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Fiona Red, forensic entomologist with the FBI, hurried down the hall of the FBI headquarters, her shoes clacking against the tile. It was late--night had settled over Portland through the windows, and it was like every muscle in her body was tired, but adrenaline pushed her forward. The events of the past few days played in her head over and over again, starting with the bombshell that had been dropped in the pharmacy just days before.
Marissa Johnson, who worked as a pharmacist, was also the best friend of Julia Rowe, a girl who had been murdered thirteen years ago, found dead at the same beach that Fiona's sister, Joslyn, had gone missing from ten years before.
That was what had prompted Fiona to look into Marissa. At first, only to gain insight, a strange and rare caterpillar had been left with one of Julia's belongings when she went missing, and Fiona discovered that only one conservatory in the city kept that specific genus.
When she met with Julia's family, she discovered that Marissa and Julia used to visit that conservatory often.
Fiona had gone looking for Marissa to get some answers or insight into why that place was significant to them and if Marissa had been with Julia before she went missing. She'd mentioned to Marissa that her own sister was missing, and Fiona had her suspicions that the cases were linked.
Only Fiona never told Marissa her sister's name. She never said it. And yet a few days ago, when Fiona had gone to talk to Marissa for the second time, Marissa had accidentally said Joslyn instead of Julia.
As Fiona walked down the hall, she was sucked back in time.
Fiona could see the sadness in Marissa's eyes. It was genuine, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Marissa was hiding something. Especially now. Marissa seemed much more cagey and closed off than she had before.
"Look, I'm busy," Marissa said. "This case has been closed for years, and it's stirring up a lot of old memories for me. I don't know why you're so stuck on it, but I don't know anything about Joslyn's death."
"But--"
Hold on.
Fiona stopped dead in her tracks.
Her eyes narrowed in on Marissa, who turned away, looking down at the bottle of pills like she'd said nothing.
But she'd just said everything.
She'd said Joslyn's name. A Freudian slip?
Fiona had never told her her sister's name. She'd only asked about Julia.
And yet Marissa--she knew it. She said it. And she hadn't even realized it.
Fiona stared at Marissa in disbelief, but another thought swam into her mind that made her stomach fill with dread:
Marissa Johnson clearly knew more than she was letting on.
But could she be the one who killed not only Julia--but Joslyn too?
"What did you say?" Fiona asked, her voice shaky. Maybe she'd misheard it. Maybe there was a logical explanation—maybe Marissa looked up Fiona and found out herself. But Fiona had a feeling it was more than that.
Marissa looked at her, confused. "I said I don't know anything about Julia's death."
"No," Fiona said, "no, you said Joslyn."
Marissa's face instantly paled. Her eyes widened, and at that moment, Fiona could see it as clear as day: Marissa was caught. At that moment, Fiona knew, without a doubt, that this was no coincidence.
"I--I didn't say that," Marissa insisted, backing up behind the counter of the pharmacy.
Fiona stepped forward, her heart beating hard in her chest. "You did. You said Joslyn's name. How did you know her name? I never told you." Marissa faltered under Fiona's unwavering gaze. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for an answer. "I...I don't know. Maybe I overheard you mention it before."
"That's not possible," Fiona replied, her voice turning cold. "I never mentioned my sister's name to anyone. How did you know it?"
Marissa fell silent, her eyes flickering with fear. Fiona could tell that she was hiding something, but she wasn't sure what.
"I...I can't explain it," Marissa muttered, avoiding Fiona's gaze. "It must have been a mistake."
Fiona's heart raced as she realized the implications of Marissa's slip-up. If Marissa knew Joslyn's name, then it was possible that she was involved in her sister's disappearance as well as Julia's murder.
