I followed her gaze and watched the waves as they rolled. Salty air reached us easily this close, its presence somehow calming. Off to the left, I spotted a tall, white lighthouse in my peripheral vision. I hadn’t noticed it the first day, but I’d also been distracted when I arrived.

Len’s movement snapped my attention back to her. She grabbed the cats out of the back of the convertible and made her way toward the house. I grabbed the large duffel bag she packed and carried it inside.

“You can take the room, and I’ll stay in the living room,” I offered.

She looked like she was about to argue but decided against it. Dark half circles sat under her eyes, and I noticed just how worn down she’d become. Len barely got any sleep the night before, and I dragged her around town. Beyond that, she must’ve been mentally exhausted. The Coastal Killer was back, and the killing would most likely start again.

My gut clenched, remembering just how gruesome and gory each kill had been the first time around. Most of the victims were left cut to bits, barely recognizable, and a ring shoved down their throat.

I’d seen some horrible things in the field, but this, by far, was one of the worst.

I carried Len’s bag up to the room and quickly packed my stuff into my suitcase to bring back downstairs with me. Len walked into the room behind me.

“Why don’t you rest?” I suggested. “You didn’t sleep well.”

“It’s the middle of the day,” she argued. “And I need to get Birdie and Alonzo set up.”

She packed items for the two cats still in the trunk of the convertible.

“I’ll grab everything and make sure they’re all set,” I assured her.

She sat down on the bed and looked as though she might fall asleep sitting up. “All right,” she conceded. “I’ll rest for an hour, and then I’ll come back to help.”

I closed the door on my way out, leaving her to relax. I wasn’t worried about her helping for the rest of the day. There was plenty I could start on my own, and realistically, I didn’t need a new partner.

There was just something about Len…

She was nothing like Blythe; the pair was almost complete opposites. Yet, somehow, I knew if my partner were still alive, she would’ve loved Len.

My heart twinged at the sharp pain of the memory. I found myself glancing down at my hands covered in red.

It wasn’t real…

I shook my head, trying to push out the memory.