ey walked back to the car. His small hand was still sticky from the cotton candy Athena was now ca

f shadow clinging to the concrete pillars.

his phone, leaning against the driver's side door of his own car. He had just fi

Damian into his child safety seat. As he shifted the boy, Damian's head lolled to

hone, his eyes drawn by the

oy's

uldn'

s, even closed, had a distinctive shape. It was like lo

laying tricks on him. He pushed himself off his

miniature replica of his best friend. The Solomon look was st

as wearing a baseball cap, her face obscured as she leaned in

ns and unbelievable possibilities crashing through him.

A name that hadn't been spok

na B

ng to take a call, and angled it toward the boy. He snapped a picture. It was slightly blur

sed the car doors. The Ford's engine rumbled to life, and its headlights c

at the photo on his screen, his

he image to Armond. He typed a quick mes

oing crazy, but you n

nod. He was on edge. The plate number from earlier had come back registered to a shell co

the desk. He picked it up and

expression one o

hoto

. Then, as his brain processed the features-the shape of the face, the lin

He gripped it tighter, his knuckles turning whit

e picture was a mirror im

n. And then, a tidal wave

ber. His voice, when he spoke, was a raw,

"He was with a man and a woman," he added. "I didn't get a

y For

pieces slammed together in his mind. The famili

he

here all along. And she had hidde

canic fury erupted in his chest, hot and violent. He jabbed the button on his int

nt a city-wide trace on a license plate. I