O – SHATTE

reet from vanessa's building, sipping bitter black co

did

9 p.m. Not even a flicker of light in the living room. It was quie

soul-was apparently the biggest threat

er an alleged "breakdown" and obsession with her sister's death. Hadn't written a story since. Bank re

fallin

amily rattled.I can't imagine it not g

itchen was almost empty-two chipped mugs, half a loaf of bread, peanut butter,

oing to be broke, heartbroken, and alone,

y is not the day," she mumb

ch escaped,

ned her laptop. A Word document stared back at her.

't writt

me scene photo the detective reluctantly showed her: her sister's body crumpled in an alley beh

random attack" had b

lsh

ox instead. She scrolled past overdue bills, automated

stop,

licke

stop emailing everyone about Mia. You're bur

t without rea

uilding around ten, carrying a

office. Or a protest.

the county r

sa signed the guest log and asked for public rec

omething specific?

shipping company. P

s fli

was too cl

ss used to launder money from drug and arms deals.

, pretending to read a land deed

't takin

mit logs, maintenance reports, employee roster

ving, he realized.

ther felt? It w

. She didn't scream for justice. She whispe

was gett

died just as she stepped into th

n it

-and that's when sh

a

igh

rned a

ppo open and shut. He wore dark jeans, a black T-shirt, a

ce was qui

he asked, clutching t

. "But maybe

h. Low. Dangerous w

posed to

work if I

, which impressed hi

you?" s

re getting close to a fi

narrowed

ike I'm scar

didn't

t her, slowly, bru

ver been burned

floor of her apartment, camera b

know who

bout the way he

dy buried every

what guilt

e'd been close to what

," she whispered, s