Never Alone by C. J. Carpenter

missed the last few months with my father!”
    And now the truth was out. Megan hated admitting it, but her guilt for not spending more time with her dad was starting to come to light and into her heart. “I’ll never get that time back. I was too busy chasing a fucking psycho!”
    Nappa smoothed his tone. “That’s what this is about?”
    Megan tightened her fists, pressing her fingernails into her palms in hopes of pushing down the rising lump in her throat, “I don’t know. Maybe.”
    â€œMcGinn,” Nappa whispered, “he’s gone.”
    â€œI can’t say those words.” She moved away. “Not right now. Not yet.”
    They walked in silence for the next few minutes. Nappa slowed his pace, allowing Megan to walk ahead of him. He knew to switch gears and give Megan the space to regain her footing after her emotional disclosure. “You think this is the unsub’s first?”
    â€œNot a chance.”
    People bustled past them. The noise and the traffic did little to distance them from how they spent the last few hours. Metrosexual men resembling Ralph Lauren ads strutted while texting aimlessly into iPhones. One particular guy caught Megan’s eye. He wore a perfectly fitted ribbed turtleneck covered by a dark suede jacket. Nice contrast. A new TAG Heuer peeked out from under his suede cuff as he nonchalantly ran a hand through his overly product-filled hair. Megan glanced in his direction, but men like him did nothing for her, especially today.
    â€œHow do you think they’ll do?” Megan asked as she took her cell phone out to check for a signal. She knew she had to dial it. Just to check. Just to see if anyone would pick up.
    â€œThe McAllisters?” asked Nappa.
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œOh God. I don’t know. I can’t imagine it. I don’t know how any of the families handle it.” He winced, partly from the chilly breeze, partly from thinking about the horrific circumstances of losing a family member in that manner. “It’s just so vicious, so sudden. I’m not sure how anyone could get through something like that.” He looked back at Megan as she started dialing the phone.
    â€œYou’re trying the number the McAllisters gave us?”
    She nodded, waiting. “It doesn’t mean I’m staying on this. I was waiting for you to think of it, but as usual everything falls on me.”
    Nappa stared straight ahead. “Hmm.”
    It went directly to voicemail, and then she experienced another first. Listening to the dead. Some people sound stiff when recording their outgoing message, uncomfortable. Others are at the op posite end of the spectrum: obnoxious, like an insecure actor overdoing a scene. But Shannon’s voice was sweet, buoyant, and now silenced forever.
    Nappa could see the discomfort in Megan’s face. He took the phone from her, closed it. “Let’s go, McGinn.” They walked in somber silence for a few minutes. Hoping to lighten the moment, he said, “By the way, very nice interview today. You’re a natural in front of the cameras. A very calming force.”
    â€œYeah?” Megan smiled. “Thanks. There was a real organic feel to the conversation.”
    â€œA respectful give and take”—he rolled his eyes—“especially when she thought more insight was needed on the case.”
    â€œOh yes. The zen was definitely flowing then,” Megan said.
    â€œOkay. So what’s next? Max is running everything ASAP and—” At that moment Nappa’s cell rang. “Nappa.” It was their boss, Lieutenant Walker. “We just left Max’s office. It went as expected. We’re on our way back now.”
    Megan waved goodbye to Nappa’s cell phone as he closed it.
    â€œShe wants us back for an update,” he said.
    â€œI feel another zen moment coming on.”
    â€œIsn’t one enough for today?”
    Megan