Page 32 of Small Town Secrets

She felt like a germ under a microscope and gladly partook in not looking at anyone right back, her experience now an indicator of what leaving her house would entail for the foreseeable future.

As always, her thoughts shifted to Whitney and what she would endure if the animosity didn’t settle down. She started school next year. What if the syndicate wasn’t gone by then? Would she be ostracized from all community events long before that, anyway?

Almost certainly.

Her hands felt shaky by the time she pushed Oak Tree’s door open, her only relief being her first sight of Adrian as she entered, his eyes scanning the crowd behind her, having no doubt witnessed people dodging her on the way in.

Neither spoke, as they strode toward the small gathering amidst the living room display area. The sheriff added another calming presence, as did Dean and Sarah, Emilia and Blaine, Ally and Chip—all seated across a set of eggshell blue fabric couches, with a pale wood coffee table in the center. Laila’s dad was there too, but her mom had decided she preferred to avoid the stress of this conversation in favor of looking after Whitney. Meanwhile, Aggie, Gordon and Rochelle, and the Coopers had been allowed to join since they wanted to help.

“I know you’re all scared.” The sheriff kept his voice low and steady, his gaze skimming over everyone, the wrinkles over his brow and the bags under his eyes especially pronounced today. “I don’t blame you, but we’re here today to settle on some solutions. The syndicate wants to scare us, that part is clear. They want us to feel helpless, which is certainly already the case for some in this town.”

“Seems being ‘scared’ also works to set the closet vigilantes free…” Blaine shook his head, his arms crossed over his chest giving him a very unimpressed air. “Who also happen to be the same people who’ve spent years itching for their chance to play pretend heroes.”

“Shoulda done something more productive with their lives than take up space at my bar then, huh?” Sarah scoffed and joined Blaine with her head shaking.

The sheriff leaned back in his seat, his posture suddenly taller, the move seeming to vie for renewed attention. “That may be true,but they’re unknowingly playing into the syndicate’s hands.”

“You mean, by ensuring none of us feel safe?” Ally’s eyes pulled wide with her question, her fingers curling tighter around Chip’s hand, as though at any second now, she expected to relive her traumatic experience with the syndicate. Not that Laila blamed her for her hyper-vigilance.

But unlike Ally, who was the family dreamer, Laila was the realist, and she wanted to know the facts so she could plan accordingly.

“None of us are safe though”—Laila directed her words to the sheriff—“are we?”

The sheriff blinked at her for a few beats, the skin around his eyes wrinkling in a way that seemed to ponder her pointed approach. “We can’t have people taking matters into their own hands, that’s why we’re here today. We need a plan and to investigate who’s behind these notes.”

“Just notes?” Sarah made a tsking sound and went back to shaking her head. “Oh no, this morning Dean and I found fresh roadkill on our front step. If I had to guess, it looked to be a squirrel. Wasn’t a pretty sight.”

Laila grimaced, only for her dad’s uncertain voice to cut in.

“I didn’t want to say anything, especially since I haven’t even told Vel”—his attention bounced between Laila and Ally, his cheeks somewhat sunken in and pale—“but last night, at about 3am, there was some tapping on the glass of our front door. I went down to investigate, but by then, all I saw was an old pickup screeching down the road. It was too dark to see much detail beyond that.”

Knowing her dad, he hadn’t wanted to cause any concern, but the sheriff’s deepening scowl spoke volumes on how Harlow’s problems only intensified. He looked around the room now, his gaze landing on Adrian. “Do you have anything to add here, Ramos?”

“As you can imagine, most around here are somewhat suspicious of me.” As usual, Adrian’s demeanor didn’t give much away, but Laila was certain his shoulders appeared more rounded than normal. “Intel hasn’t been easy to get, but the obvious culprits would be Lenny Brooks and Gerry Gibbons. That said, I don’t believe they’re working alone. This is where it would be helpful to have a local on our side. Someone other than me or the sheriff. Someone, preferably male so as to appeal to the likes of Brooks and Gibbons. Our undercover local could perhaps gain access to any online groups being used to plan attacks.”

The sheriff stared at the ground, nodding and seeming to think over the proposal. “I’ll talk to some of my juniors, they might have some friends we can trust.” He lifted his head and addressed Sarah. “Failing that, do you think you might have some regulars at the bar who can keep a secret?”

Sarah pursed her lips and paused a moment, before replying, “Could. Despite their shitty actions, Lenny and Gerry still came in these last two nights. Come to think of it, they had a couple of extra people around them, too.”

“So, not all that good at being covert?” Adrian rubbed a hand over his jaw, a hint of a smile breaking through. “I’ll take that as an advantage we don’t want to lose. It would be good to know their next move before they make it, at which point, we can make it clear that we don’t tolerate bullies.”

Laila resisted the urge to gnaw on her lower lip, her mind whirring with the knowledge that any further vigilantism could lead to an almighty showdown between two opposing sides. This town’s existing chaos stood to explode into something else entirely, and through it all, she would have to protect Whitney.

Which means not sitting back and doing nothing…

“Any news on the syndicate?” Ally’s voice cut through weak and shaky. “On Mark Farro and Rudolph Manzinni?”

Adrian held her gaze for a while, his jaw and brow strained in a clue he heard the ghosts of her past in her question and didn’t want to add to her worry. “Yes, we have some intel and perhaps one small advantage. I still have ears to the ground and within the syndicate itself.”

“With the help of outside agencies, we’re making some headway.” The sheriff eyed Ramos, hinting he wanted to add more.” We can’t reveal much as of yet, but I do have bad news, and this will heighten tensions in town further once word gets out. So, I need everyone here to be prepared.”

“Hit us with the truth, Sheriff.” Aggie patted Ally’s knee in a show of camaraderie and support. “We’ll handle whatever you have to say just fine.”

“Don’t be so sure, Mrs. McKey.” The sheriff held a flat tone and took his attention away. “Just this morning, another business was sold to the syndicate. The gas station.”

“Freakin’ hell!” Sarah shot to a straighter position on the couch’s edge and her gaze fixed on the sheriff. “You meant our only gas station? Why would Harry Jeffries do that?”

“The syndicate overpaid for the station and Harry saw an easy way out of town.” The sheriff shook his head, one corner of his lip ticking upward. “After seeing what the syndicate did to the Coopers after refusing to sell, I don’t like what Harry’s done, but I understand it all the same.”

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