Kerri wadded the towel in her right hand. “I’ll help if I can, ma’am.”

“Find who did this. Don’t be distracted or fooled by theatrics.”

“I’ll do my best,” Kerri assured her.

Her face gripped by misery, the other woman nodded. “Thank you.”

Kerri gave a nod and made her exit.

When she reached her car, Falco was waiting, leaning against the front fender.

“I have a message from Lana Walsh,” Kerri announced. At her partner’s raised eyebrows, she went on, “I ran into her in the ladies’ room. She wants us to find who did this and to not be distracted or fooled by theatrics. Who do you suppose she’s talking about? The task force or maybe her sister, Naomi Taylor?”

Falco grunted. “Could be both.”

“Maybe,” Kerri agreed.

He pushed away from the vehicle and started around the hood. “For the record”—he paused before getting in—“I’d do the same thing you’re planning. Make Talley talk to you, Devlin. To hell with what Sykes and Peterson think. To hell with this case. I’ve got this.”

Just another reason she was grateful for her partner.

Talley Residence

Twentieth Street South

Birmingham, 5:30 p.m.

Renae Talley’s SUV was in the driveway.

Kerri parked at the curb and climbed out. Tori usually went home after school. But considering what had happened, she had gone to Diana’s house. Kerri would pick her up after work. Tori loved her aunt Diana but didn’t like having to change her routine. Kerri pretended it was all good. The truth was she felt completely incompetent as a mother just now. She was supposed to protect her daughter from things like this. Be there for her . . . instead she was at work. Long hours. Every day. Renae Talley, on the other hand, was a registered nurse and married to a surgeon. The couple had decided Renae would be a stay-at-home mom until Sarah went off to college.

Even if she’d had that luxury, Kerri wasn’t sure she would have chosen to stay home rather than continue her career. Her family had always been a great support system. If Kerri was caught up in a case, there had never been a need to worry about Tori’s well-being.

She closed the door of her Wagoneer. But Kerri’s situation was quickly changing. Her father had died a few years back, her mother years before that. Diana was scrambling to keep her life together after her daughter’s death. And Tori’s father was in New York. A band tightened around Kerri’s chest. Life happened. The only choice was to go with the flow and to be prepared when change shifted the circumstances.

Easier said than done.

Kerri rang the doorbell and waited. This was the first time she’d left messages for Renae and failed to receive a response. But then this was the first time the stakes had been so inordinately high. With them seemingly on opposite sides of the challenge.

The door opened, and Renae stood face-to-face with her. She didn’t smile as she typically did. Her hair and makeup and the casually sophisticated attire were the usual fare. Her long elegant neck and squared shoulders spoke of her confidence and years of ballet. She and Diana had attended the same dance school back in the day. Renae was older than Kerri and Diana. She’d been married many years before her first and only child had come along. Unlike Kerri, who’d married right out of the police academy and gotten pregnant soon after.

“Kerri.” The one glaring absence in Renae’s manner was that usual spark of happiness to see the mother of her daughter’s closest friend.

No smile. Not even a hint that she was glad Kerri had stopped by.

Kerri’s heart sank. “Renae.” She drew in a breath and reminded herself of Falco’s words. Make her talk to you. “I’ve been trying to reach you. How is Sarah doing?”

“She’s as well as can be expected.”

If anything, Renae’s posture had grown even stiffer. Her lips thinner and tighter.

“I wanted to speak with you about what happened at school. We’ve always discussed whatever was going on in our daughters’ lives.” Kerri hated that her tone sounded a little hopeless and a lot uncertain.

Renae seemed to realize how visibly out of character her reaction to Kerri’s visit was. “Of course.” She stepped back, opened the door wider. “Come in.”

As soon as she’d closed the door behind Kerri, she added, “Sarah is lying down. She came home very tired. I’m certain it’s depression.” She exhaled a weary breath. “Who wouldn’t be depressed.”

“It’s a terrible situation,” Kerri agreed.

“Would you like tea?”

That was another thing. Renae was a tea person. Kerri couldn’t recall ever seeing her with a mug of coffee. Hot tea was one thing Kerri had never learned to enjoy. It was like wine; it gave the appearance of a bit more sophistication. Coffee and beer drinkers were a little less classy.

“No thank you.”

“Join me in the kitchen,” Renae suggested. “I really need tea.”

Kerri followed her through the family room into a kitchen that would make any chef jealous. Lucky for Kerri, she wasn’t a chef.

While Renae lit the flame under the kettle, Kerri slid onto a stool at the island. “I’m sure Sarah is as devastated by what happened as Tori.”

Renae leaned against the counter next to the stove. “Unquestionably. Do you have any news on Brendal’s condition?”

“Unchanged. I’m hoping for better news soon.”

Renae gathered a cup and tea bag. Her hand slowed as she reached for a spoon. She lowered it to the counter and turned back to Kerri. “Sarah is frightened. Terribly, terribly frightened.”

“Tori too,” Kerri commented. “We’ve all just started to heal after Amelia’s death and now this.”

“Sarah said Brendal had given Tori a hard time about what happened to Amelia. Did you know that?”

Kerri schooled the surprise that streamed through her. “Tori didn’t mention it.”

Renae poured the hot water into her cup before turning back to Kerri. “Brendal is a bit of a bully. Even when she was just a toddler, she pushed the other kids around. You know we attend church with Brendal and her family.”

Kerri had forgotten. “I see.”

The other woman seemed to catch herself. “I didn’t mean to speak ill of the poor girl. But everyone knows how Brendal is.”