We eat and chatter about nothing important when the unmistakable sounds of a vehicle approaching from the forest road come from outside. Goldie doesn’t hear it yet, but my brothers and I are instantly on high alert.
“Someone’s coming,” Marcus says, standing up and straightening his clothes. “Kieran, why don’t you take Goldie upstairs?”
“Alright,” he says, not arguing for once, and helps a trembling Goldie stand up. “Let’s go, sweetness.”
A few minutes later, I see a sheriff’s department SUV pull up and stop at our home. I exchange a look with Marcus, his jaw set in a way that lets me know he’s not happy.
The sheriff himself walks up to the front door, a deputy in tow. We let him wait a bit before answering the knock. Marcus pulls the door open and greets the men with a calm, neutral voice.
“Sheriff. Deputy. What brings you so far into the forest tonight?”
“Sorry to intrude, Mr. Blackwell,” the sheriff begins, pulling his hat off and clutching it in his meaty hands. “Mind if we come in?”
“Not at all,” Marcus says smoothly, stepping aside.
The lawmen greet me as they step into the main area, our half-eaten dinner still on display.
“So, why are you here?” I ask, my arms crossed defensively. I don’t have a good history with these men, and they know it.
“There’s a missing woman,” the sheriff begins. “We’re checking if anyone might’ve spotted her in the forest.”
“Missing?” I ask through clenched teeth. “Like my sister was missing?”
The deputy has the sense to blush and look at his feet, butthe sheriff bristles at my tone. “The Weston family reported that their son’s fiancée wandered off their property?—”
“Ah,” Marcus interrupts. “Well, that’s interesting.”
The sheriff frowns. “How so?”
“Because if there were a missing person in this forest,” Marcus says calmly, “my office would’ve been notified. I’m the head ranger for this area. No one contacted us. No search was authorized. No request for assistance was made.”
The sheriff shifts his weight. “The Westons were… insistent.”
“I’m sure they were,” Marcus replies coolly. “But this isn’t their private property. Once someone enters the forest, it becomes my jurisdiction.”
Silence stretches.
“Sounds like someone skipped a few very important steps,” I finally say.
“Well, you know now,” the sheriff says, trying to backtrack.
“What about the missing woman’s family?” Marcus asks. “You mentioned the Westons. What about her parents?”
“I haven’t spoken?—”
“That’s alright,” Marcus interrupts again, visibly ticking the sheriff off. “Have them report to my office with all the details first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’m not your?—”
“You want her to be found, right?” Marcus drawls.
A few more seconds pass before the sheriff nods sharply. As he turns to leave, his gaze lingers on the table.
“Four settings,” he notes quietly.
My blood runs cold.
“Excuse me?” Marcus says, sounding a lot calmer than I feel.
