Chapter Twenty-Eight

The dark liquid formed a perfect swirling stream into the mug. Once the remaining contents were transferred, Brook rinsed out the glass carafe and positioned it safely on the top rack of the dishwasher. A quick survey of the kitchen revealed there was nothing left to clean. The counters had been disinfected, the refrigerator had been cleaned out, and the garbage cans had already been taken to the curb. The only thing left for her to do before she left the lake house was to finish her coffee. She would include her mug in the dishwasher before programming the wash cycle.

"…hate garage sales." Sylvie's voice drifted into the kitchen. She was helping Bit dismantle and store the computer equipment in plastic bins that would then be packed into the back of the tech van. "Why on earth would you have lied like that?"

"It wasn't like I set out to lie to Zoey's mother. You had to be there, Little T. The woman caught me off guard, and I…"

Brook picked up her coffee and walked over to the sliding glass door. Last night's downpour seemed to have transformed the area. The grass glistened in the morning sun, the vivid green a stark contrast to the darker hues of the lake. The water was peaceful this time of day, and there were numerous fishing boats peppered across the surface. She focused on the deck, ensuring that nothing had been left out back. Theo or Bit must have already removed the security camera used to surveil the pier. For good measure, she tugged on the handle to confirm the lock was secure.

"Brook?" Theo had been loading their luggage into the SUV since he had decided to fly back to Washington, D.C. with her. Sylvie would accompany Bit on the drive back home. "We have a couple of visitors."

Brook made her way through the kitchen and into the living room. Standing in the doorway was Mary Jane Reynolds. Her focus was on Bit, who had shifted his weight in discomfort at the attention. His unease became even worse when she rushed over to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"I don't know how to thank you," Mary Jane exclaimed before pulling back. By this time, her fiancé had stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. "All of you."

"I, uh, should probably apologize." Adam glanced at Mary Jane, who arched her brow that he shouldn't just stop there. "I'm sorry if I came on too strong. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best move to park outside your rental place. I love Mary Jane, and it was extremely hard to stand on the sidelines believing that someone wanted to kill her. Thank you for taking on the investigation and saving her life."

"You were both put in a very difficult situation," Brook said as Adam shook Theo's hand. "As for us taking the case, it was the FBI who reached out to us. Jurisdiction isn't always clear-cut, and this case was unusual. We're just pleased that an arrest was made, and you no longer have to worry about your safety. You should know that I received a call about an hour ago confirming that Carl Swilling's DNA matched the evidence at all three crime scenes."

"I don't know how I feel about…" Mary Jane couldn't finish her sentence, and she rested a hand over her heart.

Her pained facial expression said it all.

"You were given a gift, Mary Jane," Brook said softly. "Whatever Sheila Wallace did or didn't do in her life has no bearing on how you live yours. It's yours now to embrace without fear."

"If your morning post is anything to go by, it sounds as if you're already ahead of the curve." Sylvie was shaking her head at what she had shared with the team earlier. Mary Jane had posted that she and her fiancé had decided to get married before bungee jumping off the Navajo Bridge in Arizona. Personally, Brook couldn't imagine Adam Bouras craving such an adrenaline rush, but Mary Jane appeared to be able to convince him of practically anything. "Bungee jumping? No, thank you."

Mary Jane laughed and held out her hand to Adam, waiting to speak until he was by her side.

"I know what you all thought when you first met me. Why would a woman want to post constantly about her life? But after I received a new heart, I knew I couldn't take it for granted. It might take me a while to come to terms with everything that has happened, especially the realization that my heart came from a woman who wasn't a kind person, but that surgery changed me. It's the reason I share every beautiful moment with the world. I need to document each sacred moment, so decades from now, I"ll know...I lived fully."

Brook stood in awe of the woman's courage. A few more pleasantries were exchanged before the team eventually wished the couple well. Theo walked them out, leaving Brook to finish her coffee and Bit to finally snap the lid on the last plastic storage bin.

"I've got to say that I never viewed posting online in quite that way before," Sylvie said as she took a seat on the couch. "Still, I don't think I could use social media as a diary."

"It might be different if we didn't see the consequences of posting our locations, the faces of our friends and family, and our everyday activities on social media for everyone to see." Bit took a seat on the plastic container. There were only a few bins left to pack in the back of the van. "My sister uses social media, but I avoid it like the plague."

"Theo has an account, but he has it limited to family and close friends." Sylvie laughed at Bit's disdained expression. "Theo understands that someone knowing their way around software like you can pretty much access everything. He doesn't post so much as it serves as a way to keep in touch with those who live far away."

"Boss? I bet you would rather bungee jump off the Navajo Bridge than join social media."

Sylvie started to laugh as Brook finished her coffee before turning to walk into the kitchen. They were well-versed in her thoughts on social media. She didn't need to refresh their memory. It didn't take her long to store the mug on the top rack of the dishwasher and press the start button.

"Ready to go?" Theo asked, prompting Brook to glance over her shoulder. He was standing in the archway of the kitchen, holding the keys to the SUV in his hand. "Bit and Sylvie took the last of the bins out to the tech van. All that's left to do is lock up and place the key in the lock box outside."

"Yes. I'm ready to go."

Something fluttered outside the window, catching Brook's attention. A beautiful male cardinal settled on the railing of the wooden deck. The same type of bird that had been in her dream about summer camp a few weeks ago. Maybe she truly had met Stella Bennett back in 1996. With Brook's childhood, she tried not to put too much stock into signs.

Her phone chimed. Pulling the device out of her back pocket, the lighted display alerted her to a message from Special Agent Dever. Her heart rate accelerated as she swiped the notification to the right.

The remains had finally been confirmed to be that of Stella Bennett.

Brook couldn't help but lift her gaze to the magnificent cardinal staring directly at her through the window. Neither one of them moved. Eventually, she needed to breathe and slowly released the air inside her lungs. The bird's response was to spread its bright red wings and fly away.