Lester shrugged. “The guy had never handled a murder case and was in over his head. But the lawyer says he did look into it. Says he got an anonymous tip, too. And that’s what the state relied on in our post-conviction fight. I think he was just covering his ass, but the lawyer said he didn’t pursue the lead because the forensics didn’t match. Hayes sexually assaulted the girls. Then killed them by crushing their skulls, probably during the act. But Charlotte wasn’t sexually assaulted. And the medical examiner concluded she suffered a separate skull fracture, likely sometime before her head was caved in.”

Keller felt a combination of sickness and anger in her gut.

“So, what, you think someone was trying to make it look like Hayes was the killer?” That suggested some planning, which was inconsistent with a drunk teenager killing his girlfriend in a rage.

Lester said, “Hayes confessed to the other murders to get the death penalty off the table, but still denied killing Charlotte. Why bother?”

“What about Detective Sampson? The Adlers say that before he died he had some explosive information. About the blood work.”

“Pfft. How convenient. Even if it’s true that he’d go to the Adlers—and I find that questionable, since they basically ruined the man’s life—he was hardly credible. If he approached them, it was probably just trying to clear his own name. And before you say it, I’ve seen the Reddit threads that speculate that he was murdered.”

Keller wasn’t sure whether Lester was a breath of fresh air or whether her years working the case had hardened her, closed her off to any theory that might explain Charlotte’s murder. It was for that reason that Keller didn’t want to ask the next question.

“Speaking of conspiracy theories, there’s one that is building steam, at least with the Adlers—”

“That Charlotte’s alive,” Lester said before Keller could get the words out. Lester sighed, as if to add, Tell me you’re not taking that seriously?

“Right. Look, I know how it sounds, but I’ve gotta ask.”

Lester shook her head. “I’d love it if she were alive, but Charlotte’s dead. The Adlers don’t know this, and it wasn’t discussed at the trial, but Charlotte had a distinguishing mark. A tiny tattoo of a heart on her bottom. It was her.”

Keller exhaled. She knew it was crazy, knew it would end this way, but she was still crestfallen.

“A piece of advice, Agent Keller?” Lester said, her phone buzzing on her desk.

Keller nodded.

“Don’t make Charlotte’s killer your one-armed man. I’ve been down that road, and it nearly destroyed me.”

“But what if knowing what really happened to Charlotte is the only way to know what happened to the Pines?” Keller asked.