Page 29 of Everything She Feared

“What kind of things? Is Acker giving you a hard time?”

“No, Art’s fine.”

“Is it the others? What about that Benton guy you mentioned?”

“Oh—” she waved it off “—Benton’s being Benton. I’ve dealt with people like that all my life. No, I just need to do this right and I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve missed something.”

“You’re smart, Kim. You’ll do a good job. I have faith in you.”

“You’d better. That’s what you signed up for, buddy.”

“Listen, I’ve got your back. I’m just coming off twenty-fours and don’t have to be at the firehouse for a few days. So there’s no problem with Ethan. After that we’ll get my mom.”

Pierce nodded as he rubbed her shoulders and neck.

“You’re tense. Have a shower. I’ll get breakfast and fresh coffee going.”

Hot needles of water felt good on Pierce’s skin.

Images of Anna Shaw rose in the wisps of steam as the full weight of the investigation pressed down on her.

After dressing to the aroma of fresh coffee and the sizzle of bacon frying, she went to her son’s bedroom.

A Seahawks poster was on one wall, a framed mosaic he’d made with dazzling colors on another. She sat on the edge of his bed and kissed his cheek.

“Time to get up, Ethan.”

He clenched his eyes tighter and she kissed him again.

“Come on, get up.”

Groggy, he rolled over, rubbing his eyes and smiling at her.

“Guess what?” he said.

“What?”

“I’m making a drum for the next time we go to Arizona.”

“That’s cool. Sounds like fun. Your uncle will love that.” Pierce stood. “Dad’s got breakfast going, let’s go.”

She glanced around and began picking up Ethan’s clothes to get ready for the next load. While she was in the laundry room, emptying his pockets, it struck her.

I forgot to get Katie Harmon to show me what was in her pockets.

Maybe Hirano did that, she thought, returning to her desk, scrutinizing reports and finding nothing.

She took a breath, cursing to herself.

I can’t go back in time.

Pierce cued up Grotowski’s recording of her interview with Katie. She replayed it, scrutinizing Katie’s demeanor and body language under that big hoodie.

Are we getting the whole story from her? Hirano thought she was being deceptive. Certainly she was traumatized, but I got a sense that she was holding back, not telling me everything.

And as for a juvenile committing a crime?

Well, for the most part, Pierce knew that state law considered young children legally incapable of committing a crime, except when it came to murder. That meant a child Katie’s age could face a murder charge if there was proof and evidence that she understood her actions were wrong.

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