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Luke sank down beside me and clasped my knee as it jittered up and down. “That’s her?”

I nodded quickly, not trusting myself to speak.

“Ava.” Her voice cracked on my name, and I made a small, strangled sound.

“This is good,” Luke said. “It’s good news.”

On the screen, Sadie let out a self-conscious laugh, her blue eyes glistening. “You know how much I hate cameras, so I hope you appreciate this.” She rubbed her nose and glanced off-camera. “You better be watching,” she said. “Because if you’re not, I’m going to be so upset.”

A deeper male voice came from the direction she’d been looking. “You’re already upset,” he said, then a man with tattoos and unruly brown hair leaned into the frame. “She’s worried about you, Ava,” he said. “Which means I am, too.” He pressed a kiss on her cheek before disappearing again.

It had to be Theo, and they were definitely no longer just neighbours. I would have high-fived my sister if she’d been in the room.

Her expression softened as she watched him, then she returned her attention to me. “I waited as long as I could,” she said, “but I can’t make Theo stay, and I don’t want him to go without me. Tim and Varesh agreed to hang around for a few more days before they follow us, so I’m leaving this message in case you miss them.”

She shoved some loose strands of hair back from her face and sighed. “I’m feeling better now,” she said. “Theo’s been the best nurse.”

“The hottest nurse,” he corrected from somewhere in the background.

A shaky breath left me, half laugh, half sob. I shared a quick glance with Luke, rewarded by his smile.

“We’re leaving for Theo’s dad’s farm in Fairmarsh,” she continued. “It’s two hours away. There are fences all around and lots of space. His sister’s there, Mia, and her daughter, Ruby. Write the address down. I didn’t want to leave it anywhere in case Dustin breaks in after we leave.”

Breaks in?

Sadie had left a pad and a pen on the coffee table. Luke scribbled down the address while she read it out loud.

“About Dustin,” she said. “I’m not trying to scare you, but he’s gone downhill over the past few months, so just… make sure you’re never alone with him.”

A chill swept over me. That didn’t sound like the Dustin she’d complained about before we lost touch. He’d been a nuisance, not a danger.

Luke squeezed my knee again. “We won’t be around long enough for him to be a problem.”

I nodded as my mind spun. Did the damage to Dustin’s door have something to do with Sadie and Theo?

Sadie looked like she wanted to say more, but she paused and took a couple of breaths to reset. “Please come,” she said. “I’ve missed you so much. All I can think about is what you’re going through. I need to see you. I need to know you’re okay.”

My vision blurred again, tears slipping free before I could stop them. I wiped a droplet off the screen as the corners of her mouth lifted. “I’ll be here waiting for you,” she said. “Please don’t take forever.”

The video ended, and the tablet went dark. I stared at my reflection through the fingerprints on the glass, a desperate part of me wanting to replay it over and over. She was alive. Not here, not close enough to touch, but alive somewhere.

Then another thought pushed its way in. “Luke...”

He slid the pad and pen onto the coffee table and turned to me, waiting.

“The car,” I said. “What if it happened after she left?”

“When was your last contact with her?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, flipping back through my memories. “Two days before my flight,” I said, looking at him again. “Theo, though. Not Sadie. She was too sick, so he texted me on her phone.”

“And they were still here?”

I nodded as the details I’d overlooked clicked into place. The dead woman looked like she’d been there for several days. Sadie had been sick in bed for almost a week. The crash must have happened before she caught Ultimus.

“There’s your answer,” Luke said. “Sadie made the video after she was sick. She probably went to the farm in Theo’s car.”

My shoulders sagged as I looked around the room. The empty coat hooks. The missing photo. Everything that meant something to her was gone. If I went into her bedroom, no doubt her closet would be cleared out, too. She’d left here in her usual methodical way. No rushing.