In a seamless transition, Addis picked up the thread of the story. ‘Over nachos, we decided it might be better if I just stayed at Em’s for a while. I cleared it with my dad while Em cleared it with her parents, and then we headed back to my house to pick up some clothes.’

Emerson shook her head. ‘Well, first we drove around, remember? We were trying to wait until nine-thirty because that’s when your mom usually locks herself in her room to watch her shows.’

Addis nodded, her gaze shifting from her best friend to Alyssa. ‘That’s right. I figured there was less of a chance of running into her’ – her voice broke – ‘and getting into another shouting match.’

Both girls leaned into each other as together, they relived the nightmare of discovering Addis’s parents had been murdered.

Mrs. Childress wrapped one arm around Emerson while Grace hunkered down beside the chair and stroked her niece’s hair, whispering assurances that she was okay now, that she was safe, and promising she’d be there to help her get through.

A tear betrayed the impact this interview was having on Cord, and he turned slightly as he tried, surreptitiously, to wipe the traitor away. But his compassion, his ability to emotionally connect with victims, was one of the things Alyssa most admired and respected about him, what made him the best partner she’d ever had.

‘It was the smell that hit us right away.’ Addis kept her eyes closed as she spoke through a scratchy throat.

Emerson nodded, whispering, ‘I’ll never forget it, though I don’t even know how to describe it.’

‘I knew right away my mom had been shot, but she just looked asleep. And then Em spotted m… m… my dad.’ Without warning, Addis shot up and shoved between Alyssa and Cord, barely making it into the bathroom before her breakfast greeted the toilet. Grace rose to her feet and followed, closing the door behind the two of them.

The sound of dry heaves followed by more retching filtered back into the room, turning Alyssa’s own stomach sour, not because of the act, but because her job required her to force these girls into reliving that night. Never again would they feel the freedom of innocence they’d shared before the fateful night of Thursday, October third.

Nearly ten minutes later, they reemerged, with Grace pressing a damp washcloth against the back of Addis’s neck. After Addis settled back down beside Emerson, Grace snatched the blanket off the hospital bed and draped it over both girls. Emerson dropped her head onto Addis’s shoulder. Addis, in turn, rested her cheek on the top of Emerson’s head.

Alyssa hated to push the girls, but she needed more information. ‘Do you think you’re okay to go on?’