“Then what is the goal?” Ava waved a hand, encompassing the hub of the investigation. “What are these young men trying to achieve? A hundred virgins in paradise? Notoriety? Revenge?”

Anger washed through Zander. Don’t they realize that life is a gift? And the people around them will forever mourn their loss?

“That’s what we need to figure out.”

Will there be more?

Ava turned away from the photo on Zander’s computer screen, disturbed by Albaugh’s all-American looks. Blond hair, blue eyes, white teeth, sun-touched skin. He looked as if he’d grown up on a corn farm and should be starring in an ad for Ralph Lauren denim. What had driven him and Justin Yoder to murder and suicide? Two young men who seemed to have the world waiting in front of them? They should have been looking forward to picket fences and taking their kids to the river to fish someday. She knew she was jumping to conclusions based on his looks. Perhaps the briefing would present a history of mental illness. The few newspaper articles she’d read hadn’t alluded to it.

Would the Troutdale shooter turn out to be more of the same?

Glancing at her phone, she saw it was midway through the afternoon and that she’d missed a call from Jayne. She excused herself to Zander and headed out into the blazing heat to return the call. Spotting a bench under a tree a dozen yards from the back entrance of the community center, she sat in the shade. The front parking lot of the community center was still packed with media, anxiously waiting for news of what had driven young men to murder. Out back it was calm and peaceful. She eyed the face of her phone. If she called Jayne, would the peace continue?

“Dammit.”

How does making a simple phone call cause so much distress?

She hit the missed call and waited, one-handedly cracking her knuckles as she anticipated Jayne’s voice.

Is it a good day or bad?

“Ava? Where are you?” Jayne howled as she answered.

Bad day.

“I’m at work,” she answered calmly. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re not here! I came to visit because I knew you were on vacation and our calls have been so good and I wanted to see you in person, but you’re gone!” The words flew out of Jayne’s mouth as if they couldn’t keep up with the speed of her brain. She noisily sucked in a deep breath.

Ava’s mind shifted into calm-her-twin mode. “Slow down. I’m unofficially following up on a case today.” She repeated Jayne’s outburst in her head. “What do you mean you came to visit?”

“I’m at your house but you’re not here. The woman says you mooooved!”

Her heart slowed. “Are you at my condo?”

“No! The house. The one where you lived with that guy! How could you not tell me?”

You mean the house you broke into last spring? Thank goodness the new owners had been home. Would Jayne have broken in again? “His name is Mason. What made you go there?”

“Because every time we’ve talked on the phone, you’ve mentioned you’re at the house. I assumed you got rid of your condo and lived with him now.” She paused. “Are you at the condo? Did you break up?”

“Jayne, I haven’t seen you in person in almost five months. I did sell the condo, but things—”

“I came all this way to see you, and you didn’t tell me you’d moved! What are you hiding from me?”

“I’m not hiding—”

“I can’t believe you did this to me! Are you ashamed of me? Because I used drugs? I’m clean now.” She burst into fresh tears. “I just wanted to see you. I needed to talk to you and you’re not here!”

“Now, Jayne, I never know where you’re living. You flit from one place to the next.”

“But you’re different! You’re a rock, my rock. As long as I know where you are, I know there’s someplace I can go!”

“Do you need to go somewhere? Is something wrong at your house or with your job?”

“No! I just wanted to see you!” Rapid breaths came through the line.

She’s out of control. Nothing could calm Jayne down when she got worked up.

“You moved and weren’t going to tell me. Were you going to change your phone number next? Is that what you’d do to me? I know where you work, Ava. I could find you if I needed to. I’m not stupid,” she snapped.

And her mood wildly swings to anger.

“Jayne, what was so important that you needed to talk to me in person?”

“Are you saying I’m not important? Your own twin? I’m all the family you have left, Ava. Don’t make me feel guilty because I wanted to see my sister.” Her words stabbed deep.

“I’m not—”

“Were you planning on never seeing me again?” she breathed. “Do you hate me that much?”

“Jayne, you haven’t let—”

“You do hate me. You’ve always hated me and believed you were better than me.”

Ava froze. It wasn’t her sister speaking. It was as if something had taken over her body. Did she stop taking her medication? Did she find some drugs? Or is this just an episode?

“You wish I was dead, don’t you?” Jayne whispered. “Wouldn’t your life be easier if I was simply gone?”

Yes.

“Jayne, I don’t think like that. You’re my—”

“Just think, Ava,” she said in a hushed voice. “No more crazy Jayne. No one to wreck your cars, steal your men, or break into your house.”