Linda’s bracelet.
No one moved.
Emily was breathing hard as though she had been running for much longer than a single flight of stairs.
“I found this.”
Linda’s face changed.
“Where?”
Emily looked past her grandmother.
Straight at Ryan.
“In Uncle Ryan’s bedroom.”
Ryan went completely white.
The room seemed to tilt.
I slowly lowered my phone from my ear.
My attorney’s voice sounded faintly from the speaker.
“Sarah? Are you there?”
I couldn’t answer.
I was watching my husband.
Ryan’s lips parted.
“Emily, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Emily tightened her grip around the bracelet.
“Yes, I do.”
Ryan took a step toward her.
His brother moved between them.
“Ryan, back up.”
Ryan stopped.
His brother stared at him. “What the hell is going on?”
Linda looked between the bracelet and her son.
“Why was that in your room?”
Ryan shook his head quickly. “It wasn’t. She must be confused.”
Emily’s face hardened.
“I’m not confused.”
She raised her phone.
“And there’s something else.”
My stomach turned.
Ryan’s eyes locked onto the phone.
I had never seen fear appear so quickly on someone’s face.
“Emily.”
She stepped backward.
Her father remained between them.
“What’s on the phone?” he asked.
Emily looked at me.
For the first time since she had come downstairs, her expression softened.
“Aunt Sarah, I saw something before dinner.”
No one spoke.
Emily continued.
“I was upstairs looking for my charger. Uncle Ryan was in the guest room.”
Ryan interrupted. “That’s enough.”
His brother turned sharply. “Let her talk.”
