Deputy Shaw took a deep breath, cracking his knuckles before he nodded, like he had decided something.
“I know it’s confusing and hard to understand, but…youdidsee Shiloh Tellez today.” My stomach dropped, mind spinning.What?“However, she is no longer Shiloh Tellez. Her name now is Emory Crawford. She—”
“Woah, woah, woah. Hold up!” Jae interrupted, stepping into the deputy’s personal space. “You’ve got to be shitting me right now. This isn’t fucking funny. I dunno who you really are, but this is stopping right the hell now. I’m calling the fucking police and—”
“This isn’t…what exactly are you saying?” I asked, cutting Jae off.
Deputy Shaw dipped his chin to stare at me. “Shiloh’s death wasfaked. She’s been in Witness Protection—”
I laughed, tears filling my eyes. “What? No! That’s not…”
“Witness Protection?” Jae parroted with raised brows. “No fucking way. This is a joke, this is…” Jae suddenly shoved the deputy by the shoulders. “Stop fucking with his head, man. This is sick. I dunno who put you up to this but we’re not buying this horseshit.”
Alive. Shiloh’s. Alive.I laughed again, tears streaming down my face. I really was going insane.
“Would you stop, already?” the deputy growled, shoving Jae back. “Clearly, I underestimated your comprehension abilities,” he muttered to himself.
The deputy sighed, removing his cap to scrub a hand through his hair.
“Can I see her? Can I talk to her? Where is she?”
Jae pulled his phone out of his pocket, shaking his head.
“What are you doing?” Deputy Shaw asked.
“Calling therealauthorities.”
“Now, now. You sure you want to do that?”
Jae scoffed. “Uh, yeah. I’m pretty fucking sure I want you to stop harassing us.”
“Jae, stop! Do you not hear what he’s saying? Shiloh’salive!”
Jae looked between the two of us, eyes narrowed like he was trying to figure out which one of us was actually sane.
“Oh, I heard him. I just don’t believe him. That’sfuckinginsane, Enoch! She’s dead! We held her funeral, she left us fucking suicide notes…Why the fuck would she suddenly show up at your work event? Huh?” Jae jabbed a finger into his temple. “Think, Enoch! Think. Why the hell would she be living here in fucking Alaska of all places? You really think if she was in “Witness Protection” they’d come over here asking us to be quiet about it? Is this fucking Hollywood?No. If she was in Witness Protection, you wouldn’t fucking know about it.”
I swallowed.Shit. He had a point. That didn’t make any sense.
“Whyareyou here?” I asked the Marshal skeptically.
“To make sure you haven’t put her in danger.”
“So, you’ve spoken to her?” I stood from my chair. “Where is she? Is she here?” I looked towards the window as if she would magically appear.
“She’s not here. And I’m not about to tell you where she is. I’m only here to make sure that you have not jeopardized her safety and your own.”
I chuckled in disbelief. In relief.
She’s alive.
I’m not fucking crazy!
I smiled to myself.Thank you, God. Holy shit. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I couldn’t contain the excitement bubbling up in my chest.
“She’s really here?” I asked. “She’s here? In Anchorage?”
