Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
T his time, Finn didn’t get a text. Mack left him a voicemail on his phone—to call him back ASAP.
He did so as soon as he got a break between patients.
Mack said, “If I were you, I’d get up here. There might be something to Ms. Magnolia’s worries about protecting Rose.”
“What happened?”
“You remember the barn fire way back? I know we were just kids, but?—”
“I remember.” He’d had nightmares. It had taken years for them to go away.
“The guy who set them—he’s out of prison. He’s the one from the cemetery. Rose confirmed it. He approached her again in public at the cafe this morning.”
He pressed a hand to his neck. “Mack?—”
“She’s okay. Stan took care of it. Threw him out, but he didn’t know about the other incident.”
“Damn it.”
“She came in. I took her statement. I followed her home, checked out the property. All clear. We’ve got someone keeping an eye on the grounds. Patrol cars are out looking for him.”
He’d planned to head up to Evers Hollow early in the morning. “I’m on nights. Let me see if I can get someone to cover my hours for me. I’ll text you when I head up. I’ll have to come back for tomorrow’s night shift. Then I’ll have a few days off.”
“I wouldn’t have bothered you, but I remember you two seemed tight way back. Something tells me she’d appreciate seeing you. In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye on her.”
Finn hung up the phone. Sent a message to Kendra. He’d have to cancel Saturday’s dinner with them. He knew they’d understand. Especially Dare, who would do anything to keep his family safe.
Next, he sent a message to Broome. Letting him know they needed to talk again. Another resident agreed to come in to cover the rest of his shift. Finn was on his way within two hours.
He’d never seen the man who set the barn fire years ago, only his picture in the paper when he’d gone to trial. Something about his eyes, even in black and white, said evil.
An hour later, on the northern outskirts of Asheville, in the dark, Finn drove through a set of wrought iron gates. It was hard to miss the security cameras and spikes on top of the wrought iron fence.
Broome hadn’t been joking when he said he took his family’s security seriously. This was a fortress.
Were there guards as well, walking the perimeter? It wouldn’t surprise him. Even if he didn’t understand why this level of precaution was necessary.
He directed his SUV up the lamplit circular driveway and pulled it around to the right, as Broome requested. He left his vehicle and approached the front door, the porch light illuminated.
A note covered the doorbell with the words, text upon arrival, toddler sleeping.
He sent a text.
The door opened. Broome stood in a worn metal band t-shirt, faded jeans, and bare feet. His hair stuck straight up. Finn didn’t think it was intentional. He held a finger to his lips and motioned for him to enter.
Broome led him toward a hallway on the right. Large windows lined the walls of the house, displaying what looked like an inner sanctum of greenery.
He was tempted to ask if the windows were bulletproof. It wouldn’t surprise him.
They reached a room with a solid wooden door. Broome motioned him in. The inside held bookshelves. It smelled of leather. One wall alone looked to be professional books with dark covers.
Broome spoke first. “Future parenting advice. Never put a baby’s room over the front door. Especially when they’re teething.”
A strange comment, especially to him. “Noted.”
He motioned toward two leather chairs grouped at one end of the office beside a large desk. “Have a seat. Let’s talk about Rose’s safety.”
The conversation was brief. Broome looked over the security footage from the Briar House cameras. They both watched Rose return from town after the Cracked Egg incident, along with Mack Daggett. The cameras caught bits of him checking out the property, but nothing else since.
Finn felt like he was spying on Rose, but it comforted him to know she’d made it inside the cottage safely. That Mack said they’d keep an eye on the place.
It was past midnight by the time he got to Evers Hollow. A truck hauling a trailer overturned, blocking the small two lane highway. It had taken over two hours to get the right equipment to open one lane. Once inside his old house, he realized he didn’t have Rose’s cell number.
He texted Mack.
Mack texted right back.
Mack
We got George. He’s in a holding cell for at least twenty-four hours.
Finn
“I’m at my old place. Should I check on her?”
Mack
“No. I spoke to her earlier. Let her sleep. She’s safe now.”