Page 98 of Long Time Gone

“I think it went well. But best of all, it’s over.”

“Big relief?”

“The biggest.”

Sloan walked to her door.

“What’s with the house call? Something new come up?”

“No. I’m here to make you an offer.”

Sloan pointed to the package leaning against the front door. “This yours?”

“Nope. It was there when I got here.”

Sloan looked at the package and then back to Michaels.

“What kind of offer?”

“The Bureau needs some fresh blood in the forensics unit. We could use someone like you once you’re done with your final year of training.”

“The FBI?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I was thinking about a homicide unit.”

“You’re thinking too small. Rumors are already starting to spread, and people are talking. You’re in high demand, and you’re not made for a homicide unit. The Bureau is a bigger platform, and our task force is a much better fit for your skill set. You’d be working in the FBI laboratory in forensics, helping solve crimes and cold cases from around the country.”

Sloan inserted her key into the front door. The offer was everything Sloan had hoped to do.

“Can I think about it?”

“Sure. You’ve got a year to decide.”

Agent Michaels handed her a business card.

“Keep in touch.”

Sloan smiled. “I will.”

“And good luck in the morgue.”

“Thanks.”

A moment later, Sloan watched over the third-story railing as Agent Michaels drove away. When he was gone, she looked down at the package still leaning against her door. It was the size of a wall hanging and contained no address label or postage to suggest it had been delivered by a formal courier service. She looked around the complex, as if the person who left it would still be in the area. Seeing no one, she opened her door, dropped the box of research onto the kitchen floor, and lifted the package to carry it into her apartment. When she did, she noticed a second, smaller box that had been set behind the package. She took both inside.

In the kitchen she used scissors to cut the crisscrossing rope on the smaller package, popped the cardboard top, and opened the box. Inside was Annabelle’s Nikon FM10 camera and a new package of film. Sloan smiled as she turned the camera over in her hands.

Placing it on the table, she reached for the larger package—the wall hanging—and slowly peeled away the brown paper to reveal a framed photo. Once she had the paper removed, Sloan turned the frame around to admire the picture. It was an enlarged image of the Cooper’s hawk taken by Annabelle as the bird took flight outside her home—the picture Sloan and Nora had developed at Margolis Manor. The hawk, lighted by the afternoon sun, was majestic with its wings fully outstretched.

A white envelope was taped to the bottom of the picture. Sloan set the frame flat on her table and opened the envelope, pulling out a card. She read the message and smiled.

You will soar to great places.

—Nora