The rain poured down, turning the ground beneath Elias's feet into thick mud. The man in the raincoat watched them with a small, cruel smile. He knew he had just destroyed Elias's alibi, and he relished every second of it.

"I'll leave you to catch up," the investigator said. He tucked his clipboard under his arm and walked back to his black car. He'd done his job, and the chaos was just beginning.

Clara stood on the porch, her body trembling.

She looked at the man she'd called "Eli" for weeks.