Page 72 of Never Forget
"Yeah."
She disappeared down the hallway. The bedroom door clicked shut behind her.
I sat there in the dark, listening to the silence she'd left behind.
The apartment felt emptier than it had before.
CHAPTER 18
Sam
"Reeves. I heard about the fire at the Donovan house."
Deputy Chief Graff crossed the bay toward me, his face set in something that looked like genuine concern. He'd been making rounds with Cap, the way brass did every few months, but now his attention had landed on me.
"Hell of a thing," he said. "How's Miss Donovan doing? And the little girl?"
"They're okay. Recovering."
"Good. That's good." He shook his head slowly. "Christ. Jack would've hated this. His family going through more loss." He clapped my shoulder. "You're a good man, looking after them. Jack picked his friends well."
I nodded. I didn't know what to say to that.
Sean looked up from the rig he'd been wiping down. "What'd the marshal say? Any idea what started it?"
The bay went quiet. Tyler stopped what he was doing. Even Cap turned to listen.
The weight of the question settled on my shoulders.
"Still investigating," I said.
It wasn't a lie. Not technically. The investigation was ongoing. The police were looking for leads.
But I didn't tell them about the accelerant. About the note on Jamie's doorstep. About the word arson sitting in my chest like a stone I couldn't swallow.
I didn't want to believe it could be someone in the department. Danny was right. These men wouldn't torch a house with a four-year-old inside just to scare off a woman pushing for reforms.
But I couldn't be sure. And until I was, I wasn't going to say anything that might tip off whoever did this.
Sean nodded, accepting the answer. Tyler went back to his work. The moment passed.
But I felt the cost of it. These were my brothers. I didn't keep things from them.
Graff's tone shifted. Lighter now, like he was moving on to easier ground.
"Speaking of looking after yourself." He tucked his hands in his pockets. "I saw the Hendersons at the club last week."
I kept my face neutral.
"They were having dinner with the Montgomerys, actually. Bryce was there." Graff chuckled. "Those two families are thick as thieves these days."
Something cold moved through my chest. The Hendersons and the Montgomerys. Bryce sitting at that table, charming everyone, playing the golden boy while Jamie slept in my bed with nothing but the clothes I'd bought her.
"Shame about you and Amber," Graff continued. "Her father had high hopes for you. Still does, from what I hear."
"We broke up, sir."
"I heard." He shrugged like it was a minor detail. "Still. That recommendation letter I wrote doesn't expire. The offer's on the table if you ever change your mind."
