“No!” she said, and Benjamin froze. She tried smiling. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to … The cops, they know about this. They forced us out. In here, in town, those bikers can’t touch us, but out there …”

“You should leave,” said Benjamin.

“I need your help.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Drive us into town. Benjamin, please. Novak has probably taken our car somewhere. Everything I need to save Milo’s life is in that car. Just drive us to it. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can.”

“If the Chief found out—”

“He won’t. I swear he won’t. You’re not going to get in trouble for this, Benjamin, I promise you. We haven’t done anything wrong. We haven’t hurt anyone or broken any laws.”

“You must have,” Benjamin said, squaring his shoulders. He walked past her, to the house. “Novak has his reasons.”

Amber glanced at Milo, then hurried after the old man. “The mayor told him to do it. He’s got it wrong. He thinks we’re a danger to him, but we’re not.”

Benjamin’s front door wasn’t locked. He opened it and went inside, tried to close it, but Amber jammed her foot in. “Please leave me alone,” he said.

Amber could have shifted, thrown the door open, but she didn’t. “This is not a normal town, Benjamin. You must see that.”

They locked eyes through the gap. A long moment passed. Then Benjamin sighed and stepped back, and invited her in.

The kitchen was warm, heated by embers that still stirred in the fireplace. There was an old sofa and a TV, a big table and two chairs, one of them piled high with laundry. A plate and mug near the sink. Boots by the door. This was the home of a bachelor or a widower. Judging by the once colourful, now faded curtains, Amber guessed a widower.

“None of this is my concern,” Benjamin said softly, his eyes on the floor.

“Excuse me?”

His gaze flicked upwards briefly. “None of this has anything to do with me or any of the other folks here. We leave all that business to Mayor Jesper and Chief Novak. They can take care of it.”

“What business? What do they take care of?”

“That stuff,” Benjamin said irritably. “The weird stuff.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I mean, this town’s always been this way. I was born here and it’s all I’ve ever known. Yeah, unusual things happen here, but—”

“This is a little beyond unusual,” Amber interrupted. “Do you know anything of what goes on? What really goes on? Novak’s a murderer.”

“No,” Benjamin said. “No, I refuse to believe that. Does he have to make tough calls? Yes. But he keeps the town safe and that’s no easy thing.”