Page 297 of Property of Whiskey

“I don’t know.”

“Is that Mercy?”

“I don’t know.”

“Was she there when…”

Becki puts one hand on Royal’s arm. “Baby.”

He stops.

Cider’s breathing has already gone shallow. “I said I don’t know.”

Royal immediately backs away. “Okay.”

Her gaze stays locked on the picture.

“She smelled like roses”

What little noise remained in the room disappears.

Twila looks at her. “You remember that?”

“Roses.”

Royal’s face drains. “You remembered that before.”

Cider nods, her finger still hovering over the photograph. “The hand. She touched my hair.”

Nobody says anything.

What the fuck do you say to that?

Legend takes the photograph and angles it beneath the light. “Can we identify her?”

Sophie shakes her head. “Not from this copy.”

Royal looks at me. “Club tech?”

“Can scan it. Maybe clean it up.”

“Do it.”

I nod.

Then Twila slides the Mercy House deed into the center of the table.

“We got something else.”

Royal reads the heading. “Mercy House.”

Cider stares at it.

Becki whispers, “Oh.”

Sophie takes the page. “Residential program for girls.”

Kaylee makes a small sound.