Page 96 of The Moment He Couldn’t Walk Away

“Right, I’ve been in there. Nice place.”

He turned onto the main street behind Dan’s cruiser.

“Tonight they’re turning on the lights, so we have to go to that, Finch.”

At least she wasn’t fighting him over staying at the cottage anymore.

“Okay.”

Pulling up behind the others outside her house minutes later, they found a group of locals already gathered on the pavement. Small towns moved fast. Finch scanned the faces automatically—not for friends, but for anyone he didn’t recognize, anyone suspicious. Everyone looked exactly as they should. Concerned, curious, and familiar.

Hank and Nancy left the group and came toward Nina as she got out of the truck.

“Nina, I’m so sorry this is happening,” Hank said, pulling her into his arms.

She was safe with them, so Finch walked in through the open front door to where the two lawmen, plus Jay, Sawyer, and JD, now stood. The stench of smoke hit him hard.

“It smells bad in here,” Jay said. “And some of the walls are stained, but the worst is in the bathroom.”

“My poor house,” Nina said, arriving behind him.

Finch watched her, but she didn’t cry, just walked slowly around the room, taking it all in. She paused at the bathroom doorway and looked inside, and he saw something move across her face, an emotion he was familiar with. Grief. This was her home. She’d built her life here, made it hers, and someone had used something as ordinary as a hair straightener to drive her out of it. This calculated act terrified him.

“The stuff I have left of Mom’s is in the spare room.” She headed through another door off the hallway.

It wasn’t a large closet, but it was crammed full of things. They took everything out to the pickup, telling anyone who asked they were removing it from the house so it could be cleaned.

It didn’t take long to empty the closet and check the rest of the house for anything the culprits could be after. When it was done, Nina grabbed what she needed and food for Mabel.

“Amber’s here, Nina!” Dan called from the living area.

“Do we trust her?” Finch asked quietly.

“I like her, so I guess yes, but I could be wrong. How would we know?” She frowned as she thought it over.

“We can’t, but there’s nothing left in here for her to search that belongs to your mother.”

“So I just let her inside?” Nina asked.

“All good in here?” Jay inquired from the doorway.

“We were making a list of people who arrived in Lyntacky recently on the way here, and Amber is one of those,” Finch said. “Not sure we need someone on that list in this house, cleaning it.”

“Good point. I’ve got this, so follow my lead,” Jay said, heading back out to the living room. Amber stood there, talking to the others.

“We’ve got this covered, Amber. I’m having commercial cleaners brought in for Nina,” Jay said. “I have friends in the business.”

“But thanks,” Nina added.

Dan shot Jay a look, but ran with it.

“I’m so pleased, but if you need me to do anything, you just let me know, Nina,” Amber said, coming closer to hug her.

Finch felt his back stiffen, but he didn’t speak. Nina handled it like she had all the other hugs she’d received today.

Studying Amber when she eased back, he didn’t think she was involved, or if she was, she had a really good poker face. She had that open, warm quality that was hard to manufacture convincingly. But then, he’d been wrong about people before. People who were patient enough and motivated enough could wear almost any face they chose.

He’d keep watching. That was all he could do for now.