For months he felt his father blamed him. He still had moments where he believed it, but then told himself that it was nothing more than the guilt he put on his own shoulders.
He should have been watching her. He should have gone after Rene or even walked with her.
Instead, he sat on the dock drowning a worm, eating a sub, and texting with his friends about stupid, meaningless teenage shit.
“Tell me what you’ve been doing this week. I haven’t wanted to bother you too much.”
“I should get the court records on Monday. Been walking around. The rundown cabin that Rene was taking pictures of is gone and condos are in its place. Lots of them.”
“It was rundown back then,” his mother said. “I’m not surprised. The police checked the place out. There were no clues or anything, or so they said.”
“I might have some help this time around,” he said. He might as well tell his mother what was going on. He tried not to keep secrets from her.
“Really? From who?”
“There is this local attorney who was in the courthouse with me the other day. She actually made it easier for me to get thefiles. We got talking and her parents were close with Cooper Stevens.”
“Oh,” his mother said. “That had to be hard to hear, maybe for both of you.”
“I think so. I didn’t tell her who I was, but she gave me her card and said if I wanted to talk to someone who lived here and knew what was said around town, she’d make herself available. Her brother is the sheriff now.”
“Ridgeway, right?” his mother said. “A young guy?”
“Yes. Ford Ridgeway. Their family is a staple here. Ridgeway Orchards, but now it’s Ridgeway Hard Cider and some other things.”
“I know you’ve done your research on them. Fill me in.”
He got comfortable in the chair, glad to have someone to bounce things off of.
For years, he’d been terrified of upsetting her, and she felt the same about him. But slowly, they’d learned to lean on each other, becoming the support they both needed to survive. Maybe even the strength they’d need to finally get the answers they craved.
“Five kids. The oldest is Clay and runs the property now and it’s his cider company. Next is Ford, the sheriff. Blaze is an ER doctor, then Gale an attorney and last, Ash, a fireman.”
He didn’t tell his mother what else he’d found out.
That Ford’s fiancée was kidnapped last year for a crime she was unaware she’d been witness to in Florida. That Clay and Ford rescued her, a few killed. Or that Clay’s now fiancée had a neighbor stalking her, then kidnapped her when he finally snapped. Clay, ex-Navy SEAL rescued her with Ford on the scene.
Seemed to him this family had a way of getting themselves in the midst of problems.
Did it make him want to keep Gale out of this?
Kind of.
But it was crazy for him to think his search would hurt her. She’d offered to help and he needed all he could get.
He could handle anything that came his way and he was positive she could too.
“Sounds like they’ve got everything covered in their household,” his mother said, the humor in her voice that he was happy to know she hadn’t lost.
Life didn’t end for everyone the night Rene was murdered.
It might have felt it for years, but slowly his mother and he started to live again.
Rene played a huge part in it. Those visits she’d made in his dreams kicked his butt in gear to follow his visions. He later found out Rene was telling their mother to do the same.
He often wondered if Rene visited their father, but knew he’d never ask. He wouldn’t believe it if his father said no anyway.
“Gale came to dinner last night and we talked.”
