Page 62 of The Moment He Couldn’t Walk Away

“This is Finch McAllister. Ex-military,” Dan said.

He didn’t need to add those words, but Finch knew he’d done it to let the man know he could hold his own and wouldn’t take any shit.

“Saw you in town,” Finch said.

The man nodded. “Just having a drive around. I think it’s important the townspeople don’t see us as a threat anymore.”

“You don’t think the loud revs of motorcycles and black leather-clad men with gang patches would do that?” Finch said.

The man smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. There was something about him Finch didn’t like. He couldn’t put his finger on it but put it down to instinct.

“Like me, Finch cares about this town. Also, like me, he experienced what the Bandits did before you arrived and has no wish for a repeat,” Dan said.

Walker put his hands in the air. “Have we done anything since I’ve been in charge other than frequent your businesses and offer our support?”

“Not yet, but it’s early days,” the deputy said in a hard voice.

The biker spread his arms wide. “Come on, what’s it going to take for you to trust us again?”

“Probably about five years of being clean in my town, then I’ll think about it,” Dan said. “Why are you and your buddies here now?”

Something dark moved in the biker’s eyes, and then it was gone. Finch had seen a lot of ugly things in his time in the army. He’d seen men who were bad and had done bad things, and he sensed it when one was standing in front of him.

“See you around, Deputy and Finch McAllister.” The biker nodded at them.

“Not if we see you first,” Dan muttered as they watched the bikes roll away. “Something’s coming, Finch, and right now it’s just a feeling, but it will not be good.”

“I need to tell you something, Dan, so hear me out, okay?”

“Okay, but do we have to do it with my eyes watering from the cold and my nose turning red?”

“And they say cops are tough,” Finch said, opening the door of his pickup and climbing inside.

Dan joined him, and then Finch told him about the day he’d thought he’d seen someone at Nina’s.

“I dismissed it as nothing, and that maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but I should have told you soon⁠—”

“Yeah, but you have now so all good. Thanks for telling me and checking out the scene at the time, Finch.”

“I know it’s speculation, but do you think the home invasion and car, and maybe what I saw, is in any way connected to her father—or am I reaching?” Finch asked.

“It’s a stretch, but I’ve gone there myself. The problem is, if her father comes looking for her, we can’t know if it’s to connect, or for another reason.”

“I googled Dale Falcon, and he’s a big-time asshole.”

“I’m surprised she gave you his name.”

“I got her at a weak moment. I’m good for it,” Finch explained.

“I know that, and that she’s told others now, but she hasn’t told anyone else her father’s name,” Dan said.

Finch wasn’t surprised that news had gotten out even though Nina had only told the group in The Gnat today. Nothing in this town was a secret for long.

“Nice haircut, by the way,” Dan added. “And yes, Falcon is bad. He was involved in all kinds of things, and, to my knowledge, his name is connected with two murders. There is no record of his daughter, which is something, at least.”

“What worries me is that when she left, Nina’s mom may have taken something he wanted without realizing it, and now he’s out, he wants it back.”

Dan did look at him then. “That’s a leap.”