Page 153 of Riordan's Revenge

My mouth dried, but I started again, focusing on Sin. “It was apparently from my birth mother, still alive, and texting me onmy birthday. She asked me to call her. A minute later and I was bagged.”

His big, so-familiar face softened in compassion. “I know you’ve always wanted answers, but the woman died a long time ago. We have her death certificate.”

I dropped my head and nodded. “I know. I still believed it, though. How delusional.”

He reached for my hand. Riordan kissed my hair. Arran muttered about getting my key back.

The moment passed, and I regarded the pieces of paper in front of me. “Moniqua worked out who the killer was, which means we can, too.”

I wouldn’t be outsmarted by that skank.

“Do you think she died in the church?” Genevieve asked.

I considered what I’d seen. “Most people were trapped. Red died for certain because he had his back to the wall that collapsed. He was buried, and the bricks blocked the door. If his henchmen and the others found another way out, they didn’t take the route I did, and I didn’t see anyone stumbling outside, did ye?”

Everyone shook their heads.

Shade sighed. “Kenney will recover the bodies tomorrow and give us more intel.”

“We can’t rule out that others survived, but I’m fucking glad you did,” Arran told me.

I cocked my head at him. “Aw, look at ye, finally having discovered emotions. Good job.”

The soft expression in his eyes dissolved back into his typical scowl.

I grinned then returned my gaze to the Skeleton Girls Detective Agency papers, one arm back as Riordan continued his attempt to release us from our handcuffs. “What am I missing that she saw? The information has to be here, doesn’t it?”

The person climbing through the car. The fact the killer hid their identity at every stage. That was another clue, wasn’t it?

“They were recognisable,” I said slowly. “Nimble enough to scramble through a car. Someone smaller? But strong enough to manhandle bodies?”

I held up our suspect list.

Shade took it from me. “We’ll bring them all in. Every single one who’s still alive.”

I sat taller. “I love that plan. The next time I see Dixie, I want to tell her we caught her attacker.”

Genevieve leaned to see the paper. “So our list is the mayor, sorry Everly, the councillors, Alisha’s name should never have been on there, so I’m striking that out. Moniqua and her cousin, Don, who are both probably dead, Red, who just had a building land on him, and Bronson, and we all know what happened to him.”

I curled my lip at Shade, still not over the fact that he’d killed that arsehole and I hadn’t. “Is Piers still around?”

“Saved him for ye.”

I brightened. “Aw, thanks. He should be questioned.”

He chuffed a laugh. “If he’s still able to talk.”

“Also we considered Kenney, so grab the cop, and lastly, Convict,” Genevieve completed the list.

“It still could be someone else, a wild card known to Moniqua but not us,” Everly mused.

She and Shade discussed it between them.

Genevieve interlaced her fingers with Arran’s and squeezed his hand. He murmured something for her alone, the two of them sharing a moment.

It was comfort, because he believed Convict had died at Bronson’s hands. My heart sank.

Arran’s gaze settled on me. “Who pulled you out?”

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