“I am.” No point in lying when the truth was needed now, especially if what Mickey and—after the whiteboard session tonight—he believed was true. “That’s why I questioned you about your fall and the cut to your horse.”

“They’re not connected.” Piper refused to acknowledge it could be true. “Rae’s cut was from a fence.”

“Are you sure?”

She couldn’t be, but nodded anyway. Tomorrow she’d check the cut again. “We can take care of ourselves, Dylan.”

“I know you can, but this type of criminal is a step up from someone coming at you with a gun or knife. It’s planned and thorough, as is evidenced by Charlie. Someone could have cut the brakes on Dad’s car and poisoned Mom. We’re dealing with an extremely intelligent, deranged individual here, Piper.”

“And Ava?”

“I need to talk to her about who first introduced her to the cocaine and when. I just can’t rule out that whoever is behind this—if someone is behind it—didn’t get to her first, and has been planning this entire thing for months, maybe years.”

Piper shivered.

“You’re cold. Do you want to go inside?”

“No, I’m not cold, it’s just scary thinking someone could go after you in this way. Have you given any thought as to who it could be?”

He told her about Troy Fielding.

“But he’s locked up, so it can’t be him.”

“But it could be someone connected to him. He was brilliant, and totally insane. If he had access to a computer, he would be able to find out most things. The guy was a genius that way.”

“I don’t want him to get you, Dylan.”

Piper turned in his arms to look up at him. He saw the fear she felt for him.

“It’s okay, Piper, I won’t let him do anything else to the people I care about.”

“I’m not talking about them. If he wanted to kill them he would have. He’s doing this to get to you. Playing with you.”

“My dad could have died in that crash.”

“Yes, but he didn’t. You believe it’s happening now, don’t you, Dylan? You don’t really have doubts anymore?”

“No... maybe. Hell, I don’t know. I need more facts, and I’m hoping when Mickey gets here he and I can find some, and find whoever’s doing this.”

He leaned down and kissed her softly because right at that moment he needed that more than his next breath.

“I think he’s doing these things to keep you here, Dylan. Just as he started this to get you back to Ryker Falls.”