There was part of her that didn’t want anyone to know, but the other part said to do it and let it get out. “If you report it and don’t leave, it’s going to start more rumors.”
“I know,” he said. “I’m thinking. Do we plant something and see if that makes the rounds? It will just go back to someone in your department talking.”
“I haven’t seen any leaks yet,” Ford said. “I’ve tried that. What are you thinking you want to say?”
“Well, take pictures of the mess. It’s odd they didn’t want to destroy the house. If they really wanted me gone, do that and get me kicked out. Or try to scare me enough I couldn’t stay here.”
“You still shouldn’t,” Gale said. “They got in once and they could again.”
“I’m with Gale on this,” Ford said.
“And if I stay, it says they can’t scare me,” he said. “Maybe staying is taunting them, but if I want to know who it is, then I’ve got to make them come for me.”
“Hell no,” she said, crossing her arms. “Don’t pull a Clay on me.”
“Gale,” Ford said.
“You know I’m right, Ford.”
Her brother sighed. “You’re not wrong. And trust me, I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“But you’re thinking the same as me. If I run and hide, the truth might never come out. Right?”
“I’d ask no one to put themselves at risk,” Ford said.
“You’re not asking.”
“I’masking you to not do it,” Gale said. “Come stay with me.”
“No,” both men said at once.
“Come on. No one is going to get in and out of my building without being caught.”
“They put a letter under your door,” Ford said. “Everyone is a suspect. Residents in the building and property owners. People who could have access to camera footage. No. I don’t like this. You should both be on the farm.”
“No, no, no. Not happening.” She turned to Rory. “What do you want to do? This is your call. It’s your life and mission.”
“It’s not just mine,” he said. “But I’m staying. And report it. Let it get out there that it happened and it’s not fazing me in the least. All this shit is doing is making me want to work harder to find who this bastard is.”
“Do we put something false in the report?” Ford asked.
Her brother wouldn’t put anything major, just enough to see if it was coming from his department.
“Sure, but I don’t know it will make a difference other than tell you where it’s coming from, but the way words are flowing in this town, we’ll never know where it actually started or how much got twisted.”
“Let’s do this,” Ford said. “Send this letter with the writing to Clay’s guy, just report the place was broken into, not the note. The neighbors are going to get riled up some. There will be more talk and nerves will escalate again.”
“I can’t let that shit get to me,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not controlling this as much as I wish.”
“That’s right,” she said. “Someone else started this mess and it’s time we put an end to it.”
“Not you,” Ford said, hitting her with the same glare he’d done since they were kids. “You’ve done enough. You need to step back now. I mean it.”
“I’m not letting Rory do this on his own,” she argued and cocked her hip, telling everyone she was staying put.
“I don’t want to get in the middle of a family fight, but I’m on Ford’s side.”
She wanted to light Rory’s ass on fire for trying to protect her. She didn’t needanyoneto do that.
