t-paced whirl of her car. She found herself qu

r guardian until tragically passing away in a car acc

t. But the woman had still been family, and her sudden death had always seemed too convenient, too clean.

rence. She had begun to investigate, and recently received information from an eyewitness. However, with her busy schedu

dn't shake the feeling that it might b

t of New Orleans, she could almost hear

e to heed reasoning, but that died the mome

voice of

ity she was enjoying. She picked up the call

r to now?" Natalie's sc

She retorted. "I jus

, Emily Rae Hurst and I can assu

Natalie's care for her, in moments like t

How many times have I told you to carry me along? Do

ily snapped and realizing the

because she didn't even sound fazed at the statem

New Orleans," Emily re

clue relating to your

n remembering Nat couldn'

n with me. You can at least do that, right? If you don't com

despite herse

again and remember that there's s

hung up. Natalie knew just wh

to make it back in time for work but s

close to four hours when sh

wheel as she brought the car to a

ore Emily. The tired creak of her car door echoed into the quiet night

chipped paint and sagging steps, seemed out o

s the gentle rustling of the wind through the nearby trees, and the occasional creak of the wooden porch as it shifted under its

her knew this visit was risky, maybe even foolish, but the unanswered questions gnawing at her mind had driven her here. If t

uth but after witnessing another case closed like it didn't matt

g the detective since the detective also had a ro

ugh the quiet night, and for a brief moment, Emily feared no one would answer. But then

uded with age, were sharp and cautious as they settled on her. Emily had expected him to lo

s voice was gruff, t

her voice wavering slightl

ted, his eyes narrowing.

ed. "She w

n. "I figured someone from her family might come around

l to be off the front porch. The interior of the house was clutt

kled in the hearth. He motioned for her to sit on a worn-o

eyeing her carefully, "what bring

nto my aunt's death. It's always bothered me that it was ruled an accident,

sion unreadable. "And now you wan

in something dangerous, something that got her killed. But I don't kn

fixed on the fire. When he finally spoke, his

. Clara was mixed up in something, something she couldn't get out of. The night she died, I

is was the first she'd heard of any mee

e accident happened. She was jittery, looking over her shoulder like she thought someone was follow

rammed into hers, sending it off the road and into the river. I tried to get to her, but

own her spine. "And you didn'

as just an old drunk who didn't know what he was talking about. They found

fists. "But you know she was

s frustration boiling over. "But the police didn't

Kennedy, but she'd been killed before she could say anything. And whoever w

t who was driving the

re were people Clara was involved with, dangerous people.

as she moved even closer to Kenn

ory. "Clara and I had been friends for as long as I can remember

ain until she suddenly showed up at my house one fine afternoon and informed me that

t squeeze at the me

at he left behind. I tried to discourage her but she insisted on finding the source of your father's

ch for her brother and her but knowing that she was only after the wealt

ennedy." She managed to mutter

arents' death find out that you are trying to unveil them, they won'

had to tread carefully. But she couldn't back down-not now, not

id quietly. "For te

han ever. "Just be careful, kid. I'd hate to s

matter what it takes." She said

while his expression remained somber

ign ignorance and move on with my life." She clenched her fist.

pped the door knob. She raised an eyebrow at that but she continued to speak. "My

gaze. He let out a sigh as he stepped away from th

rs perked

another." He started. "In fact, I promised not to tell anybody els

dn't just tu

ed silent for

ldn't be here if it was but somebody else having this information didn't sit r

Hurst to come by these parts, about a year a