She shrugged. ‘Your secret boyfriend. It’s like, you want me to tell you things, even though you never asked, but here you are, chatting with me, and the whole time you forget to mention you’ve got some guy in the city. He was cute, too, with those nerdy glasses. The Clark Kent type. I get it.’

‘What did …’ I stammered. ‘What did he say?’

‘He came in like an hour ago, as soon as my shift started, waving a photo of you around. Saying his girlfriend was missing, asking if we’d seen her. What was that about? He was going into like every shop on this block.’ Her eyes widened suddenly, as if remembering. ‘Wait, does this have something to do with what you told your friend in the restaurant? Shit, I didn’t think. He didn’t seem like the type. I didn’t tell him anything, don’t worry.’

I shook my head in disbelief. Then I backed away so quickly, I ran into someone behind me. Mind reeling, vision blurring, I muttered an apology, turned on my heel, and stalked off down the bluestone sidewalk, back to my car, not stopping until I was in it, fumbling for my keys.

I pulled out so quickly I almost hit a pedestrian, an older lady who flipped me off as I careened down the road. I had to get home, get to Dusty before Davis did. I could grab him and head straight to Vera’s.

Find a way to keep him – to keep us – safe.

It took me a half hour to get there, road work closing one of the lanes on 212 East, but as I pulled onto Shadow Creek Road, my heart sank. Two police cars idled outside my cottage.

No no no, I wanted to scream. If McKnight had changed his mind, if he was going to arrest me now, Davis would get Dusty. I’d never see him again.

‘Miss King,’ McKnight said, before I’d even shut the car door. ‘I told you it wouldn’t be long before we saw you again. Didn’t expect it to be quite so soon, though.’

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly chalky. Any semblance of safety I thought I’d created for myself was evaporating from moment to moment.

‘Everything okay?’ he asked.