The kitchen stayed silent after Luke said the name. Water spread across the tiles from the broken bottle, slipping around their shoes in thin shining lines.
Mindy Haynes stood frozen, her breath trapped somewhere in her chest. Charlotte Green. The name hit her like something pulled from a dream she could never fully remember.
She knew it, yet she did not.
It lived in the back of her mind beside old smells, half-heard voices, and memories too faded to trust. Ken Hawkins was the first to move. He stepped around the broken glass and reached for a towel without taking his eyes off her.
“Look at me,” he said. His voice was low and controlled. Mindy lifted her gaze slowly. “Do you know her?” he asked. She swallowed hard. “No.” Viola let out a dry laugh from the doorway.
“That pause said oth
