Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
I feltLincoln leave at some point in the early morning, and I opened my eyes just enough to see that the sky was still dark outside. Other than that disappointing loss, I strangely had the most restful sleep.
When my eyes fully open, I stretch and roll to Lincoln’s side of the bed, inhaling the scent that he left in his wake and sighing.
At one point, I thought I might never forgive him for lying, but that was fleeting. Somehow, deep down, I knew Lincoln has been doing what he must do, and for good reasons. I can’t even say I would make a different decision in his shoes, which is why I had truly forgiven him before he’d even stepped into Firefly last night. Before I knew there was something holding him back more than just his need for secrecy.
He’s part of the fucking FBI.
I thought I needed time to process it all, but I realized last night that I could process the situation with him rather than without him, and that’s exactly what I plan to do from here on out. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is finding the Firefly Man and bringing justice to the lives of his innocent victims and their families.
Somehow, I manage to be more like myself when my morning shift begins. By the time the night shift comes, I let the distractions of work take over my mind.
It’s a busy night, so Janessa is helping me behind the bar while Armando and Kyle wait on the tables. It almost feels like old times, when the Firefly Man was dormant and worries about a fresh death weren’t the hot topic around the Smoky Mountains.
I half expect Lincoln and Francine to walk into Firefly with Lucy around five o’clock. I never expected to miss that little girl so much, but it’s been over a week since I saw her last, thanks to recent revelations.
Frowning, I turn away from the bar and pluck my phone from my back pocket. Lincoln hasn’t texted in a few hours, which isn’t abnormal with how busy he’s become at work, but something makes me uneasy after our conversation last night.
Chalking my discomfort up to the unearthing of suppressed memories, I tuck my phone back into my pocket and turn to help the next customer. My whole body lurches with surprise when I see Uncle Patrick staring back at me with a grin.
“Patrick!” I squeal before leaping over the bar to throw my arms around him.
“Whoa,” he says with his familiar chuckle. “I knew we should have put you into gymnastics when you were younger.”
“Ha.” I squeeze him tight. “We both know I would have failed miserably, thanks to the lack of coordination bestowed upon us Vaughns.”
“Speak for yourself.” He pulls back before shimmying his shoulders. “This old man’s got moves for days.”
I smile as my chest swells with emotion. “I’ve missed you.”
He tilts his head. “I’ve missed you too, Evie girl. So, what do you say? Want to pour your favorite uncle his favorite drink? I’m a paying customer tonight.”
I laugh and walk back behind the bar to serve him. He tells me all the interesting details of his travels and how he’s already planning another trip around the Smokies. A knot begins to form in my chest. “Are you sure that’s a smart idea?”
Patrick tenses slightly, but his voice is light. “The Firefly Man hasn’t yet stopped me from doing what I love most. He’s not going to stop me now.”
I wouldn’t be so sure of that. But according to Lincoln, the killer only goes after men his own age, which puts Patrick out of the risk zone. Then again, Carley didn’t match up to that profile.
“Evie, you okay?”
I look up to find my uncle in mid sip, staring back at me with a frown.
“I’m fine. Sorry, just spaced out.”
Realization dawns on his face. “The murders are closer to home than they have been in fourteen years,” he says.
I nod, knowing I can’t tell him a shred of information that I know. “They are, and Carley’s been heavy on my mind because of it.”
He lifts his tumbler in the air. “To Carley. May her soul be resting where the Firefly man can’t reach her.”
I pour myself a shot and toast with him. The liquid burns down the back of my throat, sending a chill through my body. “I think I needed that.”
Patrick grins. “You sure did. So, what’s been going on with you?”
“Oh, you know,” I say, cleaning off the counter to avoid his gaze. “Just trying to keep things afloat.” When he doesn’t respond, I begin to think I’m in the clear.
“And how are things with my new tenants? Doctor Reed taking care of the place?”
I shrug, trying to give him my best nonchalant attitude. “Yeah, I think everything is all good over there.”
I finally look up to find one of Patrick’s brows raised. “You think?”
Cringing inside, I smile as widely as possible. “I helped them with the furnace in the guesthouse. Lucy, Lincoln’s little girl, loves my old room. I think they’re really enjoying it here.”
Patrick sits back, seemingly satisfied. “Great. Sounds like you’re handling everything really well. Thank you, Evie.”
Relief floods me now that we’ve entered a new topic. “You’re welcome, Patrick. Glad I could hold down the fort while you were away. When do you think you’ll head back out?”
“In about a week or so. I want to get some maintenance done on the RV and check on my rental properties before we head out for a longer period of time. And…” He bestows on me a bigger smile. “I want to officially hand the bar over to you.”
My jaw drops. “R-really? I mean, I know you’ve been talking about it, but so soon? Are you sure?”
Patrick brushes his hands together in two claps, gesturing that he’s washing his hands on the place. “This isn’t my dream anymore, Evie. It’s yours.” He looks around proudly. “You’ve earned this, you know? From the first day you stepped foot in this space as a kid, when it was nothing but concrete floors and bare-brick walls. You may not be getting the Vaughn fortune from your parents, but you’re getting something that means a little bit more to the both of us.”
Emotion clogs my throat. “That means a lot to me, Patrick. Thank you.”
We exchange smiles, the sentiments running deep. I don’t know what would have happened to me if Patrick wasn’t there to step into the role as parent when I needed one so desperately. He hasn’t missed a single milestone in my life, and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.
I hold up the bottle of scotch. “Another?”
He sticks out his glass. “You need not ask. It’s a keep-em-coming kind of night.”
Laughing, I finally feel some sense of normalcy, and I’m grateful for that. Weight feels like it’s been lifted off my chest. For once in a very long time, everything seems like it just might be okay. At least, that’s how it feels until Officer Gabe walks in with a sour look on his face.
He walks straight up to the bar and sits down next to Patrick. He doesn’t even look at Patrick when he claps him on the back. “Nice to see you home, old man.”
Patrick elbows him in the side, causing Gabe to wince. “Watch yourself, son. I’ve got more powerful pistols than that one in your holster.”
Gabe chuckles. “Only you would threaten an officer.”
“And only you would be stupid enough to fuck things up with my niece here.” Patrick winks at me.
Gabe turns his amused eyes on me. “Oh, you haven’t heard? Our little Evie is spoken for.”
Patrick’s face twists in confusion. “What?”
Gabe leans back in his chair and raises his brows at me. “Well, go on, Evie. Tell your uncle what you’ve been up to while he’s been gone.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head, wishing I could ignore him. “Shut up, Gabe.”
Patrick leans toward me. “You hiding something from me?”
Groaning, I turn away to help the customer next to Gabe, but that doesn’t stop me from listening.
“Evie and her therapist have entered into a rather illegal affair.”
Patrick snaps his head back in my direction. “What?”
I slam down the bottle I’m holding and glare at Gabe. “For the last time, he is not my therapist.”
“Is that true, Evie? Are you dating Doctor Reed?”
My face heats, and I know I’m turning bright red.
Apparently, my non-answer is enough, because Patrick chuckles and lifts his tumbler to his lips. “Well done, Evie girl. I’ll drink to that.”
Gabe’s frown deepens when he doesn’t get a reaction out of Patrick. “Don’t drink that too fast. He’s only renting out your house, Pat. He’s not planning to stick around.”
I open my mouth, ready to tell off Gabe, but Patrick beats me to it.
“Actually,” Patrick says, “Lincoln asked for the rent-to-own agreement that I offered him. Looks like he has intentions to stick around. For whatever reason.”
Warmth blooms in my chest before the sight of Gabe’s scowl annoys me all over again. “What are you doing here, Gabe? Drinking on the job, or just paying Patrick a visit?”
He tilts his head at me, a challenge in his stare. “Neither, actually. Remember that guy Billy from last week? The guy you kicked out of here?”
I nod, feeling Patrick’s focus shifting between the two of us. “Yeah, what about him?”
“He and his friends were planning on leaving Deep Creek a few days ago, but they haven’t been able to find Billy. Have you seen him again since that night?”
I shake my head, not needing to think about it. “No, not at all. I figured that group left town after the weekend.”
Gabe studies me for a second longer then looks around the room before leaning in like he wants to tell Patrick and me a secret. “The story is that Billy and his friends went into the woods on Tuesday night, and Billy didn’t come back out. No one noticed until the next morning, but they didn’t start panicking until Thursday. That’s when they called me.”
Dread fills every inch of my body. “Are you sure none of them saw him? Or maybe he passed out somewhere in the woods and got lost?”
Gabe shakes his head. “I don’t know. We sent our K-9 unit into a section of the woods earlier today and came up empty. We’re going to try again tomorrow. We’ve already interviewed that entire group, but I wanted to check with you, just in case I was missing something.”
Something clicks in my brain as I think back to that night. The fact that Lilith was with them didn’t faze me that night, but it does now.
“Lilith left with them from here, hanging on Billy. Maybe you should talk to her.”
Gabe’s brows raise. “Right.” He checks his watch. “She should be back from the field trip with her kid. I’ll give her a call.” He taps the bar and tips his head to me. “Thank you, Evie. See you around, Patrick.”
Gabe takes off, but I can’t stop thinking about what he just said. Field trip. Maybe that’s where Lincoln has been all day. If so, then he’s been with Lilith all day.
Annoyance rumbles in my chest. I hate that she bothers me so much, but it’s not like she’s ever tried to make friends with me. I reach for my phone to text Lincoln, curiosity taking the reins.
Evie: Did Lucy have a field trip today?
I’m surprised by how quickly he responds.
Lincoln: No. I mean yes, but she didn’t go.
Evie: Oh, okay. Hey, did you hear that drunk from the bar went missing?
I help several customers before he finally responds.
Lincoln: Billy. Yeah. Just found out.
Evie: Gabe just stopped in and gave us the news. Wanted to know if we’d seen him. So strange. I hope he’s okay. Anyway, I reminded Gabe that Lilith left with them that night, so maybe she can help.
My phone buzzes in my hands, Lincoln’s face popping onto the screen. I turn away from the bar and answer it. “Hey.”
“Hi,” he says, sounding distracted. “Where’s Gabe now?”
I frown at this unexpected question. “He just left to go track Lilith down. He said her daughter’s class went on a field trip, so I figured you might be there too.”
Lincoln makes a noise in the back of his throat. “No fucking way. They were going to spend the day at Deep Creek Campground, so I refused to sign the permission slip.” I hear noises from the other end. “Hold on, Evie. I’m picking up Lucy now.”
I wait nervously, then loud, muffled voices come through the line, and I try to listen closer. It’s Lincoln, raising his voice, but why?
A few minutes later, Lincoln gets back on the phone. “I need to go.”
Panic claws through me. “Wait. What’s wrong?”
It sounds like he’s walking to his car. “Francine found out about the field trip and picked Lucy up from daycare to take her to the campground. She knew Lucy would want to play with her friends.” His car door opens and shuts.
“That doesn’t sound too terrible. I know Deep Creek is an awful place, but she’s safe with Francine.”
“Right, but there’s a firefly walk tonight at the campground. Lucy is bound to hear about that, and she’ll beg Francine to take her. A bunch of Lucy’s friends’ parents were begging me to hang back at camp with them to take the walk and see the fireflies.”
My blood goes cold. “Okay,” I say slowly. “But again, she’s with Francine. She’ll be okay, Lincoln. Are you heading there now?”
“Yes.” He sounds completely panicked and stressed, and I don’t blame him one bit.
“It’s not Francine’s fault. You haven’t told her anything.”
“I know,” he says with a sigh. “I’m going to call her before I freak out any more.”
“Good idea. Call me back.”
“I will.” A click as he ends the call.
I’m shaking as I wander around the bar like a zombie, wondering if I should be more worried than I am. With everything going on, the last thing Lincoln should be dealing with is Lucy roaming around Deep Creek Campground and checking out the fireflies.
The thought of Lucy, Francine, and Lincoln being there doesn’t sit right with me. I can’t focus on anything else, and I know I won’t be able to until I hear from Lincoln.
Then again, why do I need to wait for a call when I know he’s already headed to Deep Creek?
Without saying anything, without even taking off my apron, I head out the front door and stop when I realize I have no way to get to Deep Creek campground fast enough.
Patrick comes blowing out of the building behind me. “What’s going on?” he asks, a look of concern on his face.
“I need you to take me to Deep Creek Campground.”
Patrick looks at me like I just grew two heads. “What? Why?”
I grit my teeth. “Just please take me there. I’ll explain on the way.”