The Photo Said I Must Die novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: The Ring

Judd held the print flat against the window, and neither of us said anything for a while.

"M for Briana," I said finally.

"Or it's a smudge."

"It's not a smudge."

"No." He lowered the print. "It's not."

I dressed in yesterday's damp jeans with my hands not working properly.

The old photograph had been in my back pocket, my bag or under my pillow since the night I stole it.

In all that time I had looked at the woman in it exactly once, in a car outside my sister's house, and then I had looked away.

I carried it to the bed and sat down with the sun on my lap.

This time I made myself look at her for a long time.

The dark brown hair was pinned in a neat twist.

The white sundress had thin straps and a square neck.

Her shoulders were my height.

She sat very straight, with her head tilted toward the water.

Her left hand lay on the table beside the toppled glass.

I had never looked at the hand.

There was a ring on it, a narrow gold band with a square stone.

On the wrist above it was a bracelet of pearls.

"Judd," I said. "Come here."

He sat beside me, and I put my finger next to the wrist without touching it.

"Briana wears that bracelet every day," I said. "It was Mom's. She's had it on since the funeral."

He was quiet.

"I've been telling myself all month that old film goes dark."

"You didn't know."

"I had the whole thing in my pocket, and I never once looked at her hand."

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