Chapter Six
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Harlan sat at the large dining room table, watching the morning play out around him. Listening, too, for any sound that shouldn’t be there. Anything that could warn him that there was a problem.
So far though, so good.
He intended for it to stay that way.
The curtains in the room were drawn tight, muting the morning light to a dim gold glow.
It felt closed in, but it was far safer than the kitchen with its wide, uncovered windows.
The table was set simply, coffee steaming in mugs, toast cooling on a plate, and Evie’s favorite cereal in a bright bowl in front of her.
“Uncle Harley and Mommy stayed all night in my room,” Evie said around a mouthful of cereal, her little legs swinging so hard they thumped the underside of the table. “All night,” she repeated for what had to be the tenth time.
Clearly, Evie had enjoyed herself, and Harlan was damn glad she had. Better that she didn’t know how close danger might have been. He’d known, of course, and the night had been a strain for him in more ways than one.
Sharing a room with Laney had put her only a few feet away from him. Close enough for him to hear the slow rhythm of her breathing. Close enough to take in her scent and to feel the weight of memories he had no business holding onto.
Harlan’s phone gave a sharp beep, the kind that made his pulse kick before his brain caught up. He thumbed the screen awake and saw the motion-sensor alert. A vehicle had just turned onto the road leading to the ranch.
A live feed popped up, the camera showing a Crossfire Ops van and a dark SUV making their way toward the house.
He recognized the person in the SUV right away.
Garrett McCall was behind the wheel, his easy confidence obvious even through the grainy image.
The van would be the security team, here to put in the extra motion sensors and whatever else they needed to keep this place buttoned up tight.
“They’re here, Laney,” Harlan said, setting his phone on the table.
Laney gave a quick glance toward the window as if she could see through the heavy curtains. She didn’t breathe easier. Not yet. And maybe easy breathing was completely out of the picture until they knew who was behind these latest threats.
When the vehicles pulled up out front, Harlan went to the door. Garrett climbed out first, scanning the yard in that slow, deliberate way that meant he was already assessing threats. The van doors opened and the security crew stepped out, hauling cases of equipment.
“Morning,” Garrett said as he came up the steps. “We’ll get everything in place. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours, and I’ll stick around with Carol and Evie while you two head out.”
Garrett didn’t have to ask where they were going since he’d been on the group texts where they’d worked out the details.
And the plan was already set. Laney and he would be at the sheriff’s office when Billy Maddox was brought in for questioning because they wanted to see Billy’s face when the hair clip and the DNA were put in front of him.
After that, they would take the drive to Sherry Dalton’s place and have a chat with her. The question about that “payment” note in David’s notebook had been chewing at him since last night, and he wanted answers before the day was over.
Laney came up beside him, pulling her sweater tighter around her. Harlan made the introductions.
“Garrett McCall,” Harlan said. “This is Laney Sutton.”
Garrett gave her a nod before glancing toward the van where two men and a woman were unloading gear. “They’ll start on the exterior. More motion sensors, plus alarms on all the windows and doors. For part of it, they’ll need to come inside.”
Laney’s mouth tightened a little. “Do you trust them?” she asked, but then she shook her head almost immediately. “Forget I asked. Of course you do. Crossfire Ops,” she added as if that alone were enough credentials.
“That’s right,” Garrett said, looking her straight in the eyes. “Every one of them will treat this place like their own, and I’ll be here the entire time. Your mother and daughter won’t be out of my sight.”
Harlan watched her take that in. She gave a small nod, but he could still see the strain, the way her shoulders stayed just a little too tense.
They needed to get moving. Every minute they stayed here was another minute without answers.
Maybe Billy Maddox’s interview would give them a lead.
Or maybe it would just add more knots to an already twisted mess.
Either way, they had to find out and then move on to Sherry with the hopes she could either give them something new or add to what they might learn from Billy.
Laney glanced toward the kitchen. “Once I’ve introduced Mom and Evie to Garrett, we can head out.”
“Hold up a second,” Garrett said. “I’ve got something you both need to see first.”
The three of them stepped into the foyer, closing the door to muffle the sounds of Carol’s voice and Evie’s laughter. Garrett pulled his phone from his pocket, his thumb moving fast over the screen.
“I spent a good chunk of the night digging for camera footage from the road by the culvert,” he explained. “The Crossfire Ops techs and I put the word out to anyone who might have dash cam video.” His eyes lifted to Harlan’s, then to Laney’s. “Got a hit.”
He tapped the screen, and the video filled it. It was grainy but clear enough to make out a familiar beat-up truck rumbling past.
“Delivery truck caught this early yesterday morning,” Garrett said. “That’s Billy Maddox driving near the spot where the bomb was found.”
Harlan felt the shift in the air as Laney leaned in closer, her jaw tightening while the footage looped again. Billy had been close enough that he could have been the one who’d set up that explosive and sent the text for Harlan to go there. Close enough, too, to plant that hair clip.
Of course, the question was why?
And maybe that was yet something else they could get from Billy.
“I sent the footage to Sheriff Barnes already,” Garrett said. “He’ll have it ready for the interview.”
Good. Harlan could picture Clay Barnes’s reaction to that.
The sheriff had been chasing dead ends for years, and now he had Billy Maddox on video near the bomb site.
Once again, means, motive, and opportunity all lined up neatly.
Add in the hair clip found just up the road, and Barnes might think he had enough to slap cuffs on Billy.
But the whole thing scraped at Harlan’s instincts.
It fit too well, too clean. As if someone had stacked the deck. And that was exactly what Billy would say the moment he was in the hot seat during the interview.
Harlan followed Laney into the dining room where Carol and Evie were still at the table. Garrett came in behind them, the big guy looking a little out of place in the homey space with the curtains drawn tight.
“Garrett McCall,” Laney said, gesturing between them. “This is my mom, Carol, and my daughter, Evie.”
Garrett smiled and reached into his jacket pocket. “Brought something for you, kiddo. Hope you like puppies.”
He handed over a small stuffed dog, the kind with floppy ears and oversized paws. Evie’s eyes lit up as she took it. “What’s his name?” she asked.
“That’s up to you,” Garrett replied. “I’ve got a whole crew of nieces and nephews who name everything after candy, so if you pick something like Jellybean, I’ll understand.”
Evie giggled. “I’m gonna name him… Cookie.”
“Perfect,” Garrett said, grinning.
Carol thanked him and reminded Evie to do the same. After they exchanged a few polite words, Laney bent to kiss Evie on the top of her head.
“Be good for Grandma, okay?” Laney whispered to the girl. “Uncle Harley and I will be back soon.”
“I will,” Evie promised, still clutching Cookie.
Laney hugged her mom, whispered something to her and then straightened. Harlan caught the flicker of resolve in Laney’s eyes as they turned toward the front door together.
Once they were outside, Harlan unlocked the truck, waiting until Laney climbed in before shutting his own door. Her car sat in the driveway—someone from the sheriff’s office had brought it back, but neither of them even considered using it. His truck felt safer.
The drive toward town was quiet at first, the low hum of the tires filling the stiff silence between them. Harlan had already confirmed the road past the culvert was open again and that the bomb squad was done with their work.
They took that route.
Yeah, even with all the memories, it was still the easiest way to get to town. Added to that, Harlan wanted to take a look at it. A way of facing down the flashbacks and the nightmare that just wouldn’t go away.
Harlan kept his eyes on the asphalt ahead, but he could see Laney stiffen in his peripheral vision as the stretch of road came into view.
The culvert lay ahead, ordinary in the dim morning light, and yet it was anything but.
It would always be where the bomb had been found.
Where David had gotten the fatal injury.
Without a word, Harlan reached over and closed his hand around hers. He gave a gentle squeeze, steady and sure, feeling the tension in her fingers and the way she didn’t pull away.
She didn’t look at him. Laney stared out the windshield for a long moment before speaking, her voice low enough that he almost missed it over the engine noise.
“I feel guilty,” she said. “I don’t think about David nearly as much as I used to. Honestly… the only time I thought about him lately was on my drives to work.”
Harlan kept his grip on the wheel, watching the road but letting his voice soften. “It’s been four years, Laney. You shouldn’t feel guilty for moving forward.”
She made a small sound in her throat, something between agreement and doubt, and then she turned her head toward him. For a moment, her gaze held his, and in it he saw a swirl of emotions he couldn’t quite sort out. Grief. Sadness. But heat was there too.
Unmistakable.