Page 20 of Sean

“What kind of pictures do you take?” Emmy was clearly interested, so Julia kept talking.

“I’m freelance, but I’ve done portraits—weddings and families. I’ve taken some journalistic photographs, but mostly for feature articles. I’m not one for charging into war zones or crime scenes or anything like that.” Julia took a second to process the irony of that. Her life had become like the assignments she’d turned down fraught with evil people and danger. “I prefer photographing landscapes, nature, and people.” She loved it actually. Loved getting just the right image that brought herself and others joy.

“Tell me about the best work you’ve ever done.” Emmy said.

“‘Best’ is tough to define. My most commercially successful image was of the coast of California, near Big Sur. That’s been licensed several times for calendars, travel promos, etc.” Even though she’d taken it nearly five years ago, it still brought her royalties on a regular basis. “My personal favorite was of Lucy when she was about two years old. She was playing in a field of wildflowers. The lighting was perfect, and I caught her at that moment when she discovered something new and wondrous—a butterfly.”

“Did you license that image for sale?”

“I wasn’t going to, but my sister insisted that I do it—and it’s gotten a good amount of traction. It’s been on cards and used in advertising.” The picture had made money, but it had brought Julia and Mira joy, too. That was what mattered. Photographs of family could do that, which gave Julia an idea. She owed the Millers for taking her in so unexpectedly. Maybe there was a way she could thank them for their hospitality. “Do you think your family would like some portraits? I could take pictures of Tara and her girls, you and Tara, your parents. All sorts of family combinations.” She’d done that at weddings and reunions in the past. “I’d like to thank you all for your generosity and kindness to me.”

“I’m sure mom would love that and Tara, too. She likes to send her husband pictures of the girls. He’s stationed overseas, and he’s missed so much of their childhood. She tries to do whatever she can to keep him in the loop.”

“I’d be happy to help with that.”

“And while you’re at it, I think you should take a picture of all of us together. A big family portrait. We haven’t in years. I think the last one was when JP and I graduated from high school. He’s gone and Sean’s stayed away all this time.” Emmy’s tone got a little wistful. “Please do this while Sean’s here. Who knows when or if he’ll come back.”

Before she left the kitchen, Emmy agreed to talk it over with the family and let Julia know when would be a good time for the shoot. Julia went to find the kids and take them outside. Just for fun, she grabbed one of her cameras and took some shots of them as they explored the ranch. Later in the morning, Emmy came by on her way to the barn and offered to take the kids to see the horses. Even though Lucy had already been introduced to several of the animals, she jumped up and down with excitement.

The timing was good for Julia, since she still needed to call Sophie, so she accepted Emmy’s offer and went into the house and up to her room for some privacy. Her friend picked up on the first ring like she’d been waiting for Julia’s call.

“Everything okay there?” Sophie asked.

“It’s fine,” Julia assured her. Strangely, things actually felt pretty good. It had been nice to talk with Emmy and get some insight into the family.

“I’m glad for that. You and Sean getting along okay?”

“Yeah.” Julia felt like Sophie was stalling or had some magical insight about that kiss. “He’s been very helpful.”

“Good. Okay, here’s why I wanted to talk with you.” Sophie sighed, which wasn’t like her. “You know how I told you we were tracking down Wilson’s video doctor? Well, we found him.”

“That’s…good?” Julia said. It certainly sounded like good news, but the nervousness in Sophie’s voice had Julia on edge. “Will that help you write a story about him?”

“Probably, but that’s not…look, we got his files and there’s one, an unedited one, taken from a traffic camera of a car speeding through a red light.”

How did that impact Julia? She still didn’t get what this was about. “Whatever it is, Sophie, just say it.”

“It was taken the night of your sister’s car crash.”

“Oh, it shows Mira driving erratically?” Julia guessed at the problem. If Mira and Wilson had been fighting, it probably wasn’t surprising if she’d been distracted while driving.

“No, it…it suggests that Mira didn’t die in an accident,” Sophie said. “I’m so sorry, Julia. It looks like she may have been killed.”

ELEVEN

Julia sat down hard, missing the bed entirely and ending up on the floor. She barely felt the impact, couldn’t think past the way the world was spinning. Mira had been killed? That didn’t make any sense. And how could a traffic cam video prove that?

“Jules, are you there?” Sophie asked. “Talk to me.”

“I’m here. You have to explain. Slowly.” Because this was too much to process.

“The video shows Mason driving Mira in her car on the highway.”

“Why would Mason have been with her? I don’t understand.” He’d been a security guard at the museum Wilson ran—and he’d been Wilson’s lackey in his illegal businesses—but he wasn’t a chauffeur. There was no reason for him to be driving Mira in her car.

“Here’s the thing. Mira’s in the passenger seat, and she… I’m so sorry to say this, she appears to be dead already. I’ve talked it over with Owen. We think that Mira was killed and then the accident was staged to make it look like she died after losing control of the car.”

Julia couldn’t breathe for a full minute as she absorbed the horror of that.

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