"Dad."
Lu''''''''sgazesweptoverher—noinjuries,novisibleharm—andthevisearoundhischestloosenedjustenoughtobreathe.Foralongmoment,hesimplystared,theweightofdaysoffearandfurydissolvingintofourquietwords:
"You''''''''reokay.Good."
Thefireragingaheadleftnoroomforpersonalmatters.WhateverhadhappehReyawouldhavetowait.
HejerkedhisatJun."Takeherhome."
Then,turningtoNeilfromForensics:"Whenthefire''''''''sout,sweepeveryinch.Assumearsonuntilprovenotherwise."
Somethinguglycurledinhisgut—adetective''''''''sinstinct,sharpenedbyyearsofseeinghowcasesreallyended.
Andhisdreadwasfirmedbeforedawn.
Intheburned-outbasement,firefightersdiscoveredacharredcorpse.
Thebody—male—ycurledatoptheremainsofamattress,limbstwistedlikeadiscardeddoll.Firehadobliteratedhisfeatures,leavinghimunreizable.Butthesilhouettematchedthemanager''''''''sportlyframe.HisdentalrecordsandDNAhadalreadybeeoMoxiforverification.
Whattrulychilled,however,weren''''''''tthecorpse''''''''sbones,buttheroomitself.
Fouriroillfixedtothescorchedwalls,bedbythebze.Bythebedsatadeformedpstitainer,partiallymeltedfromtheheat.Inside,iigatorsrecoveredahandfulofphotographsthathadsurvivedtheinferno,enoughtomakeLu''''''''scoffeecurdleinhisstomach.
Backathisdesk,hesiftedthroughthesalvagedimages,whichhadbeencarefullyseparated.Damonhadalsorestructedsomeofthedamagedonesdigitally,stitgdepravitybacktogether,pixelbypixel.
ItwashardnottoectthisdiscoverywiththepreviousSilverRingandCocase:thephotoswereexplicitshotsofdifferentwomen—mostofthemmid-act.
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