The bitter scent of brewing coffee filled the air, along with the sounds of clinking and clanking as Peyton busied herself in the kitchen. Tessa, left alone in the living room, stole a few minutes to take in the details of the space that her sister called home.

The small living area was sparsely furnished with mismatched pieces, all of which had seen better days. The wood floor was bare, the windows naked, the dingy white walls were void of decoration. There was nothing personal-no mementos, no what-nots scattered about-nothing at all that made the space feel even remotely like a home. It was almost as if her sister didn't actually live there.

Looking around, the space felt very transient. It was the home of a woman who knew she wouldn't be there very long, so she didn't bother with making an effort, didn't bother even attempting to make it feel like hers.

There were two open doorways on the far side of the living room, one leading to a bathroom painted a garish shade of purple and the other leading to a bedroom, the rumpled bed and night table visible to her. Though it was her sister's private space, as her gaze landed on the two picture frames sitting on the night table, she felt her feet carrying her toward the room, her curiosity overriding her sense of propriety.

Entering the bedroom, she shot a quick glance about, noting the mirrored dresser that was piled with enough makeup and lotions and potions for three women, the open closet that revealed a moderate, albeit unkempt, wardrobe of clothes...and the three suitcases stacked up just off to the side, ready and waiting for use at a moment's notice. In this space, there were still no rugs under foot or curtains at the windows, but there was TV sitting on a table in the corner, a couple of floor lamps with thin, colorful scarves draped over the shades, a print depicting a pristine tropical beach scene on the wall, and the two picture frames on the nightstand.

Crossing the room, Tessa stopped in front of the bedside table, peering down at the two photographs that her sister obviously found special enough to display, receiving a bit of a shock as she did so.

Taking in the first picture, housed in a silver filigree frame, she saw younger versions of both herself and Peyton staring back at her. It was a photograph that used to reside in a family photo album, a snap taken during a Fourth of July picnic in the park. She'd been thirteen and Peyton had just turned twelve. They were both sitting in the grass beneath a shade tree, their arms around each other, both of them grinning hugely for the camera.

Their mother had taken that picture. She remembered the sundress her mom had been wearing, how it had been smattered in red, white, and blue stars. They'd eaten hot dogs and watermelon and had then sprawled out on their blankets to watch the fireworks display.

Her memory of that day was incredibly vivid, even fifteen years later. Their family had been so happy just being together and enjoying the holiday. The sunshine had been warm, the scents of freshly cut grass and charcoal smoke had hung in the air, the fireworks had been the most beautiful she'd ever seen. Things had been just...perfect.

And exactly one week later, their entire world had fallen apart.

That picture sitting on her sister's nightstand had captured their last moments of happiness, of normalcy. Frankly, she was surprised that Peyton had held onto it. Just looking at it caused a knot to form in her throat. Those two innocent, smiling little girls' lives had been shattered. In fact, in her mind, those two little girls had died shortly after that day...

Tearing her gaze away from the picture, Tessa moved onto the one sitting next to it. That snap was a selfie of Peyton and another woman who could have been her twin, both with their blonde hair flowing about them, crowns of silk daisies atop their heads, and matching gold initial necklaces, spelling out PNK, around their necks. Both women were smiling hugely into the camera while in the background, snippets of a large crowd and a stage could be seen.

Along the left edge of the picture, beside the second girl, there was visible a slip of flesh that was a man's upper arm, which was sporting a spray on scorpion tattoo. The man had clearly been cut from the picture, leaving barely a hint that he'd ever been in it at all.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Tessa turned toward the bedroom door just in time to see Peyton stepping into the room, somewhat of an embarrassed smile crossing her face. "I'm sorry everything's such a mess. I wasn't expecting a visit from Special Detective Stark today."

Tessa offered a rather chagrined smile of her own. "Special Detective Stark shouldn't be poking around your bedroom in the first place."

Peyton lifted a shoulder, crossing the space to join Tessa by the nightstand. "I'm sure its hard to turn off, right? So, poke around all you want."

As Peyton spoke, Tessa turned her gaze back to the picture frames. "I thought all those pictures were burned."

There was a brief silence from Peyton before she answered. "I got to this one before mom did. Its...its the only one that's left."

"I'm surprised you kept it," she said, her voice suddenly sounding a bit too small in the quiet room.

"Why wouldn't I? I...I never wanted to forget you, Tessa. Or us. Just everything else," Peyton said flatly, prompting Tessa to squeeze her eyes closed for a few seconds.

She wanted to look at her sister, but she knew what she'd see, swirling just behind those vivid blue contact lenses. She'd see all the things that had kept them apart for over a decade, all the things that haunted Peyton so that she was constantly on the run, living what was a temporary existence in whatever town she decided to pause in. She also knew that Peyton would see those same things mirrored in her own eyes and she didn't want that. Not yet. She at least wanted to spend a few minutes with her sister before those things forced them both to flee each other's presence.

"So, who's the girl?" Tessa questioned, just to shift the conversation. "She looks like she could be your twin."

"Oh, that's Kimber. She's...she's my best friend," Peyton replied, a measure of guilt lacing her words.

Well, that explained the matching P and K necklaces. "Looks like you were having fun."

"Yeah. That was at some music festival a few months ago. Desert Haze, I think. Kimber's always dragging me to those things," came the response.

Tessa finally opened her eyes and tentatively glanced at Peyton. "Who's the poor guy who got axed from the picture?" she wondered, keeping her voice as light as possible.

She didn't want Peyton to feel guilty because she had friends. Though, she had rather imagined her sister's life as being...mostly as solitary as her own.

Peyton lifted a shoulder in a dismissive shrug. "He...was a friend of Kimber's. And he was about as faithful as an old hound dog. Coffee?"

Understanding that particular topic was not up for discussion, Tessa gave a nod and followed her sister out of the bedroom and back into the living room, where a small cobbled together coffee service and a plate of cookies were laid out.

"I know its a little early for sweets, but I really only have junk food in the house. Sorry," Peyton apologized as they both took a seat on the worn leather sofa.

"Its fine. I'm probably in for a long day, so caffeine and sugar can only help," she admitted, taking off her messenger bag and laying it next to her as her sister began pouring out cups of steaming brew.

She was probably in for a spate of long days. And nights. So, oatmeal raisin cookies and a cup of coffee with enough caffeine to stutter her heart wasn't a bad way to start off.

"Is this about Hallie Whitmore?" asked Peyton, handing Tessa a mug. "I mean...if I can ask that kind of thing? I-I don't know what you're allowed to talk about."

Taking the mug, she had to smile at her sister. "Its not a classified investigation. I'm sure its been all over the local news."

Peyton nodded, setting the carafe onto the scuffed wooden coffee table and reaching for the sugar spoon. "It has. Nothing ever happens around here, so a rich socialite getting murdered has everybody foaming at the mouth."

Tessa helped herself to a splash of milk and enough sugar for two cups of coffee. "I reckon that would cause a stir no matter where it happened. Especially considering the socialite's uncle is a United State's Senator."

The socialite's grandfather was also one of the richest oil magnates in the country and her father owned a law firm that worked solely with oil companies, representing them at the federal level, so the family weren't exactly regular folk.

"Its been like a month since it happened, right? They...whoever they are...must think you're pretty good at your job if they're hoping you can solve this when all the other cops haven't been able to."

"They are they local sheriff, the district attorney, and Senator Whitmore," she revealed, picking up a cookie and taking a sizable bite.

Peyton's eyes widened. "Wow. An actual senator really asked for you to come here? That's pretty impressive. You really must know what you're doing."

"I've gotten lucky a few times," she said, taking a sip of the sweet, milky liquid that was a bit too weakly brewed for her taste buds, but she tried not to show it.

"Well, you might need some luck for this mess. I haven't kept up with it much lately, but last I heard, there weren't even any real suspects," Peyton stated, giving her head a shake.

Swallowing down her mouthful of mostly sweetened milk, Tessa found herself hoping that her luck held. Otherwise, there would be a grieving family left with no answers and no justice. Not to mention a very angry senator who'd be howling for the blood of local law enforcement. Senator Whitmore was already threatening to have the governor slash the department's funding, which certainly wouldn't make solving future crimes any easier.

An abrupt silence dropped over the room, prompting Tessa to glance over at her sister, finding the woman staring at her as if she was...seeing a ghost. A shimmer of tension began to build between them, but before it became more than a shimmer, Peyton heaved a sigh and allowed a stiff half-smile to lift the corner of her mouth.

"You look good, Tessa," she said softly. "I guess life's treated you pretty well?"

Sitting her coffee mug and half eaten cookie onto the table, Tessa forced her own half-smile. "I've done alright. You look good, too, Peyton. Blonde hair suits you."

Peyton ran a hand through her curls in a bit of a self-conscious way. "Thanks. I'm blonde for now. Before this I was a red head. Before that it was lavender..." She paused, clearing her throat and visibly trying to shove something from her thoughts. "Anyway, you should come by the spa while you're in town. Hair consultations are free. I think you'd look good as an ash blonde."

"Oh, I don't really have time to fiddle with my hair," she declined the offer. In fact, there were times when she barely remembered to brush her hair, which was why she kept hair cuts to once a year and the whole mess pulled back into a ponytail and out of her way.

"Well, just think about it," Peyton encouraged. "Changing your hair can give you a whole new outlook on life. Really, you'll feel like a new you!"

Those words sent something painful spiraling through her. Maybe a new hair color...or a new eye color or a round of lip filler...would make her feel like a new person for a little while. But, feeling like a whole new person was clearly a fleeting solution. No amount of hair dye or facial gels could change who they were underneath.

As a heavy, smothering silence dropped onto the room, she could see that Peyton was having thoughts that ran along the same line as hers, and suddenly, that thread of tension between them tightened, stiffening both their spines and veritably ending any further lighthearted chitchat, which left them both with nothing to do but stare mutely at one another.

And then it was time to go.

"Feeling like a new me night be nice sometime," she confessed, her voice rather coarse and dry. "But, for now, the old me has work to do, so I should get going. I have to check into my hotel and head to the sheriff's office."

As she stood, taking her messenger bag and placing it across herself, Peyton got to her feet as well, a bit of hesitancy crossing her features. "Tessa, why don't you stop by this evening? We can order some takeout and..." she halted, a viable reason for her invitation obviously eluding her.

Tessa felt her shoulders slump and a wave of melancholy roll over her. "And tiptoe around each other for an hour or two?"

Peyton's brows shot upwards and a denial formed on her lips, but then she let her own shoulders fall. "Probably. But, I'd like you to come by anyway. Just for a while. We...we haven't seen each other in so long and I feel like...we should at least try. Who knows when we'll see each other again, right?"

Of course, Peyton was right. Once her work in Santa Maria was done, she'd likely never have a reason to return. And even if she did, surely Peyton would be long gone. The truth of the matter was, neither of them was getting any younger and considering her own line of work, there was a very solid possibility that their paths might never cross again.

"I get off work at seven tonight. I'll order some Chinese and if you want to come by, my door will be open," Peyton said plainly. "We...we don't have to talk about...him. You know? Its been fifteen years. I'm sure there's plenty of other stuff we can talk about."

Without giving herself a chance to change her mind, she capitulated. "I should be able to make it. I usually take the first couple of days on a new case to look over the files and all that, so...say around eight?"

"Eight it is," agreed Peyton. "Kimber will probably be here, if that's okay. She lives next door and we usually hang out after work. I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you."

The thought of having a third person there, as a cushion between them, didn't seem like such a bad idea. "I'd like to meet her, too."

With a quick nod, Peyton moved them toward the door, pulling it open and allowing them to step out into the bright sunlight and the heat that was still building in the air. "Tessa, Kimber doesn't know about...any of that. No one here does," she stated somberly, keeping her vivid blue eyes focused on the courtyard before them.

"She won't hear it from me," assured Tessa. "I'll see you tonight. And I'll bring the takeout."

That said, she started along the flagstone path and toward the wooden door, feeling Peyton's eyes on her as she went. It was more than obvious that having some takeout together likely wouldn't shift their relationship one way or the other.

They were nothing more than awkward, uncomfortable strangers who could barely make eye contact, rather making it seem there just wasn't anything salvageable left between them. And that was where it was apt to end for them. She could only console herself with the fact that, fifteen years ago, Peyton had left home without so much as a word spoken, but this time when they parted ways, probably for good, she would at least get to tell her sister goodbye.