“For what?”
“This is a small town, Parker. You know as well as I do that some people in this town, you just don’t fuck with.”
My eyes narrowed at his implication. “Are you referring to the Callahans?”
“I don’t know. Honestly, I’m not trying to lead you down any one path, butthere are only two access points to Murky Falls, and I can’t see anyone in your family doing that to a little girl.”
“Austin was too young,” I pointed out.
“He’s not the only Callahan in town.”
I frowned at that, not liking the direction he was taking. “His old man would never have done something like that.”
“I used to think the same thing, but the old man has changed. There’s hardly a single person in this town he hasn’t made an enemy of.”
“But that’s now.”
“Yeah? And where do you think that rage has been hiding? Do you honestly believe it just showed up one day?”
I did, but that was because I knew him growing up.
“Look, I’m not saying it’s him, but you have to keep him in mind. This town is small, and if word gets around that Blake is digging too deep into something, it could stir up trouble. I don’t think I have to remind you that she’s pregnant.”
No, he didn’t have to. But I also couldn’t be with her every second of the day. She’d kick my ass if she even suspected I was trying to protect her.
“Just tell her to watch her back. She’s digging up old bones.”
I nodded and continued down the road, wondering if the killer could actually still be walking among us.
“You don’t think it was just an out-of-towner?”
“No, I don’t. To get that little girl up to Murky Falls in the middle of a snowstorm takes some serious knowledge of the area.”
That was true. Fuck, I’d been away too long. I’d forgotten just how rough the terrain could be around here. He was right. No one could just stumble up to the falls without prior knowledge.
“How have you done it all these years?”
“What’s that?”
“Walk around town knowing there’s a killer amongst the people.”
“I keep my eyes peeled. I make friendly chatter with everyone, making sure people think I’m always on their side.”
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” I murmured.
“You think it was hell over there?” he said, referring to the war zone I had been stationed at. “This whole place is a war zone. You just don’t always know who’s coming at you until it’s too late.”
I snorted in amusement. “Yeah, totally legitimate comparison.”
“I’m like George Bailey, fighting the battle of Bedford Falls.”
“Yeah, you’re a regular hero,” I chuckled.
He pulled the door open to the coffee shop and we strode inside, but the moment I looked up, I froze in place. My soon-to-be father-in-law was sitting at a table, along with all of Blake’s brothers.
“I feel like there was something I was going to tell you,” Mav said, cocking his head thoughtfully.
“You mean, the fact that Blake’s family is here?” I gritted out.
