Chapter 14

Detectives Coudry and Butler returned to Sebastian Walters’ house, looking for anything they might’ve missed. The place had already been processed—marked, bagged, photographed—but Seth wanted a second look. His gut wouldn’t let it go.

It was a high-profile case: wealthy white man found dead. The accused? A quiet, plain Black woman with no record, no clear motive, and no media polish. The internet was frothing. True crime junkies were dissecting the 911 call in real-time. The press smelled blood.

Butler was already convinced.

Seth wasn’t.

He wasn’t sure when exactly that started happening—when his instincts stopped matching his partner’s. Maybe it was always there and he’d just been too young to name it. But lately, he could feel the weight of shortcuts. The way some people got fast-tracked to guilt without ever getting heard. And how easy it was to mistake bias for evidence if it fit the story you wanted.

They were interrupted by the arrival of two women.

One white. One Black.

Seth clocked the Black woman immediately: Max Carlisle. Her reputation preceded her. She was sharp. Precise. Not showy, but lethal. The kind of person who could gut your argument with one sentence and wouldn’t raise her voice to do it.

The white woman spoke first. “Cara Worthington. I represent Savannah Spencer.”

Seth felt the weight of that name immediately. Worthington & Carlisle didn’t take press bait. If they were involved, it was for a reason.

Butler didn’t ask about the case. He zeroed in on Max.

“Why’s she here?” he asked, tone clipped, eyes flat.

Before Max could answer, Cara did. “She’s name partner.”

Seth didn’t react. “We’ll get out of your hair.”

He stepped forward and extended a hand to Max.

She shook it. Firm. No words.

Seth kept his voice low. “Apologies for my partner. He was raised by wolves.”

Max gave a single nod.

He handed her his card. “If you need anything. Context. Background. We’ve been on this since day one.”

Another nod.

He gave Cara a polite glance, then turned to John. “Let’s go.”

They stepped outside and got into the car.

John waited until they’d pulled down the street before speaking. “Why’d you do that?”

Seth didn’t answer.

“You embarrassed me. In front of them.”

Seth kept his eyes on the road. “You embarrassed yourself.”

A beat passed. Then John said, “She didn’t even say anything.”

“She didn’t need to.”

Another pause. “You think we missed something?”

“If Worthington & Carlisle are taking the case,” Seth said, “we missed something.”

John didn’t respond. His jaw was tight. Eyes forward.

Seth didn’t press.

The case was supposed to be a slam dunk.

Now? It felt like the floor just cracked.