Page 72 of Little Stolen Memories

He’d always been so good at sharing his feelings. It wasn’t often I opened myself up enough to reach deep down inside to a place where I could sit in my rawest of emotions. I found myself in such a place now, at the core of my truth, reflecting on why I’d held back.

Here was a man like no other I’d been with before. A man deserving of everything I had to give—every word, every thought, every part of me. Over time, he’d stripped away the walls I’d so firmly put in place, leaving me vulnerable but also filled with a feeling of love that was more powerful than anything I’d ever known.

The pain I’d experienced in my past had bound me for far too long.

The death of my father.

The death of my daughter.

A failed marriage to another man.

The time had come to let it all go, to allow myself the peace and renewal that came with trusting again. Not just Giovanni. I needed to trust myself, my future … our future.

“The truth is, I think I haven’t talked about our future or setting a wedding date because part of me hasn’t ever let go of my past, not all of it,” I said.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“You just did. You see me, and you always have. You just made me realize I’d been hesitating this entire time. I should have talked to you.”

“I’m glad we are now.”

“I am too, and I don’t want to wait. We’ve waited half of our adult lives to find each other again. Now that we have, let’s plan our future, starting with our wedding. You’re right. It’s time.”

CHAPTER 30

I woke the next morning feeling more refreshed than I had in a long time. The talk I’d had the night before with Giovanni had ended with a decision to choose a wedding date and start making plans as soon as the investigation was over.

I dressed and was out the door by nine o’clock, motivated to make today one that would end with my questions being answered. First on the agenda was a visit to the medical examiner’s office to see Silas.

I found him sitting at the table, bobbing his head up and down as he hovered over a breakfast platter that looked like it came from a fast-food joint. His usual big-hair-band music wasn’t playing in the background, which I found odd until I saw the earbuds in his ears.

I waved a hand in front of him. He didn’t see me, so I bent down until my face was a few inches in front of his. He jumped back, and we both started laughing.

He removed the earbuds and said, “Hi’ya stranger. I’ve been wondering when you’d show up.”

“I wanted to stop by yesterday, but the day got away from me. Ever since this investigation started, I’ve been going nonstop.”

“I know the feeling. This case is different than the others. It may be a cold case, but you know how I am when something falls into my lap. I’m as determined as you are to get to the bottom of it, no matter how many hours I have to put in. Guessin’ you’re here for an update.”

“I am.”

“Cool. You have any specific questions for me?”

“I do. During the original investigation, scrapings were taken from under Aidan’s fingernails. Have you looked over those test results?”

“I have, and I’ve tested them again. Sorry to say, they’re not a match to anyone in the system.”

Too bad.

I was hoping for better news.

“What about the note left on Cora’s windshield?” I asked.

“I used a ninhydrin treatment to check for any latent fingerprints that may have been left on the note. There weren’t any. He may have been wearing gloves.”

“Have you been out to the cabin yet?”

“I have. Not much luck there either. I mean, there were fingerprints all over the place, but the amount of time it would take to process them all … well, it would take a while. Wish I had better news for ya.”

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