Finleyraised his hand to the back of his neck and shook his head, as he surveyed oursurroundings with bewildered, worried eyes.
“Idunno, man,” he muttered, swallowing. “Idunno. I've beenworkin' in thisdepartment for fifteen years. Fifteen fuckin' years. And never once have I seensomethin' like this. Not once.”
MadisonLang came to mindthen,the tourist Rosie had readabout after talking to Roland. According to the article, she had been foundjust a few years ago. If Finley had been working in the Fort Crow police officefor fifteen years, thensurelyhe would remember her.
“Whatabout Madison Lang?” I dared to ask, casually keeping my gaze from his.
“What?”
“Wasnaethere another dead woman found here just a few yearsago? I thought I rememberedhearin' aboutsomethin' like that,” I said, turning in the direction of acackling crow.
Aneerie quiet settled over the world and not even a bird's wing could be heardabove the deafening silence. I prepared myself to act quickly. I spotted a heavy-lookingbranch from the corner of my eye, and every hair on my body stood alert andready, just waiting for the moment to lunge for it and swing.
“MadisonLang,” Finley finally said, cutting the hush with the timber of his voice.“Another American.”
“Aye,”I replied, watching him with wide-eyed unease.
“Iwasnaeon the case,” he went on, wandering in a slowcircle, and keeping his eyes on the ground, “but I remember. She was foundsomewhere in these woods. Not here, but … somewhere. They said she fell, what ashame, and …” He shook his head and waved a flippant hand. “That was the last Iheard.”
Then,he stopped walking and turned to me. “I never thought a fuckin' thing about itthen,” he admitted, his voice rough. “But now …”
“Howcould ye not?” I offered gently, watching for any sign to be wary of him. Theslightest tick, the tiniest twitch of an eye or a finger. But it never came.
“Aye,”he replied in a whisper, nodding. “I'll dig out the case file tomorrow. I'll,I'll compare the two situations, and then, we'll …” He looked to me then,asking silently if hewasalone or if I would be asI'd been assigned—his partner.
Inodded and said, “We'll do what wehaftaedo.”
Finleyrelaxed and gave me an unsettled smile. I returned it, offering one of confidence,while my busy brain watched him with a dash of uncertainty.
Buty’canbetyerarseI'll bekeepin' ye at arm'slength until I can trust ye again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ROSIE
Iquickly learned that Rick was an awkward, quiet man who couldn’t seem to carrya conversation to save his life. Despite numerous attempts to rope him intosomething to help pass the time until Alec returned, the conversation wouldalways dwindle and drown in my now cold cup of coffee. And I was growingincreasingly bored and more uncomfortable with every passing minute.
InRick’s defense though, neither of us had planned on keeping each other companythat day. So, I assumed he just hadn’t been prepared to entertain my moody sonand me.
“Areye hungry?” he asked, peering over the binding of his hardcover book.
Ishook my head. “No. I’m okay. I had a big breakfast and—”
“Aye,”he nodded, seeming to suddenly remember how it was him who had made the toastand eggs. “Right. Well, ye just makeyerselfat home.Do whatever ye like.”
“Thereisn’t anything to do around here,” TJ groused, flicking a balled-up piece ofpaper around an ornately designed end table beside the couch.
Ricklowered his book and looked off toward a door in the living room. “Well, I havepuzzles and games. Are ye a fan of Chess?”
“Dude,youwouldplay Chess,” TJ grumbled in reply, rolling his eyes.
“TJ,tryto be nice, okay?” I muttered, shielding my eyes with the palm of myhand, to block my view of Rick’s reaction to the insult.
Buthe laughed. It was a much lighter, less throaty sound in comparison to Alec’shusky chuckle, and I abruptly wondered if Alec was a smoker. I didn’t care muchfor smokers, so I found myself hoping that he was. Just to give my brain anexcuse to not find him so unreasonably attractive and appealing.
“Icertainly fit the stereotype, I’ll give ye that,” Rick replied. “My dad taughtme to play. It was the only thing he and I evertruly enjoyedtogether.”
“Butyou still took over his business?” I asked, grasping at the opportunity forconversation.
