Chapter 6 The Case Of The Missing Tabby

• Afternoon sunlight slanted through the glass window, casting diamond-shaped patches on the floor. Lena gripped the steering wheel with one hand, maneuvering the police car into a parking spot with a squeal of tires grazing the line. In the backseat, Kai wrestled with the seatbelt, treating the buckle like some intricate puzzle, his fingers tracing the metal for a hidden catch.
• “We’re here. Stop fiddling! Hit the red button!” Lena leaned over, her hair brushing his nose. A faint mint shampoo scent mingled with the car’s lemon air freshener, stirring a memory of the citrus groves behind his old sect’s gate.
• Kai hesitated, then pressed the button. With a click, the belt released. He looked up, meeting Lena’s face inches away. Her skin glowed a healthy wheat tone in the sunlight, faint freckles dotting her nose vividly.