Scarlett shook her head. “I took the rest of the week off at the request of Nate… and Will… and Fai.”
I raised a brow in question.
“They asked me to look into all that has happened with this Gabriel fella,” she explained. “The three are wary of the competency of the police department here, and with my history as a detective, they thought I could help out.”
I reached across the table, taking her hand in mine in gratitude. “Thank you, truly. I know it cannot be easy to put your work aside.”
She smiled and shrugged. “I’m happy to help. That’s actually why I came inside when we heard you moving around. I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. I knew this conversation would happen eventually. I hadn’t spoken a word to anyone about what had happened. After Fai found me, I shut down. My mind retreated to a place that was safe, while my reality was not.
“What do you need to know?” I asked quietly.
She looked at me with sympathy but didn’t let my obvious apprehension stop her from asking. She pulled a notebook out of a drawer in the kitchen island with a pen, readying herself to take notes. “Everything you can share.”
“The entirety of my direct interactions with him took place over the course of only a few minutes. I think all in all… it was less than ten minutes from when he entered the house to when Fai got to me,” I explained, glancing over to him. He was sitting with his back to me. Light draped over him, turning his brown hair to gold and bathing his tanned skin in warmth. His shoulders pulled at the T-shirt he was wearing, and I was shocked to see him out of his hoodie.
“Do you want me to grab him?” Scarlett asked, following my gaze.
“Not really… but there are some details he should know,” I explained, still looking at him. He would want to know what happened anyway. This would allow me to only explain it once.
I had expected Scarlett to walk over to grab the trio on the porch. Instead, she pulled off her slipper and threw it at the glass window, hitting it with a thud and drawing the attention of the trio.
Nate jumped, then laughed when he saw the source of the sound. Jackie just smirked, and Fai looked between the two siblings as if they had lost their minds. The trio made their way in—the cool air sweeping into the room as the back door opened.
“You called?” Nate joked, closing the distance between him and his wife and throwing an arm over her shoulders as she tucked herself into his side.
“Is it sharing time?” Jackie asked, and Scarlett nodded.
“Hey,” Fai mumbled, leaning against the side of the island closest to me. “You okay?”
I smiled sadly. “No.”
He nodded in understanding, his eyes closing for just a moment as he processed my words. I wasn’t fine; no one would be in this scenario.
“How did he get in the house?” Scarlett asked, stealing my focus back to her. Everyone had their attention on me, waiting to hear exactly what had happened.
“Through the front door,” I explained. “I think he had my key.”
“Shit,” Fai mumbled, scrubbing a hand down his face. “I didn’t even think about keys when he took our stuff.”
“Neither did I.”
“Did he say anything when he came in? Did he announce himself, or did he immediately come after you?” Scarlett asked, taking notes quickly.
I shook my head. “He didn’t say anything. I assumed it was Jackie or Will because I heard the key open the door, and they have a spare. I called their names and no one answered. I didn’t think anything of it… until I saw his shoes by the front door. When I did see them—” I turned to Fai—“I thought it was you.”
Fai seemed surprised. “Me? Why?”
“It was your shoes—those Converse with the soles you superglued back on,” I explained. “When I saw them, I didn’t even think about the fact that they were stolen back in Montana.”
“Why the hell was he wearing my shoes?” Fai asked no one in particular, seeming perplexed.
“It wasn’t just your shoes,” I began, all four of them looking at me expectantly. I thought back to the night before—the confusion when I thought I had seen Fai and the fear that flooded my veins when Gabriel had turned around. “He was fully dressed in your clothes: your jeans, your hoodie. He even had on the jean jacket you left on the windowsill when we ran,” I continued. “I thought it was you until he turned around. He didn’t act aggressively—not initially. He was standing, waiting until I acknowledged him.”
Fai was stunned; Jackie and Nate exchanged a look—one that only siblings could decipher. Scarlett hastily scribbled her notes. “Did he explain the clothes?”
“He had my truck, too,” Fai interjected. “I assume the police have it now. It was left at the house.”
