“How did she die?” Milly asks, her voice breaking slightly. “Was she in a car accident?”
“I can’t divulge that information yet.” The policewoman sits straighter. “But her next of kin have to identify her body, and as Mr. de Luca has just informed me, he is not her next of kin.” She looks at Milly and me. “Her daughters are.”
“I can do it,” Dom interjects, his voice unexpectedly gentle. “I don’t want Amara getting more traumatized than she already is.”
“I’m sorry, you can attend, but the identification needs to be by her next of kin.”
“Our sister Lia is the eldest,” Milly says, her fingers digging into my shoulder.
The uniformed officer stands up and takes a step forward, glancing between me, Milly, and Dom. Her pen poised over her notebook. “I need to ask a few questions as part of our investigation.”
I glance at Dom, who nods slightly. His expression remains neutral, but there is an unmistakable amount of tension in his jaw.
“Where were you between the hours of six a.m. yesterday and two a.m. this morning?” she asks Dom.
“I was at the gym from five a.m. until seven,” Dom begins, his voice steady. “Then I came home and had a telephone conversation that lasted two hours. I took Amara to her physio appointment at ten o’clock. We had lunch, and then I took her to a beautician where she had treatment to reduce her bruises. Amara and I remained in the house for the rest of the day. We watched a movie and had dinner before retiring to our rooms, which I am sure I can find you home footage to prove us being here.”
I make eye contact with Dom. Most of that was true, but not all.
The uniformed officer makes notes and whispers in the plain-clothed officer’s ear.
“If you could get that footage to us,” Detective Ingram says, turning to me. “Before your physio session, what were you doing?”
“She wasn’t killed in a car accident,” Milly says suddenly, her hand reaching for my thigh and squeezing. “Oh my god. Was she murdered?” Milly turns to me, eyes wide with panic. “They tried to kill you, and then Mom, and next it’ll be me.”
“Miss,” the detective interjects firmly. “Let’s not assume anything.”
“I was home,” I tell her, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “Studying. I’m trying to get my memory back, and that’s how I do it.”
“And how is that going?” she asks, her tone softening slightly.
“I’m still in the hoping and crossing my fingers stage.”
She smiles sympathetically before turning her attention to Milly.
“And you?”
“I don’t know,” Milly admits, sounding flustered. “I can’t remember what I did this morning, never mind yesterday. It’s the day I study at home, so I will have had a sleep-in and then a shower, breakfast, study, dinner...”
“I get the picture,” the officer says before advising that she’ll be back with more questions.
The officers gather their things and head towards the door, leaving an oppressive silence in their wake.
“Before you go,” Milly says. “Who found her dead?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
Milly shakes her head. “But she lives by herself. So if you’re saying she was killed.” She blows out a deep breath like it hurts her to say it. “I hope you’re investigating the person who found her.”
“Everyone is under investigation right now, Miss Bailey.”
“Good,” Milly says. Her hand stays on my thigh like an anchor, stopping me from drifting away.
I feel Dom’s eyes on me again, but don’t dare meet his gaze.
Tears lace my eyes, surprising me with their sudden appearance. Where before I felt nothing, now it feels like I’m going to sob for a woman I don’t remember loving.
“It’s okay, Amara. It’s a shock,” Caleb tells me, his voice gentle. “Let it out.”
