“And knew he was staying here.”
“Yes.”
Mercer exchanged a look with Sullivan.
Eli interjected. “You need to make sure Grace is safe.”
Mercer’s mouth twitched. Not a smile. “Sounds like you’re the one who brought the danger to her door. Maybe you need to move on, bud.”
Grace heard the judgment. “That’s not fair,” she said.
Mercer turned toward her, expression polite in the way that meant nothing. “Miss Hart, with respect, your brother is a criminal and now he’s back in Crystal Lake and he’s brought more of his kind with him.”
Grace pushed her chair back and stood. “A man waited for me outside my home. He touched me. He threatened my family.”
Mercer’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “How did he threaten you?” he asked.
Grace stared at him. “He told me to tell my brother that hiding doesn’t make things go away.”
Mercer closed his notebook. “Miss Hart, I’m not happy that there’s a criminal element in my town.” His eyes moved to Eli. “And I’m not just talking about the man who spoke with you this evening.”
Eli stepped forward. “What the fuck are you saying?”
Mercer’s gaze snapped to him. “Watch your tone.”
“No,” Grace said, sharp enough that both officers looked back at her. “You watchyours.”
“I called you because a man I do not know waited until I was alone and cornered me on my porch,” she said. “And you’re standing in my kitchen telling me this is inconvenient for you because you don’t like who my brother is.”
Mercer’s jaw tightened.
She gestured to the door. “You haven’t asked for a description. You haven’t asked which direction he left. You haven’t asked how long he waited or what kind of car he drove.”
For just a moment, she thought Mercer might argue. Might dismiss her again. Might do what cops in this town always did when they were dealing with a Hart.
Instead, he exhaled through his nose.
“What did he look like?” he asked.
Grace didn’t relax. Not even a fraction.
“Thin,” she said. “Late thirties, maybe forties. Dark jacket. Smelled like cigarette smoke. He parked a dark sedan halfway down the street.”
Sullivan’s snorted. “There’s lots of cars on this street. You said you didn’t see him get in his car. Can you be sure it was his?”
“Yes,” Grace said. “Tinted windows. It wasn’t there earlier.”
Mercer cleared his throat. “We’ll put out a BOLO.”
Grace folded her arms. “Good.”
Sullivan clicked off his flashlight and headed for the front door. “Lock up,” he said to Grace. “Call if he comes back.”
When the door closed behind them, Grace sank back into her chair, exhaustion crashing into her all at once.
Eli crouched in front of her. “I’m sorry.”
Grace wrapped her hands around her mug again, the ceramic warm against her palms.
