Page 209 of Taken Away

Anne stared at him for a long beat, the gears clearly turning behind her eyes. Then, as quickly as the chill had arrived, the dazzling, radiant smile snapped back into place. She patted his arm affectionately, a gesture that felt a little more dismissive than before, though Walter was too dazed to notice.

"Oh, Walter. What would I ever do without you?" she said smoothly, stepping back and reclaiming her sunglasses from the top of her head. "You’ve always been my rock. We need to get a drink later, for old times’ sake, okay?"

Walter’s chest swelled. "I'd... I'd like that, Anne."

"Wonderful." She blew him a quick, breezy kiss that didn't require her to actually touch him, and then pivoted on her heel.

The warmth left the hallway the second she turned her back. Her smile vanished, replaced by a tight, furious line as she marched straight down the corridor. She didn't look back at Walter, who was still standing by the water cooler, watching her go.

Blackwood Ridge Road

Thursday Afternoon

Burke didn't drive back to the Sheriff's Department.

Instead, he pulled his truck beneath a sprawling oak overlooking the valley and killed the engine.

The afternoon sun filtered through the windshield. For a moment he simply sat there.

Then he picked up Mabel Blackwood's planner.

The worn leather cover was scuffed at the corners.

Used. Loved. The kind of thing a person carried every day.

Burke flipped it open.

The first page held emergency contacts. The second contained birthdays. The third held a quote written in Mabel's neat handwriting.

Life is too short to drink bad wine or waste time on people who don't call back.

Burke snorted.

That sounded about right.

He turned the page.

January.

Every square was full.

Meetings. Deliveries. Staff notes. Appointments.

Tiny handwritten notes crowded every available margin.

Mabel documented everything.

Burke settled deeper into the seat and began turning pages.

February.

March.

April.

Most of it was routine.

Then one entry caught his eye.