“He won’t be getting bail easily, especially not with the flight risk he just demonstrated.”

I stood there for another minute, watching the red taillights of the cruisers as they began to back down the driveway.

They turned onto the main road, the blue and red flashes disappearing behind the row of tall pines.

The driveway was empty now, marked only by the deep tire tracks in the snow.

“Let’s go inside,” Annika said, touching my arm. “You need to get warm.”

We walked back up the steps and into the house.

The warmth of the foyer felt oppressive after the cold air.

Arthur was sitting on the bench by the front door, his hands clasped between his knees.

He looked up as we entered.

“They took him?” Arthur asked.

“Yes,” I said.

He nodded slowly, looking down at his polished shoes.

“I will hire the best defense attorneys for him,” Arthur said, his voice quiet.

“But only to ensure a fair trial. I will not pay to cover this up, Monica.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” I said.