Chapter 9 #3
They were clearly sizing one another up, categorizing and evaluating the other man in seconds. It was the kind of appraisal Ben was accustomed to and had performed countless times in business meetings.
He could feel the zip of adrenaline that he loved so much, the thrill of going toe to toe, but not physically. No, this was the mental game that he played and excelled at, honed in some of the most cutthroat financial meetings in New York City and beyond.
"Ben, this is Ethan Walters. We went to high school together," Kelly said, gesturing between them.
"Nice to meet you, Ethan."
Ethan’s shoulders had relaxed, apparently deciding that Ben wasn’t a threat to Kelly, in particular, or Bergen, in general.
“I think I’ll ask you the same question you asked me,” Ethan said. “What are you doing out here this morning? Haven’t seen cows in a while?”
“I’m just showing Ben around the area. All the highlights?”
"And you decided to start your tour at a drainage ditch on County Road 17? Not exactly our main tourist attraction."
His tone was jovial, but Ben didn't miss the slight edge underneath. Ethan knew exactly what this place was.
"Kelly's showing me around," Ben replied with a casual shrug. "Said she wanted me to see the real Bergen, not just the postcard version."
"I see." Ethan's gaze lingered on Kelly for a moment too long before returning to Ben. "Well, you're certainly getting the unfiltered experience then. But you might want to be careful. There have been some robberies recently by people posing as having car trouble on these deserted roads out here. They pretend to have a breakdown, and then when you stop to help them, they pull a gun and rob you. Mostly, they want cash or your phone. They haven’t hurt anyone yet, but eventually, they’re going to get the wrong person and get hurt themselves. You can’t be too careful, even in a town as small as Bergen. "
“I had no idea,” Kelly replied. “I hadn’t heard about any of that.”
“Even small towns can have issues,” Ethan said. “It’s not something that happens every day, but it has happened.”
“You weren’t worried about stopping to talk to us?” Kelly teased. “I could have turned to a life of crime since I left town.”
“Just in case, I carry a gun in the glove compartment,” Ethan laughed. “You never know what you might encounter out here on these country roads.”
The subtle tension in the air thickened as Ethan smoothly shifted topics.
"So, Celia's wedding is this weekend. I heard it's going to be quite the event. I’ll be there, of course. Wouldn’t miss it. It was nice of Celia to invite me.”
"She’s been planning this for over a year," Kelly said. "The flowers, the dress, the centerpieces. Everything has been planned with military precision."
“I’d expect nothing less,” Ethan replied easily. “Especially if your mother is in charge.”
"How's the campaign going?" Kelly asked, visibly steering the conversation away from family matters. "Hannah mentioned you're running for mayor."
Ethan's entire demeanor shifted subtly, his shoulders straightening, chin lifting almost imperceptibly. He was instantly in campaign mode, his eyes lighting up with practiced enthusiasm.
"It's going well. Really well, actually,” he said, his tone filled with excitement. “It’s time to pull this little town into the 21st century. Bergen has so much potential that's been untapped because we're stuck in old ways of thinking."
Ben recognized the cadence of a stump speech when he heard one.
Ethan had clearly delivered these lines many times before, polishing them to perfect resonance with his target audience.
The speech contained just enough specificity to sound concrete while remaining vague enough not to alienate anyone.
"You'll probably have to do it kicking and screaming," Kelly replied with a skeptical smile. "Bergen isn't exactly known for embracing change."
"Maybe," Ethan laughed, the sound warm and confident. "But there are a lot of people on my side. The younger generation, especially. They don't want to leave town the way we did. They want to stay, but they need reasons to do that. Better jobs, better infrastructure, better opportunities."
After a moment, Ethan glanced around pointedly at the empty field, the muddy ditch, the bright blue morning sky. His expression was sad, his lips turned down at the corners.
"I know why you're really here, Kelly," he said gently, all traces of the politician momentarily gone. "Lori."
The name hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken history. Ben watched Kelly's face carefully, noting the flicker of surprise that quickly morphed into sadness before settling on defiance.
"You need to leave the past in the past," Ethan continued, his tone gentle but firm, like a doctor delivering unwelcome news. "Whoever killed Lori is long gone. You're just reopening old wounds that the town has worked hard to heal."
"You don't know that for sure," Kelly challenged, her chin lifting slightly. "No one does. That's the problem."
Ethan sighed, his expression full of concern and worry.
"Think about it logically. If the killer was still in Bergen, don't you think there would have been other victims? Other incidents? It's been over a decade with nothing similar happening."
He gestured broadly toward the town, his voice taking on the reasoned tone of someone explaining something obvious to someone who simply wasn't getting it.
"The evidence points to exactly what the police concluded back then. Someone passing through. A drifter. A random act of violence that tragically happened in our town."
"Lori deserves justice," Kelly insisted, her voice quiet but firm.
"Of course she does," Ethan agreed readily, his expression appropriately solemn. "No one disagrees with that. But justice doesn't mean tormenting yourself over something that may never be solved. It doesn't mean disrupting lives and reopening wounds."
“I am not tormenting myself, and maybe some lives need to be disrupted.”
It was clear that Ethan didn’t agree, but he had the grace to let the argument go.
"I should get going,” Ethan said, checking his watch. “I have a client meeting in Ridgeville in thirty minutes."
"It was good running into you, Kelly," Ethan continued, his tone warming as he turned to her. "Despite the circumstances. I'll see you both at the wedding on Sunday?"
“We’ll be there,” Kelly assured him. "Good luck with your meeting.”
"Thanks." Ethan extended his hand to Ben once more before heading back to his vehicle. "Nice meeting you, Ben."
He climbed into his car and waved as he drove away, leaving Ben and Kelly still standing on the side of the old country road.
"So that's Ethan," Ben said finally, turning to Kelly with a questioning look. Her face was unreadable, her gaze still fixed on the spot where the SUV had disappeared around a distant bend.
Kelly blinked, as if coming back from somewhere far away. "That's Ethan. He’ll make a good mayor.”
"But he's a suspect until we can rule him out?" Ben pressed gently, watching her carefully.
"Yes, but I don't know for sure," she said, meeting his gaze. Her eyes reflected conflict, uncertainty, and something that looked like guilt. "I guess. I hate to think it's anyone from our friend group, but I have to be realistic that it might be."
Ben understood her reluctance. To seriously consider that someone you knew, someone you shared memories with, could be capable of murder wasn't just disturbing.
It was transformative. Once that thought took root, a person could never see someone else the same way again.
Every interaction, past and future, became filtered through that terrible possibility.
Watching her expression, he could see the weight of what she was undertaking settle more firmly on her shoulders.
This wasn't just about solving a crime anymore.
This was about potentially unraveling the fabric of her past, dismantling the memories and relationships that had formed her.
Even if she found the truth, even if she brought justice for Lori, there would be no going back.
The cost of truth might be higher than either of them had anticipated.