Vanessa
I forced a smile. "Yes, I did, but these three have been keeping me company," I said, gesturing toward Elliott, Liam, and Karen.
Richard acknowledged them with a nod. "Hi, everyone. I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, Richard. Thanks for coming," Elliott replied, his voice polite but tinged with an undercurrent I couldn't quite place. "How's life treating you? Still with the LAPD?"
"Yeah, I am," Richard said, maintaining a neutral tone. "Actually, I'm a detective now."
It was obvious they knew each other, which made me wonder why Karen always acted like she didn't know Richard. Were they friends once? Enemies now? What had caused the shift?
I glanced at Liam, who met my eyes briefly before looking away, but his gaze kept returning to me, even with Karen standing right next to him. The tension between us was almost suffocating.
