Page 160 of Serenity Falls

My heart jolts. ‘What?’

He smiles, a little cruelly. ‘Oh, don’t worry. I mean this is as far as the town goes this way. Beyond here there’s nothing but forest, swampland and water.’

‘So … why are we here?’

Jerry takes a moment. ‘Because this is the most shielded place in town. No Wi-Fi or phone signal. Out or in.’

I swallow.

‘Which means,’ he continues, ‘we can talk privately … and honestly.’

Jerry turns in his seat. ‘I took the job here in 2012, not long after Sheriff Hatchett retired. I’d got to know him after Wendy died. He seemed a decent man. He recommended me personally for the job. Truth was, by that time, I’d seen a few too many horrors as a city cop. I was only thirty-eight, but cop years are like dog years. You age faster. My wife, Millie, and I were trying for a kid, and Serenity Falls suddenly seemed appealing.’

‘I can see that.’

‘Not long after we moved, Millie found a lump in her breast. Cancer. I was worried, not just about treatment, but the cost. However, here, Winsom covers the cost of medical care. You don’t pay them back.’ He pauses. ‘Not unless you leave.’

His eyes meet mine. And I see it. The trap.

‘Is your wife okay now?’ I ask.

‘She got through it, thanks to Winsom. And she loves living in Serenity. I’ve made a good life here too. Most people do. If you play by the rules.’

‘Meaning?’

‘If you go looking for trouble, eventually you’re going to find it. If you stay up at Christmas looking around for presents, you’ll soon realize there’s no Santa Claus. But do you really want to?’

I stare at him. ‘You’re saying to turn a blind eye.’

‘I’m saying the Conservators do a great job here. They maintain the status quo. There’s no crime. Not real crime. People are happy, content, safe. What they do, it works, Mr Barker.’

‘If everything is so perfect, why did you bring me out here to speak? You think they spy on you?’

‘I think that they know pretty much everything that goes on in this town, and mostly I don’t have a problem with that. I’ve made my peace with this place.’ He pauses. ‘We haven’t had any newcomers in Serenity for over a decade. Finding the right people has got more difficult. But someone was very keen for you and your daughter to come live here. I don’t know why. That’s beyond my pay grade. But I do know, the longer you’re here, the harder it gets to leave.’

‘Why?’

‘Because there will always be a reason to stay, and before you know it, you’re here for good.’

I consider this, and my mind flicks back to Lorraine. So much like Nat. Except, according to Hailey, she didn’t used to be.

‘Did you ever think that Wendy’s suicide wasn’t suicide?’ I ask. ‘I mean, the phone call. It sounds like she’d found something out that upset her.’

And she worked for the sheriff. Could that be the connection to Davey Junior and the Ghost Train kid? She stumbled over something about their deaths?

Jerry’s face sets like stone. ‘Of course. You may not think it, but I’m a good cop. If I’d got a hint there was anything suspicious, I’d have kicked up hell.’

And yet I can see the doubt in his eyes. He gathers himself. ‘I do my job here as best I can, Mr Barker, and I do it for my wife. You understand.’

I do. I nod.

‘Right. So, you can drive me back now, and I’ll be keeping these papers of yours. Although, I’m sure you made copies.’

My heart sinks. Did Sadie scan them? This is why I’m not a private investigator, or a hero. We climb into the car. Something suddenly strikes me.

‘Are you going to tell Lockhart about this?’

He frowns. ‘Lockhart? Why would I tell Lockhart about this?’