Hoping it would somehow change if I looked away. It didn't. Of course, it didn't. Reality rarely accommodated wishful thinking. Finally, Rowan spoke.
"That's not proof." His voice was quieter than before. I looked up. His eyes were fixed on the paper. Not on me. Not on the name. Just the paper. I understood immediately. Because I agreed. It wasn't proof. Not even close.
A name remaining after elimination wasn't evidence. It was a question. A possibility. Nothing more. The problem was that the possibility was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
"I know." The answer came softly. Rowan nodded. Almost imperceptibly. The room fell silent again. Outside, someone laughed. A phone rang. A door opened and closed. Life continued normally. Meanwhile, inside this room, everything felt dan
