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A sense of calm settled over me, the turmoil of the day smoothing into a quiet hope. Maybe this was the answer, the breathing space I needed before diving into the next chapter of my life.
Suddenly, Dad stood up, stretching his arms. "Alright, enough of this for now. Let's go grab some dinner. You up for that new Thai place downtown?"
I smiled, grateful for the distraction. "Sounds perfect."
We gathered the pamphlets, stacking them neatly on the table. As we headed out, I cast one last glance at the 'yes' pile. The future was still a vast, open question, but for the first time today, it felt like an exciting one.
Over dinner, we chatted about everything and nothing—old memories, plans for the ranch, the spicy level of our curry.
As we walked back under the starlit sky, I realized that sometimes, the best decisions aren't the ones that come swiftly. They're the ones that are made with a full heart and an open mind, ready to embrace whatever comes next.
Chapter Three
Danny
Hunched over my computer at the station, I was buried in dozens of PDFs to go over, the monotony of it enough to make my eyes glaze over. Every now and then, I would pause mid-sentence, my thoughts drifting back to Horseshoe Lake Ranch, to Dina, and the nagging suspicions that refused to let me be.
The chatter around me was a constant buzz, background noise that I usually tuned out. But today, a thread of conversation caught my attention. Jake and Kayla, two of the sharpest officers in the station, were huddled together, their voices low and urgent.
I leaned back, pretending to stretch while straining to catch snippets of their murmurs. Something in their tone set my nerves on edge. I was about to get up, feign some need for coffee just to get closer, when Jake's phone rang, slicing through the murmurs.
He answered, his brow furrowing. Kayla watched him, her expression mirroring his concern. When Jake hung up, they exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them.
I couldn't contain my curiosity. "Hey, what's going on? Something at Horseshoe Lake?"
Jake glanced at me, his face somber. "Yeah, but not what you're thinking, Danny. Someone at the ranch called in a wellness check on Dina after she didn’t answer the door for a couple days. An officer went to the ranch and found her... she's dead."
The room spun, my chair suddenly feeling like it might drop out from under me. "Dead? Dina?" We had our differences, sure, but dead?
Kayla nodded, her voice steady, but her eyes troubled. "We're heading out there to examine the scene. It looks like natural causes, but we need to be sure."
My mind raced. Dina gone. The investigation, the suspicions, all the unanswered questions about the ranch... "I should come with you," I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Jake raised an eyebrow, wary. "You know you're too close to this, Danny. You and Dina..."
"I know, I know," I cut in, desperation edging into my voice. "But she was a friend, once. And if there's something more to this... I need to see it through."
They hesitated, exchanging another of those looks. Finally, Kayla nodded. "Okay, but you keep back. We're there to do a job, not stir up more trouble."
Gratitude surged through me, mingled with a heavy dose of guilt. I grabbed my jacket, following them out. The drive to the ranch was a blur, my thoughts a chaotic whirl. Dina, dead. It didn't seem real. And yet, a part of me knew that this could be a turning point. If there was anything linking her death to the drug operations, this was my chance to find it.
We arrived at the ranch, the familiar sight of it now overlaid with a grim shadow. I hung back as Jake and Kayla entered.
I stayed outside, my gaze wandering over the ranch, the fields, the barns. Every inch of this place held a story. And now, with Dina gone, it felt like the ground beneath me had shifted.
I knew I needed to tread carefully to respect the line Jake and Kayla had drawn. But as I stood there, the reality of Dina's death sinking in, I made a silent vow. I'd find out what was happening at Horseshoe Lake Ranch, for Dina, for the town, and for my own peace of mind. And I'd do it the right way, no more shortcuts or bending the rules. This was too important to screw up. Too much was at stake, and I couldn't afford to lose any more ground. Not now.
Stepping inside the house, the air felt heavy, charged with a silent, somber energy. There she was, Dina Kent, sitting on her couch, slumped sideways in a position that eerily mimicked sleep. But the stillness was wrong, too quiet, too final. A wave of sorrow washed over me. Despite our recent disagreements, the sight of her, so lifeless, so unexpectedly final, struck a chord deep inside.
I swallowed hard, the sadness mingling with a strange, gnawing sense of ambition. This was a critical moment, and part of me knew it. I turned to Jake and Kayla, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm going to take a look around."
Kayla eyed me with a sharp, knowing glance. "Looks like natural causes, Danny," she said, her tone firm yet not unkind.
"Maybe," I conceded, glancing back at Dina's still form. "But until the official autopsy says so, shouldn't we keep an open mind?"
Her gaze held a warning, a reminder of the lines I'd crossed in the past, the obsession with the drug case that everyone knew about. "Fine, look around. But don't you dare compromise this scene because you're hunting for something that isn't there," she said, her words sharp as a knife's edge.
I nodded, the seriousness of the situation settling in. "Understood," I replied.
