When Maya’s breathing grew slower, signaling sleep, Letty finally climbed out of the tub. She dressed them both quickly and tucked Maya into the bed. The child stirred once, but fell back to sleep immediately. Letty congratulated herself on how expertly she’d handled what could have been a dangerous situation. What if someone had stopped and questioned her on the beach? What if someone demanded to know who Letty was? And where Maya’s mother was?

Fortunately, that day, the beachgoers were busy minding their own business.

Letty tortured herself for hours, considering all the dire consequences of Maya’s meltdown, finally falling into an uneasy sleep shortly after 2:00 A.M.

When her phone dinged softly, signaling an incoming text, her whole body tensed.

The message was from Corinne.

Hey. Heads up. Zoey called today. E showed up at the Daizy yesterday, with a lady detective. This woman had lots of? about u and Tanya and Maya, but Zoey played dumb. She hung around long enough to hear the woman say they found the Mercedes in Philly. They know you rented a car and left it in Raleigh. And the woman has a picture of you. Be careful, okay?

Letty’s fingers flew over the phone’s keyboard. Thanks. Will be in contact. You be careful too.

Three little bubbles indicated Corinne was still typing. A photo popped up on her phone screen, of a woman, standing at what Letty recognized as Evan’s favorite table at the Lazy Daizy. She was dressed casually, sneakers, jeans, blazer.

Zoey managed to get us a photo of the detective.

Tell her I owe her one. Xoxo L.

She shouldn’t have been shocked that Evan had hired a detective. Tanya had warned her, as recently as the week before her death, that her dealings with her ex had taken an ominous turn.

“He thinks he’s so smart,” Tanya said, while they were sharing take-out sushi. “I know all his dirty little secrets. And if he keeps messing with me, trying to take Maya from me, I told him, I’ll go public. And he’ll go to jail.”

Letty had begged Tanya not to threaten Evan, but Tanya was beyond reason.

“Did I tell you about his new arm candy? Her name is—get this—Juliette. After Maya got back from the weekend with them it was all JuJu this and JuJu that.”

“So? You know he’s always got a new chick on the string. You’re over him, so why do you care?” Letty asked.

“Because this chick is different. He let her move in. It’s the first time he’s done that since I left.” Tanya scowled. “Of course, Maya’s in looooove with her JuJu. She’s totally buying my daughter off with fancy toys and clothes. Who gives a four-year-old her own goddamn iPad?”