Jake
The police report sat in the middle of the church table, surrounded by six men who’d buried friends, survived prison, and never once believed a badge made somebody honest.
Calvin Rusk had given a statement eighteen minutes before Mara’s wreck was officially reported.
Maybe the timestamp was wrong. Maybe the report was forged. Either way, somebody wanted me looking backward while Derek Blackwell was still loose.
I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
“Church is closed,” I told Raven.
She glanced toward the stairs. Emma was asleep upstairs after I’d finally convinced her to rest. “You telling me to leave too?”
“I’m asking you to keep an ear out for her.”
Raven studied me. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t make her regret trusting you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“That’s what w
