Chapter 3 — Harrison Steps In
Harrison ignored the shouting entirely.
He did not join the argument about who had walked into which room, and he did not comment on the empty jewelry box upstairs.
His eyes were locked completely on the mechanics of the sink.
“Dad, look at me,” Charlotte pleaded, her voice cracking as she wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeve.
“I swear I didn’t take it.”
Harrison held up a single hand to signal for absolute quiet.
The silence that followed was heavy and awkward, broken only by the thin, hissing stream of tap water still trickling into the basin.
Harrison stepped closer to the stainless steel double sink.
He leaned his weight onto his forearms against the edge of the laminate counter.
The stainless steel basin was cold to the touch.
The soap bubbles from earlier had mostly washed away down the drain, leaving behind a clear pool of water swirling sluggishly around the center opening.
Inside that central opening sat the small metal mesh strainer basket.
Harrison studied the interior of the wire basket with intense concentration.
The mesh was fine, designed to catch loose food particles and keep the plumbing clear of debris.
It was slotted firmly into the drain seat.
Evelyn let out a sharp, cynical breath from across the kitchen.
“Looking at the drain isn’t going to bring my husband’s ring back, Harrison,” she muttered, crossing her arms again.
“It was on my vanity, not floating in the dishwater.”
Harrison did not answer his mother immediately.
Instead, he lowered his chin and squinted down into the dark opening of the drain pipe.
A faint glint of light had caught his eye from beneath the surface of the remaining water.
It was not the dull grey of stainless steel or the dark plastic of the disposal blades.
It was a sharp, brilliant flash of fire reflecting off a polished surface.
Harrison reached directly up to the kitchen counter and placed his hand flat on the porcelain tile right beside the running faucet.