Chapter 3

"What could I possibly be keeping from you?" I forced myself to stay calm, meeting Vance's gaze.

"Aren't you the one keeping things from people?"

Vance's eyes darkened. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the doorbell suddenly rang.

He shot me a glance, then turned to open the door.

Two people were standing outside.

The man in front, a middle-aged guy in a gray trench coat, pulled out his badge.

"Mr. Vance? I'm Detective Adler with the Seattle PD. This is my partner."

My legs gave out, and I nearly collapsed to the floor.

The police were here.

Did they track me down this fast?

Did someone see my car?

Did I leave some kind of clue at the scene?

"Detectives? Is there a problem?"

Vance blocked the doorway, making no move to let them in.

"It's about a fire at Black Pine Lake last night." Detective Adler's gaze drifted over Vance's shoulder and landed on me.

"Is Ms. Daphne home as well? Perfect, we need to ask you both a few questions."

Vance stepped aside, letting them into the living room.

We sat down on the sofa.

I clasped my hands tightly together, my nails digging so hard into my flesh they almost drew blood.

"There was a fire at an abandoned cabin by Black Pine Lake last night." Detective Adler pulled out a small notepad. "We found a charred body at the scene."

"Oh my god."

"That's terrible. But what does that have to do with us?"

"The property deed for that cabin is registered under your name, Ms. Daphne." Detective Adler looked at me.

My head snapped up.

Yes, that cabin was an inheritance from my father, but I hadn't been there in years. It was always Vance who went there occasionally to fish.

"I haven't been to that cabin in a long time," I explained.

"I had no idea anyone would be inside."

"Could it have been a drifter?"

"We've made a preliminary identification of the deceased." Detective Adler ignored my defense. He stared right into Vance's eyes.

"It's Tobias Rowland. Mr. Vance, he is your business partner, correct?"

Tobias?!

I gasped.

How could it be him? Tobias was a friend from Vance's college days and a partner at his current firm.

Why would he be at my cabin in the middle of the night?

I had actually killed an innocent person!

"Tobias?" Vance sprang to his feet, the color instantly draining from his face.

"That's impossible! I just saw him yesterday afternoon!"

"He was definitely in the cabin last night, and he burned to death." Detective Adler closed his notepad.

"Mr. Vance, your car was spotted parked near the cabin around nine o'clock last night. Can you explain that?"

I looked at Vance in shock.

So it really was his car out there last night!

He wasn't at the office at all! He was at the cabin!

Vance's Adam's apple bobbed, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He instinctively glanced at me, then quickly averted his eyes.

"I... I was there last night. Tobias asked to meet, but I didn't see him when I got there. I waited around for a bit and then I left."

"You're lying," I blurted out.

The living room fell dead silent. Both Detective Adler and Vance looked right at me.

I realized I had slipped up, but I couldn't control my emotions.

"You told me you were working late at the office last night!"

Vance clenched his jaw tight.

Detective Adler narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the dark undercurrents swirling between us.

He stood up and adjusted the collar of his trench coat.

"It seems you two need to get your stories straight," he said coldly. "But before you start tearing each other apart, I have one more piece of news to share."

He walked to the door, rested his hand on the doorknob, and turned back to look at us.

"The preliminary autopsy report just came back."

"There was no soot in the victim's airway. The back of his skull sustained severe comminuted fractures."

I froze.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that before the fire even started, someone had already smashed Tobias's head in with a blunt object."