I arrived at the prison to find Eric and Avery waiting near the entrance.

I know I texted them I was coming, but I hadn’t expected them to show up in person.

I gave them a short wave before we headed inside together and made our way to Michael’s office.

When we stepped in, Michael pushed himself up from his chair as if it offended him.

His hair was a wreck. Dark circles dragged beneath his eyes. He looked as if sleep had filed a restraining order against him.

“What happened to you?” I asked, letting a bit of teasing slip into my voice.

He stretched his back with an exaggerated groan.

“Been workin’ through the night,” he said, voice thick with fatigue. “And the boss says we ain’t got it in the budget for chairs that don’t feel like medieval torture devices.”

Eric perked up. “I can get you a new one if you’d like.”

For a brief second, Michael’s eyes sparkled like a kid on Christmas morning. Then he sighed dramatically and patted Eric’s shoulder. 

“Mighty kind of you, son. But policy says we can’t be acceptin’ outside gifts. Even if my spine’s beggin’.”

We chuckled, but it faded quickly. The weight on my chest returned.

“Michael,” I said, more serious now, “have you seen or heard from Kari recently? Jack says she’s on leave. Indefinitely.”

Michael scratched the back of his neck.

“Nah. Ain’t seen her since she came by a few days ago to see Liam.” He frowned slightly. “And if I’m bein’ honest, it was odd. She was in there maybe five minutes. Said near ‘bout nothin’. Fiddled with his cuffs like she was nervous. Then left.”

“Adjusted his handcuffs?” I repeated.

Kari avoided interrogations whenever she could. And now? Physical contact with criminals. Unthinkable. Something definitely wasn’t right.

“Can we talk to Liam?” I asked.

Michael nodded. “Ain’t no trouble. Give me a minute.”

He stepped out, issuing quiet instructions to an officer before returning.

“Y’all follow her. We’ll bring him on down.”

The interrogation room was dim; the air stale and heavy.

Liam entered shortly after, escorted by an officer. An officer removed his cuffs at our request.

Up close, he looked worse than I remembered.

Pale. Lips cracked. Eyes sunken and red-rimmed.

He rubbed his wrists absently and leaned back as if this was all beneath him.

Eric and I sat across from him. Avery remained standing behind us.

“I take it y’all didn’t come here to ask how I’m doin’” Liam rasped, eyes settling on me.

His voice was dry. Cracked. Wrong.

“Are they not taking good care of you here?” I said. “You don’t look well.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Appearances can be deceivin’.”

I signaled Avery to check with the officer about his condition quietly. Once he slipped out, I leaned forward.

“How was your visit with Office Pine?”

Liam blinked slowly.

“Oh. Her.” He gave a small exhale. “Don’t know why y’all sent her. She looked like she didn’t even wanna breathe the same air as me.”

“Did she say anything strange?” I pressed. “Do anything out of character?”

He leaned forward slowly, meeting my eyes directly.

“Only strange thing was her wastin’ both our time. Came in, said a whole lotta nothing, fiddled with my cuffs, then left.”

My hope thinned.

Eric shifted forward. “We also have some questions about Lobelia.”

At the name, Liam’s eyebrow twitched.

“What about it?”

“You know what about it,” Eric said evenly. “Recent activity.”

Liam leaned back, folding his arms. “Lobelia ended when I got arrested.”

“You and I both know that’s a lie,” Eric replied.

Liam chuckled… weak, breathy.

“Now, Mr. Wolfe. How can I know anything if they locked me up this whole time?”

Eric’s jaw flexed. He wanted Eric to lose patience, so I took over instead. 

“Liam… you and I both know you’re not getting out of here. So why protect someone or something that is?”

His eyes lingered on me longer this time. Measuring.

Finally, he sighed.

“Even livin’ the life I did, I had one rule.”

“And that is?”

“I don’t harm the innocent.”

My brow furrowed.

He continued quietly.

“He didn’t agree with that.”

“He?” I asked.

Liam’s gaze dropped to his hands.

“The actual leader of Lobelia. The one y’all never caught.” His fingers twitched. “He enjoyed watchin’ people suffer. Women. Kids. Didn’t matter. If they stood in his way or bruised his pride, they were done.”

A chill crept up my spine.

“You were the face,” I intoned.

He nodded once.

“Right-hand man. Public villain. Decoy.”

“Who is he?”

His voice hardened. “Can’t tell you.”

“Why protect him?”

“Because I owe him my life.”

Silence stretched taut between us.

“You’re dying in here,” I snapped. “How do you plan to repay a debt from a prison cell?”

“By keepin’ my mouth shut.”

“But if he’s as ruthless as you say,” I pressed, “why keep protecting him?”

“Because debts don’t disappear just ‘cause they’re inconvenient.”

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.

“Why are you even telling me this then?”

His eyes lifted again… steady, sharp.

“Because” he said quietly, “I don’t agree with why he hates you.”

My stomach dropped.

“What?”

“He thinks you wronged him.”

“When?”

“You’d know who he was if I told you.”

Before I could respond, Avery re-entered the room.

I pressed forward anyway.

“Why now? Why target me?”

Liam hesitated, glancing at Avery.

“Because he found out,” Liam said, voice lowering, “that you forgot.”

The words hit like a gunshot.

Avery exploded forward, slamming his palms onto the table.

“Do you hear yourself? That’s insane!”

I barely registered his anger. My mind was racing.

Forgot.

The wharf.

The missing pieces.

Eric stared at me.

I never told him.

Avery’s voice cut through the noise. “How would you even know that?” Avery questioned, exclaiming, “You’ve been locked up!”

I stood abruptly and grabbed Avery’s shoulder.

“Enough.”

Then I turned back to Liam.

“How do you know about my memory?”

A slow, brittle smile touched his lips.

“His reach goes further than y’all think. My cells aren’t beyond it.”

My thoughts spiraled. 

If information was reaching Liam’s cell… then someone was feeding it. It was flowing in and out… so then what if…?

“Liam,” I said softly, “is he hurting you?”

A pause.

“It seems I’m no longer useful.”

My chest tightened.

“Why didn’t you report it?”

“If he wants someone gone,” Liam said softly, “they don’t stay long.”

Then the coughing started.

Violent. Wet.

Blood splattered across the table.

“Liam!” I rushed forward as he stumbled, gripping my shoulder before collapsing into me.

His weight dragged me to my knees. His body trembled against mine, breaths shredding his lungs.

Eric bolted for help. Avery tried to pull him off me, but Liam clung tighter. 

And then… something small slipped into my coat pocket.

His lips brushed near my ear.

“Don’t… trust… so easily…”

Then his body went limp.

Everything after that blurred.

Avery performing chest compressions.

Eric returning with paramedics.

Shouted orders.

Metal gurney wheels screeching against tile.

And me.

On my knees.

Covered in fresh blood.

Staring at a man who had been speaking seconds ago.

After they took my statement, I stepped outside into the cool air.

Avery and Eric’s voices behind me became muffled as I dove into my thoughts.

If someone had poisoned Liam, who delivered it?

If there’s a mole…, who is it?

If someone hates me enough to orchestrate this…, who did I forget?

Then I remembered. Amidst all the chaos, Liam had slipped something into my pocket.

My hands reached for it, pulling out a white, crumpled piece of paper. I unfolded it gently, careful not to damage it further. And on it, written messily, was Jack’s name.

Jack? Like our director, Jack? Was he the one behind all of this?

No… Liam said he couldn’t tell me who it was because of his debt. But perhaps Jack was a piece of a larger puzzle.

I started down the stairs. A hand caught my arm. And I instinctively balled my hand into a fist to hide the note.

Avery.

“Want me to come with you? I don’t think you should be alone.”

His eyes were bloodshot. Shaken.

I squeezed his hand. “I’m not that fragile; it’s okay.”

Truthfully, he looked worse than I felt.

“Go home,” I whispered. “Get some rest.”

He hesitated, then nodded.

“But text me.”

“I will.”

He left.

Eric remained.

Lost in thought. I waved a hand in front of him.

“Earth to Wolfie.”

He looked down at me, something heavy in his expression.

“Selene… can you really not remember?”

There was no accusation in his voice. Only pain.

Before I could answer, he pulled me into an embrace.

My forehead pressed against his chest. His arms wrapped around me… steady… warm… grounding.

“What have you been carrying all these years?” he murmured.

And for the first time… I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.