Page 70 of Whispers of Sweetwater

The two women moved as one, securing windows and rechecking every latch. Sherlock circled the cottage, tail stiff, growling low. They sank onto the couch, barely breathing. And then bright headlights swept across the window.

Hayden was there.

Brianna exhaled, pulse pounding as relief threatened to buckle her. The sight of his LandCruiser idling in the drive, the steady crunch of his boots approaching the verandah, should have been enough to quiet the panic. And yet the note still burned in her hand, the words etched sharp as a blade.

The deadbolt clicked, Sherlock’s growl eased, and Hayden stepped into the room, bringing with him the scent of dust and leather and the promise of safety. His gaze swept over them both, sharp and assessing, before softening just enough when it landed on Brianna again.

‘You’re safe now,’ he said, though his jaw was tight, and his eyes carried no illusions.

Because safe was temporary.

And deep down, all three of them knew it.

CHAPTER 18

Brianna sat on the edge of her tousled bed, with the sheets twisted from a night of broken sleep. Sherlock lay curled at her feet, head resting on his paws, watching her with quiet alertness. The sky beyond the window was still dark, a murky slate with only the faintest light teasing the edges of dawn. Outside, clouds smothered the stars, and the half-moon offered little light. Inside, only the occasional creak of timber floorboards marked time. Shadows clung to the corners of the cottage, and the silence pressed down like a weight. Molly was fast asleep in the guest room, or at least Brianna hoped so. She could hear Hayden faintly breathing in the lounge. A part of her would have felt safer with him sleeping beside her, his presence close and solid in the dark, but that was out of the question. Still, the thought lingered, warm and unwelcome.

She stared at the phone in her hand, thumb hovering over the screen. Her chest was tight with hesitation, nerves fluttering in her stomach. But this was no longer something she could wait on. After what Hayden told her he’d found in the cane fields. Horse sedatives … she suddenly remembered the seemingly scared farmer’s wife she’d met out at Pebble Creek, worrying about the horses. You’ll be kind to them? She pressed the call button.

It rang once. Twice. Then, a groggy but alert voice answered. ‘Bri? Sweetheart, are you all right?’

She swallowed hard, her voice low. ‘Not really. Something’s going on here, Dad. It’s really bad. I can’t say everything right now, but I, we, need your help.’

‘Of course.’ There was a pause. She could almost hear the shift in her father’s posture, from half-asleep to fully switched on. ‘Can you tell me a little, so I don’t worry myself sick.’

Brianna fell silent, eyes stinging as she struggled to find the right words, the weight of everything pressing heavy on her chest.

‘Brianna?’ her father urged gently. ‘Just tell me something. Anything. I need to know what you’re dealing with.’

She stood, pacing the bedroom in the dim light. ‘I’ve uncovered some things, about a man who died eight months ago. His sister, Molly, you know, the lady I’m renting the cottage off. Well, she’s become a close friend of mine.’ She paused, sucked in a breath. ‘People are being threatened. And someone left me a warning note last night, under my wipers.’

‘Jesus, Bri.’ His voice dropped, heavy with concern. ‘What the hell’s happening there? Why haven’t you said anything to me before now, and why haven’t you gone to the local cops?’

‘We can’t go to the local police, Dad. One of the officers here, Craig Dunlop, he’s dirty. We think he’s involved. We don’t know how deep it goes.’

‘Do you have someone there with you?’ Logan asked, his voice tightening.

‘I do. Molly’s here. And Hayden, he stayed the night on the couch. And Sherlock, of course.’

There was a long silence on the other end. Then Logan exhaled, slow and grim. ‘Right. Okay. I’m on my way. Four hours, maybe less if the roads are clear. Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone else, you hear me?’

‘Yes, I hear you, Dad.’

‘Keep yourself safe. Lock the doors. Don’t do anything stupid or brave. If anything changes, anything at all, you call me straight away.’

In the background, Brianna could hear the rustle of sheets and then her mother’s sleepy voice. ‘Logan? What is it? Is it Bri?’

‘I’ll explain in a second, my love,’ Logan said, muffled. Then he came back on the line, steady and sharp. ‘Brianna?’

‘I’m still here.’

‘Stay inside. Keep Molly and Hayden close. We’ll sort this out. I promise.’

Her breath caught, emotion surging. ‘Thanks, Dad.’ But as the tears slipped down her cheeks, she couldn’t hide the crack in her voice. ‘I didn’t know who else to call.’

‘You called the right person,’ Logan said, his voice warm and unwavering. ‘You’re not alone in this, Bri. I’m on my way.’

She hung up and sat back down on the bed, heart thudding like a drum in her chest. The darkness outside still pressed heavy against the windows, but knowing her father was on his way eased the weight. Just a little. And now she had to tell Molly and Hayden she’d called him, and that he was on his way.