The brunch had been fucking exhausting. Smiling. Pretending everything was fine when all he could think about was his father’s unexpected letter. He’d felt Beck’s assessing stare on him, like he knew something was off. Matt had noticed, too. Seth had caught the look his brother shot him, a subtle scrutiny that said he was filing away questions to ask later.
Seth had stayed busy, doing any and everything he could think of to keep from standing still long enough for someone to interrogate him.
But finally, he had a reason to escape. And maybe…a chance to do something about this fucking weight crushing his chest.
He pushed open his bedroom door and strode straight for his wallet. After tucking it into his back pocket, he reached out again, his hand hovering over the knob on the drawer.
With a curse, he yanked it open. The yellowing envelope sat where he’d left it, his father’s handwriting stark against the aged paper.
Seth’s throat tightened. But he didn’t stop to second-guess. He pulled out the storage facility’s business card and the small key his dad had left. He turned them over in his palm. This place was barely two miles away. A handful of minutes out of his way.
He could swing by, take a quick look, and be back before anyone even noticed.
His chest constricted. He could…but he’d sworn he wouldn’t dig into the past anymore. When he did, violent shit happened.
But what if this was his only chance?
Tomorrow, he’d sit his mother down and tell her the truth about Beck and Heavenly. If that conversation went sideways—and there was a real possibility it would—she might tell him to leave immediately.
And if he went back to Cali without seeing whatever his father had left behind, the not-knowing would haunt him forever. After sixteen years of wondering who’d killed his dad and why, of living with Autumn’s and Tristan’s losses—he might finally have a solid lead. Some fucking answers.
Could he really walk away from that?
Without conscious thought, Seth shoved the key and card into his pocket. Then he tucked the envelope back into the drawer, burying it beneath an old paperback, and slid it shut.
Three minutes. Low risk. In and out.
He exhaled hard. If he got on the road and something felt off, he didn’t have to go. He was merely...keeping his options open.
As he loped down the stairs, he scanned the room. Grace sipping her mimosa and laughing at something Carl said. Heavenly stood near the kitchen, listening to their conversation and grinning. Beck stood near the window, coffee in hand, talking to Matt. And Hudson sat sprawled out on the couch, absorbed in his phone.
No one was paying a goddamn bit of attention to him.
Seth’s gaze landed on Gene near the hallway—and an idea hit him. He couldn’t tell Beck yet what he’d found, not without a lot of arguments and explanations he didn’t have time for. But Gene would understand. He knew this case inside and out. He’d grasp the implications instantly. And on the off chance something went sideways, Gene would be able to get Seth reinforcements faster than anyone.
He moved quickly, catching Gene’s elbow and steering him into the empty hallway. “Got a second?”
“Absolutely,” Gene assured. “In fact, I wanted a minute to talk to you.”
Seth frowned. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine. But I ran into Tony on Friday. He’s a good guy, and you two were tight back in the day. He told me you’d met up for beers the other day.”
“Yeah, he came to our hotel. Why?”
Gene leaned closer. “Did he…seem okay to you? I only know him in passing, so maybe I’m off base. But he seems…off. Jumpy. Something. I don’t know. He practically bit off the record clerk’s head the other day, which isn’t like him. And I’m not the only one who’s noticed. I’ve heard whispers…” He held up his hands. “If it’s personal, I don’t want to pry. I just worried that Kowalski’s death messed him up.”
“Tony took it hard. You know anything about that?”
“Not much. I didn’t know Kowalski well. The new guys aren’t that interested in rubbing elbows with us old-timers.” Gene shrugged wryly. “But Kowalski’s death shocked everyone. And I gotta be honest, that situation doesn’t feel right. There’s some weird shit going on at the station. It’s pissing me off.”
“Tony said the same thing.” Seth frowned. “And you don’t know anything?”
“Not much.” Gene winced, looking a bit ashamed.
“You’re a sergeant. Surely, you can do something to stop?—”
“I don’t know who I can trust, kid.” Gene’s lips flattened to a thin line. “Over the years, people who ask too many questions wind up dead…like Kowalski. I should have dug more, but after your dad, I just…put my head down, hoping I’d live another day and eventually avenge Michael. But I never figured out what happened. Now, I’m retiring in six months.”
