A fog clouded my mind as I pushed the half-full shopping cart through the produce aisle beside Junior and my mother. Officer Delaney lingered not too far behind. Junior, meanwhile, helped my mother toss things into the cart. Some of which he snuck in for himself. He was insistent on riding alongside the cart as I pushed, jumping off and on to point out groceries.

"Keep still, Junior. You're going to tilt the cart," I groaned.

"But I'm helping, mommy," Junior huffed.

"Okay, but if you fall, I can't promise I won't run you over or anything."

His head whipped around, a glare settling in his eyes. "Hey! You're so mean."

"Boys, don't make me come over there." My mother's comment shut us up. Even then, Junior's glare was ever-lasting. I plucked his ear and stuck out my tongue, mockingly. Then, played innocent, knowing he was about to tattle on me. Surely enough, he whined until my mother glared over at us. I whistled and lowered my gaze, flicking my fingernails.

"Oh for Pete's sake." My mother marched back over with the vegetables she'd picked out in hand. "Both of you keep yourself busy and go find the bread. Leave the cart here."

"Yes, mom." Junior and I sighed in unison. We shoved each other and walked; our irritation soon molding into laughter, as he high-tailed out of the aisle with me chasing behind him.

"Stop running through the supermarket! This isn't a playground!" my mother yelled.

We tensed and slowed into a speed walk. But as soon as we were out of my mother's sight, Junior sped up into the next aisle—he vanished. I swore under my breath and sped up after him.

"Junior!" I called. He was nowhere to be found. Oh, definitely not good. Definitely not good at all. My mother was going to kill me if I lost him.

I cuffed my mouth and yelled again, "Junior!"

Nothing. I fled into the next aisle over.

"Excuse me, mister. Can you grab that loaf of bread for me?"

"Oh." A blonde male stationed in the middle of the bread aisle, looked around, as if Junior without a guardian was the most baffling thing he'd seen today. "Um, sure. This one?"

"Yeah!" Junior nodded.

The guy stretched on his toes, grabbing the loaf Junior pointed to. I studied the male, trying to pinpoint exactly where I'd seen his face. Then, it hit me. Mr. Jefferson's diner. Adam left in a Honda with a blonde-haired man, and that very same man found his way back to me. Bumping into him in a supermarket was one of the last places I thought I would.

I imagined Yasmine and Nina's faces when I looked into his eyes. Just two days ago, I'd left the station thinking about them. Everything Christian and I talked about then flooded my mind.

"Did you run that background check on Loretta Hanson?" I'd asked him on a video call later that night as I lay tucked safely in my bed, and he ate from a Chinese food carton at home.

"Yep. Turns out, she worked as a counselor in multiple group homes, including Lake Bellinor's. If Yasmine and Nina know her, I think we just found two more suspects."

I shot up straight, my blanket falling. "Loretta's our ticket to everyone else then!"

"Mhm. We need to find out everyone who's been invited to that funeral ASAP."

"How will you do that?"

"Logan and I will have to track down Loretta's family and find out who's hosting that funeral. If our victims were meant to attend and they're dead now, that's enough to get a warrant."

"Okay, and afterwards?"

"Looks like Logan and I are going to have to attend a funeral."

"Seriously? Crashing a funeral? Is that something you guys can just . . . do?"

"We won't be crashing the funeral. We just need to hang around until it's over, then we'll talk to the guests we need to get a hold of. This is our only shot to gather them all in one room."

"I hope you're right about that." The rest of the conversation was a blur.

That still sounded like a recipe for disaster, if you asked me. Yasmine was already defensive. I'd imagine the stakes for tension would be even higher, if two detectives just waltzed into a funeral they weren't invited to, to question some of the guests.

"You finally caught up!" Junior was all smiles when he saw me. The guy, finally noticing me too, passed Junior the bread. His eyes bored into mine. I looked away and resisted the urge to touch the base of my neck. His stare caused my skin to grow hot and sweaty.

"Don't go running off like that again," I approached Junior, huffing. Junior's eyes crinkled as he shot me a grin and joined my side.

"Lucas!" Just as before, Adam's voice was easy to recognize. Lucas, as Adam referred to him, searched for the direction he was being called. That gave me a chance to observe him. I was much closer this time, and didn't want to miss the opportunity again.

"Over here, babe," Lucas replied.

Babe? I glanced at his hand. Oh. Somehow, I'd missed the glistening silver ring on Lucas' left ring finger. I'd heard the squeaky wheels of their cart before I saw Adam pushing it. He turned into the aisle, a glow practically overwhelming his face when he spotted Lucas. But the glow faded when he noticed Junior and I standing near his husband. Curiosity struck him.

"Gosh Lucas, what are you doing?" Adam scoffed.

"I was looking for raisin bagels. Then, this little boy asked for my help." Lucas shrugged.

Adam's eyes were on me again. As recognition clouded his face, he snapped his fingers, a large smile growing across his lips. "Hey, I remember you! Lucas, look"—he patted his husband's shoulder, rather aggressively (from excitement, I suppose)—"this is the boy I was telling you about from the diner! Remember?"

"Ah." Lucas nodded slowly. "I remember."

"Funny seeing you again today, um. . ." Adam paused.

"Tyler," I filled in the blank.

"Tyler." His smile grew even larger. "By the way, I'm Adam. This is Lucas."

"Nice to meet you." Lucas stuck out his hand. Did he want me to shake it? Sheesh. Of course, he did, Tyler. What I should have been asking myself was, did I want to shake it? All the possibilities that may have lied in this guy's hand. I wasn't sure if it was worth it.

Then again, maybe it was.

"Same to you." I shook his hand.

Nothing happened, at first. I assumed that's how it was going to stay after letting go of his hand. But his eyes remained stuck on me. Tension ran thick between us. It was possible I was imagining it, but I knew that wasn't the case when Loretta Hanson's voice broke the barriers in my head. I remembered how she sounded the last time she sought out Adam.

She sounded just the same here too.

"Lucas. Joel. Have either of you seen Adam?" Loretta sat at the head of a circle shaped by metal chairs. Around her, I counted several teens occupying the chairs. Disinterest, as well as annoyance, captured each of their faces. A few more adults hung back in the shadows, seated off to the side. This looked like one of those emotional support sessions Loretta had mentioned.

Robert was the first teen I recognized. He was seated beside a blonde-haired girl—the only blonde-haired girl in the group. Fiona Davis? Maybe. Besides Robert and Lucas, the rest of the teens were a little harder to put a name to. There were four girls and nine boys. Perhaps, the resemblance was there and I wasn't looking close enough.

"I'm not his damn keeper," Lucas mumbled.

"No, I haven't. Sorry." The slim boy beside Lucas—Joel, I assumed—answered. Yet another face I wasn't sure if I recognized. But the familiarity was there.

Loretta sighed. Suddenly, a door opened and shut from the back of the house. There was movement in the shadows. Adam stepped into the light and plopped down on a chair between Lucas and Joel. His glasses were sliding down his nose but he made no move to fix them.

"Adam!" Loretta's smile was beaming. "Glad you could join us! Okay, now that everyone's here, we can get started. Who wants to go first?"

The silence was deafening.

"Yasmine. Why don't you take the stage?" Loretta called at random.

Well crap. I should have recognized her when I saw her. Her hair wasn't in dreadlocks yet, but it was twisted into a similar style. Unlike the male seated beside her, who's dreadlocks were in a neat bun, and his brown skin was just as dark as hers. Her brother, maybe? Looked like it.

"I don't want to go first. . ." Yasmine crossed her arms defiantly.

"If it's alright with you Loretta, I'll go in my sister's stead." The guy beside her raised his hand. Siblings. So, I was right.

"No, I've got a better idea Mark. How about we talk about Robert's anger issues?" A stocky boy, that I soon realized was the teen Robert had almost beaten unconscious—thanks to the ugly purple and blue mark on his nose—spat.

Robert shrugged and flexed his bruised knuckles. "Sure, Nathan. Whatever makes you feel better about getting your ass whooped."

"It was a cheap shot you fucking animal! Show some empathy!"

"Boys!" Loretta winced.

Snickering ensued from across the circle. "Sterling. Courtney. Please. This is not funny," Loretta scolded the teens who laughed. Sterling? Courtney? Well, those were two names I'd never heard till now.

"You think you're all big and bad, huh? Don't blame me because you act tough but you're a fucking coward. I warned you what would happen, didn't I? Next time, leave me the hell alone."

Nathan's teeth clenched. "Now, I see why you got kicked out of your last home."

A menacing laugh escaped Robert's throat. "Oh, I hope you choke in your—"

Loretta clapped. "Boys, that is enough! This is not what I expect from all of you!"

"Since we're talking about everyone's personal issues, I'd just like to ask . . . who the hell snooped through my shit? I have one rule in this house. And that's: Don't touch my shit," Lucas piped up.

Joel bowed his head, murmuring, "Ah, that was me. I'm sorry, Lucas. I was looking for my mother's beads. Nina said she last saw you with them."

"Now, why the hell would I have your mother's beads?" Lucas frowned.

"Eh, I just heard from a little birdie. Isn't that right, Yasmine? You heard it too, didn't you?" Nina chimed in. Yasmine shrunk down in her seat, looking the least bit pleased that she was being dragged into this argument. Mark nudged her leg as if to say, don't incriminate yourself.

"Heard? You said you saw him?" Joel frowned.

"Yeah, that's what I mean. Same thing." Nina waved him off.

"Nina's obviously lying. Lucas wouldn't touch your shit," Adam hissed, speaking up for the first time during this whole debacle. Him and Lucas were an interesting pairing. Adam didn't have half the temper he used to have, but Lucas' temper still appeared to be prevalent. I'd have thought Adam distanced himself from everyone in this house but I guess he had a few allies.

Nathan snarled. "You calling my girlfriend and her friend a liar?"

Adam's jaw clamped shut. Nathan's glare dared him to argue. At first glance, I'd have missed the way Adam's fingers trembled at his sides. He was good at hiding his anxiety. Joel, not so much. Joel fidgeted with his hands, his lips tightening and parting, as though he wanted to mend the problem he'd started. He hadn't looked Nathan's way once. But Lucas wasn't backing down.

"No. Just your girlfriend's friend. The chick who's here because she was always spreading rumors and starting shit in her last group home," Lucas snapped.

If Nina was Nathan's girlfriend's friend, then that meant . . . Yasmine? Had I not been trapped in a vision, there might've been a dumbstruck look on my face at the revelation.

Nina screwed her face. "You probably pawned it off or something. Everyone here knows you have sticky fingers. A knack for stealing is what got you here. Didn't your parents say that when they kicked you out?" she fired back, sticking up her middle finger. Something indescribable flashed over Lucas' face. Hell, that was the face of someone who was seeing red.

"Okay! We are stopping here for today," one of the adults in the back, a man, stepped forward, both his hands raised. "Everyone separate to their rooms, please."

Thirteen teenagers turned into three as my vision eased me into a bedroom with three twin beds. Lucas occupied one of the beds, while Adam and Joel stood off to the side. Lucas pulled at a piece of string hanging from his bed, ensuring there were no loose threads afterwards.

"Lucas . . . I really am sorry. For, you know, digging through your stuff. I really didn't mean to upset you! I just thought my beads might've gotten misplaced or maybe you moved them. . ."

Lucas inhaled. "Just stay out of my shit, Joel. And we won't have a problem. Okay?"

"Oh. Um, y-yeah. Of course," Joel mumbled.

Adam poked Joel's arm while Lucas averted his attention elsewhere. The two slipped out the room unnoticed, going as far as to slip out of the backdoors of the house. Adam sunk into his hiding spot—the one he'd use to escape Loretta's clutches—under the crescent moon.

"Do you really think Lucas stole your mother's beads?" he asked, calmly.

"No. Well, I guess, I don't know, really. It could have been anyone." Joel shrugged.

"Joel, come on. Let's be real. Nina's a fucking snake. She's always whispering shit that isn't true into our ears because she thrives off drama. Think about who you're choosing to believe."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. I'm sorry again. It's just, my mother's beads mean a lot to me. . ."

"It's fine. I get it. But don't act so hasty." Adam sighed and waved his hand. "Now, scram or you'll blow my cover." Joel, prepared to take off, paused and stared at his sneakers. I couldn't tell what was so infatuating about them. Until I noticed him fixing his laces so they were even.

"God, you and Lucas are such neat freaks. How'd I get stuck sharing a room with two roommates who have a serious case of OCD?" Adam cracked a small smile.

Joel chuckled. "I think Lucas is worse than me. He's probably still picking every loose thread he can find off his bed." Adam laughed under his breath, then shook his head. All was well and forgiven, or so it seemed.

When Joel returned to their bedroom, the lights were off, and Lucas was tucked under the blankets facing the wall. Joel snuck in as quietly as he could, I assumed, so as to not disturb Lucas. The night carried on with Adam entering the room a half-an-hour later, and the three boys falling fast-asleep, unaware of the dark presence looming over Joel's bed.

Joel turned over, his eyes cracking open the slightest bit. As he adjusted to the darkness, Nathan's shadow shook Joel completely out of his slumber. I could feel his fear oozing through me, my heart rate skyrocketing. Joel gasped and scrambled back, his fingers digging into his bed. A sharp object—looked to be a pair of scissors—protruded from the clutches of Nathan's hand.

Nathan lifted the tips of the scissors. "If I ever catch you pointing fingers at me, Yasmine, or my friends for your missing shit, I'll cut your fucking throat. Capiche?" he whispered, his tone harsh. Joel tried to swallow. But his saliva moved no further than the middle of his throat.

"Answer me!" Nathan hissed, his voice even lower.

Joel was trembling so hard he could have peed himself. Finally, he forced himself to nod. I thought Nathan's threat fell on deaf ears. But a few feet away, on the bed across from Joel's, Lucas' body twitched. His hands were tight around his pillow, his teeth gritted so hard they could break. And as the door shut behind Nathan exiting the room, he exhaled a long shaky breath.

The same rage I saw earlier built up all over again. Only, it was directed at a different person, this time. A person who happened to be found dead a few years after this. Victim of the same threat.

"Dammit Lucas, you're such a neat freak. Leave it alone!" Adam swatted at Lucas' hands as Lucas tried to rearrange the groceries in the cart. Was I back? Shit. I was. That was quite possibly the longest vision I'd ever encountered.

"Psst, Tyler. We have to get back to mommy." Junior tugged at my arm.

My body felt hot. I hid my shaking hand from Junior's view, unsure why it was reacting like that in the first place. It was as if Lucas' rage sucked me into its palms and played puppeteer with me. And that rage consumed me until I felt how he felt—the urge to kill.