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the coy little kiss at the end. But instead, his mind wandered to Sylvie’s form––the way her slender body had sashayed a little when she was walking away from him. Was she trying to give him a message? That he’d chosen the wrong sister?
    The old man answered the door.
    “Hey, Howard,” Carlan said casually. “Just coming by to check and see how you’re doin’.”
    Howard stared at him with blurry eyes, as if trying to remember who he was. Then he broke into a grin. “Officer Carlan, how good to see you!”
    Jamie’s parents had always liked him. Because he was a cop, they had thought he would be a good catch for Jamie. Apparently, Howard either hadn’t known about the restraining order or had forgotten. When Jamie’s mother came out of the kitchen, he could see from her hard eyes that she had known and hadn’t forgotten.
    But Howard had already invited him in, and Carlan quickly sat down on one of the couches. He smiled at Jamie’s mother––Jennifer? Jean? Best not to guess.
    “Please don’t make any special effort on my part,” he said. “I just wanted to come by and express my sorrow at Jamie’s… passing. I wish I could have been there. I would have kept her safe.”
    “Bend is a lot safer,” Howard agreed. “I can’t figure it out. Why she did it. Why go to Portland, with all those lowlifes?”
    Jamie’s mom almost said something, then decided against it.
    “One good thing came out of Jamie’s death,” Howard said. There was a strangled sound from the other couch, and he blanched. “I mean… no, honey… nothing good came out of it. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just talking about the insurance, you know…” His eyes pleaded with his wife, but she wouldn’t look at him.
    “Insurance?” Carlan asked sharply.
    “Turns out, Jamie bought an insurance policy for Sylvie’s education. A big amount, too, unless I’m mistaken.”
    “That was quick,” Carlan said. Better and better. Unlike with Jamie, where he’d had to pay for everything, Sylvie could pay her own way. “I’ve never heard of a policy that only pays for school.”
    “That’s what I said,” Howard exclaimed, looking to his wife for confirmation. “But the guy said that there was some flexibility there: like, if Sylvie was living at home, she could use it for expenses.”
    “He actually came to your door?” Now Carlan had heard everything. Usually you had to track down the insurance companies and hold their feet to the fire to get anything out of them.
    “I’m pretty sure he’s good for it, too. He was driving a big Cadillac Escalade.”
    Carlan froze. The smile fell off his face.
    “What?” Howard said, looking alarmed. “What’s wrong?”
    “Oh, nothing… hey, listen. I forgot an appointment,” Carlan said, getting up. “Again, my condolences to both of you. Be sure to give Sylvie my best.”
    As he made his way to the door, Jamie’s mother spoke for the first time. She had a whiskey-and-cigarette voice, too, deeper and more alarming than her husband’s. “Stay away from Sylvie.”
    “Honey!” Howard exclaimed. “What are you talking about?”
    Jean––that was her name, Carlan suddenly remembered––got up and pushed Carlan toward the door and then through it. “What are you talking about?” he protested, echoing Howard. But he didn’t resist.
    “Jeanie! That was really rude!” Howard said.
    As the door began to close behind him, Carlan heard the woman say, “Howard. Sometimes you’re so blind.”
     
    #
     
    Carlan sat in the car for ten minutes, trying to wrap his brain around what he’d just learned.
    Why would the killer be offering Sylvie money for school? Guilt? Remorse? Was it a trap to lure another girl to her death? What was his game? Who was this guy, and why was he targeting a single family like this?
    For a moment, he wondered if he should wait for the guy to deliver the “insurance payment” before taking him down. The money would come in handy. But he quickly