Chapter 26
Chapter twenty-six
Levi
I’d never seen so many people in Centennial Park. The number of job and housing opportunities had snowballed once Everly and I nailed down our pitch. The pessimist in me worried some participants were just looking for free marketing; the optimist hoped we’d help more people than expected.
But even with my doubts, I had to admit that the entire mood of the event impressed me.
Poppy and Theo had volunteered to paint faces, and once one kiddo appeared with an elaborate superhero mask, the line for their table built.
Kid’s activity booths and a gigantic bouncy castle filled half the field by the fountain.
It would have been chaos without the twenty-odd student volunteers assigned to different booths, activities, and general crowd control.
“I can’t believe you and Evie got so many places to participate,” Max said, looking around the park. His eyes got misty, and before I knew it, he’d yanked me into a hug. Despite my shock, I pounded him on the back before we stepped apart.
“I never apologized for how I acted last year,” he said. “When I fuck up, I own it. I should have told you I was sorry a long time ago. Truth is, Theo might as well be one of my kids, and I went a little papa bear.”
“No hard feelings,” I said. If anything, I was starting to admire Max. I doubt my dad would have gotten himself arrested, so I wouldn’t have to go into a police station alone. “I’m honestly a little shocked at how well things turned out.”
“You and Evie make a good team,” Max said. “It’s nice to see her with someone worth her time.”
I laughed. “Guess everyone in town knows we’re together.”
“Rumors started going round after that cozy dart game at Church.”
“Of course they did,” I said, a stupid smile on my face. I was surprisingly happy to be part of the Peace Falls gossip mill this time.
“If you got a minute, I want you to meet someone,” Max said.
“Sure.”
He walked us over to a woman about my age who was pushing a little girl on the swings. “Hey, Mona,” Max said.
The woman broke into a huge smile, and I recognized her from one of the pictures on the flyer Poppy made. Her second-chance success story had won over more than one person.
Mona pulled Max into a tight hug and then turned to me. “Officer Stafford,” she said, holding out her hand. “Mona Shepard. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Looking at her now, it’d be impossible to tell that this woman had served seven years for felony drug charges. Not only had she remained sober after prison, but she’d graduated from college and started her own accounting firm.
“You as well,” I said and meant it. Between Theo and Mona, I was beginning to see how Max and Everly remained so optimistic. “Thank you for your donation.”
Her eyes darted over to the last-minute table we’d added and she nodded. “Wish we didn’t need it, but it’s better than the alternative.”
After the incident on campus, the college placed a bulk order for NARCAN.
Every RA was given doses, and the student health center was handing them out like free condoms. It gave me the idea to hand it out during the Springboard event, and Max had reached out to Mona for funding.
We chatted a few more minutes before one of the student volunteers pulled me aside to help with a pop-up tent that kept collapsing.
Everly moved through the crowd, talking to everyone and encouraging people to visit the booths.
She hadn’t stopped smiling, and no matter where I was in the park, my eyes always found her.
We’d agreed to keep things professional during the event, though each time I missed an opportunity to touch her, it made me more eager to get her back to my house.
Luckily, we’d been too busy to be near each other often.
The longest conversation we had was the brief introduction I made between her and Professor Exton.
Though the event was more fun than I expected, I was counting the hours until I could be alone with Everly.
Before I knew it, I was breaking down folding tables and tents with a group of students from the university.
“Hey Levi,” Cammie said, walking toward me. “Can I talk to you?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said, stepping away from the volunteers.
The smile that usually lit Cam’s face was gone, and the joyful atmosphere around us receded as I waited for her to speak.
“First, I wanted to thank you for giving me a head’s up about Bishop,” she said.
“Has he approached you?”
She shook her head. “I doubt he would, but I’m still spooked. Between Wyatt, Cal, and the rest of our friends, I’m never alone.”
I nodded. She’d seemed terrified when I stopped by after seeing Bishop, which set off even more alarms. Awkward run-ins with an ex were one thing.
Hearing Bishop was in town had drained all the color from Cammie’s face.
I was relieved she was being careful, even if she hadn’t told me why. “Call me if he does.”
She nodded and shifted on her feet. “I need to tell you some things, Levi.”
My stomach dropped at the fear in her voice. “Whatever you need.”
“Wyatt knows everything I’m about to say,” she said, glancing toward where he stood with Lauren at the Karma booth.
His eyes caught hers and held a moment before he returned to packing up the booth.
“He wanted to tell you with me, but he gets worked up whenever we talk about it, and his blood sugar tanks. He’s been having enough trouble keeping it regulated since he heard Bishop was in town. ”
“Shit, Cammie, I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that when I told him.”
“He’d never forgive you if you hadn’t,” she said with a small smile. She took a deep breath and blew it out. “I think it’s time you knew what was in the suitcase I gave Bishop last summer.”
“Cam, if it was something illegal—” I didn’t want to know.
The thought shocked me. How long had Hayden kept his involvement in the drug ring from me?
Was it before or after he became addicted to pills?
These questions plagued me, yet if Cammie or Wyatt had done something illegal, I wanted to be left in the dark.
I’d known Hayden was flawed. He got blackout drunk more than once on our nights out, and I’d heft him home to sleep it off.
He’d been hungover through more than one shift with me.
He lied with ease to his girlfriend about talking to other women at the bars or at dart tournaments.
I accepted his imperfections because he was my best friend, my partner, and I never once questioned that he’d have my back when it mattered.
But Wyatt was different. He was kinder and genuine enough for me to trust him.
I reasoned that the lies he’d told about his illness were to protect the people he cared about.
But it also meant he was capable of telling even bigger lies to protect Cammie, and the thought that he’d asked me to help her make an illegal exchange threatened to shatter the small amount of faith in people I had left.
“It wasn’t illegal,” she said, touching my arm briefly before wringing her hands together. “Well, technically, what was in the suitcase wasn’t. Why I had to give it to him might be.”
“OK,” I said. “So, not drugs.”
“No,” she said with a firm shake of her head. “It was sixty-thousand dollars in cash.”
Fuck that was a lot of money. That amount screamed something shady. “Was he blackmailing you?”
“He definitely threatened me,” she said with a huff, “but the money was his.”
“You were holding cash for him?” I asked. My mind went to money laundering and organized crime.
“I stole fifty grand from him when I left. The rest was interest.”
The sentence hung in the air between us. She’d just admitted to grand theft larceny. “Why are you telling me this, Cam?”
“Because you need to know,” she said in a soft voice.
“Not that it matters why, but my dad couldn’t afford a decent lawyer for his appeal.
I knew Bishop wouldn’t loan me the money, so I took it.
Honestly, it was the reason I needed to leave.
Bishop was abusive, and I should have left long before, but—”
I held up my hand. “You don’t need to justify anything, Cammie. I’m not judging. I’m just glad you got away.”
Her eyes filled with tears. I waited while she pulled herself together. Wyatt was staring at us now, the tension in his body clear.
“Bishop never reported the money stolen,” she said. “So, I assume however he got it wasn’t legal.”
“You don’t know?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want to. If I had to guess, based on what I saw with my dad, I’d say he was dealing.
And not small amounts either. His brother is serving time for drug charges, and I doubt they shut down just because he got sent away.
When Bishop was here last summer, he made a couple comments about this town being an easy place to work.
I thought the number of people he saw supporting me that day scared him.
I guess not enough. If he’s in town, he’s probably dealing here. ”
“Did you ever see him dealing drugs?”
She shook her head.
Damn it. The information was helpful. It certainly confirmed my suspicions that Bishop was up to no good on campus, though none of it could build a case against him. However, it made what I was about to say easier on my conscience.
“Cammie, I’m going to pretend we’re starting the conversation here.”
“OK,” she said softly.
“Last month, I saw this man in town,” I said, pulling out my phone and showing her the picture I’d snapped of Bishop. I’d shown her it already; however, it was important she see it again to play out the conversation how I wanted. “Can you confirm this is your ex-boyfriend?”
“Yes,” she said, her forehead scrunched in confusion.
“Do you have reason to believe he could be a danger to you?”
Her eyes widened. I took a chance she’d know exactly where this was going, and she’d caught on quickly.
“Yes,” she said. “I have medical records from when he broke my hand and a few other trips to the ER.”