Chapter 22 Grayden
TWENTY-TWO
Grayden
Milo stepped toward the cardboard box, like he was going to pick up that plastic-wrapped brick of powder and get rid of it.
“Don’t,” I said.
He stopped, glancing back at me with his eyebrows rising. “Thought it wasn’t yours.”
“It’s not. But I know my rights. I doubt the police have a warrant to come in here.” I kept my voice level. “If they don’t, I’m not letting them inside. If they do, then I’ll deal with it. But I’m not going to go scrambling around acting guilty or ashamed.”
That was exactly what the Danny Carmichaels of the world wanted. For me to never be able to stop hiding from my past, to always be looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next accusation. Exactly what I’d done in Seattle when trouble got too close.
But now that I was finally home in Silver Ridge, I was finished running.
Was I being stupid? Probably. Hardly the first time.
I used my foot to kick the flaps on the cardboard box closed, then shoved it into the corner behind my table where it was out of sight.
The knock came a moment later at the front door. Three sharp raps.
“You’re welcome to leave through the back if you want,” I told the others.
Zach and Earl exchanged a glance, but Milo shrugged. “I’m good. I can serve as a witness to whatever goes down.”
“Same,” Zach grunted. “Neither of us touched that package. If we need to, we can explain how we found it.”
I felt a rush of gratitude as I went to the door. But the nerves quickly followed.
I did not have a good track record with the authorities, and these local cops had to know it.
If they’d looked up the exact details of my incarceration at the US Disciplinary Barracks? And the reason I’d served my full sentence instead of getting early release? That certainly wouldn’t help.
So I kept my expression neutral and non-confrontational as I opened the door.
“Afternoon,” I said.
Two officers stood on my porch. The first was a woman in her fifties, gray hair pulled back, her expression professional. The second was younger, maybe mid-twenties, and he kept his hand near his gun holster, his eyes trained on me like I might attack at any second.
Not the best start. Sweat beaded at the small of my back despite the winter air.
“Grayden O’Neal?” the woman asked.
“That’s me.”
“I’m Chief Susan Nichols, Silver Ridge PD. And this is Officer Chad Bronski.” The other guy squinted at me as Nichols continued to speak in a monotone. “Just following up on a tip. Mind if we step inside?”
“A tip.” I leaned against the doorframe, trying to keep my posture relaxed though every hair on my body was standing on end. “What kind of tip? From who?”
“It was anonymous.”
Of course it was.
Footsteps pounded up the walkway. Piper appeared, out of breath, her skin flushed and hair falling out of its knot. “What’s going on?” she demanded, glancing between the cops and me. “Chief, what’re you doing here?”
Protectiveness surged through my veins, mixed with elation at just seeing Piper’s beautiful face. The whiplash was enough to make my head spin. Wanting to pull her close as much as I wished I could send her away.
I didn’t want her here for this.
But Chief Nichols had already turned to her. “Piper. I tried to call you, as a courtesy. Since you’re the property owner. Left a voicemail.”
“Well, I didn’t get it. I’ve been busy all day. What the heck is this?”
“Let me handle it,” I said softly.
Piper sent a quick glare my way. Bossy Piper was out in full force. But I was ready to stand firm, too. She didn’t need to be defending me.
Officer Bronski, the younger guy, puffed up his chest. “We got a tip. Drug activity going on at this property. Are you aware of your tenant’s criminal record, Ms. Carmichael?”
Piper aimed that withering glare at him next. “How is that your business?”
“Your tip is wrong.” I kept myself still, avoiding any sudden movements. Because Bronski hadn’t taken his hand from the butt of his gun.
“How about we sort all this out right now?” the police chief said. “Mr. O’Neal, if you have nothing to hide, then there’s no problem. Let us take a look around.”
“No.” My voice was exactly the same volume, the same tone as hers. But the chief braced like I’d shouted the word.
Nichols tried Piper next. “Do we have your consent to search the property as the owner?”
“No, I do not consent. You clearly don’t have a warrant or any kind of evidence to create actual probable cause. My brother was the chief of police before you, in case you forgot.”
“I didn’t forget,” the chief deadpanned.
“You should be investigating whoever made that anonymous tip. Because they’re just trying to make trouble for Grayden based on his past. It’s bullshit, and I bet you know it.”
The chief glanced down, seeming to absorb these words. But Officer Bronski was turning red in the face. “If Teller Landry was still chief of police, he would’ve been over here a lot sooner. Letting Mr. O’Neal know what is and isn’t acceptable in this town.” Bronski turned his sneer on me.
Wonderful. So this guy was yet another member of my fan club.
Chief Nichols’s eyes flashed in a brief show of emotion, and it was aimed at her employee. “Alright. Enough. Piper, Grayden, if either of you has any more information, then give me a call.”
She pulled a business card from a pocket. I accepted it without comment.
Chief Nichols and Officer Bronski walked back to their vehicle. We watched them pull away, neither of us moving until the SUV disappeared around the corner.
Then I finally let out the breath I’d been holding.
Piper pressed her hands to her face, taking a shaky inhale. “I think it was Danny. He must’ve called in the tip.”
“I think so too. But you should’ve let me handle it. It’s not your job to defend me.”
“Are you kidding? This is all because you defended me, and now Danny’s here in Silver Ridge again today and he’s—”
“Whoa, slow down.” I finally gave in to the urge to touch her, holding her by the shoulders. “You saw Danny again?”
“He showed up at Ollie’s school this afternoon. Ollie’s going to have dinner with him, and it’s probably fine, but I do not believe this is a coincidence.”
Yeah, neither did I. “We can go get Ollie right now if you want.”
“No, that’s probably what Danny is hoping will happen. For me to freak out and make a scene in front of Ollie like I’m the problem. I just hate it. I’m sorry you got dragged into it. Again. And I’m sorry for defending you because apparently that was wrong too.”
“Piper—”
Milo cleared his throat, reminding us we had an audience.
She looked past my shoulder to see into the house. “Someone else is here?”
“Some friends. Come on. Come inside.”
“You sure you want me to?” she snarked. “I’m not interfering? Your annoying landlady, showing up when she’s not welcome?”
“You’re always welcome.” I put my arm around her shoulder and ushered her through the door.
I still had dangerous contraband to deal with. But if I told Piper to leave now and insisted on handling all of this myself, it was entirely likely she’d never forgive me.
I was just trying to figure this out one moment at a time.
“Piper, this is Milo, Zach, and Earl. They work at the motorcycle shop.”
She nodded at them distractedly. “Sure, I know Milo and Zach. Nice to meet you, Earl. You were all here when the police showed up?”
Earl stroked his bushy beard and lifted his equally bushy eyebrows at me, probably unsure of how much I wanted to say in front of Piper.
The answer: everything. Now that she was here, I couldn’t do this halfway.
“It was more than just an anonymous tip.” I grabbed the box from the corner and dragged it over. Pulled back the flap, showing her the plastic-wrapped brick inside.
Piper stared at it, her face going pale. “Oh my God,” she whispered.
“Zach and I found it in the bedroom when I was looking at the quilting fabric,” Earl said. “Just sitting there inside the box, right on top. Wasn’t even hidden.”
Milo crossed his arms over his leather jacket. “Piper, you really think your ex planted this?”
“Danny?” she said hoarsely, her eyes fixed on the package. “Yeah. I think so.”
Yet she sounded far less confident than she had moments ago with Chief Nichols.
“Danny doesn’t like Grayden,” she added.
“Yeah, no shit,” Milo muttered. “Good luck, man.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “You better get rid of that stuff before anything else happens.”
I nodded. “Planning on it.”
Once they were gone, I shut and locked the door. That had been far more excitement than I was anticipating for today.
What a damn mess.
When I turned around, Piper was pacing back and forth across the front room. She still had her coat on, her arms crossed over it like she was cold, though I had the heat on.
Every time she came here, something bad seemed to happen.
“There’s just something I don’t understand,” she said.
“And that is?”
“Where would Danny even get the money for a bunch of drugs? He can get access to prescription painkillers and anesthesia as a dentist, sure, but not whatever that is.” She jabbed a finger at the box, which lay where we’d left it, flaps hanging open to reveal its nasty contents.
“He’s capable of plenty, but this just doesn’t feel like Danny. ”
The message made its way through my thick skull. Fuck.
“You don’t believe me.”
Piper stopped pacing, head swiveling toward me in shock. “I didn’t say that.”
“No. But it’s okay.” I felt my shoulders drop, resignation settling over me with a familiar weight. I’d been through this so many times before. The questions, the suspicion. Even with people I’d thought I was close to.
Didn’t make it hurt any less.
This was like what happened at my previous gig in Seattle. My colleague had been dealing, and the shop owner believed I was in on it too. I’d been honest with Piper about that, but maybe that story planted a thread of doubt in her mind about me.
And now that thread was twisting into a whole pattern, probably as elaborate as one of Earl’s quilts.
Grayden O’Neal, the lying criminal.
“I understand if you doubt me,” I said calmly. “But I have never seen that package before in my life. I would never bring something illegal into this house or anywhere near you. Never.”
Piper exhaled and shook her head, her expression crumpling. “No, I know you wouldn’t do that. And even if you did…”
“I didn’t.”
“I know. But if it was yours, why would you invite your new friends inside to have a look? Unless they were here for that, or…”
I gripped the bridge of my nose. “Maybe a guy like Officer Bronski believes leather jackets, bushy beards, and tattoos equal drug dealers, but it’s not actually true.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth.”
Holding up my hands in surrender, I took a few steps away. Not because I was mad at her. I wasn’t. I would never, ever, take out my anger on Piper. I’d promised her she was safe with me, and she was.
I was just tired. So fucking tired.
Piper pressed her fingers to her temples. “If Danny really did this, then I don’t want him anywhere near Ollie. But it’s another thing to prove it. If that’s even possible.”
It could be possible. If the police investigated who’d made the call. But they’d have to want to investigate it. Besides, the tipster had probably made an effort to stay anonymous. Using a burner phone or a VPN or something.
For similar reasons, I knew it would be pointless to turn over the drugs to the police as evidence and report the latest break-in here.
What do you mean they didn’t find the real culprit? Didn’t they call their forensics experts to take DNA swabs and examine the broken lock with a giant magnifying glass?
Yeah, right.
I stuck my hands in my pockets. “Honestly, I’d much rather have Danny bothering me than him taking it out on you or your kid.”
“But you don’t deserve this. You never would’ve met Danny if not for me.”
True. But either way, it wasn’t her fault. “I can flush the stuff to get rid of it.”
Piper looked horrified. “And poison a bunch of innocent fish with fentanyl or whatever that is? No.” She went over to squint at the offending package again. “There’s an anonymous drop box for contraband at Silver Ridge PD headquarters. I can get rid of the drugs there.”
“I don’t want you getting mixed up in this any more than—”
“I’m already mixed up in it.”
Well, she was right about that.
I’d thought my presence in Piper’s life wouldn’t cause her any harm. Maybe I’d been wrong, and that was bad enough.
But that truth would’ve been far easier to bear if I wasn’t in so deep already where Piper was concerned. If I didn’t crave having her in my arms so damn badly.