A fleeting thought occurred; she dismissed it. Crimes had three elements: motive, means, and opportunity. The only person she could imagine lacked the means to open a space for Erin at a university. No, she thought, it couldn’t be.

At that moment, the plane skidded to a stop and rolled to the terminal. Gabriel got their bags. In step, they hurried through the airport. Sylvie took charge. After Gabriel stored Erin’s bags, she hurried them into the car. He climbed into the backseat, stretching his long legs across the divider. “Where are we going, Erin?”

“Highway One. To the mountains.”

Sylvie would have no jurisdiction here, so she wouldn’t be able to cross lines like this to apprehend a criminal. Sylvie called into the county sheriff’s office, having already alerted them to their plan. They’d reluctantly agreed to joint jurisdiction because Captain Sanchez had gone to college with the sheriff. Together they drove along the winding California highway, the sedan climbing higher along the steep cliffs and edging close to the sheer drops into the Pacific. Thick, hardy redwoods decorated the route, ancient sentinels to the passage of time. The entire highway stretched almost 650 miles, cutting through forest and farm, from above San Francisco to below Los Angeles. Their journey was little more than a tenth of the length, but the difference was startling. San Francisco’s famed arched bridges and glittering spires of light gave way to quaint villages and isolated towns.

The car was quiet except for the occasional directions issued by Erin. They’d explained their theory to Sylvie, and she concurred.

Finally, they left the highway and followed a twisted road cut into the side of the mountains. At a plateau, the route had been graded with a better-quality asphalt, acknowledging the perseverance of its users. Abruptly, out of the deep night, a structure emerged from the darkness.

“This is it,” Erin whispered, and Sylvie put the car in park. More than anything she’d ever desired, Erin wanted to beg Sylvie to turn the vehicle around. To take her back to the airport and let her go. Let her run away.

But Gabriel’s life depended on her. She owed him for so much, for so many things. It was debt that propelled her out of the car and up the stone walkway. Sylvie and Gabriel hurried after her.

Gabriel caught her midway. “Don’t be a fool, Erin.” Casting a pensive glance at the door, he hissed, “There could be a killer in there. Let Sylvie do her job.”

Following protocol, Sylvie pounded on the door, announcing herself as an officer of the law. The cabin was dark, and she hadn’t noticed any tire tracks leading up the road. She motioned them to stay back and did a quick sweep inside. The cabin was two stories, one wide room with a loft above. After she checked the rear door, she returned to the front. “Place seems deserted.”