Page 42 of All Along The Watchtower

“What did Peyton say?”

“She didn’t know anything. Said Casey had a hard line between work and home. She didn’t know any of her mom’s coworkers, and Casey didn’t talk about work. I don’t know what they thought Peyton might know that made them come all the way out here.”

That wasn’t the only thing that struck me as odd. “Why now? Her mom died three months ago, right? They’d have had ample opportunity to ask all these questions of Peyton then.”

“I asked her after if she had any idea what all this was about, and she said no.”

“Do you believe her? Or do you think she’s hiding something?”

Ford spread his hands and leaned back against my desk. “I don’t know. I told her I did. That I’m on her side. I have no reason not to be. But I’m not gonna lie, Bree. I’m struggling here. I have no idea how to handle all this. I want to do right by her.”

This man. He wanted so desperately to do the right thing, which was so much more than my own dad had ever done. Another few bricks in the wall I’d built between us crumbled, because I couldn’t keep lying to myself that he was the callous guy I’d made him out to be in my head.

I found myself leaning back against the desk beside him, close enough that I felt the warmth of his thigh alongside mine. “I don’t think there’s a chapter in Parenting 101 about how to handle it when federal agents question your middle schooler.” I considered the situation. “If they’re coming to ask her about all of this now, three months out from Casey’s death, that sounds like they’re looking for something they think Casey might have had. Information maybe?”

“Seems like coming out and asking directly would’ve made a lot more sense.”

“Do you think Casey was involved in something shady?” I wasn’t judging. My own mom had been a drug addict. She’d done things to support her habit that hadn’t been legal.

“I have no idea. I’d have said no, but the truth is we spent two weeks together a million years ago. I really didn’t know her. She was on her own with a baby to support. I don’t know what she might have done to survive.”

I could feel his grief over that, could see how he was struggling with the reality of all those lost years.

I laid a hand on his arm. “Stop it. Stop beating yourself up over all the things you didn’t do the past fourteen years. You didn’t know. You can’t blame yourself for not doing things when youdidn’t know. She chose not to tell you she was pregnant. We may never know the why of that. And that sucks. I know that why is gonna gnaw at you. But you’re doing all the things now. That’s the only thing anyone can expect of you. Even you.”

Ford’s gaze shifted from where my hand still rested on his arm to meet mine. There was an openness and question there that I didn’t know what to do with.

“Bree—”

I realized the bar had gone eerily silent. I held up my hand. “Wait. Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Exactly.” I shoved away from the desk and threw open the door, marching back out into the bar, Ford on my heels.

I emerged from the hallway to find the karaoke machine dark and silent. The crowd huddled in small groups, speaking in hushed tones that reminded me of funeral parlors. Even Darren had abandoned his spot on stage.

My skin prickled. The shift in atmosphere was jarring after the earlier cacophony.

I stepped behind the bar where Monty stood frozen, his face drained of color. Gripping him by the arms, I turned him to face me. “What’s going on?”

My brewmaster swallowed hard. “We just got the news. Someone found a body on the beach.”

CHAPTER 21

FORD

I stirred the pot of chili on the stove, taking a deep inhale of the fragrant scents of cumin, chilies, and tomatoes. It was one of the relatively small repertoire of recipes I could make reliably, and I’d been delighted to find out that my kid shared my affinity for spicy food. We’d invited Mom and Mimi over for family dinner tonight. The first one in our new place. The house still looked a little spartan, as none of my stuff had arrived from my last duty station, and the truck with Peyton’s stuff was still working its way across the country. But we had the essentials. A table and chairs we’d also picked out at Beachcomber Bargains, and I’d ordered a full set of new cookware.

Peyton was putting ice in glasses for tea when I heard the front door open. “Where are my babies?” Mimi sang out.

“Kitchen,” I called.

Mimi bustled into the room, a large wrapped box in her arms. “Something smells amazing in here.”

Mom was right behind with a second box.

“Chili. The cornbread’s just about to come out of the oven.” I replaced the lid on the pot. “What’s all this?”

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