Almost as if she couldn’t process Alyssa’s greeting, Grace stared vacantly into the space between the detectives before recognition set in. Then, pressing the heels of her hands against her eye sockets, she rubbed. ‘I—I don’t—I can’t—I need—’ Grace’s voice was gravelly, edged with fear, sadness, and disbelief. Her head swayed back and forth as if she was still in denial of what had taken place in her brother’s home.

Referred to by some as ‘the ice queen’ because she never flinched or backed down as she went toe-to-toe with some of the worst, most evil predators the state had ever known, Grace was one of the toughest women Alyssa knew, and so it was more than a little jarring to see her sitting here broken and traumatized, her usually impeccable appearance now disheveled as she clearly tried to absorb the shock of what was happening around her.

Alyssa shifted until she was directly in Grace’s line of sight. ‘We’re going to do all we can, but I’m going to need you to focus so we can do that.’ Though she tempered her commanding tone in light of the district attorney’s state of mind, she knew they didn’t have time to wear kid gloves when the lives of two teenagers were on the line. ‘Now, start from the beginning, and walk us through how you ended up here.’

A tear trailed down Grace’s cheek. ‘I was having a glass of wine while I studied the case file for my upcoming trial when Addis called.’ She bent forward, releasing the necklace she’d been twisting in favor of pressing her hands down on her bouncing knees.

‘What time was that?’ Alyssa prodded.

‘Close to ten. Maybe a little after.’ Her phone was sitting on the sofa beside her, and she picked it up, tapping the screen a few times. ‘Ten-o-five. She didn’t answer right away when I said hello, and I thought maybe she’d accidentally dialed me.’ Eyes flickering toward the kitchen, her voice wobbled when she said, ‘But then I heard her whisper my name.’ Her gaze focused on something just past Alyssa’s shoulder as if she were envisioning the scene in her mind before she dropped her phone to the side so she could wind both arms around her waist. ‘And then she screamed… so loud… That’s when I heard her yell for Emerson to run.’

Grace’s dark, frightened eyes lifted. ‘There were a few grunts and what sounded like scuffling. And then… silence. The call ended.’ Her words sped up. ‘I called right back, but she didn’t pick up. I don’t know how many times I tried, but I finally gave up and tried Gabriel, and then Lydia’s phones. When I got no answer there either, I grew concerned and jumped in my car and drove straight over here. I didn’t think—’