Page 47 of Night Falls on Predicament Avenue
Norah didn’t say anything more.
“Well then...” Dover slapped the roof of the SUV. “You have a good day, okay? And if you need anything—” he paused, and his eyes darkened for a moment—“I know looking into this old murder case can dredge up other memories. So if you need anything, let me know.”
Norah narrowed her eyes. Why would he say such a thing? He certainly wasn’t going to pull the files on Naomi’s case and hand them over to her.
She watched him stride away. Maybe she should ask him ifhe really meant what he said. Maybe Naomi’s cold case files would look different to a pair of fresh eyes like Sebastian’s. Maybe asking questions was a way to finish walking through her grief...
Not that she wanted to live again—not really. Not the kind of living that would make Naomi more of a memory. It wasn’t fair to be asked to live this life without her sister. All the dreams they’d wanted to share together, she’d have to maneuver solo.
No. No cold case files for her.
Naomi’s folder would stay closed. For no one’s sake but Norah’s.
Norah stared at him over the book she’d been reading. A book meant to help her escape from life, not reenter it with an announcement like that.
Sebastian’s glasses emphasized the anticipation in his eyes, but there was caution in them too. Which didn’t bode well. Norah steeled herself.
“I’d put a request in for the case files for Isabelle Addington before I arrived here.”
“They have case files on a murder case from 1901?” Norah couldn’t help but be a bit surprised that documents from so long ago still existed.
“A few.” Sebastian raked his hand through his wavy hair. A dark lock bounced back against his forehead. He ducked his head, then lifted his eyes, looking very much like a guilty puppy. “I ... uh, have a confession to make.”
Here it came. Norah lowered her book, certain now that not even an Amish romance would be enough to steady her nerves.
Sebastian sniffed. “I might’ve gotten the files from your sister’s case too.”
“Might have?”
Sebastian scrunched his face with the worst sort of adorableand utterly horrid guilt Norah had ever seen. “Well, I did actually.”
Norah dropped her book onto the floor of the porch with a thud. She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them, and wrapped her arms around her legs. “You had no right to do that.” She didn’t know what else to say. Not really. She’d been on a roller coaster herself, and this was someone else making decisions for her. She didn’t appreciate that, and yet it was ironic. Especially after Detective Dover had just offered to help her earlier today.
“I know I promised I wasn’t goin’ to cover your sister’s death...” Sebastian leaned back in his chair with a frustrated growl. “An’ I’m not, but there are certain things between the two cases that can’t be denied.” He winced in apology. “The similarities are uncanny.”
She froze.
His eyes met hers, and there was a flicker of realization. “I don’t want to make you feel like I’m tryin’ to unbury the past and hurt you. I asked on impulse, and the case files were easy to acquire. But before I open them, I wanted to be honest with you about it.”
Norah didn’t know how to respond. She thought back to their dinner and how he’d agreed with her that leaving the past alone was sometimes the best way of dealing with it—him and his relationship with Harper, her with Naomi. Part of her appreciated his candor. Another part wanted to slap him for picking at a wound that had never scabbed over. He’d told her he was here to investigate Isabelle Addington, not Naomi, and now the fact that he had Naomi’s case files—
Sebastian cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose. “I’ll not open them.”
Norah lifted her eyes.
Sebastian didn’t look away, and for a long moment something passed between them that Norah didn’t quite understand. Apology. Concern. Kinship. Frustration. Fear. All of the above?
What would Naomi want?
Norah picked at loose threads that hung from a stylishly positioned hole in the knee of her jeans. She knew what Naomi would say.
Don’t you dare walk away from me. You’ve been hiding for too long. Find out what happened, Norah. To me. To Isabelle Addington.
Norah allowed herself to drown for a long second in the depths of Sebastian’s eyes. They were gentle. She could tell he cared, and his honest confession meant he wasn’t trying to hide anything from her for the sake of his podcast or publicity. “Promise me you’ll not talk about the details of my sister’s case on your podcast unless you come to me first.”
“I promise.” He nodded earnestly.
“Where are the files?” Norah’s stomach rolled. She didn’t want to reopen Naomi’s case, didn’t want to revisit the details of her murder. To read about the investigation or see the list of suspects she already knew had been questioned and cleared.
