31. Nicole

Casey rocks back on his heels and shoves his hands into his coat pockets. We're standing outside the bar, off to the left where his cruiser is parked. A couple of older, potbellied men puff cigarettes near the entrance, paying no mind to us. The air is cool, and the sky is dark, a thin veil of clouds blocking the stars out of sight. I like that it's overcast. Makes me feel like I'm not missing out on anything. The jukebox inside is turned up to full volume, causing the bar to vibrate and pound.

"Weird seeing your brother here," Casey says.

It's not a question or a statement. It's an observation.

"Yeah, it is. But he'll be gone soon, since Mom's funeral's tomorrow."

"Sorry," he says, pulling in his chin.

"Don't be."

My eyes flick back to where the men were smoking. There's only one of them there now, milking the last half inch of tobacco. He flicks the butt to the pavement and stomps it out before heading back into the bar.

"Where's the service being held?" Casey asks, grabbing my attention.

"Home. That's where she wanted it. She lived and died there, and that's where she wanted to stay. It'll be small."

He nods, and his eyes skim over my face. I wonder what he sees. The way I looked when we first met? Young and vibrant, with our whole lives ahead of us. Or does he see me as I am now? Someone who threw so much of her life away.

"Were you able to get the file?" I ask.

There's no sense in beating around the bush. I want to know what happened to Emma and Christie, and maybe it's for selfish reasons, but I don't care.

"Yeah," he stammers and turns away from me to open the passenger-side door of his cruiser. Casey rummages through a bag and pulls out two folders.

"This one is Christie Roberts's case file." I take it from him. It's thin compared to Emma's.

"Thanks," I say.

He holds out a second folder. It's even thinner than Christie's. "And there's this."

"What is it?" I ask, taking it from him.

"I cross-checked Emma Harper's case file, and it pulled a missing person report."

"For who?"

"Charles Gallagher."