Annika set down the glass and bent forward so her face was next to his. Her breath was hot against his cheek and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. “Only something to help you.”

Miguel pressed himself up. Annika dragged a chair along the floor, its metal legs screeching. He winced as his head screamed. Why was she here? Again.

“What do you want?”

“I want to know why the sheriff and his deputy watchdog came by my gallery again today.”

“I-I don’t know.” His eyes flickered to the table. The drawing. He quickly looked back, but it was too late. Annika was already on her feet.

“What’s this?” She held up the crayon drawing of the dinosaur little Noah had drawn for him. “How many times has she been here since I last saw you?”

He bit down on his tongue.

Annika’s eyes narrowed. “What have you told her?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying to me!” Annika reached for the glass on the table next to him and hurled it against the wall, shattering it.

The noise set his teeth on edge. He wanted to close his eyes and bring some relief to the pounding in his head, but he didn’t dare. Annika was dangerous—she was dangerous. Clarity started to melt the haze of murkiness clouding his mind, revealing something . . . something he needed to remember, but the pills Annika had given him acted like a thick veil, blinding him to whatever it was.

“Have you considered what will happen to you in prison?” A long eyebrow hitched high up her forehead.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Where is he?”

“Who?”

The man didn’t have a name, but his fists were like rocks. He came looking for the painting. Sydney’s painting. “I don’t know . . . I didn’t think.” Miguel clenched his teeth and tried to swallow the lump wedged in his throat. “I d-don’t think I did it.”

Annika crossed her arms. “You were the last one to see her.”

The trembling in his hands crawled up his arms, through his torso, and down to his knees. Miguel squeezed his fingers into tight fists as he tried to ignore the image of Sydney’s face staring at him. Annika was right. Sydney was dead and it was his fault. He couldn’t protect her.

“My father spent his entire life, his fortune, helping people like you. The police won’t understand. They won’t be lenient. You’ll go to jail for the rest of your life or they’ll kill you.”