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    Of course she’d questioned it–who wouldn’t?

    She’d been just five when her parents died, far too young to do anything but believe whatever the adults told her. But as she grew older, that

    gnawing doubt kept resurfacing, again and again.

    Two narcotics officers. Missionpleted. Died in a “car ident” on the way home.

    Pieced together, those facts never sounded right. Not to her.

    But the officers who handled the investigation were her parents‘ closest friends. At the funeral, they wept openly and mourned as if they’d lost their own family.

    Elissa had always believed they did their best to find the truth. So, either it really had been an ident, or whoever was behind it was powerful enough to erase every trace.

    She sniffed and looked up at Frank. “What are you trying to say?”

    Frank’s voice was steady, almost gentle. “Lately, I’ve been doing everything I can to find you.”

    “In the process, I dug up a few things about what happened back then–about your parents‘ deaths.”

    He met her gaze, unwavering. “I’m sure of it now. What happened that night wasn’t an ident.”

    It was one thing ito /ihave your own suspicions. Quite another to have someone else state it t out.

    Elissa’s knees nearly buckled. She stared at Frank, her eyes pleading. “What did you find?”

    She waited, barely breathing, afraid to miss a single word. Whoever was responsible–no matter who they were–she would make them pay. Her parents had dedicated their lives to this job. They deserved, at the very

    12:10

    least, for the truth toe out.

    She owed them that much. She’d see to it that they could finally rest in

    peace.

    Frank could see herposure finally slip; he knew just how much this meant to her. He hesitated, then said quietly, “I’m still working the lead. If I want something concrete, I’ll need more time.”

    Disappointment flickered in her eyes, but she understood–this wasn’t something that could be rushed. She pressed her lips together. “This means everything to me. If you find out anything, please, promise me you’ll tell me first.”

    “I promise.”

    Frank lowered his gaze, then added, “But I have one condition.”

    She’d been expecting that.

    The divorce was already final. As long as he didn’t ask her to remarry him, she’d agree to anything–if it meant uncovering the truth about her

    parents.

    She clenched her fist, voice steady. “Anything but getting married again.

    Name it.”

    Frank would never push that, not now. He knew if he wanted to win her back, he needed to take things slow.

    iSo /iwhen Elissa spoke, he wasn’t angry–just smiled gently. “I’d like you to move back in. But don’t worry, we’ll have separate rooms, just like before.” She didn’t answer right away.

    Instead, she calcted when Rowan Murphy would be back in the country, then said carefully, “Can I have three days to think about it?”

    If her parents‘ deaths weren’t idental, it had to be connected to that old drug trafficking case. But there was no way she could dig up anything

    on her own.

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    Frank had leads, but if Rowan was willing to help, he could probably find out even more, and faster.

    She needed to ask him first.

    Frank read her face in an instant and chuckled. “Waiting for your brother to get back? nning to ask for his help?”

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