Rowena’s breath caught almost imperceptibly. “She must’ve made you put it in the back seat,” she said quietly. “She was so excited about it all. It was only a week before her wedding.” Bill didn’t look up. “I helped her carry it,” he said. “I remember.”
Ashley felt the room tilt. This wasn’t abstract. This wasn’t a coincidence. It was memory. “That detail was never public,” Rowena said, her voice steady but tight. “The police didn’t note it. I never told anyone.” She paused. “Only the person in that car would know.”