“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize you could set up alerts for that sort of thing.” Bennett says, his voice cracking. “And now you’re telling me Gabe was murdered the day those alerts went off?”

Silence crashes over us. The weight of his words presses into my ribs, tightening with every second that passes. The dim light of the computer screen flickers, casting deep shadows on Bennett’s face, making the hollowness in his expression even more pronounced. My heart pounds, my mind racing through every possibility, every thread of truth we might have missed.

“This isn’t your fault,” I say firmly, stepping toward him. I can see the cracks forming, the way he’s barely holding himself together.

Bennett shakes his head, his hands trembling. “If I hadn’t started looking into this, maybe Gabe would still be here. Maybe he wouldn’t have—”

“Stop,” I say as I cut him off before he can finish that thought. “You didn’t do this. Whoever’s behind this was already in motion long before you started asking questions.”

Mo places a hand on his shoulder. “Theo’s right. Gabe could have been onto something—something big we don’t even know about. Maybe that’s why he set this up in the first place. You didn’t cause this, Bennett. You’re helping us figure it out.”

Bennett doesn’t look convinced, but he nods, his gaze fixed on the floor.

I turn back to the screen, my mind working in overdrive. “We need to figure out what the FBI is looking for.”

Mo’s jaw tightens. “Agreed. If Gabe’s death is connected to this, then whoever did it isn’t just sitting idle. They’re watching. They’re waiting.”

“Unless,” Bennett says softly, “it wasn’t about Gabe at all. What if it was Aubrey? What if she’s behind all of this? Think about it—her husband of what, 25 years? Her brother. Her first husband…”

I feel my blood run cold.

No.

“Stop right there,” I say sharply.

Mo’s voice is steely. “There is no way Aubrey could have done this. She’s been through hell. Do you think she murdered Gabe, her brother-in-law, and her first husband? That doesn’t even make sense. Besides, we don’t even know how many other people have been murdered in the same way. The only reason you figured out that those were murders in the first place, was because you were looking into your family.”