Cox was telling the truth.
“Also left a couple of sketches – meaning unclear.”He cleared his throat.“Think it could be another commandment killing?”
Catherine watched her, silent but alert.
Kate steadied her voice.“Too early to tell but—”
“Mighty coincidence.Given who you met today.”
The kitchen suddenly felt colder.
“Mighty coincidence.”
They chatted on for a couple more minutes, fixing travel arrangements, liaison protocols with Boston PD.Eventually, Kate hung up and faced her mother.
“Well,” Catherine said softly, “that sounds like your tight face has a reason.”
Kate swallowed.“It’s him, Mom.Not him but…”
Catherine rose, walked around the table, and pulled her daughter into a fierce embrace — not the soft, tentative hugs they’d exchanged for years, but something deeper, older, protective.
“Go,” she murmured.“Do what you were meant to do.”
Kate clung back harder than she intended.“I don’t want to leave yet.”
“I know,” Catherine said, smoothing her hair.“But you’ll come back.We’ll continue this.You hear me?This—” she tapped Kate’s chest, “—is not unfinished.”
Kate nodded, throat burning.
“Be safe,” her mother said.
“I’ll try.”
“No,” Catherine corrected gently, lifting her chin so their eyes met.“You’ll succeed.”
Kate breathed once, deeply, memorising the kitchen — the steam rising from plates, the faint scent of rosemary, her mother’s steady presence grounding her.
Then she grabbed her coat, phone, badge.
At the door, she looked back.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.“For tonight.”
Catherine smiled — tired, tender, proud.“Go catch your hurricane, Kitty.”
Kate left.
Outside, the night rose around her — sharp, dark, humming with the danger she knew in her heart of hearts that she’d been expecting, not just since today, but for months.
This time, she thought, it wasn’t approaching her.
It was already here.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jennifer Hayes’ apartment was the kind of place that cost too much to feel this sterile: polished concrete floors, curated furniture, splashes of color that tried too hard to look accidental.The kind of place that saidsuccessful,connected,in control.
Except nothing about the room felt controlled tonight.
