Chet Morton shut and locked the door to his room before crossing to the closet, flicking on the light and pulling down the long neglected photo album. Taking a deep breath, he settled on his bed, then hesitantly flipped open the leather album, bracing himself for the photo he knew would stare up at him.

Brown eyes, dark hair, perfect smile like a pixie they always called her it felt so weird to think of her as attractive she was my sister for God's sake…

Iola.

Their childhood was in that album; baby pictures, elementary school, junior high, high school. Photos of the two of them—eating ice cream, on vacation, catching fireflies, in the pool.

With their friends.

Chet sighed again as he reached the end of the album, seeing the shots of the group of them—Phil Tony himself Callie Frank Joe Iola—knowing that the next shot would be his sister and her boyfriend.

Chet shut the album. He didn't need to see it tonight.

So strange when they started dating he was one of my best friends and suddenly he was going out with my sister but after a time it seemed right they were so happy together, so perfectly in tune she'd help with his cases she was the only one besides Frank who could calm him down, draw him out. Oh Iola, what do you think of us now? Now that Vanessa has taken your place, now that Joe seems to have gone off the deep end and we're all just sitting back and letting it happen? It was all a lot of talk, our determination to save him none of us have followed through.

I know how he feels. God, I know how he feels. Iola, have  you seen Frank? Are the two of you going crazy as Joe destroys himself? Or do you blame him too?

Chet was ashamed to admit it, but he had blamed Joe when the car bomb had taken his sister's life, had resented him for falling in love with Vanessa. Over time, he'd come to change his mind, to understand how guilt ridden Joe felt, how desperately he wanted to move on but felt he couldn't.

And Vanessa was so wonderful and sweet and loving, we all cared for her too. But I never forgot you, little sister. I promise. I never will.

He took a deep breath and returned the book to the closet. Iola was beyond help. But Joe was not.

He had a friend to save.