Dread sunk in the pit of Casey’s chest as they entered the police station building. The receptionist was on the phone, not even bothering to spare them a glance. Casey stepped onto the New Syracuse PD emblem on the floor, bits of melted snow dripping on it.

The receptionist hung her phone up, frustration mounting on her face as she scowled. “Yes? How can I help you?”

“We need to speak with Detective Bailey,” Casey told her. “I was here earlier. It’s about my mom, Detective Lockhart.”

Her expression softened. “I’ll get him right away. Please, just have a seat and he’ll be with you as soon as he can.”

“Alright, thank you,” Casey replied.

Seconds passed like hours as Casey paced around the corridor. Mr. Lockhart rested a hand on his son’s shoulder, stopping him in place.

“I know you’re worried, but everything is gonna be okay. No matter what happens, I won’t let your mom’s killer get away with this. We can go to the press with it if we must or we’ll hire a PI. Anything that’ll keep you kids safe from this sick psychopath.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just hard, realizing she’s gone.” Casey shook his head. “Finding her like that, in the dumpster… I just can’t understand why someone would do that to her. Who hated her enough to be so cruel? Maybe the police can trace the calls on your phone?”

Mr. Lockhart nodded. “I was thinking that.”

Soon enough, Detective Bailey rounded the corner with a perplexed expression as he approached the two of them. “You must be Mr. Lockhart. You’re a difficult man to find.”

“I’m sorry. Is there a place where we can talk more privately?” Mr. Lockhart asked. “There’s something I need to show you. About my wife. Before she was… killed, I received threats from some unknown number who wanted to hurt my family. I only waited so long because I feared for their lives. It was idiotic of me, I know.”

Detective Bailey nodded. “Right this way. I’d like to interview you alone, if that’s okay.”

Casey froze.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Mr. Lockhart assured him. “We’ll be back in no time.”

Casey didn’t argue and watched his father walk off with the detective. An inkling in the pit of his stomach told him things weren’t going to end well, but he tried to have faith in his dad. Surely they’d believe him and understand why he didn’t turn everything over to the police when he first received the threats. His father had just wanted to protect them in the best way that he could.

“Casey?” Detective Hallie Lansing came over and sat beside him. “How are you doing? I’ve been meaning to reach out. Things have just been hectic.”

“Yeah, um, it’s been hard. I wasn’t expecting to find Mom...”

Detective Lansing rested a consoling hand on his shoulder. “If you and your family need anything, please reach out. I’ll do whatever you need.”

“Can you keep me updated on her case?” Casey asked, hope glistening in his brown eyes. “Nobody has given me clear answers about what’s going on and what leads you might have.”

“You know I can’t tell you everything about an ongoing investigation, especially with it hitting so close to home. But I’ll do what I can,” she replied.

“Thank you. Here, give me your number and I can send a text to you so you’ll have mine,” Casey said as he handed her his phone.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask,” Detective Lansing said, clearing her voice. “Did you know if your mom was working on something off the books? Like, maybe she let slip of one of her odd cases?”

Casey frowned. “No, nothing like that. She mentioned having to testify in court for some murder case, but that’s it.”

Detective Lansing rubbed her chin. “Did she give you any more details about it?”

“No, Mom rarely talked about her cases with us. She didn’t like bringing her work home with her,” Casey replied.

“I see. That’s understandable. I try not to either,” Detective Lansing replied. “But I’ll be sure to look into that case of hers, see if maybe anyone wanted to get back at her for incarcerating the guy. Again, you have my sympathies, Casey. Your mom was an amazing woman and a great partner to work alongside. We’re gonna pull out all the stops in this case. She’ll get the justice she deserves.”

Casey nodded. “Thank you.”

When Detective Lansing went back to her duties, Casey tried to wrap his head around everything. Why hadn’t Detective Lansing been with his mom? Partners usually shared most cases together, yet she seemed confused when he brought up the murder case she’d be testifying in. Suspicions got the best of him and he couldn’t help but wonder if she knew more than she let on about his mom’s murder.

Soon enough, his dad emerged from the interview room with Detective Bailey. Casey couldn’t tell what happened, but by the way his father’s stern glare stayed glued ahead of him, he sensed it wasn’t anything good.

Casey waited for his father to tell him something as they made their way out to the truck. Even while crossing through the snow-covered parking lot, he remained tight-lipped.

“What happened?” Casey broke the silence when they were safe inside his dad’s truck.

Mr. Lockhart gripped the steering wheel, sighing. “They don’t think I’m being honest about everything, even after I showed them all the threatening texts on my phone and the calls. I told them to try tracing back the number, but they didn’t seem too concerned about doing that.”

“What the hell? Why wouldn’t they believe you?” Casey asked. “Don’t they want to find Mom’s killer?”

“I would hope so, but Casey, I’m worried. Not just about their investigation, but our family. I did everything they asked me to do and they still killed her. They might come for us next.” Mr. Lockhart shook his head. “I was such a fool to believe they’d let her go. I gave them money, for fuck’s sake.

“It’s not your fault, Dad. You did what you thought was best to protect us. If you’d gone to the police in the beginning, they probably would’ve killed her regardless. You can’t blame yourself for what happened, okay? The only one to blame is the bastard who shot her.”

Mr. Lockhart rubbed his eyes in frustration. “I know, but it still feels like it’s my fault she’s dead.”