Pender Falls is a small town. Nothing like this has ever happened here. Drug busts are usually the most exciting part of a policeman’s job. Not three consecutive homicide attempts. This is a high-profile case sure to garner media attention, especially considering the affluence of the Harris family and Zoe herself. Who isn’t fascinated by a beautiful teenage girl out for blood?

Different parts of my body ache, and I feel worn out and beaten down. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror, it is jarring. My pupils are cold and dark, like a frozen lake in the dead of night, splotches of blue and purple have rapidly formed on my jaw, and my bottom lip is red and swollen. I long to crawl into bed and forget any of this ever happened, but I know the images of what happened tonight are forever burned into my brain.

It’s ironic—now that my memory has returned, I want nothing more than to forget all over again.

Edwards folds his hands on the table, looking at me squarely. “Allie, I believe an apology is long overdue. I was wrong about you,” he says. “About what happened.”

He sighs when my expression doesn’t change, sitting back again. “I was acting on instinct, and there are some things I did that were out of line. We were getting close to piecing together what really happened, and something told me you played a bigger part in it than you did. But you were the victim, I lost sight of that. I hope you can move past it and won’t let my behavior affect your perception of the department.”

I nod numbly, and it’s all I can offer. Truly accepting his apology feels misguided considering he abused his position of power when he threatened me in the bookstore.

A weighted silence hangs in the room for several beats. “All right,” he says firmly, rising to his feet. “I can’t allow you to go home just yet, but you can join your family out there.”

Relief floods my limbs, and I push up from my chair to follow him out the door. I don’t know how long it’s been since we left Boulder Trail, but I haven’t been in contact with anyone but police and doctors until now. A lump forms in my throat as I step into the main area, tears welling at the idea of this all truly being over and being able to go home and feel safe again. Soon after exiting the interrogation room, I spot a familiar face, and I rush in that direction, enclosing the woman in a tight hug.

“Oh Allie,” she says, her voice breaking, and it’s my undoing.

“Mom,” I choke out, feeling as though I’ll fall apart the second she lets go.