“I can’t discuss it over the phone,” Aaron replied, his voice lowered. “But it could be the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for. How quickly can you get to the station? We need to go to the Bahamas together.”
The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
“I’m at Siesta Key. I can be there in 30 minutes.”
“Good. Pack light. We might need to move quickly.”
The line went dead, leaving Elena standing on the beach, heart hammering against her ribs. She stared at the phone for a moment, then at the box of ashes in her bag.
Not that day. Not yet.
As Elena hurried back to her car, she tried to temper the hope building inside her. Over the years, she had learned how devastating false hope could be. Each promising lead that fizzled out had taken another piece of her. She had built walls around her heart, expecting disappointment, preparing for it.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” she murmured to herself as she started the engine. “Be ready for nothing again.”
But despite her self-admonishment, Elena could not stop her mind from racing. What had they found in the Bahamas? Why could Aaron not discuss it over the phone? Why the urgency?
