“I also don’t want it visible from the window.”
I turned toward the glass.
The curtains were thin and faded, yellowed at the hems. Pine branches scraped against the outside wall. Morning light brightened the edges, and beyond that, the cabin road ran quiet through the trees.
Nobody stood there.
Nobody I could see.
Dex crossed to the window and shifted the curtain two inches with the back of one knuckle. He kept his shoulder out of the center of the glass while he checked the road, the porch, the trees, and the silver car tucked near the side.
His phone buzzed, and Crystal flinched as the screen lit in his hand with Annette’s name.
Crystal’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
I stepped toward him. “Don’t give them the cabin.”
“I’m not giving them the cabin.”
“You don’t know what I think you know.”
“I know I’m not giving them the cabin.”
He answered before I could argue again.
“Dex,” Annette said, loud enough in the quiet that I could hear her. “Your hour is up.”
“I’m still verifying.”
“You found an identity issue and then gave me silence. Give me something usable.”
“The packet has a material identification problem. The warrant target is making a frame-up claim with possible records to support it. I’m not requesting transport until I verify.”
Crystal closed her eyes.
I stared at Dex.
Annette went quiet long enough that the refrigerator hum filled the cabin.
“Are you safe?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Is Kemp injured?”
“No.”
“Do you need county?”
“Not yet.”
“Do you need Rudy?”
“No.”
“Do you have eyes on Kemp?”
Dex’s attention moved to Crystal.
