When I arrived at Starbucks, Joss was already there, sitting at the top of the stone seats in the middle of the store. When she saw me, she stood and smiled.
“Marriage looks good on you, kid.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
“You never told me where you went on your honeymoon after the case was over.”
Joss beamed and handed me a cup of coffee. “Italy.”
My eyes widened. “Italy? Wow!”
“Yeah, we went to Rome, Lake Como, and Florence.”
“That’s amazing.” I took a sip of the warm coffee.
“It was.”
“I’m glad you’re happy.”
“And I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Should have fought harder for her. We would have beat you to the altar.”
“Now you know to never keep anything from me. I would have helped you.”
I took another sip of the coffee. “Things have a way of working out in the end.”
“They do,” she agreed.
“Speaking of, what’s been going on with the case?”
“DA struck a deal with Bryce. He was sentenced to five years. I visit him almost every weekend.”
“Is that safe? I mean, you’re FBI. Do the inmates think he’s a narc?”
“Don’t think so. I don’t go in carrying my badge or weapon or anything. I go as his sister.”
“True. So is he getting out of the game?”
“Says he is,” she sighed. “I mean, he better.”
“Did he confess why he killed Tony?”
“I asked him when I went to visit a few weekends ago.”
“And?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Well—I guess, but it was still crazy. That was his father.”
Joss took a deep breath and stared out the window as she spoke. “It was the only way to get out from under him.”
“Yeah, but that was his dad. His blood.”
She turned back to me. “And so am I. So was my mom.”
“I get it.” I remembered what Bryce had said when he shot Tony.
