Alyssa’s eyes were drawn to Elizabeth’s hands. She pointed to an angry, red gash with a blue tinge around it in the space between Elizabeth’s thumb and forefinger. ‘Do you mind if I ask what happened?’

An indulgent smile changed the planes of Ms. Monroe’s face. ‘I was cutting up chicken for dinner when Brandon decided to show me the toad he’d caught. It leaped from his hand onto the counter, scaring the hell out of me, and the knife slipped. I was going to put a Band-Aid on it but got distracted. It is rather nasty-looking, though, isn’t it?’

‘I think stitches might’ve been a good idea,’ Alyssa agreed, an image of Gabriel’s chest popping into her mind. But if Elizabeth Monroe was responsible for his death, the rage and destruction wrought upon his body probably would’ve created more severe cuts than just that one. Still, she made a mental note to add the observation to her write-up of the interview.

‘Tell us a little bit about your boyfriend,’ Alyssa said, still trying to determine if Grace’s fear had merit. But so far, nothing she’d heard convinced her that the case of a missing boyfriend had spurred the hatred that resulted in the deaths of Gabriel and Lydia and the kidnapping of two teenagers.

‘His name was Joshua Benson, but everyone called him by his middle name, Hayden.’ Alyssa could practically see floating hearts hovering over Elizabeth’s head as her eyes became distant and fixed. A soft smile teased the corners of her mouth as she mentally returned to the place of her memory. ‘That’s why he always used to call me “Beck” because my middle name is Rebecca.’

Alyssa followed Elizabeth’s gaze where it had drifted to a photograph on the mantel.

Sandra pointed at the image. ‘Is that the two of you?’

‘Yes, it is.’

Already standing, Sandra asked, ‘Do you mind if I take a closer look?’

If Cord had been with her, Alyssa would’ve been able to tell by his body language or by the tone of his voice that there was more on his mind than mere curiosity, but with Sandra, she couldn’t discern if the young officer was simply interested or if there was another reason she wanted a closer look.

Elizabeth waved her hand. ‘Of course.’

Sandra returned to her place beside Alyssa, studying the picture before handing it to her and asking, ‘What happened the night you were supposed to run away together?’