anyone would be ordering sandwiches. She was prepped otherwise.

  “Where’s Mocha?” River asked, grabbing a chair and sitting down at the nearest table.

  “I left her with Gram.” What Liv didn’t say was that she left Mocha at home to watch Gram in case she wandered off again. She had already ordered a ‘doggy 911’ system that would let Mocha call her if she needed to. Mocha was an older dog, but she was smart as a whip, and she loved Gram.

  It was a miracle of technology that let her set up a phone with a touchpad connected to it on the floor. If Mocha needed to summon help, all she had to do was press the touchpad and 911 would be called. Mocha had picked up on it quickly.

  “How long do you think you’ll need me today?” River leaned back in the chair. Her apron was still hanging from its hook. She was in no hurry to put it on.

  “Just for a couple hours?” Liv guesstimated. She technically didn’t need River for the work, but she wanted the company. The last thing she needed to do was go to Ryan’s and talk to her more. Or go to her office. Or anything like that.

  Liv and River were getting the hang of things when the door opened and a familiar face stalked in.

  Liv paled, her breath catching in her throat. “Charles.”

  “What did you tell them?” Charles stormed over to the counter, throwing his hand down. “What did you tell them?”

  “Nothing.” Liv forced herself to stay still, to not back down no matter how much she wanted to. She was strong enough to stand up to him. “You loved her.”

  Something crumpled in Charles’ face, and the anger that had been shot at her slashed in
half, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He really did love her.

  “Did something happen?” Liv asked, her voice gentle.

  The door rang again, and the tall man Liv had seen with Ryan once or twice strode in, followed by some uniformed officers. “Charles Mannigan, you’re under arrest for the murder of Cairo Levitt.”

  “What?” Charles sounded more alarmed than Liv had expected, looking between the people as they handcuffed him. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “We have a warrant for your arrest based on physical evidence retained in your house,” the man droned on. “Anything you say can and may be used against you in a court of law.”

  “What physical evidence? They’re not mine!” Charles shouted. “I didn’t do it!”

  Liv stood there, in shock, as he was led out of the coffee shop and into the police car waiting there.

  “Liv.” River pointed to the small TV they kept in the back. It was another press conference, with the Police Chief standing there. “Thanks to the hard work of Detective Phillips and our forensic investigators, we uncovered evidence that allowed us to take a second look at what was thought to be a suicide. Further evidence has revealed that Ms. Levitt was tragically murdered, and her death staged as a suicide. A person of interest has been arrested in relation to this crime, thanks to evidence recovered by our forensic investigators.”

  The man’s words droned on and on, while Liv just stared at the screen. What was he talking about? Where had that come from?

  Ryan sat at her desk, fuming. She could see the Chief spinning the tale, how it had been considered a suicide until their ‘Hard Work’ had proved otherwise.

  She snorted. By hard work, they meant someone had given them a tip and they had found incriminating evidence in Charles’s home. Ryan was much more interested in the tipster. Who had found that evidence in the first place? It wasn’t in plain sight.

  Dane walked back into the room. He looked abashed, but Ryan could see a faint gleam in his eyes. There was prestige to being the Chief’s favorite. It could mean promotions down the road, and Dane needed the money for his family.

  “I’m sorry, Ryan.” Dane did look truly sorry.

  Ryan exhaled. “Thanks.” She didn’t know what else to say. Maybe it was time to follow up other leads on her missing persons cases. Go talk to some of their friends at school. It had been a few days since she had done that, having gotten caught up in Cairo’s case again.

  Dane just nodded and turned back to his own desk. There wasn’t much she could do, not about that. Dane had dug his hole.

  Her phone rang. Spotting Liv’s number, Ryan stood and headed out of the office. It wasn’t a call she wanted to take near anyone who was involved in Cairo’s case. If they hadn’t discovered someone had been at the crime scene, they would soon.

  “Hello?” Ryan answered.

  “They arrested Charles.” Liv sounded angry, and in disbelief.

  “I know.” Ryan sounded bitter.

  “At my cafe.”

  Ryan had missed that part. That was what happened when you fell out of the Chief’s favor. “I’m sorry.” And she was. The words felt bitter on her tongue, and all she wanted to do was take out the Chief who had come at this case in such a ridiculous way.

  “Why?” Liv’s voice was quieter.

  “They found a noose and another deck of cards in his home.” Ryan’s voice was soft. She didn’t want to be overheard. “Forensics can tie them to the crime scene.”

  Liv let out a sigh on the other end of the line. “He said he didn’t do it.”

  Ryan didn’t know what to say to that. She’d heard several suspects say the same thing, even when faced with an overwhelming amount of forensic evidence. “Can I come over?” Ryan asked before she could stop herself. “Or you could come to mine.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line.

  “I want to see you.” Ryan kept the words soft and non-confrontational, and they were true. Even if they didn’t talk about the case, even if Ryan just focused on everything else, she wanted to sit next to Liv and know she was there.

  “Pick me up at the café at 6pm,” Liv said reluctantly.

  “Perfect. I’ll meet you there.” Ryan hung up the phone. She held it close to her, her head bowed as she tried to figure out what direction she was going to go in. She would fix this case. And find the murderer, too.

  And maybe get Liv in the process.

  17

  Wednesday 19th October; 11am

  “The retrieval went well?” His voice was harsh on the phone.

  “As well as could be expected.” Teep’s voice on the other end of the line was a languid drawl. “Chill, boss. It’s been disposed of.”

  He chewed a cuticle, then stopped. “What about her?”

  “She’s being held until she decides to behave.” Teep laughed. “We got it all covered.”

  He exhaled slowly, reminding himself that it was okay and he was in control. He was in charge, and no one would dare cross him.

  Not even Veronica, no matter how much she wanted to. The thought made him smile.

  He hung up with Teep and headed back to the table. It was set up as a proper poker table, like at a casino, and the chips were real. They weren’t traditional chips, no. They represented other things. Like women, or stakes in his drug trade.

  See, he was a big-picture man. Even if he had to shut down his operation in Amaranth, it wouldn’t hurt him that badly. He had plenty more going on in other places. Losing Cairo had been a bad loss, but there were other poker players who could do what he needed them to.

  Other people who could help him launder money.

  “Yo boss, look at this.” One of the other players turned up the TV. It was the local news, extolling how Charles Mannigan had been arrested for the murder of Cairo.

  He let a smirk curve his lips. Perfect. If he didn’t work out, there were several others that he could use to his advantage.

  He flipped a chip up in the air, to the player who had brought it to his attention. “Get the new shipment,” he ordered. “And you can keep two baggies for yourself.”

  The player, his eyes coke-wide, hurried off to do as he said.

  He was in charge. He decided life or death. And now he had to make sure all the loose ends were tied up.

  18

  Wednesday 19th October; 6:30pm

  Liv sat in Ryan’s car, wondering why exactly she was letting Ryan do this. Ten years ago, she had refused to give Ryan her address. Yet now she was letting Ryan drive her to her house.

  But things were different. Liv was older, and she wasn’t swayed by her family. Well. Not as much, anyway. She looked at Ryan, studying her as she drove. Her blue eyes, the bobby pins in her hair to tuck the errant bangs away from her face. There was that thrill in her stomach, the butterflies there that she always got when she saw Ryan.

  She just wished they had met under better circumstances. Liv turned her attention back to the road in front of them, opening her mouth to point out the dirt road just before Ryan turned onto it.

  “I have a good memory,” Ryan drawled.

  “I remember,” Liv muttered. She stuck her tongue out at Ryan, feeling childish. Not in a petulant way, but it reminded her of how much had changed and how far they had come.

  Ryan reached over and put her hand on her thigh, a faint smile on her face. “Nervous?”

  “Nervous? Why would I be nervous?” Liv looked at her.

  Ryan just raised her eyebrows before she turned her attention back to the road in front of her. Liv could see her house, now, the Victorian peaks coming cleanly into view.

  Gram was standing with Mocha at the door, Mocha sitting next to her feet and staring at the newcomers. Would she remember Ryan from the other evening? Would she tolerate Ryan’s presence in the house? They were about to find out.

  Liv was the first one out of the car, but Ryan was right behind her.

  “Gram!” Liv gave her grandmother a kiss on the cheek, then re
ached down and gave Mocha scratches behind the ear.

  “Hi,” Ryan said, extending her hand.

  “I remember you, dear,” Gram informed her, shaking her hand and then using it to pull Ryan into a hug. “You’re family.”

  Ryan looked at Liv and Liv looked back. There was a hint of color on Liv’s cheeks.

  “Gram!” Liv tried to keep a straight face. “Let’s go inside. I’m cooking dinner.”

  “What are we having?” Gram followed them into the kitchen.

  It was a much better evening than Liv had anticipated. Dinner had gone well, Gram was back to knitting in her room in front of the TV, and Ryan and Liv were curled up on the living room couch with hot chocolate. The house was quiet except for the sound of Gram’s TV, and the occasional noise of wildlife and trees outside.

  “It’s nice out here,” Ryan said softly.

  “It is,” Liv agreed, taking a drink of her hot cocoa and enjoying the way the warmth raced through her. She cleared her throat, drawing Ryan’s attention. “Anything new with the case?”

  Ryan shook her head. “Not really.” She sounded frustrated, but her eyes closed briefly as she took a sip of her drink. “I hate when cases go like this.”

  “Do a lot of them take this long?” Liv looked at her, curious. They were sitting on the same couch, their legs almost touching. It was so close yet so far away.

  “Kind of.” Ryan tilted a hand so-so. “There’s a Golden 48 hours in homicide cases. If you don’t solve them in the first day or two, most cases don’t get solved.”

  “So not like on TV.” Liv wasn’t entirely surprised.

  “If a day ever plays out like a TV episode, we’re the ones surprised.” Ryan laughed, and Liv laughed with her.

  There was a closeness between them, a warmth that Liv had missed. Her heart felt lighter than it had in months, in years. She looked at Ryan, studying her over her drink as she had been earlier. It was nice just looking at her. Just being there, together.

  “I want to date you.” Ryan’s words came out in a rush.