Saint’s expression changes.
The warmth disappears.
Something colder replaces it.
More dangerous.
“She wasn’t,” he says quietly.
10
Marco
Eagle River is exactly the kind of place where people can disappear.
Small.
Quiet.
Protective of its own.
A town like this closes ranks fast.
Strangers are noticed.
Outsiders are remembered.
Which means Laney chose well.
I arrive in a borrowed truck with a borrowed identity.
No suit.
No security.
No announcement.
Just a man looking for a woman who doesn’t want to be found.
The mountains rise behind the town like silent guards.
Snow still clings to the higher ridges.
People walk slower here.
Talk slower.
But they see everything.
The tavern sits at the center of town.
That’s always how these places work.
One building where everyone eventually ends up.
Information hub.
Social center.
