The heavy door of Gus' Watering Hole swung shut behind Hadley, muffling the sounds from within. Not that there had been a lot of conversation in the past few minutes. She stood motionless for a moment, tilting her chin and breathing in the crisp October air.
Frank Esten's words had scorched deeper than she cared to admit, his venom finding those hairline fractures exposed in her soul. She inhaled deeply a second time, allowing the familiar scents of pine and distant wood smoke to replace the stale beer and accusation that clung to her clothes.
What she craved most at the moment was caffeine. The thought of the hour-and-a-half drive back home was daunting, which meant that coffee from the convenience store was about to be her best friend.
Rubbing the back of her neck, she made her way across the gravel lot where she’d parked her Equinox. The sound of anengine revving had her seeking out the individual responsible. Frank Esten's sedan tore out of the lot in a cloud of dust, the tires spitting out small rocks against the surrounding vehicles.
The man's grief had twisted into something unrecognizable over the years, fermenting into a rage that sought targets beyond Mason. She couldn’t blame Frank, and there were times when her own anger over past events had gotten the best of her.
Frank had lost his only daughter. Hadley would never claim to understand such loss, which was why she’d stood in front of him silently while he released what pain he could in that moment.
“…shut your mouth.”
Now that Frank’s brake lights had faded in the growing darkness of the early evening, voices from around the side of the bar made themselves known. It appeared the rough and rowdy were starting early tonight, and she didn’t want to be around when Reed needed to step in.
Hadley had finally reached her SUV, anxious to get on the road now. It was better than being in the presence of those who couldn’t seem to choose a side. Traitor or hero? They didn’t seem to understand that she was neither. She was just a sister without a brother and a daughter without a mother or father.
Another string of muffled expletives and the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the ground stopped her cold. It was one thing to leave when only words were being exchanged, but it was entirely another when blood started to flow.
She hesitated, keys now gripped tightly in her palm. This wasn't her problem. Reed could handle whatever local dispute had spilled into the parking lot, and she had no obligation to intervene.
“You have no idea what you're talking about!”
The voice wasn’t that of a drunk, but rather someone with all their faculties and full of anger. The sound of another impact—flesh against flesh— was then followed by a grunt of pain.
Hadley closed her eyes briefly. Every instinct urged her to leave, to protect the fragile remains of her emotional equilibrium after Frank Esten's verbal assault. She didn't need to wade into another confrontation, especially one involving locals who would undoubtedly recognize her.
“Damn it,” Hadley muttered as she squeezed her keys and headed in the direction of the fight. She kept her steps deliberate but quiet as she approached the corner of the building, one hand instinctively moving to rest near her concealed weapon. The voices grew clearer as she neared the side lot—three distinct male voices, young but not teenagers. One sounded vaguely familiar.
“I'm just saying what everyone thinks,” came a strained reply. “You know it, and I know it. Missy…”
Hadley’s steps faltered upon hearing the name, but she still rounded the corner in time to witness the aftermath of violence. Three men in their early twenties stood in a loose line beneath the single security light mounted on the building's exterior. One was on the ground, propped up on one elbow, the other hand wiping blood from a split lip. The second stood a few feet away, chest heaving, fists still clenched at his sides. The third positioned himself between them, arms outstretched in a futile attempt at peacekeeping.
For a moment, none of them noticed her presence. Then, as if sensing the shift in atmosphere, all three heads turned simultaneously in her direction. Recognition dawned first in the mediator's eyes.
“Detective Dawkins.” Ty Hobbs, the young man she’d encountered on the Cox property, lowered his arms. “Everything’s fine. It was just a misunderstanding.”
Hadley kept her expression neutral as she assessed the three men. The one on the ground bore the mark of at least one solid punch. The standing aggressor's knuckles were reddened, his breathing still irregular from exertion.
Hadley remained silent.
The pause stretched uncomfortably, forcing someone to fill it.
“This is Kalen Telfort,” Ty said, gesturing to the man whose fist had clearly connected with the third man's face. “And that's Lucas Solomon.”
Kalen Telfort stood with his feet planted firmly apart, his posture rigid with lingering anger. He was dressed in a black suit that hung slightly loose on his lean frame, the tie pulled askew in the scuffle. He stared at her while rubbing his right hand.
Ty moved to help Lucas to his feet, offering a hand that Lucas accepted after a moment's hesitation. As he stood, Lucas wiped at his split lip again, smearing a thin line of blood across his chin. Unlike Kalen's formal attire, Lucas wore jeans and a faded flannel shirt over a black t-shirt advertising some obscure band. His copper-red hair fell across his forehead in an unkempt wave, and he avoided direct eye contact, his gaze fixed somewhere near Hadley's shoulder.
“You're Emanuel Telfort's son,” Hadley said, addressing Kalen directly. She stepped forward and offered her hand. “I'm sorry for your loss.”
Something flickered across Kalen's face—surprise, perhaps, that she acknowledged his grief at all. He gave a short, stiff nod.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Kalen murmured, the words barely audible as he shook her hand. She didn’t miss his slight wince of pain. “And Ty’s right. I reacted without thinking.”
“Well,” Hadley said as she took a step back, “I'd suggest taking any further discussions inside where Gus can mediate or calling it a night altogether.”
She wasn’t so sure Lucas had taken Kalen’s words as an apology. Ty, on the other hand, seemed to relax somewhat now that the focus was off whatever had set the argument into motion to begin with.
