It was all the confirmation she needed. Were Mitchell not involved, were the event simply some tragic event that took place in the area, he would have explained it all. He would have leapt at the first chance to, Sookie was sure. He would have reassured her, outlining every last detail, proving to her his innocence, in the way that he'd tried so many times before, whenever she pried, whenever she asked. But instead, he stood, rooted to the spot, and Sookie shook her head immediately. (What did it say that she was more bothered by this, by the deception, than even the horror of the deaths themselves?)

Slowly, she lowered her gaze, pulling the notebook up and turning it in Mitchell's direction, though she made no move to hand it over. "Found this in Bill's folder," she explained, her voice still tense, cold, contrasting with the flush she felt already rising to her cheeks. Lifting the cover, she began to flip through the pages. "It's obviously not mine. Not his. So why else would the island put it there?"

Her eyes flickered up to meet his gaze. "Just tell me what happened, Mitchell."