Page 66 of Eden

He climbed the stairs two at a time. He glanced at his security monitor as he strode toward the front door. His eyebrows lifted in surprise when he saw Bethenny standing there. He hadn’t expected any visits. He swung open the door and his lips turned up in a smile.

“Hey,” he said, forgetting what he must look like after that boxing session.

Her eyes assessed him, then dropped to his bloody hand. “You okay?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

His gaze followed hers and he gave an apologetic smile. “Yeah. Blowing off some steam. One minute,” he said quickly, darting to the closest bathroom to wash his hand.

He ran his hand under lukewarm water, wincing as it hit the wounds.

He gently patted it with a clean hand towel. His knuckles still didn’t look great, but at least blood wasn’t dripping onto the floor.

Bethenny had stepped inside, but was still waiting for him at the front door. She studied him like she didn’t know what he was going to do next. He couldn’t entirely blame her.

“Come in,” he said. He didn’t need to give her the house tour, because she’d already had one.

His phone chimed in his pocket and he pulled it out, checking the text message—it was from Emma.

The files have been delivered to you via the CIA portal. Your access has been reinstated for these files only. Review them and get back to me.

He nodded, hope swelling in his chest. “I got the case files from the CIA,” he said.

Her eyebrows lifted, beaming a smile. “That’s good news, right?” she asked quickly.

“Yeah, we can look over them. If you have time,” he added.

She gave him a reassuring smile. “I do, and I’d like to see those files.”

He led her toward the kitchen. “Tea? Coffee?” he asked.

“Coffee, please,” she said, and he got the feeling it had been a long day.

“Coming right up,” he said, turning on the coffeemaker once again.

“What’s up?” he asked, turning back to her. She hadn’t actually said why she was there.

“A body washed up on the riverbank at Oradale and we think it was the killer you chased off the cliff. You’re going to see it on the local news tonight,” she said.

His jaw dropped open. “At Oradale? That’s...” His voice trailed off as he tried to remember how many miles away that was.

She nodded. They didn’t need to know the exact miles, because they were both thinking the same thing: it was a lot of miles away.

“And, he was wearing a signet ring with the same star symbol that we found tattooed on Kiera and on Jessica’s locket,” she said.

His jaw hit the floor now. “Do you know what it means?”

She eyed him. “That’s what I came to talk to you about. I’m going to show you a set of photographs. Can you tell me if you recognize any of them? Think back, several years back.”

He nodded. “Show me,” he said. He knew in his gut this was important.

She pulled an envelope from her handbag and laid the photographs out on the kitchen bench.

He studied each face but his stomach sank. “I’ve never seen these people before,” he said.

“Are you sure? Look again. Take your time,” she said gently.

He sighed, shaking his head. “I remember faces. I don’t have a photographic memory, but my ability to recall faces is second to none—it was what I was best at. Show me a photograph for a few moments, then put me in a crowd and I’ll find them. But these people... I’ve never seen them.”

She watched him, searching his eyes. He wasn’t sure if she believed him or not, and that worried him. If she wasn’t on his side, if she didn’t trust him, who would?

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