Page 137 of Fragile Sanctuary

A hand clamped down on my shoulder, and I turned to find Trace. He met my gaze and didn’t look away. “This isn’t on you. You think I don’t feel responsible? I’ve been in charge of Sparrow Falls for a hell of a lot longer than you’ve been here. I missed him, too. Right under my nose foryears. How do you think that makes me feel?”

A muscle fluttered in my cheek. “None of the murders were in your jurisdiction.”

“Sure. But helivedhere. I’ve probably talked to him more times than I can count. That’s gonna mess with my head for the rest of my days.”

“Psychopaths are good at deceiving everyone around them.”

“Yeah,” Trace agreed. “So, listen to what you’re saying. You couldn’t do anything to prevent this from happening. But youcanhelp us now—if you stop feeling so goddamn sorry for yourself and do the work only you can do.”

From Trace, that might as well have been a hug and a back pat. But itwaswhat I needed. “Starting fires is an early sign of psychopathy,” I finally said. That and harm to animals were usually the things we saw the most. “At some point, that wasn’t enough, and he escalated.”

Trace nodded. “I’ve already got all those case files pulled. Deputies are combing through every single fire we’ve had here in the past two decades.”

“I’m guessing our unsub is a contemporary of Rho’s. A few years younger or older. Someone she likely went to school with.”

Helena shook her head. “Could also be a teacher, coach, or family friend.”

“No,” I said, certainty curling my voice. “If it was someone older, they either would’ve stuck with arson or would’ve escalated earlier. Setting those fires was a kid’s tantrum at not getting his way.”

“A seriously fucked-up tantrum,” Trace muttered.

“You’re not wrong there. Whoever this is, they have contact with Rho,” I said.

Trace gritted his teeth. “That could be anyone. You know her. Everyone she meets is her new best friend. She’s never known a stranger.”

I did know her. And more than that, Ilovedher. My throat constricted, a burn alighting there. I should’ve told her. As if not saying the words would somehow protect me if I lost her.

I struggled to keep my breathing even and stay in the here and now. “Let’s use the small town to our advantage. Text your siblings, Rho’s boss, and anyone else who sees her on a regular basis. Ask if anyone’s disappeared this afternoon when they shouldn’t have.”

Trace jerked his head in a nod. “Will do.”

“You got anyone who should have eyes on Owen Mead?” I asked. He’d alibied out for Rho’s car accident, but a friend had supplied the alibi. I wasn’t about to take any chances.

Trace’s gaze cut to me. “He got a job with another construction crew in town. They don’t do work as good as Shep, but it’s still steady. You still think this could be him?”

“I just want to cross all our Ts. He’s got a few things that ping the psychopathy checklist, and he’s in Rho’s orbit.”

Trace was already pressing the phone to his ear. “Hey, Bob. Owen working for you today?” A moment of silence. “No, don’t need to talk to him. Anyone on your crew miss work today?” Another beat. “Okay, thanks.”

Trace hung up, his jaw working. “Bob said he was watching Owen do crappy tile work right then.”

I didn’t know whether to be relieved or pissed. Either way, we needed to move on.

A ring cut through the air, and Trace looked down, tapping his phone’s screen. “What do you have, Shep?” There was a brief pause where Trace’s expression completely shut down. “You’re sure? You go by the clinic?” Another pause. “Fuck. Okay. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Trace hung up and turned to me and Helena. “Silas Arnett begged off work mid-morning. Said he wasn’t feeling well. Shep went to his apartment, and he wasn’t there. Drove by Dr. Avery’s office, and he wasn’t there either.”

Everything in me locked. A million different encounters with Silas swirled in my mind. It was like looking at those memories through a kaleidoscope. Each switch of the dial made me see the image a little differently.

Charming. A womanizer. But nodeepties. It all fit. But we could be wrong, too. It could all be smoke when the fire was somewhere else entirely.

“Get me absolutely everything you have on him. If he has a friend, I want them here. We need Shep. He’s worked with Silas the longest.” I looked between Helena and Trace. “We have a few hours at best.”

We all knew what would happen if those hours ran out. And I wouldn’t survive it this time.

47

RHODES

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