Page 15 of Our Lips Are Sealed

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“Neither Samuel nor I want to hurt you, but we’re going to be together,” she began, nervous. “And it wasn’t Agent Cohen’s place to say anything. He should have left it up to us to tell you when we were ready. The man is here to investigate his case, not meddle in our personal affairs,”

Jamison’s steely gaze met hers. “He’s lying to you.”

“Cohen?”

“Samuel.”

Evie swallowed down the denial, she debated between wanting and not wanting to hear what she had to say. “About what?”

“The investigation.”

“What about it?”

“They found four more girls in Miami,” Jamison told her. “The women died a couple of years ago, but were killed just like the others in Missouri.”

The creeping dread already churning in her, unsheathed its claws, burying them right in her gut. “What does that have to do with Samuel lying to me?”

“The person who killed them left Hopper at one of the crime scenes.”

Evie instantly recalled the shared look between Ben and Samuel last night when the subject of Hopper came up while they were having drinks at the office after work. The men had obviously known about the new murders.

Bolting to the closet, she struggled to pull down a storage box from the upper shelf. Jamison came up behind her. “Hopper isn’t there. I already looked while you were at work.”

Evie twisted around, furious. “You didn’t tell me.”

“And you didn’t tell me you were fucking my brother!”

“Stop saying that!” Evie shoved her sister. “Tell me what you know.”

“Cohen didn’t think you could mentally handle the news and asked us to keep the information from you.” Jamison said. “Dad and I agreed, but only until he cleared Samuel.”

“What do you mean, cleared Samuel?”

Jamison rolled her eyes. “It means Samuel is a suspect. He lived in Fort Lauderdale when the Miami murders occurred, and items left at the crime scenes have a personal connection to him. This interview today is the first step in eliminating him as a suspect.”

The air in Evie’s lungs thinned, and she sank down to sit on the floor. “He didn’t do anything.” Rocking in place, she wrapped her arms around herself. “He couldneverhurt someone like that.”

But even understanding that truth didn’t make his betrayal any easier. Keeping this a secret proved Samuel was just like the rest of them and thought she was too weak to handle things.

“Don’t trip,” Annabeth whispered, kneeling next to her. “One more step, and we can fall apart later.”

“Did you know?”

Annabeth shook her head, looking Jamison up and down in disappointment. “No, I did not.”

After taking a minute to collect herself, Evie stood. “What if Cohen can’t eliminate him?”

Clearly not having thought of that possibility, Jamison paled. “I don’t know.”

Rounding on her, Evie got in her sister’s face. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You consume enough of that true crime crap to know the answer. Tell me what happens if Cohen can’t show he’s innocent.”

“But he will, so it doesn’t matter.”

Pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes, Evie wanted nothing more than to crumble and wait for Samuel to return. He would reassure her that everything was going to be fine, and once he did, she would be able to calm down. That is, of course, after she punched him squarely in the mouth.

Agent Cohen had it coming, too.

Lowering her hands, Evie glared at Jamison. “How dare you keep something like this from me.”