Page 79 of Glimmer in the Darkness

He’d felt alone since his mother had died, but he’d never truly been alone. He’d had an entire town full of people who cared for him. Again, Cassidy’s plight felt more real to James than ever.

He thanked his lawyer before the uniformed officer led him out of the courtroom. They walked the short hallway connecting the courthouse to the police station. When they entered the other building, another cop called, “Don’t bother locking him up. Someone’s posting bail now.”

James looked sideways at the cop who held his arm in a tight grip. “Who?”

“I guess you’ll find out in a minute.”

It was more than a minute, but James didn’t complain as he sat, handcuffed to a bench, and waited.

Finally, he was freed from the cuffs and led through the doors and into the police station’s entry.

Vince pushed himself off the wall. “You ready?”

“What are you doing here?”

Vince opened the glass door that led outside to freedom. For now, anyway. Though, accessory-after-the-fact was a serious charge. It was likely James would be back in jail—no, prison—when this was over.

“I put you in here as a cop,” Vince said. “I’m bailing you out as your friend.”

James hadn’t been sure where their friendship stood the day before. As he stepped out the door onto the sidewalk in downtown Coventry, gratitude rose up. He turned to thank Vince but was yanked around by a solid grip on his arm.

The fist came out of nowhere.

He stumbled back, crashed into Vince. Face on fire.

The stream of curse words shocked him more than the voice that delivered them.

“I should kill you!” Reid lunged toward him again, but Vince shoved Reid away.

Reid lifted his fist.

“Back off.” Vince’s voice carried the same authority he’d used the day before with James. “Unless you want to end up in jail for assaulting a police officer.”

Reid stepped back, shaking his right hand.

James rubbed the jaw he felt sure was broken. Didn’t seem to be, but it probably hurt a lot worse than Reid’s knuckles.

Reid was still glowering at him over Vince’s shoulder. “You let her get away!”

“We were looking for Ella.” But Reid wasn’t listening to James any more than Vince had the day before. “Cassidy didn’t kidnap your daughter.”

“Then where is she?” Reid’s gaze flicked to Vince, who stood aside but seemed ready to jump in again if necessary. If not for the cop, James was certain he’d be feeling another right hook. And he wouldn’t fight back. Not against his best friend, not considering everything Reid was dealing with.

“I don’t know,” James said. “Probably still looking for Ella. She’s determined—”

“She murdered your sister.” Reid’s voice, no longer shouting, was filled with vitriol. “She murdered Addison, and now she’s gonna murder Ella. And you had her.”

“She didn’t—”

“If my daughter dies, I’ll kill you.”

“Careful, Cote.” Vince squared up against Reid. “The last thing I wanna do is throw you in jail, but I will if I have to.”

Ignoring Vince, Reid glared at James. “You better watch your back.” He turned and stalked away, pushing his way through the crowd James only now realized had gathered.

Townspeople looked on. People he’d considered friends the day before glared at him. He could feel their disappointment, their hatred. It was as hot as the morning sun beating down on them. He feared, like the sun, it would grow hotter before it cooled.

If he and Cassidy didn’t find Ella, his friends’ feelings of betrayal would never cool.