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“Your boyfriend?”
“He was more than that. We met when we were eleven, best friends that turned into something more. He wanted a cottage on the beach, wanted to salvage wrecks, and me, I wanted this. We had plans and dreams, but sometimes, things just don’t work out.”
“What happened?”
“That’s too long of a story for now, but he was out of the picture, my parents were gone, so I went off to university because I knew that was what they would want for me. I’d wanted to get into design. I used to make my own clothes, wanted to start my own label, but I kind of lost myself after I lost them. Got a job in advertising, did well, made good money, but I woke one day, and I was fifteen years older, working a job I didn’t want, living in a condo I didn’t like. I’d been going through the motions, and I realized I didn’t want to do that anymore. I’d put my past in the past, but I was still tethered to it there, so I quit my job, sold my condo, packed up my shit and moved here.”
There was that pain again just behind her eyes. She looked far away as she continued, “I googled small towns, saw pictures of Little Hill and fell in love.”
“That’s how you found the house, too, you googled real estate?”
Her focus shifted to him. “I did…” She chewed on her lip, his focus shifted to her mouth. “But I didn’t find this property from those searches. I received an email from one of the places I used to search, saw the location and knew it was the place for me.”
His gaze hit hers. “You still got that email?”
“I’m sure I do,” she said, but made no move to get her phone. “I’ve watched enough crime dramas to know that I’m talking to Killian, the sheriff. What did you find out there?”
“You hear anything last night?”
She stood, walked across the kitchen for her phone. “No, but…” She turned. “Cooper kept looking at the door. I thought he wanted out, but when I tried to let him out, he wouldn’t go.” She grabbed her phone from the charger and walked back to him. “Though, the night you brought me home, I heard scratching, and it was loud enough that Lucifer slept with me, which he never does.”
Anger moved through him. “Why didn’t you call?”
“I wanted to, but thought I was making more out of it because…” She stopped talking, glanced down, but not before he saw the pink on her cheeks. There was that possession again; this time, it slammed into him. Whatever the fuck was happening he wasn’t alone in feeling it.
She gave him that, so he gave her, “I found a pile of cigarettes, footprints leading to a car that was parked on Sassafras Road.”
Surprise and concern swept her face. “Kids?”
He hesitated sharing the rest, but she needed to be aware. “The location was just inside the tree line with a clear view of your house.”
Fear replaced surprise. “Someone was watching my house?”
“Looks that way. You think it’s possible it was Brock?” he asked.
He couldn’t read her reaction, but she had one. “No. I don’t think so. Maybe that asshole from town.”
“Not really Frank’s style, but we will be looking into his whereabouts. What can you tell me about Brock?”
“Not as much as you’ll want, but I can put you in touch with someone who can fill you in.”
“Who?”
“The detective on his case.”
“What case?”
“The first-degree murder of his father.”
“I agree withCedar. It’s not Brock. He’s stayed off the radar for fifteen years. He’s smart and careful. If he was watching her, you’d never know he was there.”
Killian sat in his truck to call Donnelly, given the news that the line wasn’t traceable. That meant whatever Donnelly had uncovered, it wasn’t to be taken lightly. Cedar’s childhood sweetheart murdered his father. He wasn’t sure what was buried in her past, but he hadn’t been expecting that.
“What can you tell me about Brock?”
“Brock Callahan. Good kid. Father was a rich prick. There’d been rumors of abuse, but he never came forward. Got free of them for a while, but he was lured home under false pretenses. I don’t know exactly what was discussed, but I’m guessing his father threatened Cedar. Brock beat him to death.”
Killian had to acknowledge that, in his shoes, it was likely he’d have done the same.
