Page 85 of Catch
Her voice cracked as she spoke. “But the night before that, when you went to Fiddlers, Sam came to the house.”
Fucking bastard.
The thought of Sam invading our home—her safe place—made my blood boil. My fists clenched instinctively, and it took everything I had not to storm out and find him. Instead, I grabbed Loxley’s hand, needing the contact to ground myself.
“That night,” I began, “Blue called me to Fiddlers because someone was there asking about me.”
“Sam?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I think so. He was gone by the time I got there, though.”
“That must have been when he came to the house,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “He knew all along.”
Captain Sullivan let out a low whistle. “Had I known he was that much trouble, I might’ve looked the other way when Miles had him pinned against the wall.”
I didn’t respond to his remark, too focused on Loxley. Her face had gone pale as everything clicked into place.
“I don’t think he knew the whole time,” I said. “He called a meeting for Monday with Captain Sullivan and me because I’d been assigned to the case of your disappearance. But when your phone turned on, he must’ve decided to track you down himself.”
Linc chimed in from his spot by the wall. “Maybe he overheard Blue call you and figured you’d be at Fiddlers.”
I shrugged. “Could be.”
Loxley’s voice grew firmer as she addressed all of us. “Sam had a whole plan in place. He wanted to turn Harmony Haven into a circus of media and speculation. He was going to frame Miles as a kidnapper. He still might follow through with that threat.”
Captain Sullivan snorted, his expression darkening. “Let him try. This town can handle a sideshow if it means keeping you two safe.”
Loxley’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, and I squeezed her hand. She’d never had anyone stand up for her like this before.
“Captain,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I need to?—”
“I know, son,” he interrupted, his smile tinged with sadness. “Just know that you always have a place here when you’re ready to come back.”
It shouldn’t have been that hard, but my jaw ached as I fought the tears threatening to spill. Finally, I stood and pulled my badge from my back pocket, sliding it across the desk. Captain Sullivan caught it and tucked it away in the safe behind him.
“It’ll be right here when you need it,” he said.
I nodded, unable to speak, and turned to Linc.
“Front-row tickets,” he said, pointing between us. “I don’t care which show. Just tell me when and where.”
Loxley wiped at her eyes, smiling. “You got it, Linc.”
Captain Sullivan cleared his throat, pulling a photo from his filing cabinet. It was a glossy print of Loxley on the red carpet, her dress sparkling under a thousand camera flashes. The same one he gave me so I knew who I was supposed to be looking for.
“Could you maybe sign this? For my kids,” he asked, turning pink.
Loxley took the photo without hesitation. “Should I make it out to them?”
“Uh, just say, ‘To Ronnie,’” he muttered, clearing his throat again. “The kids will think that’s funny.”
I chuckled as Loxley signed it with a flourish. Captain Ronnie Sullivan would have a story to tell for years—the case of the missing Hillbilly Hitmaker.
“So what now?” Linc asked.
I glanced at Loxley, her hand still warm in mine. “I’m going to keep an eye on her,” I said simply. “She needs someone around to make sure Sam, or anyone else, stays far, far away.”
Linc winked. “Call me if you ever need backup.”
