Chapter 25
“I will go to the house and check Mom’s things. Plus, I need some clothes,” Nina said when there was a lull in the conversation.
“Not alone, you won’t,” Finch said, tightening his fingers around hers. “Besides, you didn’t bring your car.”
He’d held her hand as they talked, knowing she was battling fear and confusion, and he couldn’t deny that what lay between them now was strong—a connection he didn’t want to sever.
“We’re heading there now, so Finch can bring you—”
She cut Dan off. “If it’s not me, but something in my house they want, then I’m not in danger, surely?”
“You can’t know that,” Finch said, tightening his grip once more as she tried to pull away at his tone.
“They want something that is likely in your possession, and they’ll get more desperate the longer it takes to find it, which is clearly what happened last night, as the threat escalated with fire.
There may come a point in their search where they go after you to get it. ”
“He’s right,” Dan said.
“Then we need to keep her safe,” Sawyer added. “And Finch is the man for that job.”
“I could stay at Circle Left because there are people there all the time, and I own it now,” she said quickly.
“No.” Finch just said the one word, but the surrounding men all nodded their agreement, backing him up.
Nina blew out a breath in frustration.
Finch knew she’d been making her own life decisions for years, and they were taking that right away. He got that, but her safety was more important to him than hurting her feelings right now.
“What do you want us to do?” JD asked. “She doesn’t need to work. We’ll cover her.”
“I think we should keep things as normal as we can for now,” Sheriff Dans said. “I doubt they know we’re onto them, and I want it to stay that way so they don’t back off. She’ll be safe at The Gnat. It’s when she’s alone that there could be danger.”
“So I can’t walk around in my town?” Nina asked.
“They won’t grab you off the street in daylight hours,” Dan said. “So you can, but always stay where people are.”
Finch would rather she didn’t leave his side, but he knew that wasn’t reasonable.
“So, status quo,” Dan added.
“We’ll put it around town that Nina left her hair straightener on, and they’ll believe us because I’d never lie to them. Then whoever is behind it will believe we’re clueless about what’s really going on,” Sheriff Dans said.
“If any of this gets out, you know Lyntacks will go on high alert, add two and two together, and come up with fifty,” Dan said. “They’ll want to protect Nina by running patrols past her house, and she’ll have no peace.”
Everyone nodded, knowing that’s exactly what would happen in Lyntacky. The townsfolk were not the type to sit back and watch when they thought one of theirs was under siege.
“It could be carnage,” Jay agreed.
“Right, then, that’s settled. Nina stays here, and we keep our eyes open. Between us, we’ll try to locate a picture of Dale Falcon and find out who is in our town, targeting her house.”
“It bothers me that it could be someone I’ve had coffee with or who has come into The Gnat for a waxing,” JD said, grim faced.
“It’s disturbing,” Sawyer agreed. “But we’ve dealt with shit before, and we’ll deal with this too.”
They got out of their chairs, and Finch reluctantly let her hand go, but not before Sawyer raised his brow at him. He ignored the look and shook the sheriff’s hand.
“Before you all leave, can I ask that you keep me informed of any updates please?” Nina said.
“Agreed,” they all replied.
“I’ll be in tomorrow, JD,” she added as her friend prepared to leave.
“Okay, but if you need any time off, or anything, you let me and Zoe know,” JD said, giving her another hug. “We’re gonna get through this together.”
Nina nodded.
“If you head into Lynx’s room, there are some shoes of Birdie’s in the closet. We’ll follow the others to your place to get your things,” Finch said.
Nina shot him a look and then one at JD, who was closest to him, before walking away.
“You watch our girl, Finch,” JD said softly.
“Will do.”
“You got big feelings for her?” The man said the words so only Finch could hear.
“Big feelings? What are you, five?”
“I live with Zoe and have a child. Give me a break.”
The word “class” had been invented for JD Hopper. He always looked put together and wore the latest high-end styles, like his wife. Lyntacky’s best-dressed couple, Finch’d heard people call them, and privately, he had to agree, even if today the man didn’t look his normal slick self.
“She’s like a sister to me, and because she doesn’t have family, I’m one of her designated big brothers. So I’m asking, do you care about Nina, Finch?”
“Yes,” Lynx said from behind them. “He does.”
He turned to glare at his brother. “Stay out of this.”
“So there is a this?” Sawyer asked, arms still folded, clearly listening in.
“Back off, Duke. You’ve got enough people in your life to meddle with,” Finch said.
Sawyer smiled. “I have plenty more room in my life for my brother-in-law. Besides, if I didn’t watch out for you, my wife would be unhappy, and we can’t have that.”
“Happy wife, happy life,” Dan added.
They were all now involved in the conversation.
“Look, I’m not at my best right now. I have no room for a relationship, but I will watch her, and she’ll stay here,” Finch said softly. “So all of you back off and let things lie.”
“And play out as they will,” Lynx added. “Which, just quietly, has my vote. They’re real sweet together.”
Finch rammed his elbow back into his brother’s stomach, and he made a nice wheezing sound.
“Nice move,” Dan said as Nina came back into the room.
“Right, let’s go,” Finch said.
“What were you talking about?” Nina asked, looking suspicious.
“You, of course,” Lynx wheezed. “Nice shoes.”
“They’re Blue’s and too big, but that girl has style,” Nina said.
The shoes were actually grey ankle boots with fur trim.
“She’s been looking for those. I’ll tell her you have them,” Jay said.
“What do we do with Mabel?” Nina asked, looking around for the feline. She was lying in her bed before the fire, happy and entirely unbothered by the morning’s events.
“She’ll be fine. Let’s go,” Finch said.
“I have a Zoom call I need to take, so I’ll watch her. Call if you need me,” Lynx said.
“Will do.”
When they reached the hooks by the front door, Finch pulled on his jacket and then handed Nina Birdie’s winter one, which was hanging on the coat rack.
He stepped outside and then went back in before Nina could follow him.
He found a scarf on the rack and wrapped it around her neck.
She looked up at him when he did it, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
He held the ends of the scarf a beat longer than he needed to before letting go.
“Thank you.”
“Welcome.”
They climbed into his pickup and followed the others out the driveway. Finch knew his parents would want to know what was happening, and he’d have to tell them at some point, but at least for now, they were keeping their distance.
Nina was silent for the first few minutes, huddled in her coat and scarf and, like him, waiting for the heating to kick in.
He watched her from the corner of his eye.
She was staring out the passenger window at the gray fields sliding past, and snow lining the road.
He could see the set of her jaw and the stillness of someone holding themselves carefully together.
He didn’t push her. He’d learned early not to do that when Birdie was upset or unsettled.
His youngest sister had always needed time to think things through before she could talk, and filling that silence before she was ready only made her retreat further.
He figured Nina could be the same way. So he drove, letting the quiet settle between them, and waited.
He waved when a car passed, but his mind was on what he’d learned today. Who was new in Lyntacky and could be doing this? They were connected to Dale Falcon, he knew that.
“I hate this not knowing,” she said finally.
“Yeah, it’s hard on the nerves. Do you know any of the new people in town, Nina? I know there are plenty who have moved to Lyntacky lately. Can you name some for me?”
“There’s Clint Burrows, who works with the Slatters. Amber, who is a cleaner and works in Circle Left and The Gnat. Kurt—”
“I know who he is.”
“Right, you worked with him. Nice work behind the bar, by the way. I never got a chance to tell you. The glasses suit you. Do you think you’ll wear them again?”
“You think I looked hot in them?” He winked at her. Anything to make her smile again.
Some of the tension that was holding her rigid left her body. “You looked okay in them, I guess.”
“You told me to ‘keep the glasses on’ when I said I’d come round to your place after my shift.”
“Why didn’t you come around?” she asked him.
Finch could feel her eyes on the side of his face.
“Because I’m a mess at the moment.”
“It’s just sex, Finch—”
“No, it’s not just sex.”
“Maybe it’s not” was all she said before listing more names, and for now, it was enough. “Bradley and Cynthia Brown opened the bookstore.”
“Right, I’ve been in there. Nice place.”
He turned onto the main street behind Dan’s cruiser.
“Tonight they’re turning on the lights, so we have to go to that, Finch.”
At least she wasn’t fighting him over staying at the cottage anymore.
“Okay.”
Pulling up behind the others outside her house minutes later, they found a group of locals already gathered on the pavement.
Small towns moved fast. Finch scanned the faces automatically—not for friends, but for anyone he didn’t recognize, anyone suspicious.
Everyone looked exactly as they should. Concerned, curious, and familiar.
Hank and Nancy left the group and came toward Nina as she got out of the truck.
“Nina, I’m so sorry this is happening,” Hank said, pulling her into his arms.
She was safe with them, so Finch walked in through the open front door to where the two lawmen, plus Jay, Sawyer, and JD, now stood. The stench of smoke hit him hard.
“It smells bad in here,” Jay said. “And some of the walls are stained, but the worst is in the bathroom.”
“My poor house,” Nina said, arriving behind him.
Finch watched her, but she didn’t cry, just walked slowly around the room, taking it all in.
She paused at the bathroom doorway and looked inside, and he saw something move across her face, an emotion he was familiar with.
Grief. This was her home. She’d built her life here, made it hers, and someone had used something as ordinary as a hair straightener to drive her out of it. This calculated act terrified him.
“The stuff I have left of Mom’s is in the spare room.” She headed through another door off the hallway.
It wasn’t a large closet, but it was crammed full of things. They took everything out to the pickup, telling anyone who asked they were removing it from the house so it could be cleaned.
It didn’t take long to empty the closet and check the rest of the house for anything the culprits could be after. When it was done, Nina grabbed what she needed and food for Mabel.
“Amber’s here, Nina!” Dan called from the living area.
“Do we trust her?” Finch asked quietly.
“I like her, so I guess yes, but I could be wrong. How would we know?” She frowned as she thought it over.
“We can’t, but there’s nothing left in here for her to search that belongs to your mother.”
“So I just let her inside?” Nina asked.
“All good in here?” Jay inquired from the doorway.
“We were making a list of people who arrived in Lyntacky recently on the way here, and Amber is one of those,” Finch said. “Not sure we need someone on that list in this house, cleaning it.”
“Good point. I’ve got this, so follow my lead,” Jay said, heading back out to the living room. Amber stood there, talking to the others.
“We’ve got this covered, Amber. I’m having commercial cleaners brought in for Nina,” Jay said. “I have friends in the business.”
“But thanks,” Nina added.
Dan shot Jay a look, but ran with it.
“I’m so pleased, but if you need me to do anything, you just let me know, Nina,” Amber said, coming closer to hug her.
Finch felt his back stiffen, but he didn’t speak. Nina handled it like she had all the other hugs she’d received today.
Studying Amber when she eased back, he didn’t think she was involved, or if she was, she had a really good poker face.
She had that open, warm quality that was hard to manufacture convincingly.
But then, he’d been wrong about people before.
People who were patient enough and motivated enough could wear almost any face they chose.
He’d keep watching. That was all he could do for now.