Jeremy’s POV
The road stretches ahead of me, dark and narrow, headlights carving a tunnel through falling snow. My mind jumps backward without permission to Matthew Wang’s cabin. No sign of a struggle. Just a place that looked like its owner had stepped out for groceries and forgotten to come back. But the fear had been there anyway, hours later, when Claire and I stumbled inside, her breath catching as if she felt it too, without knowing why.
Matthew had been scared long before he disappeared.
My thoughts flick, unbidden, to Claire again, the echo of Claire’s laughter, the faint trace of her scent curled into my brain… I seal it away, the way I’ve learned to seal everything that could slow my hands or soften my focus.
On paper, I work in criminal defense with a clean emphasis on white
