“Possibly. Can I meet you at the station?”

“I’m off duty. It’s dinnertime. What’s this about?”

“Lucas Vega has received two vague warnings connected to his podcast, which the note writer wants him to stop. They are not overtly threatening, but I think you should be made aware of the situation.”

“Duly noted. Drop the notes at the station to my attention, and I’ll see if there’s anything similar in the system, do an analysis of the notes. I don’t know how fast I can get it done—are they direct threats to harm him?”

“No threat of violence, but it’s implied.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks, Steven,” she said and ended the call. She needed to keep on his good side because she had a feeling they might need him sooner rather than later.

Regan added the note to the same large plastic envelope as the first, which was still in her truck. “I’m going to follow you to your apartment, Lucas,” she said. “Make sure everything is kosher inside, then go home. Tomorrow what time do you need to be on campus?”

“I don’t have any classes on Fridays. I’m going to the studio about an hour before the show. We air at seven on Friday.”

“I’ll pick you up at your apartment at five thirty. Can you stay inside for the day?”

“Why? I mean, these notes don’t mean anything. They just want to scare me.”

“We don’t know what they will or will not do, but you need to be cautious. Promise?”

After Regan made sure that Lucas’s apartment was secure, she dropped the notes off at the police station in a large envelope labeled with Young’s name, then left town for her dad’s house. It was nearly eight. He was listening to sports news on the television while reading a book on World War II.

“I ordered out for pizza,” he said. “Enough for both of us. Should be here in twenty, thirty minutes.”

“Late for dinner.”

“I suspect you didn’t eat.” He put his book down and smiled.

“All in a day’s work. Do you mind if I use your office for a bit?”

“You don’t have to ask.”

She felt she did. This had been her home growing up, and she still thought of it as her home, but it was mostly her dad’s place now. He had done so many things to make it his space.

She was going to have to think about finding her own place. She just didn’t know where and wasn’t even sure what she wanted: staying here, heading down to Phoenix closer to her brother JT and sister, Bri, or someplace completely different. If she didn’t know what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, and if she didn’t have a plan, how could she put down roots?