“Come on,” Edward said impatiently. “Let’s go.”

All at once, the officers got organized and Edward rose to his feet. Merrimack insisted on handcuffs, which was ridiculous, and then Edward was being led out the door.

But he stopped in front of Lane. “Let this be, Lane. Don’t fight this. You know what he was like. He got what he deserved, and I don’t regret it in the slightest. You need to take care of Gin, Amelia, Miss Aurora, and Mother, do you hear me? Don’t let me down.”

“Why did you have to do it?” Lane said hoarsely. “You didn’t have—” “I take care of my own. I always have. You know that about me. My life’s over, you know that as well. I’ve got nothing left, and he was the one who took it all away. I love you, little brother. I always have and I always will.”

And then they were leading Edward down the shallow steps, across the grass, over to one of the squad cars. He was helped into the rear, his balance bad with his hands behind his back, and Merrimack got behind the wheel and started the engine.

In the wake of the departure, Lane just stood there, staring at the dust that rose up in their wake.

As his phone began to ring again, he looked over at the blond woman. “What did you say your name was?”

Even though she hadn’t spoken.

“Shelby Landis. I’m one of the hands here.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m his brother Lane. I think I saw you here before?”

“Yes. You did.”

He looked over at Ramsey. “What do we do now?”

The tall man ran a hand down his face. “That was a helluva confession, and it fits. The whole damn thing … makes sense. And all things considered? I think your brother’s going to jail for the rest of his life.”

Lane looked back out the open door.

When his phone started ringing a third time, he took it out and almost threw the fucking thing on the ground.

But then he saw who it was. “Lizzie, listen, I—”

The unmistakable sound of sirens was not all that muffled, and Lizzie had to speak up. “Miss Aurora’s being taken to University Hospital downtown. I found her collapsed and barely breathing next to her bed about fifteen minutes ago. Oh, God, Lane, I don’t think she’s going to make it. You have to come to the ER. I’m in the ambulance with her now—where are you?”

He closed his eyes and felt that sensation of falling all over again. “I’ll be right there.”

FIFTY-FOUR

Easily the longest day of his life.

Then again, Lane thought, as he and Lizzie finally dragged themselves over to Easterly’s kitchen door at around seven o’clock that evening, it wasn’t often that his brother got arrested for murdering his father or his momma went into a coma.

And yes, once again, they’d had to enter the estate through the back way because there were too many news crews at the main entrance.

“I’m starving, but I don’t want to eat,” he said, even though complaining hardly seemed fair.

Lizzie had been through as much as he had. Even more so, considering she had been the one to find Miss Aurora.

“I’m exhausted,” Lizzie said, “but I don’t think I’m going to sleep much—”

As they walked into the kitchen, they both stopped.

A totally amazing smell was coming from the stove, and though it was unfamiliar, if Lane hadn’t personally witnessed Miss Aurora lying unresponsive in an ICU bed, he might have thought she was up and about, back where she belonged.

But no. The person in front of the platters of food was …

“Jeff?” he said.

The guy wheeled around. “Oh, thank fuck. I didn’t think you were going to make it in time.”

“For what?” Lane took Lizzie’s hand and realized, “Gin? Wait, are you cooking? Amelia? What’s going on?”

Amelia spoke up. “It’s Seudah Shlishit.”

“The third meal of the Sabbath,” Jeff explained. “Which I’ve cooked even though it’s Sunday, because I’m feeling religious and this is the way I’m choosing to express it. We’re just about to sit down so nice timing.”

“My roommate at Hotchkiss is Orthodox,” Amelia explained. “So I’ve done this before.”

“She’s been a great help.”

“And I’m learning,” Gin said. “Slowly and surely. By the way, Jeff, I set the dining room table—”

“You set the table?” Lane blurted.

Okay, that was another shocker.

His sister shrugged like the idea an alien had taken over her body and mind wasn’t actually that big a deal. “Like I said, I’m learning. Oh, Gary told me he was going to do one more sweep of the grounds for any more of those cameramen. I took the shotgun away from him. We already have one of us up on murder charges, let’s not add to that.” When everyone looked over at her, she rolled her eyes. “Come on, people, we better start the gallows humor now or this group is not going to make it—”

Maxwell walked in from the front of the house, some napkins in his hand. “Amen to that, sister. Amen to that.”

Jeff started carrying in food. “Now, traditionally this is supposed to be a light meal, but we’re bending the rules a little. No one’s eaten anything all day, and let’s face it, my mother isn’t here—although she was willing to fly down. Which was kind of scary, actually …”

It turned out to be exactly what Lane needed.

As they all sat around the formal dining room table, which Gin had miraculously set to perfection, it was not Lane’s tradition, either spiritually or familially speaking, but it was warm, and it was real: It was shelter that had no roof, and sustenance that had no weight, and air that didn’t need lungs for the breathing.

And it was exactly what he needed. His heart was mangled, his spirit deflated, his optimism terminated. He had had that one cresting moment at the airport … and then once again, he was sunk beneath a crushing burden.

But as he looked around the table, as he reached out and took Lizzie’s hand, as he saw his sister and her daughter actually speak without yelling at each other, as he stared at his old friend who was still by his side, and looked at his long-lost brother … he knew that he was going to eat this lovingly prepared Jewish food, and he was going to pass out upstairs with his woman …