“And you changed,” Camille told Tina in a shaky voice. “You got scared, and so did I. If you had anything to do with this fire, Tina…my God. I don’t know how to deal with that.”

“Camille—”

“You didn’t want to rebuild, you wanted the cash from the insurance. I never understood that back then. But then we eventually rebuilt anyway and life went on. Then it burned again, and then the store, where Summer nearly died—” Camille put her fingers to her mouth. “And then she started getting those text messages. You were trying to scare her away. I was so terrified for the both of you, I didn’t know what to do. I tried to talk her into going, but she wouldn’t. I just wanted her safe.”

“I thought you didn’t want me here at all,” Summer said softly.

“Oh honey, no,” Camille whispered. “I was just scared.”

Tina looked sick. “You think I’d hurt Summer?”

“I think you’re in trouble with money somehow, and not thinking clearly.”

“Camille, I thought you were taking the money! I was covering for you! That’s why I brought you here. Bill said I should just get it all out with you.”

The sisters blinked at each other.

Summer divided a gaze between them. “Are you telling me neither of you took the money? Or had anything to do with the fires?”

Camille shook her head.

So did Tina.

“But if it wasn’t either of you,” Summer said slowly. “Then…who?”

Tina and Camille stared at each other for a long beat. “No,” Tina whispered, then staggered back a few steps to sit on a box.

Camille just gaped at her. “You really think—”

“Who else? Oh my God, who else?”

“But you said he was with you during the fires. You said you were both sleeping.”

“I know, but I sleep like the dead. He could have…”

“And you didn’t know,” Camille breathed softly. “You really didn’t know.”

Tina put her hands over her mouth and shook her head.

Camille dropped to her knees in front of Tina. “Oh, sweetie. Oh, God. I’m so sorry.”

There was a creak on the stairs behind them, and the scent of a lit cigarette. Summer whipped around and saw black boots. Painter’s pants. An old T-shirt with ceramic stains across the chest. An apron over hips carrying an assortment of tools for working with clay that clinked when he walked.

Bill.