Tory smiled briefly. “Along with her astonishing good looks, Reese seems to have inherited her ability for understatement from you.”

Kate merely smiled and waited.

“KT and I were lovers when we were young.” Tory gazed past Kate’s shoulder out the window to the harbor. An artist’s palette of purples and pinks and indigo was brushed across the sky by the setting sun. “We didn’t part on good terms.”

“She hurt you,” Kate observed.

Tory brought her eyes back to Kate’s, grateful that there was no sympathy in them, only kindness. “Yes.”

“And how do you feel about her now?”

“I don’t know.” Tory frowned, surprised. “If you had asked me yesterday, I would’ve told you with certainty that I felt nothing whatsoever for her other than anger. Perhaps not even that. She was just someone from the past whom I had left there.”

Kate tilted her head thoughtfully. “And what’s changed?”

“I don’t know that either,” Tory said softly.

“Could you work with her, seeing her every day?”

“I’ve thought about that every minute since she left this morning.” Tory leaned back in the chair, her dinner forgotten. “Actually, I think so. When I’m working, I’m so focused that nothing else really matters. And I’ve worked with her before. We were medical students and residents together. We know each other’s…rhythm.” She looked away, refusing to think about how well they had known one another and just how seamlessly they had fit together for so many years.

“I imagine there would be moments when it would be hard.” Kate placed her hand on Tory’s arm. “Only you can know if it would be too hard.”

“Reese said that she would be okay with it.”

“If she said it, then she means it.”

Tory smiled. “Oh, I know. But still, I don’t want to give her anything else to worry about.”

“If you don’t have help, she’s going to worry a lot more,” Kate said with certainty.

“What do you think?” Tory asked softly.

Kate took her time before answering. “I know you can trust Reese to support you in whatever you decide.”

“She always does.” Tory touched the scrolled gold band on her ring finger. “I love her so much.”

“Yes, I know,” Kate said with great tenderness. She covered Tory’s hand with her own. “I also think that we never really leave the past behind, and the pain follows us until we find a way to forgive the people we used to be.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“None of us does until faced with it.” Kate sighed. “But you said yourself that something’s changed, and maybe that’s all you need to know for now.”

Tory squeezed Kate’s hand in thanks, her mind on the silent plea in KT’s eyes and the answering tug of her own heart. Yes, something has definitely changed For both of us.

Chapter Ten

Trey Pelosi was waiting for Reese and Bri in a small alcove outside the ICU. She stood as they approached, a smile on her face and an appraising glance at Bri.

“Officers,” Trey said.

“Ms. Pelosi.” Reese indicated Bri. “Officer Parker.”

“Ma’am,” Bri said.

Trey nodded to Bri briefly before returning her gaze to Reese. “Thank you for coming. Mr. and Mrs. Bridger want to cooperate in any way they can with your investigation.”

“Excellent,” Reese said evenly. “When can I speak with their son?”

“Well,” Trey said smoothly, “as you can see, he’s still under observation and in no condition to be questioned. However, we might have some information that would assist you.”

Reese raised an eyebrow but said nothing for a moment. She leaned one shoulder against the wall and studied Trey Pelosi, That evening, as on the previous one, she was impeccably dressed in tailored dark slacks, matching low heels, and a burgundy silk blouse with the cuffs rolled casually to midforearm. “Still on the case?”

Trey smiled again. “At this point, I’m here as a family friend and advisor. No charges have been brought, and I ‘m not anticipating that any will be since the boy hasn’t committed any crime.”

Bri shifted slightly, her equipment belt creaking as she moved. Reese shrugged off the first parry. “We’re still gathering information.”

“Yes,” Trey agreed, indicating the tiny lounge behind her with a tip of her chin. “Why don’t we sit down for a few minutes and perhaps I can provide you with some.”

“At some point, Ms. Pelosi,” Reese said without moving, “I’m going to need to speak to Robert Bridger.”

“Since that won’t be this evening, Sheriff, perhaps I’ll do.” Without waiting for an answer, Trey walked back into the lounge and took a seat in the otherwise unoccupied area.

“What do you think, Officer Parker?” Reese asked quietly.

“My guess is she won’t let us talk to him until she’s certain that charges won’t be filed or, if they are, that she knows the specifics so she can protect him.”

“Yes, I agree. I’d do the same thing.”

Bri rarely thought about the fact that Reese was an attorney. It was weird thinking of Reese that way, because she was such a cop’s cop. Everyone who knew her said the same thing. “So, if we can’t talk to him anyhow, what’s the downside of talking with her?”

“If we’re not careful, she’ll know everything we know, and we’ll come away empty.” Reese felt a little thrill of challenge and clapped Bri on the shoulder. “Come on, Officer. Let’s go talk to Counselor Pelosi.”

“There’s a coffee machine down the hall,” Trey said as she watched Reese and Bri approach.

“We’re fine,” Reese said, taking a seat on one side of Trey as Bri moved around to one opposite. “So what is it you’d like us to know?”

“Have you ID’d the young woman who was found near Robert’s vehicle?”

“You mean the young woman who was with him?” Reese asked. Her thrust this time.

“I don’t believe we’ve established that fact yet,” Trey commented, sidestepping neatly.

Reese grinned, but a flicker of irritation hardened her gaze. “Counselor, we could fence all evening. I think it might even be enjoyable under some circumstances. But I’ve got a dead girl in a drawer in the morgue in the basement of this hospital. Right now, I’m assuming that she got into that vehicle voluntarily.” Before Trey could speak, Reese held up her hand. “But if I don’t start getting some answers, I’m going to start thinking maybe she didn’t. Maybe your clients’ son took advantage of a drug-impaired young woman coerced her into the vehicle, drove her out into the dunes, and dragged her off where no one could see them for sex or something rougher. Maybe she resisted. Maybe he thought she would resist and he gave her more drugs to make her compliant. And now she’s dead. And I guarantee we’ll find evidence to support that she was in that vehicle with your clients’ son.”

“There are any number of explanations to account for her body being in the vicinity of the Bridger vehicle,” Trey noted calmly. “It could even be a coincidence.” She held up a hand as Reese started to speak. “Nevertheless, the Bridgers informed me that Rob had been spending this past week with family friends in Chelmsford. When I talked to them this morning, it sounded as if Rob heard about a party here on the Cape from the older brother of the boy he was visiting. We suspect he…borrowed…the family car so he and his buddy could go.”

“They filed a stolen vehicle report,” Bri pointed out.

“Yes, well, it seems that was premature.” Trey smiled at Bri. “A simple miscommunication.”

“Where was the party?” Reese asked.

“We don’t know.”

“What about the girl?” Reese asked sharply. “What do you suspect about her?”

Trey shook her head. “He doesn’t have a steady girlfriend. The boys he was visiting don’t know anything about her. But if you could get me a photo, I’ll show it to his parents and the other family.”

“Let me have the name of the family he was visiting.” Reese took a small spiral notebook from her left breast pocket, along with a pen.

Trey looked apologetic. “Ah, they’ve retained my services, merely to facilitate matters at this point. For the moment, I’d like lo keep their names out of this.”

Facilitator, my ass. Covering their own asses. And their kid’s. Reese’s jaw tightened. “Look, Ms. Pelosi”

“Sheriff,” Trey said quietly, “I’m no happier about an unidentified dead girl than you are. For now, let me see what I can do. The Bridgers really do want to cooperate. Both families do.”

Reese blew out her breath. She didn’t like it, but until she had a clearer picture of what had happened, she couldn’t blame the parents or their attorney for keeping the boy under wraps. “All right. For now.”

Trey smiled, and it was a genuine smile of pleasure, not victory. “Good. When can you get me the picture?”

“It’s a morgue shot,” Reese said as she reached into her shirt pocket again and drew out a Polaroid. She passed it over to Trey and watched her face carefully as the woman looked down at the photo. The attorney’s expression did not change. She may be corporate now, but this isn’t the first dead shot she’s seen.

“Thank you.” Trey met Reese’s eyes. “May I keep this?”

“Go ahead.”

Bri leaned over and murmured to Reese, who nodded assent

“Ms. Pelosi,” Bri said. “When you talk to the boys about the party, ask if it was a candy-bowl party.”

Trey looked at Reese, who shook her head. To Bri she said, “Translation?”

“It’s a party where everybody brings whatever drugs they have, tosses them into a big bowl or just a pile, and everyone samples.” She looked at Reese, whose expression was bland. “The parties move around. Usually in somebody’s house, not a bar.”

“Hard stuff?” Reese asked.

Bri shrugged. “Could be anything. Uppers, downers, crack, coke, sometimes even heroin.”

“Christ.” Reese rubbed her face in frustration. “Is it all. ..bring your own, or are their dealers there?”