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Amber didn’t want to ask for more help from Auntie Christel. She didn’t want to put her in more danger than she already was.

She’d gone through the stone and walked on foot to Fort William, where she’d sold the jewelry and the dagger. With his eyes shining, he’d paid her 25,000 pounds. He’d agreed on the price too quickly, which made her think she could have probably gotten a better price.

Still, the money was enough to buy a fake driver’s license and passport off the dark net that were good enough to pass through border control. It took a week for it to arrive, and she was suddenly Susan Francis, born in New Hampshire and residing in Inverness.

She knew she wouldn’t win this game without the help of her older brother and his connections. She’d considered contacting Jonathan to let him know she was coming, but in the end, she’d decided not to in case his phone was bugged. One heart-stopping flight and two security checks later, and she was in New Orleans.

From there, she’d used a rental car to get to Nicholson, and now she stood in front of Jonathan’s house wearing a wig of short black hair in a bob cut. She’d gone for a suburban mom-look of checkered shirt, mom jeans, and comfortable but stylish sneakers. Just in case, she put on a baseball hat to hide a bit of her face.

She waited in the car parked across the street from the house. When she saw Jonathan leave, her heart thumped. Her brother was older, and gray hair touched his temples. With age, he looked more and more like their dad. He was the same height, had the same build. His broad shoulders even slouched in a similar way, and something in her chest moved at the thought.

He got into his car and drove away, and like in a thriller movie, she followed him. As far as she could tell, they had no tail. He arrived at the parking lot of a Costco, and when he got out of the car, so did she. With her pulse racing a hundred miles per hour, she jogged to him before he reached the entrance.

“Jonathan,” she said, and he turned to her. His eyes widened in surprise, and he glanced around.

“What the hell, Amber? What are you doing here?”

Her back tensed and her gut tightened. Was this a mistake? Would he betray her like he had when they were young?

“Can we please talk?” she said. “Somewhere private?”

He muttered something, took her by the elbow and lead her across the road into a small park. The air was rich with the scent of flowers and humidity. They sat on a bench looking out over a small pond. Strands of Spanish moss hung from the trees surrounding the water. Mothers pushed strollers, elderly women power walked, and teenagers rode bikes and skateboards along the path.

“Talk,” Jonathan said. “You were all over the news a month ago. We went out of our minds searching for you.”

The accusation in his voice surprised her. Had he been worried about her?

“So? Did you murder him?” he said.

Amber’s nails bit into her palm. Did he even have to ask? Of course he wouldn’t believe her. How had she ever thought he would.

“What do you think?”

“I didn’t think you could, but you running and hiding didn’t look very good.”

A slow smile bloomed on her face. Her brother was on her side. “I was set up. That’s why I’m here. I need your help to prove I’m innocent.”

He sighed. “Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“Because…” She fingered the nail of her thumb. “I didn’t think you’d believe me.”

“What? Why?”

“You know why. We haven’t been exactly close. We never really were. I didn’t think you’d want to risk anything to help me.”

Jonathan sighed and massaged his face with his hands. “Yeah. Well, you’re wrong. I have your back. Do you hear me?”

She finally found the strength to look at him. Her brother had always been intimidating. Their father had treated him as his heir, the perfect son. The image Amber had helped him maintain when she’d taken on various little sins that he’d committed.

But now, looking him in the eye, she didn’t see annoyance and arrogance like before. She saw guilt.

And love.

He covered her hand with his.

“I’m sorry for what we did when we were kids. I know it was wrong, but I was young and stupid. And cowardly. Dad loved you so much, I didn’t think anything could change that.”

She snorted. “What? Me?”