Page 77 of All Along The Watchtower

“Why would that have anything to do with Galef?” I asked.

“Because he used to work there,” Mama Flo continued. “They had to let him go recently.”

I thought back to last month. Lindsay had said something about somebody being fired, and it getting kind of ugly. I hadn’t thought anything about it at the time. “If Galef were still around, I could see him being behind it as some kind of retribution, but what would his killer want with his old job?”

Mama Flo grabbed a cookie from the plate. “That’s the million dollar question. Carson hasn’t found any connection yet. I think he’s pushing hard for one because he doesn’t want to admit there are multiple unsolved crimes going on at once in his jurisdiction.”

“There’s also the vandalism of the museum,” Peyton added.

“What vandalism?” Ford asked.

“Somebody broke in and trashed the place. Messed up a bunch of the displays. Peter was still cleaning up when I stopped by this week to do some more research. The petty cash was stolen, and the gift shop messed up, so apparently Chief Carson is trying to say it was just kids or some off-islander who didn’t know they don’t really keep much money on site. But I definitely haven’t heard any rumblings at school of anybody bragging about it.”

“Nobody with a lick of sense would be bragging about it,” Mama Flo pointed out. “Either way, the mayor has enacted a curfew in the name of public safety. With Galef’s killer still out there, he’s worried about how it’s going to impact tourism on the island.”

I huffed a humorless laugh and reached for a cookie.. “Yeah, that would be on-brand for Miles. Always concerned with how things look.”

Ford leaned his elbows on the table. “Maybe so, but I don’t disagree. Whether it’s all connected or different groups popping up to cause problems, I’d just as soon none of you take any unnecessary risks.” His gaze shifted to me. “That includes you. No closing up alone.”

“Nobody’s closed up alone since the fire. Not after Caroline was attacked.” Not that Caroline had been completely alone. Jasper, our cook at the time, had also been there, but he’d been knocked out and Caroline locked in the supply closet by the arsonist. She would have died if Hoyt hadn’t gone in after her, so we were all more cautious about safety ever since.

“No opening alone, either,” Ford insisted.

“None of the things that have happened have been during the day,” I pointed out. When he only arched a brow, I capitulated. “Fine. It’s a moot point, anyway. Chances are I won’t be around to open much. I’ll be going back and forth between here and the mainland.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“It’snotpractical for you to go with me every time. Though I appreciate the willingness.”

His growl of frustration almost made me smile. Almost. He wanted to keep all of his people safe. That he couldn’t be everywhere at once wouldn’t sit well. But he couldn’t know what it meant to me that he counted me as one of his people again.

Although maybe I was the only one who had ever thought he’d stopped.

“Either way, I do need to get on in to check on things. If you could drop me by home so I can pick up my Jeep, I’d appreciate it.” Monty and Peter had moved it from the Brewhouse parking lot.

“I have food for you both to take home,” Mimi announced.

“Of course you do.” Ford grinned and leaned over to press a smacking kiss to her cheek. “Peyton, how about you go gather up your stuff? We’ll head home, too.”

“This is gonna take a minute,” Mimi said. “Y’all should have more cookies.”

I reached toward the plate in the center of the table. “Don’t mind if I do.”

CHAPTER 36

FORD

It took longer than planned to get home. We dropped Bree and Keeley at her place, then had to turn around and head into the village proper to swing by the market. Despite Mimi’s casseroles, there were still some basics we needed. That led to a stop by Panadería de la Isla, the bakery owned by Marisol Gutierrez, and from there, the fish market.

I hoped we were actually home long enough to eat everything we’d bought. I knew Bree was planning to go back and forth on the ferry every few days, and I hoped Ed’s condition stayed stable enough to allow it. She hadn’t been wrong that it wasn’t practical for me to go with her every time. I’d used up my supply of favors between the emergency leave when Peyton had arrived, and the extra I’d managed for the few days before Sawyer had brought me my laptop.

After we’d unloaded our purchases, I dropped my keys in the bowl by the door, still trying to wrap my head around being back home. The past week felt like some bizarre dream. I kept expecting to wake up and find that Bree hadn’t really forgiven me. The past several days of waking to her in my arms had helped with that, but tonight I’d be on my own, and I didn’t like it.

But that was hours off. Right now, I needed to focus on my daughter.

I trailed her into the kitchen, unsurprised that she’d already gotten into the cottage loaf, which had been still warm when we’d left the bakery. “So how’d everything go while I was gone?”

She pointed the bread knife at the loaf, where she’d already cut a slice. “Want some?”

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