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Marc’s lips thinned, and he didn’t smile

Casey took note of that “Be safe,” she said into the phone “And call me as soon as you can” A pause “I miss you, too” She dropped her voice “I love you”

She disconnected the call

“What’s wrong?” she asked Marc “I know that Patrick flew over to Madeline’s to check out a suspicious-looking car Did he text you?”

“He didn’t have to I was there”

Casey studied his face “Why don’t you take a seat?”

Marc crossed over, pulled out the chair next to Casey’s and sat, leaning forward in his ressive stance

“The car took off before Patrick and John could track it down”

“Patrick and John,” Casey repeated “Does that mean you stayed with Madeline?”

“Yeah, it does” Marc never hedged “She called and asked me to come So I went” He put his hands on his knees “Look, Casey, let’s not play twenty questions I’ll save you the trouble Things have changed between Madeline and me”

“What a surprise,” came Casey’s dry response

Marc ignored the sarcase on this case I want to keep an eye on Madeline If the killer is aggressively h” He held up his palm “And before you ask, no, that second somebody won’t be Patrick It’ll be me”

Casey fiddled with her pen for a long time

“I told you ould happen if you let your personal feelings take over this investigation,” she said at last “I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, even after you practically broke a kid’s neck because he was about to nore the obvious any longer—especially not after what you just said”

“Meaning?”