Page 46 of Whispers Left Behind

Kinsley slapped Wally on the shoulder as she fell into step behind Sam. She had known the mere mention of Fantasy Football would have Wally forgoing any concern he might have had for her demeanor. She probably should have responded to Sam’s comment about her preference for coffee creamer, but it was all she could do to walk in a straight line.

Everything she had painstakingly built throughout her life had almost come crashing down around her. She had thought long and hard over the possibility that Gantz’s vehicle and body would one day be discovered. A lake out in the middle of the country hadn’t been the wisest of choices to dispose of evidence, but it had been the only choice back then given the time constraints that night.

With Sam in front of her and her back to Wally and Officer Drewett, she allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. She brought her hands up to her face, resting her palms on her cheeks. There was no difference in skin temperature as she struggled to steady her rapid heartbeat. The tightness in her chest remained as she was struck with the unforgiving reality that her entire existence hinged on mere luck.

Terrapin Lake was home to her worst secret.

One ripple was all it would take to drown her under the weight of her own guilt.

Chapter Twenty

Kinsley Aspen

October

Wednesday — 10:57 am

The elevator dinged itsarrival, and as the doors retreated, Kinsley hovered her thumb over her phone's screen. A reminder text had been sent from her mother about dessert tomorrow night. There had to be an easy recipe that didn’t involve much prep in the kitchen. Kinsley had a hard time thinking about food when she had just visited the burial ground of her past sins.

“Careful.”

An unexpected surge of emotion flooded Kinsley’s body, the way ink bleeds into water. The deep, familiar voice caught her attention instantly, but it was the heat from the man’s hands that brought her to an abrupt stop. He had wrapped his strong fingers around her upper arms, and she regretted taking her jacket off before walking through the metal detector downstairs. She brought the thick material hanging over her arm a little closer to her torso to give herself time to work her voice.

“My fault,” Kinsley murmured, wishing she had regained some of her emotional equilibrium. The drive to Terrapin Lake had taken its toll on her. The last thing she needed was to run into a former lover—one who she thought could be the one. She had ruined any semblance of a chance at having a long-term relationship when she had killed a man. “I should watch where I’m going.”

Shane Levick hadn’t changed much since she had last spoken to him a year ago. His broad chest made it evident that he still prioritized his workout routine. His black hair was expertly trimmed, and his sharp jawline was free of any stubble. Neither was a surprise given that he had served five years in the United States Marine Corps. He was set in his ways, yet he had gone to great lengths to accommodate her somewhat chaotic life.

Memories of his resentment at her decision to break things off flashed through her mind, followed by a sharp pang of regret. She had hurt him, only he had no idea how much pain she had suffered in the process.

“It’s been a while, Kin.”

“I didn’t realize the two of you knew one another,” Captain Thompson replied before clapping Shane on the shoulder. “Levick here is transferring to homicide. He set the record in Vice two years running with the number of successful raids that led to solid convictions. With his contacts, he’ll be able to…”

Kinsley was grateful that Captain Thompson continued to run down Shane’s outstanding arrest record. She used the time to try and reconcile that her daily work life was about to become a living nightmare. She didn’t need to pose the question about what she had done to deserve her own personal level in hell.

“…do Sam some good to have a partner with such ethics.”

“Congratulations.” Kinsley forced a smile, grateful that the rumors of her and Shane’s relationship hadn’t made it to the top brass. She and Shane hadn’t gone out of their way to hide the fact that they were dating last year, but they also hadn’t flaunted it around the station. “I—”

“Kin!” Alex called out loudly, her name all but slicing through the strained pleasantries. “We got something.”

“Looks like I’m being summoned,” Kinsley said with a tight smile. “Excuse me.”

Kinsley veered around Shane, mindful not to brush up against him. She sought the sanctuary of her desk, and truthfully, she would have called it a day and gone home if she and Alex weren’t in the middle of an active investigation.

“Sorry about the ambush,” Alex said as Kinsley tossed her jacket on top of the small filing cabinet. She didn’t care for the way he was monitoring her every move. “I was about to give you a heads-up on Levick when the captain brought him over for an introduction. You okay with this?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Kinsley sat at her desk before yanking open the side drawer. It took her a moment to locate the ibuprofen bottle among the other junk. She had come up with some lie, explaining to Alex that she and Shane weren’t suited for one another.

Lie upon lie upon lie.

It was a never-ending cycle.

“It’s fine. Really,” Kinsley assured him after she had downed the two orange tablets with a soft drink she had left on her deskyesterday. Alex gave an expression of distaste, and she rolled with his reaction to ease the conversation in another direction. “It’s been over a year, and I’m just in a bad mood. Sam got a call about a body up at—”

“…made my day!” Sam had exited the elevator where the captain and Shane still stood deep in conversation. “Cap, I take back every bad thing I ever said about you. I thought for sure…”

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