AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Garrett nodded. “Yeah, not really in the mood to get hammered. Maybe later.”Maybe out of the dang public eye for once.“I got a lot of eyes on me right now.”
Lauren nodded, not having to speak to understand. There’d been a shift in the way people looked at him since Sarah went missing, and he was certain people were talking—and even though he didn’t know what they were saying exactly, he knew what they all were thinking.
“I’ll see ya around,” Garrett said, sliding off the bar stool and handing her a ten-dollar bill. “Hopefully, it doesn’t get too crazy in here for you.”
“We’ll see.”
Garrett made his way out of the empty bar. He gazed out at the parking lot, consisting of three cars—a silver SUV, his truck,and a dark blue Ford. He frowned at the sight, feeling as though he had seen it recently.
But he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He made his way to his truck and slung open the door, the hum of the other vehicle’s engine running. As weird as it was, people pulled off the main road to make phone calls, take a nap, whatever. He didn’t judge people…
But they sure as heck judge me.
Chuckling to himself, he climbed inside of his truck and closed the door, before starting the diesel engine. The Cummins motor roared to life, and he sat there for a few minutes, unsure ofwhereto go. He spent every afternoon and evening drinking, and while his head was pounding and the whiskey had been a familiar comfort, he just wasn’t in the mood.
Maybe he wasn’t as attached to the liquor as he thought he was.
He went to put the truck in gear, when a thud on his driver’s side window stopped him. He whipped his head around to see a figure on the other side of the tint, and he sighed, already recognizing them. He rolled down the windowjustenough to meet his father’s gaze.
“I swear, I shoulda known you’d be the only one here at this time of day.” His voice was cold as he spoke. “Don’t you got a yard to mow, a dinner to eat—anything other than drinking yourself stupid.”
“Was actually leaving,” he snapped. “Which I’m sure will make you happy.”
“I’d rather you not be here at all,” Sheriff Myers growled. “This whole dang town has you in their mouth,which ain’t nothin’ new to you, but there’s a big difference between a car accident when you’re nineteen and dead girl under a bridge.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with Sarah’s murder,” he argued. “I ain’t got a reason to be paranoid about it.”
“Right, except Lucas Wilson came storming into the office this morning claiming Beth Young tried to run him over.”
Garrett couldn’t hide his surprise at that. “That’s nuts. There’s no way Beth would?—”
“I’m gonna stop you there, son,” the sheriff leaned in, and Garrett rolled the window the rest of the way down. “Every timethatname comes up,everyoneputs yours with it. She’s nothing but a reminder of what happened to Sam—and you’re still living with the ghost.”
“Yeah, I think that ghost is gonna be around for the rest of my life,” Garrett said flatly. “Whether Beth is here or not. I don’t think she’s got anything to do with it.”
“Yeah, well, Lucas Wilson ain’t been in the office since I booked him for possession of narcotics, and now, he’s been intwiceplaying good citizen.From what I’ve gathered, he’s dragging your name through the mud, G. I need you todisappearuntil I figure this out.”
Garrett spoke through gritted teeth. “Ididn’tdo anything to Sarah. Youknowthat.”
His father’s expression didn’t shift from the emotionless state it was in. “Only thing I know is that you saw Beth Young that night, and I can only imagine what seeing her did to your head.”
“Youreallythink I would’ve done something to Sarah?” he exasperated. “Really?With all the shady drug dealing rednecks she hangs out with, and you’re gonna point to me? Just like all the rest of them?”
“All I got is evidence, and Blaze Harris is already suspicious ‘cause I left you off the report. I know it’s just a matter of time before he goes bringing it up.”
Garrett shook his head, trying to conjure up the fuzzy past. “Why would you leave me out of the report? I saw Beth that night—that’s the truth. I saw her, and I’m not going to deny that. I didn’tsee Sarah.”
“Drunk idiots aren’t reliable witnesses. You can’t remember what you did after you saw Beth, can you? I can see it all over your face.”
Garrett choked on that answer, everything beyond Beth’s deep, green eyes black to his memory. “I probably just did what I always do. Pass out.”
Sheriff Myers gave a disgusted huff. “Go home and stay there.”
“Maybe you should focus on finding her killer, instead of worrying so much about me,” Garrett scoffed, reaching to roll up the window.
“Quit giving me reasons to worry,” he spat back, just as it rolled to a complete close.
