Page 33 of What We May Be

Annie’s eyes grew huge, skittering to him, then back to Charlie. “Does Trevor know?”

“We can’t find him to tell him,” Sean answered, laying a hand over her shaking one. “We went to his house this morning, and it looked like he’d packed and left in a hurry. And he’s not answering his cell.”

Oddly, Annie relaxed, unclenching her hands and shrugging out of Charlie’s hold. “Oh! That’s probably because he’s in the mountains by now.”

“Mountains?” Charlie asked. “You know where he went?”

“Apex, Virginia. He called me early this morning and said he was headed to Apex University. He got an email overnight from someone there about a case he was helping you with. The contact wanted to meet with him in person, and she was only available until noon, so he had to book it. I assumed he called you too.”

Charlie’s eyes were a turbulent mix of betrayal, concern, and doubt. She stood abruptly and walked to one of the windows overlooking Main Street, her back to them.

Giving her a moment, Sean carried on with Annie. “Why did he call you?”

Annie’s attention swung from Charlie back to him. “He left a voicemail for his assistant and sent her an email, but he wanted me to follow up to be sure his classes were canceled. Good thing, as I called, and she was a no-show today. I’m headed over there next.”

Sean breathed a sigh of relief at the same time he cursed Trevor for taking off without calling either him or Charlie. Probably because he knew if he did, they’d both tell him not to go.

“Trevor’s not in trouble, is he?”

“No.” Sean squeezed her hand again and smiled. “We’ve been worried is all.”

Annie smiled in return before looking to Charlie, who’d turned back to them. “Julian’s really dead?”

The swirling storm of emotion in Charlie’s black eyes was gone, replaced by compassion. Same as she’d banked her own feelings at Tracy’s that morning. Took a special person—a special cop—to be able to do that. “Yeah, sweetie, Julian’s really dead.”

“How’s Trace?” Annie asked, compassion and concern something the Henby women shared.

“Not good.”

“I should go.” Annie moved to stand. “I need to check on her and see if I can help somehow.”

Charlie’s hand on her shoulder kept Annie seated. “I know you two are close, but she was distraught when we saw her this morning, blaming everyone, including Trevor and anyone connected to him.”

Something else Charlie had said earlier nagged at Sean. “Annie?”

“Hmm?”

“Charlie told me about Julian’s…” He struggled to find the right word under the circumstances. “Extracurricular activities. You wouldn’t happen to know who he was currently seeing, would you?”

One corner of her mouth hitched. “‘Seeing’?”

“You really gonna make me say it, A?”

“I knew what fucking meant when I was thirteen.” She patted his hand in perfectly patronizing fashion. “I definitely know what it means now.”

Even Charlie laughed at that, and Sean bit back his own smile. He didn’t mind the laugh at his expense if it lightened the dark day for the Henby sisters.

“Sarah Barnett, last I’d heard,” Annie said. “That might have changed by now, but start there. I’ll keep an ear out too.”

“We appreciate it,” Sean said as Diego opened the conference room door.

“Deputy, we need you in the bullpen.”

“Give me a second,” Charlie told Diego as they all stood. She wrapped Annie up in another hug. “Thanks for coming in, A. It helps a lot that we don’t have to worry about Trevor now.”

“Happy to help. Now go, duty calls.”

With obvious reluctance, Charlie released her sister with a “Be good,” then exited to the bullpen where Diego and Abel waited.

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