Page 90 of Tempt Me

We have a lead.

For the first time in five years, my family has hope.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

ISLA

When I get back from Cape Cod later that night, I decline Luke’s offer to stay at his place, telling him I have too much to do for Magnolia Day.

Which is technically true. But as soon as I get home, I call Charlotte. My curiosity has been slowly eating away at me all night—what did Caden find? What was he not supposed to touch? Has there been a break in the case? The questions have been playing on an endless loop in my head.

“Any news?” I ask as soon as she picks up.

“The word is that three pieces of evidence have been taken from the house,” Charlotte says. “No specifics on what they are—Noah said the sheriff is being really strict about releasing info.”

I wish I could text Caden and ask him.

I guess I probablycould. But I shouldn’t. I mean, I won’t.

It’s just…I liked going over Mrs. Greerson’s notes with him or talking to Carl. Even if nothing came of it, we were trying at least. It felt like we could keep making progress. We were a good team.

I still have the autopsy and the photos that were too hard for him to look at. My fingers itch. I need todosomething. I need to help if I can.

“How was dinner?” Charlotte asks, as I hurry to grab my laptop from my nightstand.

“Hm?” I say, bringing the laptop to the kitchen table.

“Dinner. On a beach. With your fiancé.”

“Oh. Yeah. It was good.”

I flip it open and wait for the computer to hum to life. I click into my email account and my heart does a somersault at the sight of Caden’s name in my inbox, even though I was expecting to see it. I click on the email and download the files he sent me.

“Isla?

“Hm?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I gotta go. Call you later.”

I sit down at my table and pull my laptop closer. I know I could let this go—I don’t owe Caden anything, and I’m no detective myself. But I was there when they took Marion’s body away. I was questioned by police and gave Caden his alibi. I’m more invested in this than the average Magnolia Bay resident.

I find a file markedAutopsy.My finger hovers over the mousepad.

Then I click it open and start to read.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CADEN

I call Noah the next day expecting an update on the letters but there’s no news.

Noah tells me these things take time, and promises he’ll let me know the minute he hears anything back. The police didn’t find anything else in the blue study—they even went out and looked at Mom’s shed again but didn’t come up with anything new. So the letters are all we’ve got. They sent them to a lab in the city and apparently there’s a backlog for processing—there are other cases with families waiting for answers, other evidence needing to be examined. Noah says there’s a good chance there could be fingerprints on one of the letters. Maybe even DNA. Whether Mom had a lover or a stalker or just some random crazy person sending her letters, at least we could get a name.

We had an Everton Siblings Meeting last night and stayed up for hours trying to figure out what it all means. Who sent the letters, why Mom kept them locked up, do they really have something to do with her death or are they unrelated…

I wish I could talk to Isla about this. I’ve opened her text thread a hundred times since yesterday. But I respect her wishes and leave her alone.

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