AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’ve done everything I can to avoid thinking about Silverbell, but your past always finds its way back to you. Or your future forces you back to a past you’d rather forget.
ChapterFour
“Get that hose rolled up and back on the truck, Lieutenant King,” the chief calls to me as he heads over to the police on site.
It’s been two days since I saw Kennedy outside Morning Kick where she took one look at me and bolted. I went after her but lost her on the crowded beach. Her mom called her and assured Jackson she was okay, but none of us believe that. Kennedy might be back, but something tells me she’s not back by choice.
I finish rolling up the hose and place it back on the truck, then load up the rest of the equipment ready to head back to the station. My shift ends in two hours, and I need sleep.
By the time we get back and I’ve showered, my shift is done. Surprisingly, my body is exhausted, yet my mind is wide awake, and the shower has given me a small second wind.
My cell vibrates in my pocket as I reach my car, and I see its Jackson.
“What’s up?” I ask, as I climb into the driver’s seat and start the car.
“You still at work?”
“No, just leaving now. Why?”
“I’ll meet you at yours,” he says, then the line goes dead.
Jackson pulls up behind me just as I’m exiting my car. I don’t wait for him and head inside.
I grab a water from the fridge, offering him one but he shakes his head and takes a seat at the breakfast bar, slamming a piece of paper down on the counter.
“What’s this?” I ask, picking it up and scanning the page.
“That, Ash, is a problem,” he states seriously.
As I read the words for a second time, a heavy feeling of dread hits low in my gut.
“Where did you get this, Jackson?”
“Somebody sent it to me. It was in the mailbox this morning when I checked. There was no postal mark, nothing but my name written on the envelope.”
It’s a photo of Stu, Jackson’s dad, Maria and Kennedy all sat round the table at Maria’s house, and below it are the words ‘Make sure the past stays in the past or history will be repeated’, each word is made up of letters that appear to have been cut from newspapers or magazines. It’s crude and not very original, but the threat is clear.
“Fuck. Who the hell is this aimed at? One or all of them?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Ash. What the hell is this about? It’s got your fucking uncle’s name all over it.” He rolls his eyes fully aware that my uncle is not an upstanding, law-abiding citizen. Not even close. Everything the man touches is tainted in some way or another.
“Nah,” I say, shaking my head. “This is something else, way above anything Ray could come up with. Besides, why would he threaten your dad, or even Maria and Kennedy for that matter?” I lay the paper down on the counter, but my eyes remain on Kennedy.
“You know something, don’t you?” Jackson questions, brow furrowed as he watches me.
When I raise my head to look at him, I make sure my expression is blank. “No, nothing certain. It’s just a hunch. But keep an eye on Kennedy as well as your dad and Maria until I can check it out.”
He raises a brow at that comment. “I’m not sure Kennedy will appreciate me being her shadow, Ash. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not her best friend.”
“Well, you have a better damn chance than I do just now.”
“Fine. You ever going to tell me what happened between you two?”
“Nothing to tell, Jackson. Now, I need a couple of hours sleep, then I have some calls to make,” I dismiss him and his fucking questions. Questions I’m still not ready to answer. Nobody knows what happened between Kennedy and me the night her dad and brother died, and I intend to keep it that way—for now at least.
He holds my gaze for a moment or two, then turns and walks away, slamming the door behind him. A tiredness washes over me, and despite the urgency and my need to deal with this now, I know that I’ll be next to useless if I don’t get some shuteye first.
I drag myself to the bathroom, relieving myself before I drag my ass up the steps to the mezzanine floor where my bed is and flop down on it in a heap.
