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“He didn’t beat up anyone,” Polly shot back.

“You want to swear to that under oath?” Harris countered. “Was he with you the entire night?”

“Most of it,” she admitted. “He went to a therapy session at St. Luke’s.”

“Where Mr. Emery’s body was found,” Harris interrupted. “Convenient.”

Daniel’s jaw flexed. “There were a dozen people in that session who can vouch for me.”

“Maybe. But I understand you were Special Forces. You could’ve run into Emery in the parking garage, taken him out fast and still made it home in time for your beauty sleep.”

“That’s enough,” Joel snapped. “I’m sitting in on the interview.”

Daniel grabbed his jacket and boots. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Then he turned to Burke, his voice low and fierce. “Keep an eye on her. Somebody’s trying to separate us. Don’t let her be alone.”

Burke nodded grimly. “She’ll be safe with me.”

Daniel cupped Polly’s face and kissed her hard, wishing he could erase the fear in her eyes. “I’ll see you soon, Sunshine. I promise. I didn’t do this.”

Her fingers clung to the front of his shirt. “I know.”

But as he followed the detectives out into the melting snow, dread settled in his gut like cold lead. The morning after wasn’t supposed to feel like this.

POLLY CLIMBED THE stairs to her condo, each step echoing through the narrow stairwell. Luna trotted at her side, leash taut, toenails clicking against the concrete. The old building carried every sound—pipes groaning, water hissing somewhere behind the walls, and that faint, grinding noise she’d heard before.

Probably a repair crew working on the elevator. The thing had been out of order for weeks.

She dismissed it and kept climbing, her mind too full of everything that had happened to linger on background noises. After leaving Daniel’s place with Burke, she’d asked him to swing by St. Luke’s so she could grab her backpack—her emergency kit she kept in her locker at work. She’d filled it with basic medical supplies: antiseptic wipes, bandages, and the medications the clinic had requested. She’d change into some clean scrubs, put Luna in her crate and head to the women and children’s free clinic. She didn’t normally volunteer on the weekends, but she needed to stay busy or drown in her thoughts. Her stepdad had promised to hang out at the clinic to keep an eye on things until Daniel was free to join her.

Her work felt normal. Familiar. Safe. Something about the weight of her bag over her shoulder made her feel steady again, like she was still herself amid the chaos.

And chaos it was. Tate was dead. Her apartment violated. Daniel hauled in for questioning.

She prayed he’d been released by now, that Joel Standage had believed him, that Daniel was on his way home to pick up Pirate from Mrs. Maynard’s. She could picture it so clearly—Pirate waiting at the front door, tail wagging, Daniel crouching to hug the dog, that crooked half smile softening the scars on his face.

Her chest tightened at the memory of his kiss before they took him away. It was brief, but strong and full of promise.

Her life was spinning apart, but there was one thing she knew for certain.

She loved him. Daniel Travis wasn’t just her protector. He was her safe place.

She reached the fifth-floor landing and stopped. Luna pressed against her leg, her warm body grounding Polly for just a heartbeat. The yellow crime-scene tape fluttered across the door like an accusation.

But her stepdad had assured her it was okay to go inside. The crime lab had cleared the place, finding nothing helpful. A few smudges, but no clear prints belonging to anyone besides her, Daniel and her family. And the door lock didn’t show signs of tampering. Whoever had gotten in had either learned the entry code, stolen a key card or convinced the building super to let him in.

For a moment, she simply stood there, hand trembling on the key, backpack sliding off her shoulder. Then she drew a deep breath, squared her shoulders and tore the tape down.

“We’re taking our home back, Luna,” she whispered, forcing a small smile for the dog.

She swiped the key card.

Behind her, metal groaned.

Polly froze.

That same grinding noise again, closer this time. The out-of-order elevator behind her shuddered and began to move. Were the doors opening?

Luna barked once, sharp and warning.