Page 55 of See How They Hide

Andrew’s skin was ashen, and his blood seeped bright red through the towels. Kara wished Michael hadn’t asked her to stay—she was good in a crisis, but watching their witness bleed to death was making her squirm. Had he tried to kill himself because his partner was dead? Or because he didn’t want to talk about Havenwood?

By the time the paramedics arrived, Andrew had lost consciousness, but he was still alive and Michael thought they’d stopped the flow of blood.

Michael moved aside as the paramedics took over. “He needs to be on suicide watch,” Michael told them. To the deputy he said, “And we need a guard on the room 24/7.”

“I’ll talk to the sheriff,” the deputy told Michael.

After Andrew was wheeled out of the room, the deputy offered Michael the locker room to clean up. As Michael passed Kara, he said, “I want to talk to Montero before we question Riley Pierce, so however Ryder or Catherine can get him on the line, do it.”

“Yes, boss,” she said.

He gave her an odd look.

She smiled. “You channel a good Matt Costa. He would be so proud.”

Michael just shook his head, but he had a half smile on his face as he followed the deputy down the hall.

Good. She needed to lighten his mood a bit. It had been an all-around shitty day.

She pulled out her phone and called Ryder. “Michael wants to talk to this Montero guy ASAP. One of our witnesses tried to off himself, and I don’t know that he’s going to make it.”

20

Havenwood

Fourteen Years Ago

William sat on the boulder that looked like a grizzly bear and surveyed the valley that he once loved, but had grown to despise.

Something had changed over the last few years and Athena either didn’t see it or, more likely, didn’t want to see it.

For more than two decades he had done good work here. They grew their own food. Raised their chickens. Provided for the families that had once made Havenwood great. There had been such joy here when his brother’s family had started Havenwood with him and Athena. It was hard work, and the first two winters had been particularly difficult, but they’d built something they were proud of. Athena, who was so good with people, brought more families in, then added to his own by giving birth to Thalia, his precious daughter, who would be eighteen this summer.

There were many changes. His brother died, then his sister-in-law left with their only child to make a fresh start. They were in Australia now, on a ranch, but he hadn’t heard from her in years. More people came, and some left. He had raised his stepdaughter and his daughter, but they were so very different. Calliope refused to leave...and Thalia had dreams bigger than the valley.

He’d always thought Thalia would go to college—she was such a smart young woman. He and Athena had never gone, and Thalia should have the choice about whether to stay here or leave, spread her wings.

Before the Day of Mourning, Thalia had talked about studying wildlife biology. She had met a forest ranger on one of her hikes—she used to hike for miles, much to Athena’s worry. She thought she might want to be a ranger, to protect the land and animals in the Rocky Mountains. Or just to bring the knowledge home to Havenwood.

But Athena had begun to discourage their daughter, saying she needed her here to help run Havenwood. William knew why—Calliope had quietly taken over. She’d changed everything. Slowly, but William saw it. Athena refused to admit it.

Calliope was her daughter, after all. The daughter she had always felt she’d failed as a child.

“I was not a good mother when Calliope was little,” Athena told him shortly after she found out she was pregnant with Thalia. “My husband—he was a difficult man. Angry at everyone. At me. At the world. When he lost his job, it was everyone’s fault but his. When he couldn’t find work, it was everyone’s fault but his. But he had one saving grace—he loved Calliope. He never hit her. She was his angel, his princess. He wanted to give her the world.”

“He hit you.” William touched her cheek gently.

She kissed his hand. “I should have left. I’ll never forgive myself for not leaving, but I’d convinced myself that it wasn’t often, that when he found work again it would get better, that he didn’t hit our daughter, so it was okay.”

“It is never okay,” William said.

“I know that now. I know that because of you.” She kissed him, put her head on his shoulder. “He wanted more for us than he had growing up, and he made some bad decisions.” She paused. “I wish you were Calliope’s father. She needs your gentle soul to temper her fears.”

“What happened?” She’d never told him more than her husband had been killed. She had never wanted to talk about it.

“My husband went to work for bad people,” Athena said. “He messed up. They killed him right in front of Calliope. If I hadn’t found you, if we hadn’t found Havenwood, I don’t know that she would have survived. She found her peace here. I hope it’s enough.”

“She has you, and she has me. I love her as if she is my own, as much as I love the child growing inside you now.”

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