Jason sped past Kalispell. A dense fog around Flathead Lake had slowed him down for several miles, but now he was able to resume his pace. His heart raced so hard his chest ached. Lotty needed him. He could feel it. He needed to get to her and the boys now. He may have sent her right into the lion’s den by telling her to find Nikki and Brent.

He thought back to a spring night over a year ago. Lotty’s empty half of the bed had seemed a pitiful void and he’d been desperate to get out of the house and away from it. He’d grabbed his blue hooded sweatshirt and crept out the door without waking his family. Strawberry Lake was always the most peaceful at night, when the serene water reflected moonbeams. He’d crossed the road and headed down to the water. Once there, he stood still waiting for the soft sound of the water lapping against land. Instead he heard a gentle scraping sound.

He’d followed the sound to the Navarros’ yard, where a circle of light shot up from the ground. Cautiously he peered down the hole to find Brent standing on a ladder, flashlight held in his teeth, and various tools in his hands. Even with the flashlight in Brent’s mouth, Jason could still understand the obscenities being sputtered by Brent.

Jason had made some sarcastic remark about finding him there and Brent laughed easily and accepted help when Jason offered to hold some of the tools in his hands. Brent had explained that Nikki had tasted chlorine in the water and wanted a filter on their well. Then when the Navarros found out, they wanted one on theirs too so he figured he might just do it for all of Strawberry Lake Estates.

Jason held tools and handed Brent what he asked for and the two walked back to the road together. Jason had been happy when Brent never questioned him about why he was out wandering in the middle of the night. He hadn’t thought about how odd it was that Brent was out at that hour. Why had he been installing those filters in the middle of the night?

Jason pushed the gas pedal down harder and watched the needle climb past ninety-five. He tried to connect the dots in his mind. The filters, the toxins, grave robberies, Brent. But nothing seemed to add up. He hated that he was blaming his best friend. Why was he trusting Cade over Brent? What about loyalty? Still, just like his gut was telling him Lotty was in trouble, it was also telling him to trust Cade.

He slowed down as he approached the outskirts of Walden. The little town was nearly bursting with tourists now and he knew people would be walking in the streets around town square. He wound around Berry Beach and through the square. Most of the businesses seemed to be quieting down for the night. He continued past his firm, half expecting the windows to be shattered or the building burned to the ground, but everything looked just as he had left it.

As he continued toward Strawberry Lake Estates, he tried to formulate a plan. He didn’t know where Lotty or the boys were and didn’t know who he could trust to help him. Still, something pulled him toward the neighborhood. He drove slowly around the outskirts of his subdivision, but the darkness made it impossible to see much. He turned down the road behind his neighborhood, frustration growing. How could he help Lotty if he couldn’t find her? He stared out the window, straining his eyes against the darkness.

Movement in the trees caught his attention. He flipped the van into park and watched the dark corner, out of reach of the streetlights. Nothing. It could have been an animal. This area was full of rabbits, raccoons, and deer. Maybe it was Lotty’s stray hen. But, just in case it was something more, and since he had nothing else to go off of, he got out of the van and crept closer. His heart hammered in his chest and sweat beaded on his forehead. What good would he be to Lotty if he got himself killed now?

As he moved closer, the outline of a truck appeared. Not just any truck, but the truck. The truck he’d left Lotty and the boys in. He ripped the driver’s side door open only to be greeted by a mass of feathers and beaks. When the wings stopped flapping wildly, Jason stared at the two hens. With all the commotion, he was sure there must be at least a dozen, but Bea and Princess Sophia sat in the seat, looking the picture of serenity. He took them in his arms and peeked into the truck. Empty. 

He heard the crunch of shoes on gravel and snapped his head up, hitting it on the top of the door frame.

“Hands where I can see them,” a low voice growled.

The hens were as startled by the voice as Jason. They flapped out of his arms and bocked loudly. His head throbbed. He slowly lifted his hands into the air and turned around. He wasn’t surprised to find a gun pointed at his chest nor was he surprised to see who was holding it.

“Hello, Officer Netley.”

“Step away from the truck and move into the light,” he replied, ignoring Jason’s greeting.

Jason did as he was instructed. How did Netley fit into all this? Maybe this meant Brent wasn’t behind anything. Cade and Netley were in this together. That’s why Netley wanted Jason to contact Cade. They were trying to distract him from what was really going on with all this talk about water and toxicity. When Jason reached the light, he stopped and waited, hands still in the air.

Netley stared at him and the gun faltered slightly. His eyes widened. “Mr. Brooks?”

“Where’s Lotty?” Jason demanded. “I swear if you’ve laid a finger on her or the boys...” He trailed off as the reality of the situation sank in. He wasn’t exactly in a position to give threats.

“Whose truck is that?” Netley asked, lowering his gun. “And I thought you were out of town. What’s going on here?”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” Jason answered wryly, letting his tired arms fall to his side. “Please tell me where my family is.”

Even in the shadows, Jason could see the confused expression on Netley’s face. Did that mean Netley didn’t know? A flicker of hope sparked inside him.

“What were you doing out here by this truck?” Netley asked, his grip on his gun tightening.

“I was driving by and I saw movement over here so I came to check it out.”

Netley gave a tiny nod.

“What were you doing?” Jason asked

Netley’s eyes narrowed, but after several seconds of silence he answered. “I heard a car door slam so I hid behind the truck, assuming you were...well that you were someone else.” Netley motioned back to the dark area by the truck and Jason headed that direction. Netley matched his stride and whispered, “Did you talk to Cade?”

Jason watched him out of the corner of his eye trying to figure out what kind of game he was playing. His expression gave nothing away so Jason replied, “Yeah, right before he got arrested.”

Netley grunted, made sounds only dogs normally make, before a few recognizable words made their way out of his mouth. “Bunch of idiots...think Cade Warner’s actually behind this...nothing to gain...he’s the only one with any scruples around here.”

Jason was torn between wanting to find out everything Netley knew and not knowing if a word of it could be trusted. His curiosity won. “Uh, so you agree with Cade?”

Netley leaned against the truck as he wiped a miniscule speck off his gun. “It’s all speculation right now, but something’s been off with Grantham.”

“And he still hasn’t turned up?”

Netley shook his head, but stared at Jason. “Can you keep your mouth shut better than your wife?”

Jason squeezed his fists and dug his nails into his palms. There was the Netley he knew. “What do you have against my wife?”

“She just seems the in-the-middle-of-everything, busy-body type. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. Can you keep quiet?”

As much as Jason wanted to punch Netley’s crooked nose, he also wanted to know what he was about to say so he ignored his comment about Lotty and nodded.

“I pinged Grantham’s phone earlier today when his wife was all worked up about not finding him.” Netley holstered his gun and turned toward Strawberry Lake Estates. “That might not be using police resources exactly how they’re intended, but it showed he was in Jocelyn Kross’ old house.” Netley started walking through the trees, turned back and stared at Jason until he walked with him, and continued. “I figured maybe that’s why he’d been acting so off. Maybe he was stepping out on his wife with Jocelyn.” He smirked at Jason and Jason dug his nails deeper into his palms. “Anyway, then Cade told me his theory and how evidence was being planted to make him look guilty. I started checking into it and one name kept popping up over and over.”

“Brent,” Jason said, not realizing he was saying it out loud until he heard his own voice.

“Yeah. Brent. So, I pinged his phone again tonight. Still at Jocelyn’s. We’re talking nine hours later.”

Jason took a moment to let it sink in as Netley sped ahead. “Is that where we’re going? Jocelyn’s?”

“Well, that’s where I was headed before you came along. I was coming through the back to try to figure out what he was up to.”

Jason jogged to catch up with him again. “Why would he have his phone with him? He knows you can track him.”

“He’s too cocky to imagine that anyone might be on to him.”

The person Netley was talking about sounded nothing like the Brent Grantham Jason knew. He wasn’t cocky and wouldn’t do anything to hurt those closest to him. Jason hesitated a moment, trying to decide if he should follow Netley or not.

A cry pierced the air and Jason recognized it immediately. Aiden. It had come from Jocelyn’s half-burned house. Before Jason could think about what he was doing, he sprinted straight through Jocelyn’s yard.