Through the window, Max could see that the world outside of the sheriff’s office had turned gray and cloudy, the sun slipping toward the western horizon. It had been a long day. Max sat back in his chair and considered Agent Miller’s request. He was tired of dancing around. He would be called to testify at Reed’s trial, so he couldn’t lie or it might screw up the case. At the same time, he wasn’t going to give up Niki. But the thing about voluntary police interviews is that the interviewee holds all the cards. He had resented that as a cop, but now…

Max leaned forward. “Agent Miller, I’m gonna end this interview and walk out of here now—unless… I’m under arrest?”

“I still have some questions—”

Max stood. “They’ll have to wait. I appreciate that you have a job to do, but I’ve had one hell of a night. I’m exhausted, and I feel like I’ve gone ten rounds with a heavy weight. We’ll need to pick this up tomorrow when my head is clearer.”

“I’d really like you to stay.”

“I’m free to leave, am I not?”

“You are.”

“Thank you.”

Max walked out and asked a woman at a desk to contact Bennet for him. She made a phone call and handed the receiver to Max.

“Deputy Bennet, I was wondering if I could get a ride to the trailhead to get my car.”

“Your car’s not there,” Bennet said. “We towed it in for processing. It’s part of a crime scene.”

“Ah, shit.”

“Gotta be thorough.”

Max would have done the same, and he mentally kicked himself for not realizing that his car would be searched. “Is there a taxi service here in Ely?”

Bennet chuckled at that.

“Any suggestions on how I might get home?” Max asked.

“I’ll tell you what. We have a Range Rover forfeited from a drug dealer some time back. We use it for surveillance. You can borrow that.”

Half an hour later, Max was on the road, a burger and fries spread out on the console. As he drove the two hours back to his cabin, he ran through everything again. Had he tried hard enough to pull Lyle back from his rage? Should he have stopped Lyle when he wanted to kill Peter? Would that have changed anything? Had he made the right decision to bring Reed back?

Maybe he was too tired to see it clearly, but he felt that he had done his best for Lyle. And although sparing Reed’s life came with a bitter aftertaste, one less ghost would visit him at his cabin.

The one regret that weighed heavy on Max’s mind was the way he had treated Niki.

As he drove, the sky grew dark with clouds, and then dark with night. By the time he pulled onto the trail that led back to his cabin, the world around him was black. The Range Rover bounced along until he neared his cabin and saw Lyle’s pickup still parked there, a small blade of regret piercing his chest. Then he noticed a reflection that seemed out of place—another vehicle. A few feet closer and he recognized Niki’s car parked next to his door.