Theyre probably just playing it safe. If this third guy does turn out to be a homicide then everyone is going to start wondering about the others. And if theres a killer out there thats somehow tracking suicidal people, thats going to be a weird case. It would also have the potential to bring up rumors of a serial killer. So bringing us in and conducting a proper investigation into those rumors before they start would be a good idea.

Rachel grinned as she sipped from her complimentary airline orange juice. Thats all very well thought out.

I thought so. And if you dont mind me saying so, its usually the sort of thing youd think of and mention right away. You seem distracted. Everything okay?

She instantly heard this as an echo of all of his questions from the last case theyd worked on. Jack had instantly sensed that something was off and her reluctance to be honest with him had caused quite a bit of strain between them. She supposed she could be at least partially honest this time and tell him about her visit to Aiken to see Grandma Tate.

Yeah, I guess I am a little distracted, she said. She debated for a moment if she wanted to tell him everything, so she settled on the basics. I just found out yesterday that my grandmother has cancer. They caught it with decent time remaining, but shes refusing treatment.

God, Rachel, Im so sorry. Were you close to her?

Sort of. She left it at that. It would take too much time to really give him a proper summary of Grandma Tatethe woman who had essentially raised her as a girl after her mother died and her father moved away to parts unknown.

It was odd, but she felt some of what shed experienced when telling Peter. She felt like she was flirting with coming too close to her own truths. It felt like opening a door that was going to cause a lot of trouble if it wasnt closed very soon.

Im really sorry to hear that. I guess Id be pretty distracted, too.

She seems at peace with it, so I guess thats the important thing.

Rachel left it at that, once again turning her attention to her phone where she started to reread the police reports. She hoped it would be enough to communicate that she didnt really want to talk about it anymore and Jack, always observant, picked up on it. After one more read-through, she even tried Jacks suggestion of stealing a quick nap before they touched down. She dozed only briefly, stirred awake for the final time by the sound of the captain announcing their descent toward JFK.

CHAPTER SIX