It hits me now.Fuck. “Stay in the hall. Don’t come out here.”
“No, Grey!”
“Trust me.” I wait a moment as we stand locked in a stare down. He concedes, and I want to believe it’s because he trusts me. Once he’s hiding around the corner, I slowly I open the door.
A cop stands on my front doorstep. He’s shorter than I am by a good five or six inches, his paunchy build evident in the uniform about one size too small. He’s standing with the confidence of a man who thinks he’s more important than he probably is. “Is my sister okay?”
Now I know that’s not why he’s here, I breathe easier. “What?” He looks confused.
“Is my sister okay, or my niece?”
“Oh. Sorry.” My eyes flick to the gun at his side and then his badge. Cherrish County Trooper. The fuck is he doing all the way out here? Even as I think it, I know why. “Your family’s okay. I’m sorry to frighten you. I’m here because we’re looking into a missing persons case. I was wondering if you’ve seen anything out of the ordinary.”
I fight the urge to slide my eyes to Felix. I feel his shadow lurking to my left. “It’s almost midnight. I live out in the middle of nowhere.”
“I understand that. I’m sorry. Unfortunately, this man is in danger. We have word that he’s been seen around town. We’re checking leads.”
“At midnight?”
“Police work doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, especially when someone might be in danger.” He looks at me again. “Do I know you?”
“Unless you watch hockey, probably not.”
“More of a football man myself.” My eyes flick briefly to my left. He’s cowering in the hall. I won’t let this man inside, but I wish he was in his room. It’s dark where Felix is standing, but I see his face when I glance over. I don’t like what I see. I’ve seen it a hundred times before.
On my mother.
Hell, I saw it on Andre when his father surprised our team with a visit. It wasn’t much of a shock when the truth came out about Tripp. I saw the full-body way he reacted when he came to visit him. I know Tripp was Oli’s idol growing up, but I never liked him when he played. I don’t know why. Call it instinct, but I always thought that man was dead behind the eyes. It used to freak me out. “Can you just answer a couple of questions, then we’ll be on our way?”
“We?” I look out, but I only see him. Who goes searching for a missing man alone in the middle of the night?
“My partner’s in the car.” Lie. He reaches into his pocket, and I stiffen before he pulls out a phone.
“Have you seen this man?”
Even though I expect it, my blood runs cold.
A photo of Felix appears on this man’s phone. He’s smiling, but it doesn’t meet his eyes. They look tired. Drained. “Is he dangerous?” I know he’s not, but I don’t want to say much. “Should I be worried? He’s not some axe murderer or something?”
“No.” He chuckles with a condescending lilt. No. The danger is right in front of me. “His husband filed a missing persons report a week ago. We had some witnesses saying they may have seen someone who looks like him in the area.”
“I’m all alone up here. I don’t get out much.”
“Would it be alright if I come in? Ask some questions?”
In my periphery I see Felix shake his head. “It’s late. Unless you have a warrant, I’m going back to sleep.”
His jaw ticks. Someone doesn’t like being told no. “Right, well, if you see anything...” He reaches into his pocket. “Here’s my card.”
“No problem. I’ll ring if I see something.”
The officer stands in the doorway, looking down. I’m unsure what he’s looking at until I see Felix’s sneakers off to the side, half in the shadows. Are they new? Shit. Does he know they’re his? “They’re a little small for you, no?”
“They’re my brother-in-law’s. He and my sister help me out.” I lift the cane. “I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”
His gaze locks on those sneakers before he nods with a weak smile. “Well, you have a good night, Mr. Tremblay. Sorry to bother you.” The name scrapes down my spine. Did I even tell him my name? I take a breath and plaster on the fakest fucking smile I can muster.
“If I see anything, I’ll holler.” I hold his card up. “Have a good night.”Get fucked. I shut the door and lock every single lock on it, and then I set my alarm. “Fuck,” I breathe, then I look at Felix who comes out of the hallway.
