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Austin’s entire face goes pale. “The frame would be bent, but this axle is intact.”

Harper’s chest inflates as she takes a nervous breath. He gets it, too. “Messing with someone’s lug nuts is the number one way to cause accidents and make it appear to be just that. An accident.”

“What are you guys looking at?” Bryce asks, taking the photo from Austin, who now has his head in his hands.

Harper points it out to him. “A tire is held on with five lug nuts. In a crash, the tire can come off, but the rim would be damaged. In your mom’s case, the tire completely came off the car without any damage to that portion of the car.”

“You think someone tampered with their mother’s tire?” Tessa asks in disbelief.

I glance at Harper and then back at them again and nod. “Yes.”

Austin rips the picture from Bryce’s hands. “Fuck! How did I not notice that before?”

“Because you don’t think like a criminal,” Harper says.

The four of them swerve their heads in her direction, and she goes instantly pink.

“My dad’s seen his fair share of crime, and he likes to share his stories. Turns out, I have an eye for the illegal.”

“We think it was Dad or Missy who did this. Possibly both,” I add.

And, now, they’re all looking at me with wide eyes and slacked jaws.

“You think Dad tried to kill Mom?” Bryce asks in disgust. I’m not sure if it’s at the idea of Dad doing this or at me for insinuating he might have.

“My money’s on Missy,” I suggest.

“Are you sure about this? Eight years later, and you guys look at a photograph and upend the entire investigation?” Bryce asks.

Austin looks at him with a solemn nod. His mouth pinches as he shakes his head. “Motherfucker,” he growls. “This is my fault. I was such a selfish prick. I didn’t want anything to do with this. I know about cars. I should have looked at this file closer.”

Bryce is rubbing his temples. “It’s on me. Dad fought with me so much over the investigation. I always thought something was off, but he kept saying I had to focus on the company and leave the investigation to the experts.”

“Whoa,” Jalynn speaks up with her palms in the air. “You all know I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with Missy, and she’s not my favorite Sexton by far, but do you all really think she is smart enough to plan something like this or that your dad is evil enough to try to kill his wife?”

Silence fills the air.

“Dad knows cars. He taught me everything I know.” Austin adamantly shakes his head. “No. He’s a prick, but he’s not a murderer. Fucking Missy. I swear, the day that pageant queen entered my life, I should have known she would be trouble just by the way she was enamored by our lifestyle. I was too young and dumb.”

“And horny,” Bryce adds.

“You slept with Missy?” Jalynn says in shock.

“Lost my virginity to her,” Austin says dryly. “She tried to move on to Bryce, but he had a girlfriend. Dad was the next easy target.”

Jalynn grabs her stomach. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Let’s back up here,” Tessa orders in her motherly tone. “Everyone is in agreement that your mom’s tire was tampered with?”

We all nod.

“Why didn’t the authorities see it?” she asks.

“After Mom passed away, there was a detective over. A lot. They’d go into my father’s study. He was probably paying him off,” I say.

“Do you really think your dad was part of this?” Jalynn asks.

“I’ve always wondered why Dad puts up with her shit. No one can fuck that good. Trust me,” Austin states matter-of-factly, and Jalynn hits his chest. He rubs the spot she hit. “Seriously, something has always felt weird with them. Like she has this hold over him.”