“That’s good, bro, but I’d also want you to talk to me.”
“What about Dad? I know I should tell him, but… um, are you going to?”
“As the sheriff, he needs to know. Now, how you want that to go, I’ll leave it up to you.”
Carson sucked in a deep breath, then said, “Okay. Let’s talk to him tonight.”
Jack stood and almost ruffled his brother's hair the way he used to when Carson was little. But instead, he clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll go with you.”
Carson nodded. “Deal.”
They headed downstairs, and Jack stayed right by Carson’s side as they sat with their dad in the living room, explaining the information Carson had and how he’d come by it. Just like Jack knew he would, their dad was pissed that his son was put in the position of not knowing what to do, but was proud of Carson’s decision.
With vows of pride and hugs around, Carson said good night and headed up to bed. Later that night, when his brother was finally asleep, his dad and Jack talked over the new information they had.
“I hate that Carson has been carrying this around. I swear, Jack, it reminds me so much of you when you were younger. I’m glad he had you to talk to.”
“You can thank Rachel… she’s the one who got through to him.”
His dad nodded, then stood to head to bed. “I’ll see you in the morning, Jack. We’ll have a lot to do.”
Jack left the room and headed up the stairs to his apartment. His mind was spinning through what Carson had told him. Pills being distributed to athletes. Someone telling them they were supplements when they clearly weren't. A conspiracy to keep it quiet, to only give them to the kids who could win championships.
This was bigger than a coaching issue. This was criminal. And Jack needed to figure out how to investigate it without putting Carson or any of the other kids at risk.
He sat on the edge of his bed and pulled out his phone, staring at Carson's contact photo. His little brother. The kid who looked up to him, who trusted him enough to share something that was clearly eating him up inside.
Jack set his phone down and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He thought about the way his brother's hands had trembled slightly when he was talking about what he'd heard. He thought about when he was a kid many years ago, about how scared he'd been then and how helpless he'd felt.
But Jack wasn't a kid anymore. He had training, resources, and authority. And he was going to use all of it to make sure no kid got hurt on his watch.
Not Carson. Not Ben. Not Robbie. Not any of them.
Jack closed his eyes and took a slow breath. Tomorrow, he'd start digging. Tomorrow, he'd figure out who the man in the hoodie was and what exactly he was giving to those kids.
25
Jack walked into the North Heron Sheriff's Office early the following morning, his mind still churning over everything Rachel and Carson had told him. He'd barely slept, running through scenarios and connections, trying to piece together what was happening at the high school without jumping to conclusions.
As soon as Mark walked in, Jack moved to him and said, “Can I talk to you?”
Mark held his gaze with a curious expression but immediately answered, “Absolutely.”
“Colt is also involved.”
Now, Mark’s gaze sharpened, and he nodded. “Okay.”
They walked down the hall, finding Colt in his office, already at his desk with a cup of coffee and a stack of reports. Jack knocked on the doorframe.
“You ready for us?”
Colt looked up and gestured to the chairs across from his desk. “Always.” He looked at Mark as the detective took a seat in front of his desk.
Jack closed the door behind him and sat down. For a moment, he just looked at his father… the man who'd taught him what it meant to be a good cop, a good father, a good man. The man who'd protected Jack when he was just a scared kid who needed someone to believe him. He knew his dad was working through the information from Carson.
“Mark, I know this is the first time you are hearing of this, but I received some information yesterday and shared it with Colt. Now, we need to work the problem, and I thought it made sense to have Colt hear it officially while I tell you,” Jack said carefully.
Mark's expression shifted, something sharp and alert moving into his eyes. He leaned back in his chair. “Okay. I'm listening.”
