“I need to do something. I can’t just sit here,” I said, rushing over to my suitcase.

“I’m going to figure this out, Nina. Just give me a day or two to decide our next move.”

“I can’t wait another second,” I said, my mind racing to form a plan. When the idea struck, I paused. “I’m going back to my parents’. The answers are there.” I yanked a t-shirt over my head and the first pair of jeans I touched.

“We don’t have to go now,” he argued.

“Yes we do,” I said, pulling on my shoes while hopping to the stairs.

Jared scrambled from the bed. The hangers in his closet clanged against each other, and within seconds he was behind me, fully dressed. “Not exactly how I wanted to spend the weekend,” he said, frowning.

“C’mon. Let’s go. Vaminos!” I said, rushing him out the door.

In my parents’ home, Jared followed me up the stairs to Jack’s office. He watched me locate the keys to Cynthia’s safe, followed me to her study, and then pulled the plant to the floor without effort. I used the key to gain access to the papers and files inside, placing them in somewhat organized piles.

For two hours we searched the documents, separating what we thought would be useful. One photo caught my eye. I held it out in front of me, staring at it, hoping I would recognize what it was that drew me in.

“He looks familiar to you?” Jared prompted.

“Something about his eyes…I can’t put my finger on it.”

Jared pulled a black wallet from his jacket pocket and tossed it into my lap; it was the one he had taken the night Ryan was stabbed. I took a closer look at the metal object embedded into the black leather. It was a badge.

I gasped, pointing at the picture. “This is the man that wanted my ring. This is Grahm.”

Jared nodded.

“They were all cops?” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “But why would they…?” My eyes wandered to my hand.

Jared stared at it as well. “The ring must be the key to something.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” I whispered. I looked at the papers for a moment and then rifled through them.

“What is it?” Jared asked.

“There’s a receipt in here for the purchase of my ring. I didn’t think about it before, but there has to be a connection,” I said, impatient with the endless stacks. “Why else would it be here with important business documents?”

My eyes widened with excitement when I found the thin carbon copy. Jared leaned over my shoulder to take a look for himself.

“There’s an engraving charge,” he pointed out. “Is your ring engraved?”

“No. I don’t…Jack never said anything, I’ve never noticed,” I said, looking at my ring.