Page 21 of Stay in Your Lane!

I studied Rosie. “You two—were you, um… He had photos up of you and the baby, so I…” My face heated. God, I was so awkward with shit like this.

She smiled sadly and folded her hands on the menu. “We were… working on it.”

“What do you mean?” Everett’s voice was soft. “Like… getting back together?”

“Yeah. It was tough when Sara was born, you know? Our families were upset that we’d had a baby out of wedlock, and it was so expensive to take care of her since my dad refused to help while we were together, and it was…” Sighing, she deflated. “We broke up when Sara was three months old, but after a while, we both realized we’d just kind of buckled under the pressure. So about two months ago, we started dating again. Just kind of quietly, taking it a day at a time. But we were getting there, you know?”

I was nodding as she spoke. “Your families didn’t like that?”

“Oh my God, no.” She laughed humorlessly. “His family just… I don’t know. They hated me.Myfamily?” She grimaced. “My dad was so mad when he found out Ricky and I were having a baby. So. Mad.”

“Because you’re not married or something?” Everett asked. “Or because of him?”

“Because of him. My dad offered to buy me ahouseif I’d go someplace else, have the baby, and give it up for adoption.”

“Holy shit,” Everett exclaimed. “What a dick!”

I almost facepalmed—it was such an Everett comment, but like, dude. Time and place?

To my surprise, though, Rosie said, “Right?” She rolled her eyes and groaned. “That’s how bad they hated Ricky. So when they found out we were getting back together, my dad hit the roof.”

My spine prickled. “How, um… How mad exactly was he about it?”

“Oh he was super pissed. Like, he was ready to—” Her teeth snapped shut. “Wait, no. No, no, no. I know what you’re thinking.” She put up her hands. “He didn’t kill Ricky. I know he wanted to throttle him and he wouldn’t have cried if Ricky got hit by a bus, but he would never.”

“It’s…” Everett hesitated. “I mean, Rick wouldn’t have killed himself either, right? But that’s what it looks like to the cops.”

She huffed with annoyance. “Probably because they all hated him too. But that doesn’t mean they killed him either.”

“Wait,” I said. “The cops hated him? Why?”

“Because my dad does.” She shrugged. “When your boss hates his daughter’s boyfriend, so do you.”

“Their… boss?”

“Yeah.” She stared at us like we were complete dumbasses. “My dad is Bill Daniels.”

My breath hitched. I wasn’t sure if the sound I heard was Everett’s balls jumping up into his body, or if those were mine. Both, maybe?

“Your dad…” I sputtered. “Your dad is Bill Daniels. As in, Bill Daniels, the Chief of Police.”

She nodded. “Well, yeah. You didn’t know that?”

“Uh, no,” Everett said. “The only thing we knew about you was the connection to Rick.”

“Oh.” She tapped her nails on the table. “Yeah, that’s my dad. Which—I mean, he’s acop. He wouldn’t kill anyone. He doesn’t even speed!”

I bit back a retort that most of the cops in this town were speed demons. There was even a discreet little sticker they all had on the backs of their personal vehicles. One that meant“I’m a cop, don’t fucking pull me over.”I knew this because everyone in my family had one.

But maybe Bill Daniels really was one of the few who took his law enforcement role seriously, and he didn’t speed. Doubtful, but not the point of this conversation, so I didn’t argue with her.

I folded my arms on the edge of the table. “But your dad did hate Rick. Enough that all the other cops hated him too.” I turned to Everett. “Maybe a cop trying to impress the chief?”

“Maybe?” He shrugged. “I think we should talk to his friend, though. Leon.”

Rosie bristled. “You don’t think—Leon’s not that kind of guy. Not at all!” She glanced back and forth between us. “But you think he might’ve…”

“We don’t know,” I said. “For all we know, Rick really did kill himself.”

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