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It was a cruel trick of the universe that her life had come together for the briefest of moments before falling apart again. Cassie had repaired her relationship with her sister and her parents. She’d discovered she’d had her abilities far longer than she could’ve imagined. And she’d even solved the murder of her childhood best friend, finally allowing souls like little Sebastian Thomas to rest after twenty long years of turmoil.
If it were any other day, Cassie would be on cloud nine. Savannah had greeted her with open arms. The sun was warm, and the chill breeze made her want to bundle closer to the people she loved. Work was going better than ever before, and she and Jason were texting daily now. Slowly but surely, they were getting to know each other.
But today was not like any other day.
Today, Cassie watched as her best friend was laid to rest.
The funeral was beautiful, if such a word could describe the somber event. David’s casket had been draped with the American flag, and his colleagues, dressed in their finest, carried him with a strength Cassie couldn’t imagine mustering at a time like this.
She sat behind David’s wife, Lisa, while the woman clutched her daughters’ hands and cried. Half a dozen grandkids surrounded her. David’s legacy watched as each person took a handful of dirt or a fistful of flowers, tossed it on top of his coffin, and said their goodbyes.
When it was Cassie’s turn, she felt Lisa’s eyes burning into the back of her skull. But whatever answers the other woman wanted, Cassie didn’t have them. The world around her was as silent as it had ever been.
A three-volley salute honoring David’s life shattered that silence. The bang of the rifles tore their way through Cassie’s patchwork façade, unlocking a newfound wave of pain that existed somewhere deep inside the darkest reaches of her soul. She clung to Harris, burying her face in the detective’s shoulder and sobbing until her entire body ached.
David’s funeral affected every person in attendance, and when it drew to a close, Cassie witnessed some of the hardest, toughest men wiping away tears as they headed back to their cars. Some would go home and find comfort in a bottle. Others would find that same comforting bottle at Lisa’s house, where she had invited David’s closest friends and colleagues t
o eat, drink, and remember the life he had led.
Cassie rode with Harris, not trusting herself to keep a car on the road in her current state. She was grateful for the detective’s presence, but it was a harsh reminder something was missing. She and Harris were no longer whole without David by their side.
The Klein residence was bursting at the seams with food, booze, and people. Clusters of men and women had formed in the front yard, and Cassie could hear crying, laughing, and the clinking of glasses. The porch sagged under the weight of a dozen men telling stories about David—some heroic, some hilarious. She and Harris had to squeeze through the front entrance, only to pop out the other side into another group of officers.
Harris put her hand on Cassie’s shoulder. “Are you okay? There are some people I want to talk to, but I can stay with you if you need me to.”
“I’m fine.” When Harris didn’t look convinced, Cassie gently shoved the woman away. “Really. Go. I need to find Lisa.”
Harris nodded and left, leaving Cassie alone in a sea of people far bigger and taller than her. Immediately, a cloud of anxiety engulfed her, squeezing her lungs until she felt so lightheaded, she stumbled. Someone righted her, and she mumbled a thanks before winding her way through the crowd and ascending the stairs. Just like that, she could breathe again.
A whine slipped under the crack of a door off to her left. When she pressed her ear to the wood and heard it again, she whispered an apology to Lisa before twisting the handle and pushing her way inside.
A mass of fur launched itself off the bed in the center of the room and tackled Cassie just as she closed the door behind her. For the first time in days, she laughed as the giant German Shepherd licked every inch of her face.
“Bear.” She tried to keep her voice stern, but she couldn’t find it in her heart. “Bear, come on. Sit down.”
Bear relented, but instead of sitting, he crawled into Cassie’s lap and flipped over so she could rub his belly. His tail thumped rhythmically against the ground as his entire body wriggled with happiness.
“Oh, I know.” Cassie couldn’t stop giggling. “It’s been days since I saw you last. Did you miss me? I missed you.”
Bear answered with another whine and buried himself closer.
“David loved you so much.” Cassie’s giggles transformed into a sob. Bear sat up and stared directly into her eyes. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to spend more time with him.”
Whether Bear understood Cassie’s words or just their sentiment hardly mattered. When he inched his head closer and laid it on her shoulder, Cassie wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his fur. Bear’s fuzzy mane muffled her sobs and soaked up her tears as his stoic form held her upright.
When the door clicked open behind her, Cassie jumped. She brushed the fur from her face and looked up to find Lisa standing there, a small smile on her face.
“I thought you might be in here.”
“I’m so sorry.” Cassie stood and brushed off her dress. “I didn’t mean to intrude. It was so packed downstairs. I just needed to get away for a minute.”
Lisa shook her head and wrapped her hands around Cassie’s shoulders, squeezing them until Cassie looked her in the eye. “You’re family. Nothing has changed that. You’re welcome here any time. Besides, Bear was looking forward to seeing you.”
The dog jumped up on the bed and laid his head on his paws. The excitement in his eyes at seeing Cassie faded, soon replaced by a sadness she knew all too well.
“How’s he doing?”
“He’s sad. He knows David is gone.” Lisa led Cassie to the bed and they sat down. Bear shifted so his head was in Cassie’s lap. “He kept looking for him over the last few days. At first, he was confused, but now I think he understands. I felt bad keeping him in here, but I just wasn’t sure how he would react with all those people downstairs.”
