The following morning, Boo wakes to a call from Ashton.

"News already?" she croaks into the phone, still rousing herself from sleep. Harry stirs restlessly next to her, mumbling something about don't take the dinosaurs away.

"Not a whole lot, unfortunately," Ashton answers. Boo can hear the grimace in his voice. "But there is something. I thought you'd be interested to know that I began the process to reverse the autopsy cancellation. Nathaniel may have authority over the local department, but I've got a little bit of pull with the county office so I'll do what I can to make that happen. The appeal may take a little bit of time to go through but I think we've got a solid chance."

A sigh of relief leaves her lips. "Thank you, Ashton, really."

"I also wanted to let you know that I'll be sending off that hammer you gave me for analysis. I don't have anyone to run the DNA against yet, if there's even anything useful on it, but I have a feeling I will soon enough. That bruise on Hosk's face raises enough suspicion for me."

Boo feels a lump rise in her throat. So close to a tangible answer, and yet still so far. "How . . . how long does that take?"

"Getting a profile from the hammer should take a couple days, once I've got a sample to run it against it's between twenty-four and seventy-two hours," Ashton explains. "I'm working on it, Boo, don't worry."

"Sorry," she breathes out shakily. "Can't help myself."

"Is there anything else you think I need to know right now?"

Boo wracks her brain. "Nana made a secret tape a couple weeks before she died. She had some . . . visitors, and it's obvious it wasn't a friendly visit. I think maybe she knew . . ."

She trails off, choking on the words that surface. Ashton hums in realization. "You've listened to it all the way through?"

"Yes, but we didn't understand most of the conversation."

"I'll be needing that as soon as possible," he replies. "Would you mind dropping that off at the Harrisford department today?"

"Yeah," she murmurs. "I'll let you know when I'm on my way over."

« • »

Boo gathers up her scraps of evidence into a small cardboard box, feeling a bit shameful at how little physical progress they seem to have made. Once Harry is awake and powered by a cup of black coffee, they begin the short drive to Harrisford. In Boo's lap sits the box containing the tape recorder with the tape still inside, the wooden fish from the fairgrounds, the remainder of Martha's journals, the photo of Damien that Boo stole from Hazel's house, the yearbook given to her by Luke, the notes she made regarding the police files she "borrowed", and the polaroid of Nathaniel standing astride her late grandfather. She couldn't bear to part with the photo of teenage Martha; that stayed safely tucked away in her room, hidden in her nightstand.

"Want me to go inside with you?" Harry asks once he parks outside the Harrisford department.

Boo gazes at the building for a moment. While it still resembles the matchbox shape of the Jack Creek department, this building seems a little more approachable. The foot traffic flowing in and out of the revolving front doors is also more significant than anything she's seen in Jack Creek.

"I'll be okay," she says after a moment. Clutching the box securely, she exits the car and treks inside. Cool air greets her as the doors rush shut behind her. She glances around unsurely before spotting a friendly-looking receptionist seated at an entry desk.

"Can I help you?" the secretary asks, already sliding a sign-in clipboard in Boo's direction.

"Yes, I'm looking for—"

"Boo!" Her words are interrupted by Ashton's familiar voice; she turns to see him grinning at her from the other end of the hallway. "Don't bother signing in, the conference room is this way. We can speak privately there."

He turns and she tails after him, flashing the receptionist an apologetic grimace as she does. By the time she's reached Ashton, he's holding open a sturdy oak door for her. She rounds the corner into a small conference room with a round table surrounded by padded chairs. A small filing cabinet is tucked into a far corner of the room. The blinds are open and Boo can see an empty side-street beyond the threshold of the window. Her stomach twists nervously.

"I brought what I could," she says quietly, setting the box down on the table. Ashton takes a seat across from her as she begins setting things down in front of him. The first object placed is the tape recorder; his eyes go wide in curiosity and he's immediately reaching for it.

He turns the recorder over in his hands, studying it carefully. "That's the tape she made in there, I'm presuming."

Boo nods and places the journals on the table. "She made it about two weeks before the hurricane hit. I . . . you can hear me in the background. I didn't know she was recording when it happened."

He glances up at her before putting the recorder down. "What else did you bring?"

Once everything is laid out for him to see, she goes through explaining the significance behind each item. Ashton listens quietly, scribing everything Boo says nearly word-for-word in his notebook. When she finishes, he takes a few more moments to finish writing his notes before he clears his throat.

"Thank you, this is good information," he says somberly. He stands and helps Boo load the items back into the box. His gaze meets hers, and he smiles sympathetically. "You did good. You took care of her for as long as you could, and I appreciate you giving me the chance to do the same."

Her eyes spark with tears. She nods wordlessly, not trusting her voice. Ashton seems to sense the rush of emotion that floods her, as he gives her a comforting smile before leading her out of the department. They walk in silence; Boo tries to focus on the noise of his dress shoes against the tile, hoping to distract her mind long enough to keep her tears at bay.

The bright sunshine hits her full-force once she's back outside. Tabitha's engine is still purring as she reaches the car, grateful to see that Harry's taken over in the front seat. She slides into the passenger side, keeping her face to the window as the tears reach a head. Harry's warm hand lands on her thigh and he gives her a reassuring squeeze before they pull back into the street. Boo stays silent as they drive, still struggling to quell the wave of emotion inside. She's thankful to see that real progress seems to be on the horizon, but that also means she's drawing closer to a truth she knows is terrible.

« • »

Back in the Harrisford department, Ashton settles into a private office, one used for specialty work like the case he's just taken on. With him is the box of Boo's evidence, his laptop, and a fresh notepad waiting to be filled. He knows the details of the Damien Burkwell case; he'd been briefed on it once accepting the Harrisford position. While it resided under Jack Creek County's jurisdiction, the proximity of the departments meant that they often shared resources and officers. Nonetheless, he was surprised when Boo mentioned her grandmother's possible involvement; Martha Taylor's name hadn't yet surfaced in connection with the Burkwell disappearance, but there was nothing to suggest she wasn't involved either. After decades without answers, any new lead was welcomed with open arms.

Burning with curiosity, he begins with the most fascinating find—the tape. He listens through carefully once, twice, then a third time, jotting down detailed notes and questions to follow up on. Once he's satisfied with the notes he's compiled, he puts the tape recorder away and pulls out his work phone, only to see he's missed a call from his supervisor, Townes.

"Ah, shit," he mumbles, feeling somewhat guilty but not overly. Townes was a rather reasonable man, especially in comparison with the folks in blue roaming around Jack Creek. He dials back quickly, relieved to hear Townes greet him with a pleasant tone rather than admonishment.

"Sorry, sir, I was following up a new lead on the Burkwell case," Ashton explains.

Townes dismisses this with a grunt. "What's the latest with Moonbeam? Haven't heard from you or anyone else in a couple weeks."

"Doing our best to lay low at the moment," Ashton replies, rubbing his eyes in thought. "The subjects here aren't prone to suspicion but we don't want to raise any red flags."

"Understand," Townes replies brusquely. "Just make sure you check in a little more. We were starting to get a little concerned that there may be a need for intervention and we'd like to avoid that as much as possible."

"Yes, sir, of course," Ashton says obediently. They exchange a few more parting words before the phone call ends and Ashton's thoughts immediately return to Martha's tape; where to first follow the information he's just gleaned.

thank you so much for the recent attention this story has received. it makes my heart very happy. x