Jag.
She reached out and lifted her computer, clicking on a folder labeled: Stephanie. Tears burned the corners of Callie’s eyes.
Her childhood had been picture-perfect. She and Stephanie grew up in the suburbs of Seattle with loving parents. Her father was a heart surgeon, and her mother was a nurse in the emergency room. They were the perfect power couple, and when Stephanie, at a very young age, started transitioning, her folks were right there with her every step of the way. They never judged, even though it was obvious they struggled at first.
They had to grieve the loss of their son, in a way, but always knew they loved their child, no matter if she called herself Steven or Stephanie.
She clicked on the last family portrait that had been taken just three weeks before her parents were killed in a helicopter crash while transporting a high-risk, high-profile heart patient.
Everyone on board died.
Callie reached out and touched her father’s face. And then her mother’s. Tears now scorched her cheeks. They had died two years before Stephanie was murdered. “I miss you all,” Callie whispered.
While Jag didn’t fill a void in her heart, he certainly helped her out of a dark place after she’d lost her parents.
Her phone rang.
FaceTime from Kara.
She smiled and clicked the accept tab on her computer, setting it up on the table as she slouched in the chair. “Hey, Kara. How are you?”
“I’m doing good. How’s my Callie girl?”
Callie wondered if Kara heard about the murder on the island. It hadn’t made national news, because the cops had successfully suppressed any potential connection it might have to the Trinket Killer. Hell, it barely made the local news, except for Bailey, who enjoyed reporting that it was unsolved and that Jag was the chief of police, as if it was expected he would solve the murder within minutes of it happening.
“I’m hanging tough.” Callie tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she pulled her fleece tighter around her chest. “Where are you?”
“We’re still in Oregon. It’s beautiful here.”
“I bet. Are you in a hotel?” Callie leaned forward, trying to get a better look, but it was hard to make out the details on the tiny screen.
“We’re staying in an Airbnb.”
“Where’s Ivy?”
“She’s in the shower. We went for a fifteen-mile walk today. I’m so sore.” Kara lay on a bed on her stomach with her face propped up by her hand. She was a good ten years older than Callie and often acted slightly maternal, and that tended to annoy Callie, but it was nice to have someone care that much.
“I’m going to end up finishing the book early,” Callie said. “Jag’s been great.”
“I have to admit I’m shocked by that,” Kara said. “I know he’s not a bad man, nor is he a bad cop. It’s just that he said some things to you that you just can’t take back.”
“I said some things too,” Callie said. “But at the end of the day, I still love him.”
“But is he good for you?” Kara moved to a sitting position, leaning against a headboard. “And is Seattle good for you?”
“Seattle, not so much. But I like island life.”
Kara laughed. “You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Oh, Callie girl.” Kara shook her head. “I was worried that would happen if you stayed out on that island. I’m concerned about you.”
“I know and I’m fine. Really. I am. Things are good. I’ve made it clear that I’m leaving in a couple of weeks. He understands that. This is just a nice way for us to get the closure we never had before.”
“What does he say?”
It was rare that Callie lied to Kara, and she was going to do it twice in one phone call. Once by omission, since she wasn’t going to tell her anything about the murder.
And once right now.
“He agrees with me.”
Kara cocked her head, and her lips parted. “Are you serious?”
Callie nodded, making sure she kept her smile steady and her gazed locked on the screen. “Being in close quarters, sleeping together was inevitable. I mean, the sex was always fucking mind-blowing, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been with a man.”
“Maybe you should try a woman,” Kara said with a tongue-in-cheek tone.
“Now you sound like my sister.”
A sobering silence settled between them. They stared at each other for a few moments. Kara hadn’t known her sister that well, but she’d been Callie’s rock.
“Oh, before I forget,” Kara said. “Ivy thought of something when it comes to the ravens.”
“Yeah. What’s that?”
“A spirit animal. Interestingly enough, when I gave her some information about you, she thought the raven was your spirit animal.”
“That’s weird.”
“That’s what I thought, but she’s putting together an entire thing on it. When she’s done, I’ll send it to you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Callie’s pulse kicked up. Perhaps the killer thought the dolphin and now the raven was her spirit animal. Or represented whoever the killer was murdering over and over again, if that was indeed the motive. She quickly opened her research folder and made a note to research that concept more thoroughly.
A Langley police car turned the bend in front of Jag’s house.
“Kara. I’ve got to go. Say hello to Ivy for me.”
“Will do. Love you, Callie girl.” Kara blew a kiss before the screen turned dark.
Callie set the computer to the side and stood, watching Jenna step from the driver’s seat.
“Hi, Callie, how are you?”
“I’m okay,” she called from the second-story deck. “Did Jag send you to check on me?”
Jenna shook her head. “He sent me to tell you he’s going to be late.”
“Why?”
“A body was found over at Beverly Beach. It was brutal. The sheriff’s office was the first on the scene. When they called Jag for help, they
