Sarah twisted her fingers together, then released them. Twist, release, twist, release.

He reached over and placed a hand over hers. “It’s going to be all right.”

“Sure.”

She fell silent and he left her alone while she disappeared into her thoughts.

An hour later, Gavin spun the wheel, entering the neighborhood where the Longs lived. He pulled to the curb of the second house on the right and parked. The front door was open and a small dog sat just inside the storm door. When they approached, it barked and ran in circles until a woman hurried to sweep it up into her arms and open the door.

“Hi, I’m Lucy. This is Buster.”

Gavin introduced himself and Sarah, and they soon found themselves in the den with the dog happily seated in Gavin’s lap.

“Let me know if he bothers you,” Lucy said. “I can put him in the backyard.”

“He’s fine,” Gavin said. “I’d like to have a dog one day.”

“Then I like you immediately. Dog people are the best.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I need to remember my manners. Can I get you anything to drink?”

Gavin declined.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Sarah said. “I really appreciate you being willing to talk to us about your sister.”

“I like talking about her. It’s a way of keeping her alive and close to me.” Tears welled in her eyes but didn’t fall. “What do you want to know?”

“Let me start with my brother, Dustin Denning,” Sarah said. “He committed suicide not too long after your sister did.”

“Oh, I’m so very sorry! I only met Dustin a couple of times, but he seemed like such a nice young man.”

“Thank you. It’s been hard, as you well know. I suppose I’m having a difficult time accepting it because of how he was just prior to his death.”

Lucy frowned. “What do you mean?”

“My other brother, Caden, brought Dustin home from the hospital when he was released, and apparently, he was doing well. He was happy and upbeat and looking forward to the future.”

Lucy was nodding.

“Helen too?” Sarah asked.

“Yes, that’s why I was so stunned to walk in and see what I saw.” She shuddered. “She’d been so happy about being released from the hospital and was talking about going back to Kabul so she could get back to work. And now, I can’t close my eyes without picturing her standing there in the window. I yelled at her and she didn’t even acknowledge me. Or hesitate. She just . . . jumped.”

Sarah shivered. “According to my father, security footage shows Dustin doing the same thing. He went to the hospital where he was supposed to be meeting with his therapist. Instead of going to her office, he went to the roof and . . . jumped. Two days ago, another vet, Brianne Davis, shot herself.”