Brother of Interest

Minka Avery bent down to grasp the last of the contents in her desk drawer, unable to believe how much she’d accumulated in her two years as a detective. She’d written her letter of resignation weeks ago and had plenty of opportunity to clean, but she kept procrastinating. She supposed that deep down, she didn’t want to hasten the inevitable, even if this was her decision.

As much as she tried to prepare for departure from Orlando PD, she still couldn’t shed her gloom over this phase of her life ending. She’d worked so hard for this, and for a long time, she believed nothing could make her give it up, not even motherhood. She always pictured herself being a working mom and didn’t plan to sacrifice one dream for another, but her perspective changed after she almost lost her husband, Wes. He’d unwisely pursued the mafia to “help” her close a case, and when they tried to kill him, he had to enter witness protection until the law caught up with them. For those two months while he was gone, their chance to have a family together seemed lost. Now that they had a little one on the way, she didn’t want anything to endanger it, including her beloved career.

After Wes returned home, they reassessed the choice she’d already made, and he left it up to her to decide when to quit. She hadn’t yet made it to her third trimester and debated working for the next few months before the baby came, but that would serve her pride more than anything else. Since the school where Wes taught rehired him, they could afford for her to resign early and to—hopefully—enjoy more peace for the latter half of her pregnancy than she had for the first. She didn’t want to give her heart time to talk her out of what she’d accepted was best for her family.

Cael, her partner and brother-in-law, nodded to the box she was packing. “Do you have everything?”

She placed the final notebook on top of the pile. “I think so.”

“What are you going to do with the stash of earrings you kept hidden from Wes in there?”

“Easy. I’m sending it home with you.”

He smiled and let out a snort, but the sorrow in his eyes shone through. They’d worked as partners for five years and shared a close friendship. Her leaving the department would change their dynamic, and even if he hadn’t discussed it with her, she perceived he concluded it, too.

He carried her belongings out to the car, and she agreed to meet him there once she finished making her goodbyes. She reeled in her emotions as she approached her commanding officer’s door, her badge in her hand. Sighing, she put her head down and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, careful not to disturb her cochlear implant.

When she crossed the threshold, Lieutenant Gus Channing gave her the same somber grin he had for the past week. Though it pained her, it conjured up her appreciation for everything he’d given her. From the day they met, he overlooked her deafness and allowed her to become the dedicated police officer she’d always endeavored to be.

Despite their friendship, he remained professional, standing up to offer her a handshake. “We’re going to miss you around here, Detective Avery.”

She opened her mouth to reciprocate, but the lump in her throat made her stop short. She swallowed it and concentrated on what she wanted to express. “You gave me an opportunity I’d begun to doubt anybody would extend to me, and I realize what a gamble it was.”

“I never considered it like that, but if it was, I hit the jackpot. I’d do it all again without blinking if you gave me the chance.”

She ran her finger around her shield while she held it, its familiarity soothing her. “I consider it the greatest honor of my life to have served under you. This department and job have exceeded all of my expectations.”

“Well, you’ve done more than your share to make it that way.”

She managed to thank him and dropped her badge onto his desk. The act didn’t make much of a sound, but it clashed like cymbals through her soul. When she left the room, her fellow officers rose from their seats and applauded. She’d already given a speech at her going-away party the night before, so she waved and made a quiet exit. Overcome with emotion, she rested her hand on her small baby bump, and a flutter of movement from her child tickled her, reminding her of her reason for doing this.

She stepped into Cael’s car for a final ride from the precinct and gazed at the building that meant so much to her. “The end of an adventure,” she said on a sigh.

“And the beginning of a new one.” He squeezed her hand. “In this family, we’re never short on excitement.”

Eighteen Months Later

In a heated pursuit, Minka struggled to keep up with her mark. No matter where she strode, the other woman’s faster pace kept her ten strides ahead. Minka instructed herself to keep her distance like she would’ve on any other tail, but when the perpetrator was carrying such valuable goods, she couldn’t risk her getting away.

Minka considered her methods, not wanting to end up on the news for using unnecessary force. When she caught up to her suspect at last, she decided to holler, “Ma’am, stop!”

The whole throng of female customers pivoted to study her, making her blush. Her speech impediment, caused by her deafness, often elicited such stares. Overcoming embarrassment, she sprinted up to the young blonde. “I’m sorry, but you have my diaper bag. We were in the same dressing room, and one of us must’ve picked the wrong one up off the floor.”

The woman’s wide-set eyes flashed first to Minka, then to the identical bag, and back to Minka. “Oh, man. I’m glad you noticed. I would’ve been lost without it.”

The mothers exchanged bags and wished each other a nice day. Minka retraced her steps back to the store, where she could now pay for her purchases. After she checked out and grabbed her buys, she took her fourteen-month-old daughter, Caela, into the mall’s concourse and headed to the food court to meet Wes.

“Why are you sweating? Were the shopping deals all that great?”

“No. Another mother ran off with the baby’s diaper bag by mistake.”

He rose from the table where he’d been waiting. “Didn’t you use to chase hardened felons for a living?”

“Yeah, but never when I was behind a stroller in a crowded shopping mall. It wouldn’t have happened, either, if you’d bought me the designer diaper bag I asked for instead of making me carry the same one everybody puts on their registry. It’d stand out.”

“Sure, no one would dare swipe a luxury bag.”

She gave him a coy grin and stepped aside to let him take over the stroller. In truth, she had grown accustomed to a slower lifestyle since she left the police department. She’d adjusted well to domestic life as a stay-at-home mom, though she missed the thrill of law enforcement now and then.

As they wandered out to the parking lot, she swiped through her phone. She found a missed call from Cael, but he didn’t leave a voicemail. She figured it concerned dinner with him and his new girlfriend the next evening, so she started to return it after she’d settled into the passenger’s seat of their SUV.

While Wes loaded up Caela and the stroller, her phone began to vibrate. Expecting to see Cael’s name, she paused the instant she spotted the unfamiliar number. She hesitated to answer it, given the abundance of telemarketers, but the local area code intrigued her.

“Hello?”

The caller didn’t speak, but various noises crackled in the background.

She almost terminated the call, but her instincts told her not to. “Who is this?”

Heavy breathing rumbled across the line.

“I’ll have you know I’m a trained detective.”

“That’s why I called. I need your help, Minks.”

She didn’t need further information to realize his identity. “Robin, what’s going on?”

“You won’t believe me.” Her brother’s voice sounded weak, like it always did when he was in trouble.

“About what? Tell me.”

“Nothing. Sorry I bothered you.”

He hung up.

****

Having called Robin back twice, Minka stuffed the phone back into her bag, certain he wouldn’t answer. Once he set his mind, no one could change it. She wished he would use that determination to drive him to worthwhile pursuits, rather than wasting money, passing the blame, and avoiding his family, like at present.

During their drive home, she refrained from telling Wes about the call and buried her trembling hands between her crossed legs so he wouldn’t notice them. The conversation had shaken her, but the simple fact that he’d called her stunned her even more. They hadn’t kept in touch through most of their adult lives, allowing their mom to play their go-between. In the occasional updates she gave Minka, she didn’t elaborate past his moves and job changes due to the siblings’ strained relationship.

They hadn’t suffered a true falling out, but they took separate paths that never seemed to meet. She didn’t agree with some of his bad choices through the years, and he didn’t take her criticism well. Nonetheless, she never wanted him to land in serious trouble like she believed he may be facing now.

He must’ve been up against some dire circumstances to seek her help, which scared her. He’d fallen into the law’s bad graces on a few occasions and suffered financial woes but had never once consulted her. What could send him running to her for the first time since childhood?

He said he’d called because she was a detective, convincing her that his dilemma had to involve a crime of some sort. His taunt that she wouldn’t believe him didn’t disturb or bother her, considering her experience with his deceitful side. Still, his apology for bothering her stung, even if it was an empty way to excuse himself. Of all the thoughts he might have about her, she didn’t want him to deem himself unworthy of her attention.

When Wes navigated into the driveway of their home in Ocoee, they found Cael’s car. The two questioned each other about his unexpected visit, but because of his habit of dropping by unannounced, it didn’t alarm either of them. She opened her door and greeted him, but the cautious glints in his eyes took her aback. She batted away her anxieties, figuring her exchange with Robin had just rattled her nerves.

He smiled and acted like his usual self, telling them he was in the area and decided to wait a few minutes in case they arrived soon. His claim made Minka more suspicious, recognizing it as a statement he used around suspects. She braced herself for what may await her once they ventured inside.

She took the time to put away her finds from the mall, with the brothers chatting and keeping the baby occupied. On her way into the kitchen, she asked if he would like to stay for dinner.

“No, but thanks. Autumn and I have a date, so I’ll need to leave soon. Before I do, could I talk to you about a case?”

It complimented her that Cael valued her insight, but Minka tried her best to repress her love for her former career. She didn’t want it to detract from her primary focus of caring for her baby. “Like I’ve said before, Cael, I can’t get involved. I’m out of all that now.”

“I know, but you’re going to have to make an exception this time.” His firm tone seized her attention. “A man named Perry Hamilton was found behind a bowling alley downtown last night, beaten like you wouldn’t believe. He’s president of Stags Technology, a rising software company. Anyways, we discovered he has a disgruntled employee, who’s suing him for not giving him a promotion. People overheard them arguing the afternoon of the assault.”

Minka’s fears began to materialize. “Why does this concern me?”

“Because the employee is your brother.”

Wes’s eyes widened. “Robin?”

“He’s the only one I have, to my disappointment.” She tried to fight her personal feelings and address the matter like a detective. “Is Hamilton conscious?”

“No, he’s been comatose since the attack.”

“Did they find a weapon?” Wes inquired.

“Some scrap metal was lying nearby, but it didn’t have any DNA or prints on it. They suspect the perp took it with him.”

“Have you questioned Robin?” Minka’s stomach started to churn.

“No, that’s the reason I’m here. We’ve called him and gone to his apartment, but we have yet to track him down. It seems he’s on the run.”

Wes turned to his wife. “I didn’t realize he lived around here.”

“It’s news to me. Mom always acts like he’s up north. He sent a card with her and Dad when they first visited Caela, but Mom signed it for him. That was all he did when Wes ‘died,’ too.” She referred to her husband’s faked demise when he had to enter WITSEC.

“He didn’t attend my funeral?” Wes seemed insulted.

“He said he was working in New Orleans.”

Cael grimaced. “According to what we’ve found, he’s lived just outside Kissimmee for over two years.”

“Ouch,” Wes replied. “Not all that far away.”

Minka didn’t let the information hurt her, although it meant her parents had also misled her. “I suppose I should tell you he called me about half an hour ago.”

“What’d he say?” Cael asked.

She related the puzzling conversation to them both, taking her phone so she could give him the number he used in hopes they could track it.

He thanked her and asked for another favor. “Would you be able to call your folks tonight to find out if they know anything?”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “Boy, you’re just full of good cheer, aren’t you?”

****

Continuing to shift her stares from her phone to the clock, Minka couldn’t summon the courage to make the call. She loved her parents, but underlying issues made the impending conversation difficult. For one thing, they never concurred on anything with regard to Robin. He’d leaned on them much more than she had, and on several occasions, she voiced her belief that they’d enabled him to remain dependent. Her folks wouldn’t hear it and insisted he needed support.

It didn’t embitter her, realizing they’d support her if she were down and out, too. They’d proven that when they begged her to relocate closer to them after Wes had gone into protection. Even so, she didn’t agree with their shielding him from the consequences of his actions—and vowed not to do that to her own child.

On top of that difference of opinion, their relationship changed after they learned how she’d hidden the truth about Wes’s ordeal with the mob from them. His supposed death had devastated them, and they didn’t find any humor in the deception once they discovered what really happened. After Minka and Cael detained the mobsters he’d gone after, he was free to return home, but his in-laws didn’t join in the celebration. Pained by the betrayal, they didn’t even attempt to meet Caela until months after her birth.

For almost a year, Minka expressed how much she’d ached to tell them what was going on. At one point, she managed to convince them withholding it had been for their protection. Soon thereafter, though, they found out that Wes’s mom and dad had been in on the secret all along. Needless to say, it worsened their hard feelings.

Seeing the clock tick past nine, she sighed and clutched her phone, aware of their early bedtime. She mustered the strength to place the call but still almost had to gasp for air the instant her mom greeted her. She recaptured her composure at once, wanting to open their exchange with levity. With her dad, Ed, already asleep, she and her mom, Joyce, chatted about their husbands and Caela, along with a variety of topics in between. They’d repeated the same, shallow chatter time and again over the past year and a half, which left Minka crippled with guilt and emptiness inside. After this conversation, however, she feared an array of other emotions would crowd those out.

Truth be told, she was tempted to let the exchange end as it wound down, but she knew she couldn’t. “Have you talked to Robin lately?”

Her mom hesitated, no doubt due to the rarity of her asking about her brother. “Not in the past couple of days, but he was doing well the last time we spoke.”

Minka decided not to mention he’d contacted her that afternoon for the moment. “Good. I’m sorry he hasn’t met Caela yet. We meant to visit him last summer, but we decided to wait till she grew a little older before we took a long trip. Maybe we can make it this year. Where’s he living these days?”

Her mom’s reply again teemed with uncertainty. “He’s back in Florida. The company he works for transferred him.”

“Really? He should’ve given us a call.”

Wes shot her an amused smile.

“Well, he works a lot of hours. He’s trying to be promoted, but his boss is giving him a hard time.”

Sensing her mother’s guard lowering, Minka pursued the matter. “It’s a dog-eat-dog world. What company is it?”

“Stags Technology. They make software, but don’t ask me what Robin does. He’s told me, but I don’t understand any of it.”

“I doubt I would, either.” She inched her way to her destination. “I’d never heard of them until today. Cael’s working a case involving their president.”

“Oh? What’s going on with him?”

“He was attacked the other night behind a bowling alley. With his wallet intact and everything, it doesn’t appear to be a mugging.”

“Well, I hope they find whoever’s responsible.”

Despite the sentiment, Minka noted a change in her mom’s voice. “Me, too.” She paused but reminded herself she couldn’t stall any longer. “Before Cael told me about it, Robin called me, Mom. He said he needed my help, but he wouldn’t say why. I’m afraid it has something to do with this. I’m not sure if he told you, but he’s filed a lawsuit against the victim.”

“Because he didn’t get promoted. Yes, he shared it with me.” Her mother snapped back into protect mode. “There’s a big difference between a lawsuit and a brutal assault, Minka.”

“I understand that, but you have to admit, one can lead to the other. I’m not saying he’s guilty at all, but it looks bad.”

“Well, you’re just going to have to believe in him, like a sister should.”

Her words made Minka flinch, and she couldn’t help but notice the similarity to Robin’s accusation. “I can do that, but Cael and the police can’t.”

The reference to her brother-in-law didn’t help matters. “Speaking of Cael, what if he were in this predicament? Wouldn’t you defend him?”

“Not if the evidence told me otherwise.”

“Then, what evidence do you have against Robin?”

Trapped by the same wiliness she’d inherited, Minka debated how to respond. “Look, I’m not trying to throw him in jail. All I need you to tell me is where he’s gone.”

“I don’t know. He just moved a couple months ago, and I haven’t asked for his address yet.”

She didn’t want to fire up a useless argument over her honesty, so Minka appealed to her powers of reason. “Fine, but please convey to him the need to contact us. As long as he has a solid alibi, he doesn’t need to hide. He should just tell it to the police, and he can put it behind him. You have to keep in mind how serious this is, Mom. If this goes south and you withhold information, you could be an accessory to murder.”

“I understand that, and you, of all people, should understand the cost of protecting someone you love.”

As the connection broke, Minka struggled to dab away the tears flowing down her cheeks with quivering hands.

****

Caela didn’t cry for her more than once, but Minka didn’t sleep well. Her discussion with her mom replayed in her mind all night long, each time giving her a bleaker outlook on life. They’d had their share of arguments, but none with this much at stake. This involved their entire family, not to mention the law.

Being a mother herself, Minka appreciated why her mom wanted to protect Robin and why she’d want her to, as well. He was her brother, and even she wished she could have more faith in him. Because of his past, along with her experience on the force, however, she found it difficult to cut him much slack.

When she rose to begin her Sunday, she didn’t hold out any hope for relaxation from the start. A text from Cael awaited her, revealing that the number she gave him had been from a burner phone and had gone off the grid after Robin called her. She agreed with Cael’s assumption that he took out the battery, considering his waviness with technology. He didn’t have anything further to report, so she firmed up the time for their dinner with him and his girlfriend.

In no mood for company, she wished she could cancel their plans, but she appreciated his desire for them to get better acquainted with Autumn. They hadn’t been dating for long, but Minka could tell he was serious about her by the way he talked and acted when he mentioned her. Plus, Minka welcomed the opportunity to get together, given he didn’t spend as much time with them since he met her.

Still, she lacked enthusiasm about their evening ahead. Because Autumn ate no meat, she planned to make a vegetarian lasagna for the first time, which made her nervous. She also worried over Autumn’s impression of them, considering the fact that Cael and she became connected through an aerobics class he’d taken Caela to. After he met her in passing and learned that she headed up a class for toddlers, he begged Minka to let him enroll Caela.

She’d reluctantly agreed, doubting it would go beyond a couple of sessions. Now that it culminated into a true relationship, she didn’t like the message her failure to take her own daughter could send.

All too soon, Cael and Autumn were set to arrive within minutes, and she hustled to set the table. With the football game over, Wes offered to lend a hand, but Caela’s cry commanded him over to her playpen. The foul odor that wafted through the living room explained her distress.

Once he finished changing her diaper, he carried the cleaned-up little one into the kitchen as Minka was tossing her salad.

“Somebody smells good.” Minka kissed her daughter’s tiny hand.

“Thanks, babe.” Wes grinned. “I wanted to be fresh to show Autumn who’s the more attractive Avery.”

She rolled her eyes. “Brothers.”

He shrugged. “While we’re on that subject, any updates on Robin since this morning?”

“Afraid not.”

He set Caela into her high chair. “I still don’t buy that he’s capable of this. Sure, he’s landed in a couple messes with the law before, but I just can’t fathom he’d almost kill a guy.”

“I haven’t been around him enough to determine what I can rule out.”

He caressed her shoulder to comfort her and asked again what he could do to help. She designated him to chop onions for the salad so she could fix her disheveled ponytail. Not long after she brushed her auburn locks and put them into a bun, the doorbell rang, and she rushed to Wes’s side to greet them.

The couples exchanged salutations before taking a seat in the living room. Minka and Wes had met the bubbly fitness instructor once when they and Cael swapped off Caela at Autumn’s studio, but they didn’t get much past introductions. They made pleasant small talk, and Autumn impressed her. She spoke with candor and joked around, proving to be much more down-to-earth than Minka expected. Minka also noted the contrast between her appearance inside and outside the gym, as her styled red hair glistened with natural highlights and her flawless complexion glowed when it wasn’t saturated by sweat. Overall, she was, in fact, just the type of girl she’d always pictured Cael marrying.

That said, nobody’s perfect, and it didn’t take her a whole evening to deduce that Autumn was no exception. They hadn’t even made it to dessert when the trainer’s curiosity veered into the direction Minka would’ve rather avoided.

“Is there any chance of Caela losing her hearing?” Autumn inquired.

Minka fought her irritation over the blunt curiosity. “Not due to heredity. I’m deaf because I was born almost two months premature.”

“I see. How old were you when they put in the cochlear implant?”

“I’d just turned ten.”

“That’s great.”

Autumn took another bite of salad, and Minka hoped she’d learned all she wanted to. She racked her mind to select another subject to introduce, but she didn’t brainstorm fast enough.

“Does Caela understand your speech all right?”

Her indignation rose, but she kept her cool. “She seems to.”

“Yeah, she probably has a harder time with my lingo,” Wes said.

Autumn grinned but seemed oblivious to the awkward vibe lingering among them. “Sign language has always interested me. Cael’s promised to teach me, but could you show me a few words? You’re the pro.”

Beside her, Wes tapped her knee under the table and finger-spelled, Be nice.

She heeded his counsel, demonstrating how to sign her own name and told Autumn she was beautiful. Once Cael translated what Minka had expressed, Autumn signed back Thank you, announcing that she’d learned the phrase in middle school.

In an attempt to end the discussion, Minka stood to serve the French silk pie she’d bought, and Cael rose to assist her. Once the door closed behind him, he was quick to apologize for his date’s behavior.

“I’m sorry if Autumn made you uncomfortable with the deaf talk. I think she’s a little nervous.”

“She doesn’t seem to be. It takes quite a bit of nerve to ask if my baby understands me.”

“She could use a lesson on tact, but I’m telling you, she didn’t mean any harm.”

“I'll accept that.” A devilish grin crossed her lips. “In fact, I’d love to help you teach her ASL.”

“She’s not ready for a crash course like that, Minks.”

She snickered at the thought of the scenario. While they were alone, she seized the opportunity to ask him about her brother. “Any news on the case?”

He shook his head. “You said your mom didn’t indicate anything?”

“Nope, she was too busy scolding me for being a horrible sister. I would’ve had more success talking to Robin’s doormat.”

He offered a pat on her back. “Thanks for trying.”

As she dished out the last slice of pie, her phone started vibrating in her pocket. Just like yesterday, she found a number she didn’t recognize, which made her suspicious. She regarded Cael with the knowing countenance they’d exchanged many times.

Her brother didn’t give her the chance to greet him. “Mom says you think I’m some vicious animal. I know my record, but I’ve been trying to clean up my act. I wouldn’t jeopardize that by beating a low-life like Hamilton.”

“So the guy you beat up a few years back was worth it, huh?” she fired back.

“I’m serious, Minka, I’ve changed.”

“Yeah, I gather that, judging by your running away and all.”

“I figured everybody was going to put the blame on me, including your friends. Besides, didn’t Wes run off when he was in trouble?”

“For somebody who’s too busy to drive twenty minutes to visit us, you’re sure an expert on our lives.”

“I’m not doing this. I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.” Robin hung up on her again.

Minka put down her phone. “What a charmer.”

“You digressed,” Cael reprimanded.

In sore need of something sweet, she licked the spatula she’d just finished using. “Give me a break.”

“Did he give you anything useful?”

“Nothing, except for a phone number.”

“I’ll have to look it up from home. We’ll see how crafty he is.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” She tried to conceal that she was holding her own.

****

The next day, Minka dropped off Caela with her mother-in-law, Jaclyn, and headed to the precinct to talk to Cael and Gus, her former commanding officer. She’d only gone a handful of times since leaving the force, so she still had difficulty remembering to park in the visitor’s lot. She didn’t have an invitation, but she couldn’t stay away from the place that always gave her a sense of control.

Pacing into the station with resolve, she motioned for Cael’s attention on her way to Gus’s office. Reading over a file when she entered, the lieutenant did a double take upon realizing her presence.

“To what do I owe the grimace?”

“For once, it isn’t your doing.” She returned his playfulness, the two being good friends. “Although I would’ve appreciated it if another department could’ve dealt with my wanted brother.”

“I’m afraid the cases find me.”

Joining them, Cael closed the door behind him. “Hey, Minks. I’m sorry I forgot to text you about the number Robin called from yesterday. It’s a payphone in Knoxville, Tennessee.”

“He must’ve either been driving to or from Mom and Dad’s.” She didn’t have trouble picturing her brother fleeing to North Carolina.

“I’ll call the departments in the area and have them keep an eye out for him,” Gus stated. “If he’s smart, he won’t stay there for long. Any idea where he’d go next?”

“Not a clue. He inherited my dad’s wanderlust ways, so I couldn’t attempt to guess where he’s lived and who he’s added to his freeloading portfolio.”

“We may not have his portfolio but checking into his past residences is a good start. Go ahead, and get on that today, Cael.”

She supposed she should leave, but she had to find out more. “How’s Hamilton?”

“I talked to his mother earlier, and she said his vitals have improved,” Cael informed her. “He’s not out of the woods, though.”

“Have you found any other possible suspects or motives?”

“He did go through a pretty nasty divorce a few years back, but both his ex and her new husband live in New Mexico,” Cael summarized.

“What if they hired it done?”

“Most hired jobs go further than putting the mark in a coma,” Gus pointed out.

“Stranger things have happened.”

Cael gave her a soft expression, seeming to perceive her hope diminishing. “With big business guys like him, we usually find more to them than meets the eye, so it’s hard to predict what may pop up as we dig deeper. We’ll keep you updated.”

“I appreciate that, but I wish I could do something.”

“You can. Go home to your little girl and forget about this garbage,” Gus admonished.

“I can agree to the first half of that command.”

****

After returning home, Caela took a longer nap than usual, which lent Minka some extra time to disobey Gus’s order. In her investigating, she found that her brother had lived in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, and Nebraska—but never anywhere near Knoxville. She took a gander at his social networking profile to glean insight into his friends but couldn’t view his posts without making a friend request, which he’d no doubt deny.

While she surfed the web, regret filled Minka over how little she retained of Robin’s likes and dislikes. They hadn’t enjoyed much of a relationship since she’d left home, but even before that, they’d grown distant. They spent a lot of their childhood engaged in their separate interests, and that gap widened when she started to seek her independence, driving and such. Even so, she hadn’t intended to shut him out, the way many older siblings do. If anything, he was the one, in her mind, who’d isolated himself.

Despite their mother’s attempts, Robin never learned to sign. True, Minka had her cochlear implant put in when he was six, but his lack of care still hurt her. Speaking may have become her primary means of communication, but sign had always been her first language, and the simplicity of it provided just what she needed to express certain emotions. She could connect with people on a different level and appreciated it when those in her life understood that. She yearned to share that relationship with her brother. Apparently, he didn’t.

Minka realized she was digressing, just like she had on the phone. She needed to put her personal feelings aside and employ the objectivity she would’ve on any other case, despite not being paid for it. After reevaluating the facts, she began to wonder why Robin would stop in Knoxville to call her. She supposed he was gassing up or getting a bite to eat, and she resolved to stick with that theory unless led to believe otherwise.

With both her mind and leads exhausted, she kicked back her feet on the couch…until Caela awoke two minutes later. Thus, she returned to reality and put the investigation as far from her thoughts as possible. She had difficulty doing so, however, when Cael texted her that afternoon, just to ask if Robin had called her again. Desperate for a breakthrough, she contemplated the few facts they had on Robin and how they could net more.

She found herself almost too easily slipping back into her detective’s mentality and realized this was the point where she’d be begging the District Attorney’s office for a warrant to get into his apartment. Without any true evidence against him, she doubted she could’ve obtained one and figured Cael would have similar trouble unless he found more with which to incriminate her brother.

Pondering over the tough circumstances, it occurred to her that, in this instance, she may have an advantage in being his sister that she wouldn’t have as the lead investigator. Remembering the times she’d asked her family to fetch something she’d forgotten at home, Minka began to formulate a plan to stage such a scenario in his behalf. Lacking a key, she questioned if his landlord would be willing to hand one over, even if she was a blood relative. She browsed the Internet for details on his apartment complex, and a picture of the run-down property exposed the management’s unremarkable business practices. She opted to take a chance on their ethics.

To her delight, Wes ended his shift early on Mondays, with no class during his last period at the deaf school where he taught biology. Under the guise of going to a dentist appointment, she left him and Caela, with her GPS set for Robin’s current address. During the entire drive, her mind pondered the numerous ways this could go sideways and land her with a charge for trespassing. Even if she managed to coerce the landlord into giving her access to his place, what if Robin had a roommate who caught her? Given the people he gravitated toward, she doubted she could convince a friend of his to cover up her unannounced visit.

Minka almost abandoned her scheme as she passed every exit along her trek, especially due to the heavy tourist traffic. In the end, she arrived at her intended destination and released a cleansing breath before she opened her SUV’s door to follow the sidewalk to the complex’s office. The whole while, she rehearsed the ruse she planned to set in motion, but she never quite aced it like she did with the landlady.

“Excuse me, but my brother lives in this building and asked me to take care of his cat while he’s away, but I forgot the keys at home. Since I live half an hour away, I was hoping you could let me into his apartment? It’s 17A.”

“17A has a cat?” The woman’s cry alarmed Minka, who didn’t want to be the cause of his eviction. “I don’t know if I feel worse for it or my carpet.”

Unsure of what the reaction meant, Minka followed her to the desired hall and gaped when she unlocked the door. She didn’t let her enthusiasm show, in an effort to maintain her cover of performing a menial task. Once she stepped inside, her suppressed eagerness vanished. Overtaken by the enveloping stench of rotting garbage—among other odors—she struggled not to choke.

“He’s cleaned since I was last here,” the owner drolly remarked in her New York accent. She motioned toward the piles of clothes and trash strewn across the floor. “Hope the cat has a bell on so you can find it.”

She left the room and asked Minka to lock up after she finished. As she stood alone, despair washed over her, the lady’s blunt last statement echoing through her frazzled mind. Although she didn’t need to worry about finding the imaginary cat, she questioned how she’d uncover anything of use to the investigation.

Nosing around, she couldn’t even decide what she wanted to discover. She’d figured that whatever she needed would call out to her instincts, but now, she feared everything on top of it would muffle its cry of desperation. The mental image evoked a smile to cross her face, and she began to relax until she spotted the baseball bat in the corner of the room.

Minka recalled Cael’s saying they hadn’t found the weapon at the crime scene, and the sight of it shook her. She treaded over to it, and putting on gloves she’d packed to conceal her fingerprints, she picked it up off the cluttered floor. She spun it in her hand to examine it, and it relieved her not to find any visible bloodstains, which should’ve been there considering how badly Hamilton was beaten. Even so, a crack in the wood didn’t comfort her, reminding her of Robin’s aggressive nature on and off the baseball diamond.

To keep an unbiased mindset, she resisted the thought and peered through another side of the mess. She glanced at his entertainment center and noted his gaming console—a staple in every home he’d had since boyhood—still sat on a shelf, indicating he’d escaped in a hurry. Before long, she caught sight of his laptop, another electronic the device-lover left behind. She tiptoed around the many obstacles that impeded her path and lifted it off the couch. Her conscience pecked her a bit as she opened it, scolding her for how far she’d gone into the realms of trespassing. Already standing in his living quarters, however, she reckoned she’d better take full advantage of the crime she was in the midst of committing.

Reluctant to sit down anywhere, Minka took it into the adjacent kitchen and set it on the counter, ignoring the spill stains around her. She smiled once she learned he didn’t have it password protected, but once more, a sting of guilt pierced her for seizing unlimited access to her brother’s digital life. She also feared what she might unearth.

To start, she clicked on his most recent browsing history to discern his current mentality. She found that he was last online on Saturday morning, and the list of sites he visited revealed he’d done extensive research on changing one’s identity. She sighed and retraced his session, until she was led to a page that confirmed his order of a fake birth certificate and Social Security card.

Both were issued to a Jack Conway of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Shaking her head, Minka now understood why Robin had called from the city; he was making it his new home. Before she could process the development, she noticed another unsettling image in the nearby garbage can. She retrieved it and confirmed it to be a photo of his boss, Perry Hamilton, defaced by what she assumed was his pen.