Chapter 11

Upon hearing that, Mason fell silent. He stared at the charred body on the stretcher. The image of Suzanne, once alive, gentle, and warm in his arms, now reduced to this, made his stomach churn violently. Mason tore his gaze away. The firefighters lifted the stretcher into the ambulance. A forensic examiner conducted a preliminary on-site assessment. "The deceased is female, matching Ms. Suzanne Trent's age and physical characteristics. The preliminary cause of death is smoke inhalation. "The body is severely burned, so DNA confirmation will be required for the final identification. However, based on the scene and her personal belongings…" Spencer didn't hear the rest of the results. He only watched as the ambulance doors closed and the vehicle slowly drove off. His surroundings fell silent. All that remained were the sounds of water spraying and firefighters' cleanup work. Mason spoke up first. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, trying but failing to smile. His voice came