hich one what?” Mackie felt ridiculous even saying the words, but he persevered, squared his shoulders, and shot the boys a very hard look.

“Which sister,” Nick clarified helpfully. “I understand Walker has two of them.”

The newcomer presumably named Walker ignored both Nick and Mackie and turned to the holding cell. His gaze flitted briefly over three of the girls, then lingered on the fourth. The well-­mannered one.

“I got your note, Lily.”

“What note?” Mackie pressed in the silence that followed.

“You four sent him a note, too?” That question—from Nick—was aimed at the one he’d come to see. Sawyer.

“I am going to need to see these notes,” Mackie insisted.

Walker turned toward Mackie, who noticed for the first time that one of the boy’s eyes was black-and-blue. It looked like he’d gone to some effort to cover the bruising, but it was visible if you looked.

Mackie’s instincts buzzed. Notes. Bruises. Hadn’t one of the girls said something earlier about accomplices?

“I’m going to need to see some ID,” Mackie told the visitors gruffly.

“And I,” Walker replied, “am going to need to place a call to the family attorney.”