I'm in the storm shelter with Luke, finalizing the alarm system we’re installing in Emma’s house, when Mason walks in, back from a trip to town. "Garrett's still asking questions.”
I don't look up from the map. "About?"
"Eli Turner. You."
Mason's tone is neutral, but I hear the edge underneath, and I look up.
He has his stoic face on, which always makes me stop and assess. He takes a seat at the table opposite us. "I stopped at the diner before coming home. I heard people mention the sheriff's been making rounds, talking to people about Eli going missing."
Luke huffs, tipping on the back two legs of his chair. "Let me guess. Nobody knows shit."
"Pretty much." Mason crosses his arms. "But people are talking. Asking questions about you. About why you came back to Iron Ridge after eighteen years. About your connection to Emma. About Eli."
I shrug. "People have always said things about me.”
"True," Mason says. "But this is different. Garrett's not just making casual inquiries. He's asking specific questions aboutwhen anyone last saw Eli. Where he might have gone. Whether anyone knows if he left town."
"Obviously, he left town," I say flatly. "Nobody's seen him because he's not here to be seen."
Luke grins, dark and humorless. "Yeah, funny how that works."
Mason leans forward, his elbows on his knees. "Garrett's frustrated. His daughter, the deputy, came in and mentioned that her dad thinks something's off, but he's got nothing concrete to work with. Nobody's cooperating. Nobody's talking."
"Good.” I shift the plans on the table, ready to get back to it.
"Warden." Mason's voice drops. "Garrett's not stupid. He knows something's off. If he starts connecting dots?—"
"There are no dots to connect." I straighten, rolling up the papers. "Garrett's got no body, no witnesses, and no evidence. All he's got is a missing person who liked to drink and party. That's not enough to build a case."
"It's enough to keep digging," Mason counters.
"Let him dig." I meet his eyes. "There's nothing to find."
Luke picks his feet up and props them on the table, arms stretched behind his head. "What if he pushes harder? Starts asking Emma directly?"
"There’s no body, which means there’s no crime," I point out calmly. "For all Garrett knows, Eli got spooked and left town. Happens all the time with guys like him."
Mason's not convinced. "And if he doesn't buy that?"
"Then we stick to the story." I keep my voice calm, controlled. "Emma doesn't know anything. She wasn't involved. We've got nothing to hide because we didn't do anything wrong."
"Depends on who you ask," Luke says dryly.
Mason studies me closely. "You're confident."
"I'm careful." I hold his gaze. "Garrett can ask all the questions he wants. We don't give him answers. We don'tvolunteer information. We stay calm, stay consistent, and let him chase ghosts."
"And if he escalates?"
"There’s nothing to escalate." I lean back against the workbench. "Garrett's a small-town sheriff dealing with a missing person case that's going cold. He doesn't have the resources or the jurisdiction to make this a priority. Eventually, he'll move on. Eli Turner wasn’t exactly a beloved citizen of Iron Ridge."
Luke tilts his head. "And his older brother?”
"If he comes sniffing around, we’ll handle it then.”
Mason doesn't look entirely satisfied, but he nods. "All right."
"Agreed," Luke confirms.
