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They passed an open pair of accordion doors that revealed a reen, its enamel dull and chipped, and the dryer was stark white and shiny, brand-new On top of the dryer was an overflowing basket of rumpled laundry

It all looked so normal, like Antonia had just stepped out for a bit and would be back to fold the clothes soon

But Violet knew she wasn’t co back

Rafe stopped outside a second door, this one only slightly ajar, and Violet watched as he tentatively touched his fingertips to it, nudging it open The blinds covering the ere closed, and it was far too dark to see exactly what they were looking at Violet strained against the shadows to get a better view She settled her hand against Rafe’s shoulder as she eased forward, trying to see around hi the rooht

That hen Violet saw the black ses, like ebony feathers that coated nearly every surface She’d never actually seen sooty filerprint dust

"You shouldn’t touch anything," she told hi they’d already coerprints and know they’d been there? She thought about wiping the light switch with the sleeve of her jacket, but when she turned to look at it, it too was snored her warning and barged inside, already sliding his hands--his fingers--over nearly every surface of the bedrooainst her throat "This is her bedroo hihtstand and started sifting through bras and underwear He probably didn’t hate this part of the job, Violet thought wryly

The furniture in this rooe coed Stark white and carved with flowers, the twin-sized headboard, the dresser, and nightstands were all part of a uessed that Antonia hadwith her the bedroorown up with The coht jewel tonesthrow pillows and satiny sheets

Antonia’s room was tidier than the other one had been Even in the afters ransacked, there was a sense of order to the chaos Her closet was neatly arranged, divided by clothing types--sweaters in one section, T-shirts in another, jackets and dresses each in their own designated spaces Her jewelry was neatly organized in a polished lacquer jewelry box perched atop her dresser And even her makeup had been compartmentalized in a tray on her vanity Violet didn’t need Rafe’s special skills to tell her that Antonia had been a bit of a neat freak

Violet watched as Rafe left his fingerprints on nearly every possible surface, but she was much more cautious with her own She kept the sleeves of her hoodie pulled down over her hands When she opened the vanity’s drawer to get a peek inside, she used the fabric as a barrier between her and the knob, trying to avoid leaving any physical evidence that she’d been there at all

"Are you aletting nowhere She watched as Rafe thues of a paperback ro for sexy, half-naked pirates?" she asked, pointing to the book’s cover

Rafe scowled as he flipped the book over, sparing only a superficial glance at the shirtless swashbuckler with flowing blonde hair "Not yet" He frowned

"Not yet, you don’t have a thing for pirates?" She grinned fully "Or not yet, you’re not finished?"

Rafe shook his head, ignoring her pitiful atte a joke as he flipped to the back of the book, fanning through the pages, his concentration rapt "Hold on I think there’s so here"

He didn’t have ti breathlessly into the bedrooht"

But it was already too late A deep voice boomed froe so far she thought they were going to pop

"What are you kids doing here? This is a cri, Violet watched as Rafe hid the paperback behind his back Her heart catapulted into her throat as she turned and saw the police officer in his unifor them suspiciously

Krystal stood beside Rafe with her hands up, like she was already under arrest "I seren’t doing anything, sir Just trying to help"

That hen Violet saw it A tiny slip of paper drifting gently to the floor fro No one else seelanced at Rafe, his voice dehed but withdrew the paperback, holding it out to the officer "A really good romance novel," he drawled as he tossed the book on the floor between them It landed on the carpet at the man’s feet with a dull thud

Violetdown to pick up the book with one hand, and discreetly snatching the small slip of paper with the other one When she stood back up, she held out the paperback, her expression earnest "Here you go"