The bell jingled again, sharper this time, and the Chief stepped inside. His coat was damp with melting snow, his boots heavy against the floor. He paused just inside the doorway, his eyes scanning the room.
Something in the air had shifted—he could feel it. Holly stood behind the counter, her shoulders tense, Lee close at her side, Marissa and Jake hovering nearby like a protective wall.
“What happened?” the Chief asked, his voice steady but edged with concern.
Lee’s jaw tightened. “Crystal was just here.”
The Chief’s brows lifted, his gaze narrowing. “Here? What did she want?”
Holly swallowed, her voice quiet but firm. “She came in, pretending it was nothing. But she implied… she implied that something else might happen. Like the van wasn’t the end of it.”
Marissa crossed her arms,
