Even happy endings aren’t perfect.

At long last, things are looking up for Aiden Connelly. A successful lawyer, now running his own firm, he has earned the respect of the townspeople of Avalon, and he has the woman he loves, Brandy Cotton, by his side.

But Aiden can’t forget the mystery surrounding the death of his friend Justin ten years earlier. When a new tip-off leads him to Mexico and an infamous cartel, he unwittingly unleashes a sinister and dangerous force that follows him back to Avalon. Threatened and afraid, Aiden must form an unlikely alliance with the man who once tried to drive him out of town: Avalon’s sheriff, Buck Fern. These two men will have to turn their backs on the law they uphold to protect their town and those they love.

Also by Carys Jones

Prime Deception

First to Fall (Avalon #1)

Second to Cry (Avalon #2)

Third to Die (Avalon #3)

Fourth to Run

Carys Jones

Copyright

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2015

Copyright © Carys Jones 2015

Carys Jones asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © June 2015 ISBN: 9781474034951

Version date: 2018-06-27

CARYS JONES

Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader’s imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion, Rollo. When she’s not writing, Carys likes to indulge her inner geek by watching science fiction films or playing video games. She lists John Green, Jodi Picoult and Virginia Andrews as her favorite authors and draws inspiration for her own work from anything and everything. For Carys, there is no greater feeling than when you lose yourself in a great story and it is that feeling of ultimate escapism which she tries to bring to her books.

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Book List

Title Page

Copyright

Author Bio

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Endpages

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Once Upon a Dream

Aiden rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the darkness of the bedroom. Turning onto his side, a small smile pulled on the edges of his mouth. He could smell her all around him; the small room carried the sweet scent of vanilla. Reaching forward he navigated the far side of the bed with his hand. He was expecting to find her sleeping soundly beside him. He’d pull her close; plant a soft kiss upon her forehead and then fall back asleep listening to the steady rhythm of her gentle breaths.

But his hand found only empty sheets during his exploration of the bed. Startled, Aiden sat up and squinted against the lack of light. His heart was instantly racing. Clumsily he turned towards his own side of the bed and fumbled for the switch of a nearby lamp. After several attempts he found it and bright, florescent light burned across his face. Wincing, Aiden turned from the lamp and looked back at the bed. With the added light he could see with certainty that it was definitely empty, the sheets pulled back as someone had vacated the room while he slept.

“Brandy?” He called out her name with a strange sense of uncertainty. Each time he awoke and found her sleeping beside him, he feared that he had somehow wandered into a waking dream and that she couldn’t possibly be there. The pillow was indented where her head had previously been but all that remained of her in the room was the vanilla fragrance lurking behind like a pleasant aftertaste.

Aiden raked his hands through his hair and got out of bed. Wearing only his boxers, he headed downstairs, his heart pounding so ferociously in his chest that he could hear it echo in his ears.

“Brandy?” He said her name again, louder and with more clarity, but as he descended the staircase he was met with only more darkness. As his bare feet connected with the wooden floor of the lounge, he noticed the chill in the air which was successfully banishing the oppressive heat of the previous day. Instinctively Aiden looked over to the patio doors which had been pulled open. A cool breeze fluttered in and danced around his bare legs, causing them to prickle with goose bumps.

“Brandy?”

Aiden approached the open doors and looked out into the garden. He immediately saw her, his eyes drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She was sitting cross-legged on the lawn, wearing her nightdress, with her head upturned towards the sky. The moon overhead bathed her in an ethereal silver light making her seem impossibly angelic.

“Brandy, what are you doing out here?” Aiden shivered as he stepped outside and moved towards her. The sun which had previously burned down from above now felt like nothing more than a distant memory.

“Oh, Aid.” Brandy turned her head to look at him, her eyes glistening in the moonlight. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No,” Aiden lowered himself down onto the grass and sat beside her. The moisture which clung to the blades of grass dampened his bare skin.

“I just woke up and realized you weren’t there,” he explained. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Brandy’s lips arched in to a perfect smile and she turned away from him to look back up at the sky.

“I just couldn’t sleep,” she admitted. “I’d forgotten how still the night is here. I never thought I’d miss the sound of car horns.”

Aiden carefully looped an arm across her shoulders. He felt Brandy relax beneath his touch. She was cold but her skin remained smooth.

“I always used to sit and look up at the stars when I lived in Avalon,” Brandy recalled wistfully.

“So much changes down here but they remain constant.”

Aiden tilted his head upwards so that he too was gazing upon the stars. It was a clear evening so his vision wasn’t obscured by any stray clouds. All he could see was the impressive infinity that was the universe. Stars glittered against the dense backdrop of the night sky like the rarest of diamonds. Presiding over them all was the silvery face of the moon; full and magical.

With a twinge of regret Aiden realized that this was the first time since moving to Avalon that he’d actually taken the time to fully appreciate the majesty of the night sky. Without the lights of the city to battle against, the natural wonder of the stars in the heavens looked most impressive.

He remembered how as a boy living in Greensburg he’d look up the stars as he lay side by side with his friends in the grass. Seeing those distant suns somehow emboldened them and made them want to do great things. All except Justin. He would roll onto his side and curse the stars for their ability to make his existence seem insignificant.

“There is so much beauty up there,” Brandy whispered in awe. Her soft voice brought Aiden back into the moment and he pulled her close to him as they both continued to look up.

“I wish we could see all the stars, but some are too far away.”

“I remember you telling me once how just because we can’t see a star it doesn’t mean it doesn’t sparkle.” Aiden recalled fondly.

“You remember that?” Brandy lowered her gaze so that she was looking in to his eyes.

“Yeah,” Aiden admitted with a shy smile. “I remember everything about you.”

Beneath the glittering stars he tilted his head down towards Brandy and softly placed his lips upon hers. It felt so good to kiss her, so natural. He raised a hand to stroke her cheek, savoring how she felt beneath his fingertips. He had yearned for so long to be able to touch her in this way.

*

Aiden woke up and stretched. He expected to find himself in his own bed but his senses were suddenly jolted into a state of alertness when he registered the morning sun pressing upon his eyes and the grass beneath his back. Sitting up, Aiden felt lightheaded for a moment, but as the feeling swiftly passed he realized he was in his own back garden. The events from the previous night filtered back to him like a pleasant dream. He’d wandered downstairs and found Brandy sat upon the lawn and then…

A cheeky smile streaked across Aiden’s face. He rubbed his cheeks which were already bristled with morning stubble and awkwardly stood up. His entire body ached from sleeping against the hard ground. But despite the burning tension in his joints, his mood was as bright as the golden morning sunshine. The stars overhead were now gone, replaced by a brilliant ocean of seemingly endless blue sky.

Aiden entered his house and was greeted by the hearty aroma of freshly brewed coffee. He followed the scent towards the kitchen where Brandy was hovering over the stove making pancakes, still in her nightdress.

“Did we actually sleep in the garden?” Aiden laughed as he came up behind her and placed his hands on her slender waist.

“Well, you did,” Brandy laughed lightly. “I just sat and enjoyed the quiet.”

“I thought you missed the noise of the city.”

“I do.” Brandy nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t also enjoy the quiet. I’d forgotten all the things I liked about Avalon. Like how bright the stars shine here.”

“Yeah,” Aiden felt intoxicated by Brandy’s presence. She had the power to make him forget about almost everything. But there was no escaping reality, no matter how much he yearned to.

“Shit!” Aiden’s eyes shot up at the clock on the wall. It told him it was seven in the morning. He needed to be getting ready for work.

“I need to go and shower, I can’t be late again!”

“Don’t you own the firm?” Brandy shouted after him as he sprinted up the stairs towards the bathroom.

“Yes, but try telling Betty that!” Aiden called back.

*

It was just before eight when Aiden arrived at the offices of Copes and May and, predictably, Betty was waiting outside the front door, her purse neatly clasped in her hands. She smiled thinly in greeting at Aiden as he hastily locked his car and fumbled for the keys to the office.

“You know, Betty, you don’t have to wait for me to arrive before opening up,” Aiden told her for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Nonsense,” Betty chided him as she politely waited for him to open the door. “I want you to feel like this firm is yours. Opening up each morning will give you a sense of ownership.”

Aiden wanted to point out that the firm would feel much more like it was his if Betty would stop insisting on telling him what to do. But he was grateful for the old woman’s guidance. She was, after all, just keen to help and make the transition to their new working model all the easier.

Even though the hour was early it was already hot outside. Aiden was glad to enter the dark coolness of the office. Each morning he made sure to turn on the air conditioning so that Betty couldn’t overheat.

“Here’s to a good day,” Betty smiled as she purposefully walked past him towards her desk.

“I’ll go get us some drinks.” Aiden nodded at her. The routine was always the same. Aiden would open up and then head across the street to pick up some drinks and snacks for them. But the weight of words still unspoken were beginning to weigh heavy on Aiden. Betty was oblivious to the fact that Brandy was now living with him. It had been three weeks and she’d yet to step foot beyond his house. He knew he couldn’t keep her a secret forever. And once one person knew, the whole of Avalon would know. Gossip spread faster than any virus ever could.

Aiden was just starting to feel like he belonged. In the morning people would greet him with a smile. In bequeathing his firm to Aiden, his late colleague Edmond had publically placed a seal of approval upon the younger man and Avalon had responded. He wasn’t a pariah; he was almost one of them. If the town learned that Brandy was now in his life all that would change, he’d go back to being demonized. As loath as he was to admit it, Aiden quite liked being in people’s good graces. It certainly made working in Avalon much easier.

“Here you go.” Aiden placed a Styrofoam cup of earl grey tea and a croissant upon Betty’s desk. She nodded politely at Aiden and then returned her attention to her computer screen where she was already busily managing emails which had come in.

Aiden moved beyond her towards his own office. It was a sleek, modern space with hard wood floors and a grand desk boasting two computer monitors. Cooled air was already circulating thanks to the air conditioning system. Aiden dropped his briefcase by his desk and sat down in his leather chair. With a sigh he recalled that it hadn’t always been like this. When he first worked at Copes and May, the offices were shabby and he hadn’t been alone. His graze drifted, as it always did, to the part of the room where Edmond Copes’ desk had once stood.

A hole opened up in Aiden’s chest as he recalled the older man who had brought him to Avalon in the first place. Aiden lifted his cup of fresh coffee and toasted the emptiness.

“Here’s to you, Edmond.”

Aiden felt his shoulders slump as he considered that Edmond would have been the one person in Avalon who would have welcomed Brandy’s return, the one person who would have embraced Aiden’s new-found happiness.

Rubbing his hand across his eyes, Aiden did his best to banish his sorrow and focus on the working day ahead.

*

Aiden was about to leave the office for the day when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. With a slight groan he retrieved it, assuming it was a work call which would delay his departure. His heart seized in his chest when he saw a Chicago number flashing on the screen. Quickly he dragged his finger across the digital screen and answered the call.

“Hello?” His tone was curt and formal.

“Daddy?” came a light voice from the other end of the line.

Aiden felt his entire body sag with surprised delight.

“Meegan!” He gripped the phone, pressing it tightly against his ear. He didn’t want to miss a single sound his daughter made.

“How are you, sweetheart?”

“I have three new Barbies!” Meegan told her father proudly.

“Three?” Aiden smiled to himself. “That’s a lot.”

Two of them he’d sent to her by courier delivery. He felt relieved to know that they had arrived safely.

“Bonnie, Mindy and…” Meegan prolonged the ‘and’ as she struggled to remember the name of her third new doll. Aiden heard someone whisper a name in the background.

“Blue!” Meegan squealed excitedly, delighted to have remembered all their names.

“Those are lovely names,” Aiden told her warmly.

“Me choose!”

“You’re a clever girl.”

“Give Mommy the phone.” He heard Isla’s voice and Aiden straightened in his seat. Seconds later she had replaced Meegan on the call.

“Aid, hey.” Her tone wasn’t cold but it wasn’t warm either.

“Isla, hi.” Aiden tried to sound equally neutral as he nervously unbuttoned the top of his shirt.

“She really wanted to call you,” Isla explained, sounding almost apologetic.

“That’s fine!” Aiden insisted a little too enthusiastically. “I love hearing from her! From you both,” he added diplomatically.

“Thanks for the dolls, she loved them.”

“I’m glad they got there okay.”

“So what’s new with you?” Isla brightened slightly as she asked the question. Aiden felt his airwaves begin to constrict as he nervously floundered on the other end of the line. Isla, like the rest of Avalon, had yet to find out that he was now living with Brandy. He feared that if he invoked his estranged wife’s jealousy she could keep Meegan from him to be cruel. He liked to think that Isla wouldn’t sink to such levels but he also didn’t want to test her capacity for petty revenge.

“Not much.” Aiden shrugged as he sat at his desk. “I’ve been busy with work, just trying to get everything straight since—” His voice broke off. Since Edmond’s death. But he couldn’t bring himself to say the words, they still felt too final.

“I bet it has been busy…adjusting,” Isla replied carefully.

“What about you? What’s new with you?”

“I should really go,” Isla announced a little too quickly. For a moment Aiden wondered if it was just his imagination as she suddenly seemed extremely worked up.

“Isla, is everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything is fine, I’m just late for a yoga class. Maybe next time call a bit later.”

Aiden was about to point out that he hadn’t been the one to make the call but the line went dead before he could speak. Bemused, he pulled the cell phone from his ear and regarded it suspiciously. Isla was definitely acting strangely. Was she hiding something? The thought made his pulse quicken.

Or was it someone? His mind darkened as he imagined a new man in both his wife and daughter’s life. He was about to call them back when the door to his office creaked open and Betty peered round to look at him.

“I’m heading home if that’s alright with you Mr— Sorry, Aiden?” Her glasses were perched precariously on the end of her nose as she looked down through them to regard him.

“That’s fine, Betty. I’m clocking off now too.” Aiden smiled and stood up and began rummaging in his pocket for the keys to both the office and his car.

“The sun hasn’t stopped shining today,” Betty commented by the door.

“It’s been a beautiful day,” Aiden agreed.

“He always loved sunny days,” Betty said with a bittersweet smile as her gaze dropped to the ground.

“Yes.” Aiden nodded and shrugged on his jacket. “He did.”

*

Brandy was standing in the small kitchen of Aiden’s home facing the cooker. All around her the cupboard doors were wide open exposing their contents. She scanned the interior of each cupboard as she remained rooted to the spot.

There were tins of corn and beans, boxes of cereals, bags of sugar. Brandy tried to take a mental inventory of everything that was on display. She was so consumed by the task that she failed to hear Aiden’s car pulling up on the driveway or the subsequent opening of the front door. She was still standing gazing around the kitchen intently when Aiden came up behind her and looped an arm around her waist before gently grazing her cheek with a warm kiss.

Brandy jumped at his touch. He’d surprised her. But what was more surprising was the realization that she’d spent the better part of an hour staring into the cupboards.

“What time is it?” she asked with a start.

“Quarter past five,” Aiden explained as he moved past her to drop his briefcase on to the table. He glanced around at the open cupboards and noticed Brandy’s pained expression.

“Is everything alright?”

Brandy nodded stiffly but her lips pulled into a sharp line.

“Are you sure?” Aiden took a step towards her and placed his hands on her slight shoulders.

“How come all the cupboards are open?”

Brandy’s lower lip started to tremble.

“I…,” She cleared her throat nervously. “I was just trying to get to know my way around your kitchen. Trying to learn where everything was but…” her entire body crumpled and she raised a hand to her temple and sighed.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Aiden asked tenderly.

“It’s everything!” Brandy shook herself loose of his grip and stepped back from him. “It’s this kitchen, this house, this place!”

She gestured around the room as she spoke.

“I wanted to cook you dinner, to make this place feel homely but I can’t because this isn’t my home, it’s hers. Everywhere I go she’s there. I feel like an … intruder!”

Brandy thought of the apartment she had left back in Chicago. A space which had firmly been hers. Now she was a stranger in a home living in another woman’s shadow and it was taking its toll on her.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’m not being ridiculous!” Brandy cried defensively. “This was her home, Aiden. Where she lived with you, with your daughter. She chose the drapes, the carpets. She made this place a home and now I’m here like some imposter! I hate myself sometimes!”

Frustrated tears glistened in Brandy’s dark eyes.

“First of all, she didn’t choose the drapes, or the carpets. Nothing has been done to the house since I moved here. Second, you are not an imposter! Don’t ever hate yourself!”

“Then why keep me locked inside like some secret shame?” Brandy shot at him, her pooled tears now burning against the heat of the accusation. “I’ve not been out once, Aiden! And this was my home town once!”

“I didn’t think you’d want to go out!” Aiden defended himself. “I thought you wanted to remain here, away from the judgement of Avalon.”

“I did, I do!” Brandy threw her hands in to the air in frustration. “I was building a life for myself in Chicago…” The anger in her eyes thawed into sorrow. Slowly she lowered herself in to a nearby dining chair.

“I had my piano and the salon. I had purpose. I was discovering who I was. Here, it’s like I’m Brandy White again instead of being Brandy Cotton. I just sit in a house all day and wait for my man to return.”

She dropped her head in o her hands. Aiden placed a comforting hand on her back and pulled another chair up beside her.

“I didn’t know you felt like that.”

“I want to feel proud to be here.” Brandy lifted her head and wiped some stray tears from her cheeks.

“I want to walk the streets of Avalon and hold my head up high. I want to keep playing my piano and I want your house to feel like home.”

“And it will,” Aiden insisted, reaching forward and tucking a stray lock of bright-blonde hair behind her ear.

“It takes time to adjust,” he sympathized. “And you’re right, this house should feel like home to you. Tomorrow, let’s go to Home Depot and you can pick out everything you like. Hell, you can even order a piano online if you like!”

“Really?” Brandy’s face brightened, revealing her magnetic smile which instantly lit up the room.

But her smile quickly died on her lips as she furrowed her brow and looked at Aiden with concern pinching at the edge of her eyes.

“I can’t just take your money, Aiden. I have some of my own to pay for things but not much. I need to pay my own way. I can’t be a kept woman like I was with Brandon.”

A chill shot down her spine upon saying her deceased husband’s name. Brandy did her best to banish the sensation and focus on Aiden’s loving, attentive gaze.

“We’ll figure it all out,” Aiden promised her. “You most certainly will not be a kept woman. You’re a gifted piano player and I’ve no doubt you could earn money from that.”

Brandy nodded hesitantly.

“I just want you to be happy.” Aiden edged closer to her so that their noses were almost touching. “We’ve both suffered in unhappy marriages which means we’ll work harder to make this relationship work.”

“So we’ll go pick some stuff out at Home Depot?” Brandy clearly couldn’t hide her excitement at the prospect as her eyes glistened and a faint smile tugged on her ruby lips.

“We’ll get whatever you want,” Aiden grinned. He was so close Brandy could smell his cologne which was still strong even after a day in the office. He smelled so good. Brandy wanted to reach out and pinch his cheek to make sure he was real. She’d wanted this for so long; for their life together. But she was quickly learning that even happy endings aren’t perfect.

“I love you,” she whispered into the small space between them. Her heart swelled as she released the sentiment. Chicago offered her everything she’d ever wanted; except Aiden. She’d moved her entire life for him but she didn’t regret it. Love was so rare and precious she knew it was worth fighting for, worth moving for.

“I love you too,” Aiden echoed. Then he reached for the back of her head and drew her lips against his. At first the kiss was soft and delicate, but it quickly deepened. Brandy lost herself in Aiden’s embrace, managing to forget all about her anxieties over living in Avalon.

*

“Mommy, who that man?” Meegan asked, her eyes rounded with curiosity. She was holding her third doll, the one which had come via the stranger.

“I’ve told you,” Isla rolled her eyes at her daughter’s reflection as she sat at her vanity unit and applied her make-up in the mirror.

From the bed Meegan watched her mother get ready for a night out and bunched her face up in confusion.

“Who that man?” she repeated, stroking the hair of her new doll. Her small legs kicked over the edge of the bed and she spluttered slightly against the overly perfumed air surrounding Isla. But she refused to go back to her own room. She loved watching her mother get ready and apply her make-up, it was like watching a magic show. At the start her mother was normal but by the end she looked like a princess.

“How many times?” Isla uttered in annoyance. “His name is Guy, okay? Now, do you want Mommy to put some blusher on your cheeks or not?”

Meegan eagerly hopped off the bed with a giggle and raised her dimpled cheeks up towards her mother’s large brush which was dusted with rose-tinted powder.

*

The nearest Home Depot was located about an hour outside of Avalon. Brandy wound down the car windows as they drove, savoring the sensation of the warm air pressing against her cheeks and dancing through her hair. In Chicago the air always felt heavy as though it were weighed down by too many scents. Here the air was lighter, purer. It smelled of heated Tarmac and Brandy found it oddly comforting.

Aiden drummed his hands against the steering wheel in time to the country song which was playing on the radio. Brandy arched an eyebrow in his direction as she noticed the absent smile he wore as he mirrored the rhythm with his hands.

“Since when do you like country music?” she laughed. Aiden ceased drumming, his cheeks turning red.

“I guess it has grown on me since I’ve moved here,” he explained, his hands now still against the wheel.

“Country music is the best music,” Brandy enthused as she stretched back in her seat and briefly hummed along to the melody.

“It’s sung by real people who understand real pain,” she continued.

They drove on without saying another word, letting the music from the radio fill the space between them. Brandy continued to hum along and after several minutes Aiden resumed drumming his hands on the steering wheel.

*

The parking lot for Home Depot was about half full which wasn’t that surprising considering it was late on a Saturday morning. Aiden stepped out and stretched, his limbs grateful for the release after an hour behind the wheel.

“Wow, it’s pretty big,” Brandy observed as she took in the vast building looming up at the far end of the parking lot. It was modest in design but not in scale. It’s flat roof and long bare walls cut an imposing figure on the landscape.

Aiden compared the building to Eastham Prison where he had first met Brandy. It gave off the same feeling of being a structure built for a sole purpose; to house something within. There was no warmth to the building, no unnecessary embellishments. The store’s logo was attached to the far end of the wall, just above the entrance. Everything seemed simple and functional, just like they had at the prison.

“Not the most pleasant place to look at, is it?” Brandy turned and asked, her tone bright. Aiden wondered if perhaps she had made the same comparison as he had. But the sparkle in her eyes convinced him otherwise. She seemed only to be brimming with excitement.

“There must be so much stuff inside!” Brandy continued as they walked towards the entrance. Aiden could already feel his skin heating beneath the exposed sun.

“Have you never been here before?” he wondered as he slipped his own hand against Brandy’s and intertwined their fingers. His pulse quickened upon the connection but he tried to appear calm and collected but he couldn’t deny the thrill which sparked through him, igniting all his senses. He felt like all his emotions were being jumbled together as if he were a teenager with a crush.

Brandy squeezed his hand and gave him a shy smile. Her cheeks were slightly flushed which pleased Aiden; clearly holding his hand had the same effect on her.

“No, I’ve erm…not been before,” Brandy answered as they moved out of the heat and into the welcome cool of the store. The sudden change in temperature was almost unnerving. Aiden’s previously warme skin instantly broke out in goose bumps.

“I didn’t really get out much when I was in Avalon,” Brandy added with an edge of melancholy. Aiden released her hand so that he could wrap his arm around her shoulders.

“Well I’m going to take you everywhere!” he promised with a sincere smile.

“I look forward to it.”

They grabbed a shopping cart and sauntered behind it as they went deeper into the store. Together they drifted down the aisles as if in a dream. They were oblivious to the other shoppers around them; lost in their own private world.

Brandy cooed and giggled over various items she found and the cart soon began to fill up with curtains, cushions and tins of paint. Aiden watched in quiet awe as Brandy excitedly wandered up yet another aisle, approaching everything with childlike wonder. He envied her ability to always see the good in the world, he also admired it. Despite everything she’d been through; the hardships of her early life, the brutality of her first marriage and finally being wrongly accused of murder, she still retained a bright, optimistic outlook. The life she’d endured would have crushed most people’s spirits but Brandy had arose from the ashes like a golden phoenix; powerful and beautiful.

“What about this?” Brandy was holding a scented candle jar. She drew it up to her nose and sniffed deeply. Her face crinkled slightly and then she smiled.

“Ooh, it smells like winter,” she gushed approvingly. “Smell it!” she held out the candle to Aiden and he lowered himself so that he could sniff the colored wax. He had to admit that it did indeed smell of winter. There were hints of pine needles with undertones of candy cane.

“It would be a nice candle to light at Christmas,” Brandy was holding the candle up to her eye line, turning it round and scrutinizing it in great detail as though it were some wondrous artefact she had just discovered.

“Well what have we here?” The smile which Aiden had been wearing promptly fell. His entire body stiffened as he turned in the direction of the voice; a voice he knew all too well.

A feeling of dread washed over Aiden as he glanced down the aisle and saw Clyde White standing just behind him. He was holding a basket in which a few modest items had been placed. Clyde looked first at Aiden and then his gaze passed to Brandy.

Aiden wanted to grab Brandy’s hand, turn and run back down the long aisle, whisking her away from Clyde White and his cruel judgement. The goliath within Avalon’s community would surely still hold a grudge against her, refusing to accept that she wasn’t to blame for his beloved son, Brandon’s death. The blame for the crime lay with the real killer, Father West, but like most of Avalon, Clyde was reluctant to accept such a truth.

“Out for a little shopping trip?” Clyde asked. He delivered the question pleasantly enough but his words were dripping with malice. His hand tightened its grip on his basket as his eyes darkened and narrowed.

Brandy nervously dropped the candle she had been holding into the shopping cart and stood behind it, using it as a barrier between her and Clyde.

“I see you’ve bought the Whore of Babylon with you,” Clyde remarked cruelly. Aiden clenched his jaw and reminded himself to remain calm.

“I didn’t even know your wife had left town,” Clyde continued. “I bet her bed is still warm. Are there no depths you won’t sink to?” He lifted his gaze to deliver the question directly to Brandy.

“Leave her alone,” Aiden ordered sternly, instinctively wanting to protect Brandy from Clyde’s barbed words.

“So are you two like a thing now?” Clyde spoke with a supercilious air.

“Yes,” Aiden nodded. “We’re together.” He knew it was going to come out sooner or later. In less than an hour all of Avalon would know and they’d be waiting at his home upon his return with their pitchforks sharpened. But he loved Brandy; there was no shame in that. Yet his cheeks burned and he wasn’t sure it was solely from anger.

“Did you run his poor wife out of town?” Clyde sneered as he addressed Brandy, his contempt for her obvious.

“You always were a wicked little viper. Be careful.” His stony gaze flickered back to Aiden. “This one will ruin you like she did my son.”

“Clyde…” Aiden raised his hands in a placating gesture but Brandy jumped in before he could continue.

“I’m just trying to get on with my life, Mr White! Avalon was my home once and I’m hoping it can be again. I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

“Avalon will never be your home!” Clyde spat the words through barely parted lips. “You’ll always be hated here. You’re a fool to return.”

He gave the couple one last hateful look before turning back down the corridor. But then he paused, briefly turning on his heel as if forgetting something.

“I hope you see him everywhere you go,” he barked, the veins on his neck beginning to tremble. Aiden held his breath. He was willing the older man to leave, not to stir any further trouble and cause a scene.

“I know I do,” he added somewhat sadly, his head lowering. Then he continued to walk away. He’d almost reached the end of the aisle when he plucked his cell phone from his pocket. Aiden shuddered as he realized the judgement he’d soon be facing from everyone in Avalon. He was least looking forward to explaining himself to Betty. They were in such a good place professionally now; all that would be undone.

Brandy sniffed and wiped a hand across her eyes, slightly smudging the mascara she’d carefully applied that morning.

“Are you okay?” The sound brought Aiden back to the present. He reached for her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll always be hated here,” Brandy stated bleakly. She looked up towards the fluorescent lights overhead, blinking rapidly.

“Don’t listen to Clyde White, he’s just a bitter old man.”

“He’s wrong anyway.” Brandy lowered her head, satisfied that she’d overpowered her need to weep. “I don’t see Brandon anywhere,” she said defiantly. “We didn’t go anywhere together, at least not during our marriage. He doesn’t haunt my steps.”

“Good.” Aiden leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You’re unbelievably tough, Brandy.”

“We’re both going to have to be tough.” Brandy sighed. “Soon all of Avalon will know I’m back and then we’ll have Clyde times ten to deal with.”

She looked down in to the shopping cart and her shoulders slumped.

“Can we just pay and go home now? I’m done with shopping for today.”

*

Aiden was tired long before his head hit in the pillow. The intense heat of the day had managed to linger into the night and so the bedroom window was cracked open, the newly hung curtains dancing reluctantly in the breeze.

In the darkness where dreams are made, Aiden hoped to find respite from the stresses of the day but instead he found only further turmoil.

He was standing in the middle of a rain-slicked road. It was dark but light enough for him to make out the distant silhouettes of trees. It was eerily silent. The air felt charged with unseen energy, like the calm before a storm.

“Aiden!” a voice hissed directly in his ear and Aiden turned with a start. His heart was hammering madly in his chest, frantically flooding his system with adrenalin to enable him to either fight or take flight.

Justin Thompson was standing beside Aiden, his hair flattened against his head. Not from rain but from blood. Aiden realized with horror that half of Justin’s face was awash with blood which seemed to pour off him like an angry, relentless river.

“Don’t just leave me,” Justin begged. His voice now sounded distant despite his body’s proximity to Aiden. He reached for his friend and Aiden gasped as he saw his hand. The skin had been crudely torn away to reveal the bright white of bone which now clasped Aiden’s shoulder. The skeletal fingers gripped him with surprising force.

Aiden tried to find his voice but had been rendered speechless. Then the skin on Justin’s face began to melt away as easily as wax, revealing the network of muscles below. Aiden opened his mouth and screamed.

“Aid, are you okay?” Brandy was beside him, the whites of her wide eyes bright in the relative darkness of the bedroom.

Aiden was breathing heavily. When he turned to her he half expected to see Justin’s disfigured face. The sheets beneath him were soaked. As his breathing calmed, he realized it was from his own sweat.

“Did you have a nightmare?” Brandy whispered soothingly, her hands already rubbing his back.

“Yeah!” Aiden gasped. “I did.”

He heard Brandy anxiously explain: “Aiden, you were shouting.”

“Turn on the light,” Aiden requested gruffly, his voice hoarse. Brandy swiftly obliged, turning on her bedside light and Aiden was grateful for the yellow light which pushed back some of the shadows.

“Aiden, are you okay?” Brandy asked gently, a cool hand pressing tenderly against the base of his back.

“Yeah.” Aiden sighed as he ran his hands across his face, trying to push away the images from the nightmare.

“Is something troubling you?”

Aiden turned to glance at Brandy. She was so close he could smell her vanilla-scented skin, could see each individual eyelash which framed her dark eyes. He didn’t want to lie to her. Their relationship was still so new, so fragile, like a baby bird that still needed to learn to fly.

“Yes, something is troubling me,” Aiden admitted.

“What is it?” Brandy pressed, her tone soft and soothing, there was no pressure in her voice.

“You don’t have to tell me,” she added.

Clearing his throat, Aiden prepared to breathe life into his nightmare.

“Many years ago I lost somebody close to me, a friend,” Aiden explained, now feeling wide awake as the dust of sleep had been blown away by the intensity of his nightmare.

“I’m sorry. Do you want to tell me about him?” Brandy whispered.

“Can we…can we go back to sleep?” Aiden gestured towards the lamp.

“Sure.” Brandy nodded as she plunged the room back into darkness.

Only Aiden didn’t go back to sleep. He lay awake thinking about his old friend, Justin. An endless stream of questions floated through his mind ‒ why hadn’t he known Justin was in danger? How did he never think to question his death before? If his old high school friends from Greensburg hadn’t sought him out in Avalon, he’d have gone on thinking Justin had died in a motorcycle accident. Aiden had thought that searching for the truth might liberate his guilt, but it only gnawed within him with even more fervor. Because the question which troubled him most was: how could he bear the thought that Justin’s killer had been allowed to endure?

Chapter Two

The Chances You Take

The only sounds in the office were the gentle whirring of the air conditioning system and the distant tapping of Betty’s fingers maneuvering across her keyboard. In the relative silence Aiden stared at his computer screen. His inbox was unusually empty. It seemed that Clyde White had swiftly managed to spread the news of Brandy’s return to Avalon and now the town were keeping their distance from Aiden.

Groaning, he refreshed the page. He had enough open cases to keep him busy; some work updating wills and settling property disputes. But he’d feared that the work would suddenly dry up. It was as if overnight Avalon suddenly ceased to have legal issues.

To add to Aiden’s tension, Betty had been uncharacteristically late that morning. When he pulled up outside the office and stepped out into the bright morning sun he’d actually needed to do a double-take of the vacant entrance. Betty was nowhere to be seen. Aiden opened up, bought the usual breakfast order from across the street and then hid in the comfort of his own office. He was about to call Betty to check she was alright when he heard the soft chime of the main door announcing her entrance.

That had been forty minutes ago. Aiden had yet to venture in to the office and face Betty. He wasn’t sure he could handle the look of disappointment she’d doubtlessly be wearing when he addressed her.

But his plan to remain in his office was running out of fuel. With no incoming emails to respond to, he’d be forced to head out and attend to tasks around town. He had a pile of papers that needed dropping off at the town hall along with a couple of documents that required additional signatures.

“Come on,” Aiden refreshed his inbox again, willing someone, anyone to contact him. He was about to accept defeat and go out to see Betty when his cell phone began to whir upon the desk, spinning itself in circles.

Aiden grabbed the device with a sense of relief but bristled when he noticed that the incoming call was from a blocked number.

“Aiden Connelly speaking,” he greeted the unknown caller with slight trepidation in his voice. What if it was a crank call from a disgruntled resident? Was he now going to be subjected to harassment by those still loyal to Brandon who continued to wrongly blame Brandy for his death?

“Aiden, hey, it’s Guy.”

Aiden froze in surprise.

“Guy Chambers,” Guy declared confidently. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already?” His tone was jovial, friendly even.

Aiden shook himself out of his startled stupor and cleared his throat.

“No, course not,” he replied politely. “I just didn’t expect to hear from you again. How are things?”

“Things are good!” And from the sound of his voice they truly were. Aiden could almost feel the heat radiating from the smile Guy was wearing coming down the line and bursting out into the office.

“I’m glad.” Aiden repositioned himself in his chair so that he was sitting straighter.

“Listen, Connelly, I’m going to get straight to it.” Typical Guy, not wanting to waste time on small talk.

“Okay…” Aiden nodded, feeling his shoulders tighten in apprehension. What exactly were they getting to? Why had Guy even called him?

“Last time we spoke, you asked me for more information on your friend Justin’s case.”

“Which you said you couldn’t give,” Aiden replied bluntly.

“Right.” On the other end of the line Guy cleared his throat. Was he nervous? “But say something fell in to my lap and I wanted to throw you a bone?”

“I’m not a dog.” Aiden ran a hand through his hair and glanced briefly at his inbox. Still no emails.

“Jeeze, Connelly, I’m trying to do you a solid here,” Guy’s voice boomed in to his ear. “Quit always being so tightly wound! I have a name and a location, you want it?”

“Why would you give me this?” Aiden wondered suspiciously. “Previously you told me you’d already said too much. Now you want to give me names? What’s changed?”

“The case has been tabled,” Guy said quickly, the words almost blended into one another.

“It has? But it had been open for ten years, why table it now?”

“The Bureau doesn’t have the manpower to keep chasing ghosts,” Guy said flippantly. “But I figured what is old news to us might be useful to you.”

“And you won’t lose your job by telling me this?”

“No!” Guy snapped a little too harshly. Aiden pulled a pen and paper towards him. In his mind he could still see Justin’s disfigured face from his nightmare staring at him, pleading with him. Whatever information Guy had, Aiden would willingly take it.

“So what do you know?” Aiden picked up the pen, poised to write with it.

“Your friend Justin was killed by a cartel run by the Caulerone Brothers. They operate out of San Migeno in Mexcio. Real nasty pair. But we’ve been liaising with a guy down there, a local cop keeping tabs on them for us. His name is Javier Santo. He should be able to at least tell you why they killed your friend. Because that’s what you wanted, right? Answers?”

Aiden was frantically scribbling all the information down.

“Um, yeah,” he agreed. “I wanted some answers.”

“Good, well that should help.”

“Thanks.” Aiden felt bewildered by the entire conversation. He looked down at the piece of paper which could lead him to Justin’s killer. Aiden ripped the note from its pad and held it between his fingers. It felt like holding a loaded gun; an object of frightening power – he just had to decide what he was going to do with it.

“So now you owe me one,” Guy declared smugly.

“Owe you one?” Aiden almost laughed at the absurdity of the notion. “What could you ever want from me, Guy? You work for the FBI, you’re much better connected than I could ever dream of being.”

“Hey, you never know,” Guy replied. Then his tone abruptly hardened. “Look, I’ve got to go. Think about what I said. I know you, Connelly. You’re the kind of guy who always does the right thing. Don’t go changing.”

The call ended and Aiden focused his attention on the piece of paper in his hand. He felt dizzy imagining Justin being connected with the Caulerone brothers, whoever they were. Had he gone down to San Migeno? If he had, he’d never mentioned it to his friends. After a few more seconds’ deliberation, Aiden folded the paper in half, shoved it into his pocket and then refreshed his inbox yet again.

*

Brandy had always liked Monday mornings. The prospect of starting a fresh new week excited her, or at least it had in Chicago. When she woke up there she would wonder where her week would take her. There was so much to see and do within the city that she wondered if she’d ever find the time to be able to take it all in. But it was very different in Avalon.

The kettle boiled and Brandy idly made herself a hot chocolate despite the searing heat outside. She needed the comfort of its sweet warmth. The visit to Home Depot over the weekend had rattled her, even though she kept insisting to Aiden that she was fine. Cupping her mug with both hands, Brandy walked slowly through to the living room. Even with the new drapes and cushions, the room still didn’t feel like home. She still felt like a stranger there.

The sharp shrill of the house phone ringing in the hallway made Brandy physically jump. For a moment she just listened to the sound as it methodically blared out. She wondered who could be calling and for a second she feared it was Aiden’s estranged wife, Isla. With trembling hands Brandy placed her drink down and walked over to the phone. She watched it ring for a few more seconds and then took a deep breath and lifted the receiver.

“Hello?” She willed herself to sound confident instead of meek and lost. She prayed that Isla Connelly wasn’t on the other end of the line; she didn’t have the strength for yet another confrontation.

“Brandy, is that you?” Carol Cotton demanded.

“Aunt Carol!” Brandy exhaled with relief and slumped against a nearby wall.

“You told me you’d call to check in and I’ve not heard from you in weeks! I started to get worried!” Carol sounded more angry than worried. Brandy could imagine her standing boldly in Chez Vous, the phone nudged up to her ear but hidden beneath her overly coiffed hair as she drummed her long false nails angrily against the sleek reception counter.

“I’m sorry, time sort of ran away from me.”

“Uh-huh.” Carol’s flat tone told Brandy how unimpressed she was with the excuse she had given.

“You’re too busy lying under that man instead of looking out for yourself!”

“Aunt Carol!” Brandy felt her cheeks begin to burn like fire.

“Why would you ever go back there?” Carol lamented. “To that awful town where you are treated like a pariah? You should be here, in the city.”

Brandy squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push her feeling of guilt down towards her toes.

“I’m so worried about you being there,” Carol continued. “I had Rhonda do a Tarot reading for you.”

“Aunt Carol—” Brandy wanted to object, but the old woman briskly interrupted her.

“And do you know what came up?” Carol demanded. Brandy shrugged as she leaned against the wall. She had no idea what had come up in the reading. She didn’t trust the cards. Her mother had believed in them but only when they served her purpose. Carol’s loyalty to the cards was a remnant of her old life down south that she’d been unable to shake despite her years of city living.

“The death card,” Carol uttered fearfully. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, Brandy felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“She pulled the death card,” Carol repeated. “You need to leave that place ‒ it’s not safe for you! You need to come back to Chicago, you can have your old apartment, you’ve still got a job here at Chez Vous waiting for you.”

“Aunt Carol.” Brandy began to nervously play with a loose strand of her long blonde hair. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me. Truly I do. But Aiden is my destiny.”

“No one woman is meant to be with any one man,” Carol’s voice was stern. “Disney sold you a fairy tale long ago that is nothing but lies. Now, you listen to me and you listen good, Brandy Cotton! You are better than this! Going back to the town that vilified you to be some married man’s mistress?”

Tears gathered in Brandy’s eyes and began to silently tumble down her cheeks.

“Have your fun, play out your little fantasy of being his woman in his little house but that won’t be enough for you and you know it. I’ll be here for you when you come crawling back. You are always welcome here, Brandy. Because that’s what family do, we love each other through the good times and the bad.”

Carol didn’t wait to hear her niece’s response. She ended the call, filling Brandy’s ears with the flat drone of the dialing tone. Still clutching the receiver, Brandy’s knees buckled and she slid down to the floor. Her stream of tears had become a waterfall. She dropped the phone with a clatter and buried her head in her hands.

It seemed it wasn’t just the residents of Avalon who thought she was wrong to be with Aiden. As Brandy sobbed, she pulled her knees up to her chest, condensing herself into a ball. She couldn’t stop wondering when love had stopped being enough? She was in love with Aiden, didn’t that justify them being together?

*

Aiden strained to listen for the distant tapping coming from Betty’s computer, but it had seemingly silenced. Deciding that this was his chance to sneak away from the office without encountering the old woman, he stood up quickly, sending his leather chair skittering across the polished wooden floor.

The paper with the details of the Mexican cartel burned in his pocket. He needed to get out and clear his head. Scooping up a waiting pile of papers, he decided he could drop them off at the town hall. The drive over would provide him some time to deliberate further on what to do with the lead Guy Chambers had suddenly given him.

Aiden’s mind was preoccupied by the call with Guy as he stepped out from his office into the main waiting area. He was about to walk straight towards the main door which led out onto the street when someone politely coughed behind him. Startled Aiden spun around and felt his heart sink when he saw Betty peering up expectantly at him from behind her desk, her glasses resting on the base of her nose.

“Betty, hey!” Aiden could feel the flames of shame starting to devour his cheeks.

“Aiden.” Betty nodded courteously at him. She was calling him by his first name, that had to be a good sign.

“I’m sorry for my tardiness this morning,” Betty continued, clasping her hands together before her on the desk in a neat ball. “My refrigerator started leaking in the night. I was forced to clean up everywhere before I could depart the house. I’m terribly sorry, it won’t happen again.”

“That’s fine, Betty, it’s not a problem, really.” Aiden took another step towards the main door.

“I had hoped to discuss it with you when I came in,” Betty added. “But you’d locked yourself away in your office and I got the distinct impression that you didn’t wish to be disturbed.”

Aiden’s cheeks burned more intensely as he slowly turned back around to face her, clutching the paperwork he was holding to his chest like a shield.

“I hope you’re not avoiding me.” Betty’s eyes sparkled with knowing intensity. She held Aiden tightly in her gaze, not caring how much he squirmed; she wouldn’t let him go.

“What, no? Of course not,” Aiden fumbled, unravelling beneath the interrogation. He felt like he was back at school, a naughty boy caught playing up in class and forced to answer to his strict headmistress.

“Because I was concerned that perhaps you’d locked yourself away to avoid facing me.” Betty continued to stare squarely at him.

“Betty…”

“Aiden, I know.” Betty sighed and her gaze softened. Aiden’s own shoulders automatically drooped in relief. “Clyde White has been the busiest of bees, buzzing all round town since your run in with him over the weekend.”

Aiden looked blankly at Betty, who remained poised and expectant. He didn’t know what to say. Was she mad at him? Did she want to cease working for him?

“I feel like I should explain,” Aiden lowered the paperwork, his voice soft.

“Nonsense!” Betty held up the palm of her hand towards Aiden, the taut blue veins visible beneath her thin skin.

“No explanation necessary. What you do in your own time is your business, Aiden. I just want to make it perfectly clear that it is not my place to judge you. I’m just here to work and honor Edmond’s legacy. It is imperative that we maintain an air of professionalism here.”

“But I thought you hated Brandy as much as the rest of Avalon does?” Aiden asked, bewildered by Betty’s logical response.

“Hate is such a strong word,” Betty raised her eyebrows at him. “And Miss White, Cotton, whatever she calls herself these days is actually an innocent woman. Many people here seem to forget that, but I don’t.”

“I appreciate your candor on the matter,” Aiden told her honestly.

“You’re most welcome.” Betty nodded stiffly. A slight smile began to pull on her lips as a kind glow softened her gaze.

“You might want to recall this conversation if you ever hear about the bedfellows I keep,” she said cheekily.

Aiden laughed; a sharp, joyous sound which hadn’t been heard within the offices of Copes and May for quite some time. Betty also began laughing, the mirth was contagious.

“Yes, Betty.” Aiden managed to find his voice against the laughter still bubbling within him. “I shall remember this conversation if and when I hear about your own…arrangements.”

This made Betty laugh all the more heartily. She was still laughing as Aiden stepped out to the gentle chime of the door in to the hot morning sun.

*

Brandy looked at the auction, her finger poised over the button she needed to press in order to confirm her bid. During her time working in the city she’d amassed some modest savings. She was going to exhaust those now on one single purchase.

The small white piano looked impossibly beautiful even in a one-dimensional image on the computer. Brandy gazed at it adoringly, imaging how much she’d enjoy playing on it, having a piano of her very own. Aiden’s lounge was large enough to accommodate it. She could place it on the far wall, near the staircase, that way if she tilted her head to the right when playing she could look through the patio doors and admire the garden outside.

Her finger continued to hover with intent. She reminded herself that Aiden had told her to purchase a piano if it would make her happy. It would certainly help her feel more at home with him. Her previous conversation with her Aunt Carol still burned in her mind. Brandy was now more determined than ever to make things work in Avalon, to prove to the world that she truly was destined to be with Aiden.

“Just buy it,” Brandy urged herself. But still she was unable to commit to the purchase. She’d be spending a lot of money. Over a thousand dollars. She recalled all too easily a time was money was extremely scarce. Back when she lived with her mother in the trailer park, they barely had two dimes to rub together. What would her mother think if she could see her now purchasing her very own piano?

Thinking of her mother was enough to spur Brandy in to action. She pressed down hard on the button and bought the piano just as the online auction was about to close. Trembling with excitement and satisfaction, she sat back and lifted her gaze to the position on the wall against which she planned to place her new piano.

A warm smile brightened her face. The joy over the purchase was enough to banish the negative memories of her time with her mother back to the shadows of her mind.

*

Aiden’s brief drive did little to ease the conflict he was feeling over Guy Chambers’ call. He pulled up outside the offices of Copes and May, minus the papers he’d successfully dropped off at the town hall. Through the glass front he could see Betty busily typing away at her computer, staring distrustfully at the screen from behind her tortoiseshell glasses.

Aiden appreciated her more than ever. She’d showed him kindness about Brandy when he’d feared she’d only have hostility. Betty had surprised him. Glancing towards the other side of the street Aiden made a snap decision to grab Betty something sweet as a way of thanking her for her kind attitude.

It was a decision he swiftly regretted. As soon as he walked into the café, the gentle murmur of chatter ceased and the whole place was engulfed by a stony silence. Aiden coughed awkwardly as he approached the counter and placed his order. The assistant who usually smiled a little flirtatiously at him each morning shot him a quick, hateful glance before telling him how much money he owed. Sighing, Aiden slid out his wallet and handed over a five-dollar bill and waited on his change. He could feel numerous pairs of eyes boring in to his back, watching his every move. He just wanted to get out of there as fast as he could. With his Danish in a paper bag, he darted out of the store and didn’t look back. He was about to cross over the street to his office when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Surprised, Aiden spun around.

Deena Fern was standing on the street, her blonde hair snaking down one shoulder in a trendy plait, her designer sunglasses lifted up onto her head so that she could look him directly in the eye.

“Deena!” Aiden said in surprise. He had not seen Deena since he’d helped her during the paternity suit her late husband tried to take out against her. It had become yet another fly in the ointment of Aiden’s reputation in Avalon since he was hired by the husband, Samuel Fern, who had recently passed.

“How are you holding up?” he asked sincerely, remembering how distraught local sherriff and long-time adversary Buck Fern had been over the death of his brother Samuel.

“I’m doing okay.” Deena shrugged, her tanned shoulders partly exposed in the white tank top she was wearing. “I actually popped out to check in on you.”

“On me?” Aiden took a physical step back in surprise.

“Yes, you!” Deena confirmed with a shy smile. “You’re the talk of the town, you know. I appreciate it’s a regular thing for you, but still.”

She regarded him kindly. Deena knew all too well how cruel and judgmental the people of Avalon could be and Aiden truly appreciated her concern.

“I’ll survive.”

“He’s a real asshole that Clyde White,” Deena seethed, her friendly expression souring as she said his name.

“He got on your good side too, did he?” Aiden joked.

“When Samuel died, do you know who was the first person on my doorstep?” Deena’s eyes began to burn with hatred.

“That’s Clyde White,” Aiden shook his head dismally. “He’s Mr Concerned when it comes to anything Avalon related.”

“He wasn’t Mr Concerned that day,” Deena announced sharply. She began rubbing her arms as if feeling a sudden chill despite the warmth of the day.

“He came round to offer me more than a shoulder to cry on,” Deena continued, lowering her voice slightly and casting nervous glances around the street on which they were currently alone.

“He did?” Even though Aiden sounded surprised, he knew he wasn’t. Clyde White had never struck him as someone capable of being either honorable or decent. It made sense that he would move in on a friend’s recently widowed wife if he thought it suited his own purpose.

“He’s no saint!” Deena lifted one hand to caress her temple. “I wanted you to know that. He’s running your name through the mud when you’ve not done anything wrong. But him…he acts like he’s untouchable, like he’s a God around here. Well, he’s not. I told him to get the hell off my property.”

“And did he go?”

“He went.” Deena nodded slowly. “But not before telling me that I’d change my mind. He had this cruel grin on his face, like he knew something I didn’t.”

“He likes to mess with people,” Aiden sympathized.

“Well I didn’t appreciate it, certainly not in my time of mourning. I don’t care what shit he says about you, I know you’re a decent guy. And I want you to know that. I want you to know that I appreciate you being here in Avalon.”

“Thanks.” Aiden smiled as someone came out of the café behind them, signaling the end of their conversation.

“It’s nice to know someone does,” he called as he headed across the street, back over to his office.

*

A light curtain of rain fell silently upon the football field making Aiden’s skin glisten beneath the harsh stadium lights. Shivering slightly in his damp clothes, he trudged forward, his steps slick against the wet grass.

The stadium seemed completely deserted. Aiden scanned the stands where only shadows seemed to occupy the seats. He tightened his jacket around himself and continued to walk across the field. He was nearing the thirty-yard line when his entire body tensed with the unpleasant realization that he was being watched. Pausing, Aiden lifted his head against the rain to look back at the stands.

It took him less than a second to locate the solitary figure sat in the center, their features shrouded beneath a dark hood. Had they been there before? Aiden tried to remember but his mind felt foggy and his thoughts sluggish. For reasons beyond his comprehension, he felt drawn to the lone spectator. He changed his direction and began walking swiftly towards the stands. The figure didn’t move or seem to register Aiden approaching, they remained perfectly still.

As Aiden moved closer, he realized that the figure was wearing a battered leather jacket over their hooded jumper. A jacket which looked all too familiar.

“Hey!” Aiden forced the greeting out from the back of his throat, making his voice boom as much as possible. The figure didn’t look up.

“Hey!” Aiden quickened his pace and reached the base of the stands and began to swiftly climb the steps, heading for the row on which the figure sat. Aiden was growing in certainty that they were wearing Justin’s beloved leather jacket. But how was that even possible? He could now see the patch which covered the left elbow that had been lovingly stitched on by Justin’s mother when he made a tear in the jacket after a particularly heated bar fight.

Justin had told his mother that he’d torn the leather when he fell from his motorbike but it was a lie. Justin never fell from the bike, he had an almost symbiotic relationship with the vehicle. They moved as one, seamless and precise. But Justin’s mother would have been distraught over the revelation of a bar fight, better to the blame the bike; the inanimate object she couldn’t fear.

Aiden snorted at the irony of it. All along it was the bike Justin’s mother should have feared as it was the bike which ended her son’s life. The air in the stadium had suddenly plummeted and Aiden’s breath gathered in a wispy cloud before his face. He was now standing on the end of the stranger’s row. Their gaze remained fixed upon the empty football field.

“Hey!” Aiden called out but they did not look up. There was no way they couldn’t hear him when he was standing so close. It took Aiden less than three long strides to reach the hooded figure. Aiden’s teeth had started to chatter loudly in his head from the growing cold.

“Where did you get that jacket?” Aiden asked as he reached out and touched the figure’s shoulder, the leather damp beneath his fingertips. As Aiden connected with the figure, their head suddenly snapped back, limp like a rag doll. Recoiling in horror, Aiden looked down at the face which was now staring up at the sky. A terrified cry was born deep in his gut but it remained trapped down there as Aiden froze, suddenly unable to move or even look away.

The figure’s face was nothing more than a skull, the hollowed eyes gathered rain water as they now gazed up at the heavens. Aiden’s mouth hung open and his shoulders trembled as he looked at the perfect white of the bone, the rows of teeth; the preserved shell of the man it had once been.

Then Aiden’s cry managed to burst out; breaking through the fear and tumbling against the harrowing figure.

*

“Aiden!” Brandy was staring down at him, silhouetted against the bedside lamp shining behind her.

“Are you okay? Were you dreaming about your friend again?”

With a groan, Aiden hoisted himself up and ran his hands through his hair.

“Yeah,” he admitted, his voice hoarse. “I was dreaming about him again. I was led to believe that he’d died in a motorcycle accident. But recently I discovered that his death wasn’t an accident, that he’d actually been murdered.”

“Oh God!” Brandy’s eyes widened and she nudged closer to Aiden. “Murdered by who?”

“I don’t know, though I’ve got my suspicions.” Aiden’s shoulders slumped. “And now I see him when I close my eyes. Like I can feel him suffering from beyond the grave, as stupid as that sounds. No one was made to pay for his death. The people who killed him, they got away with it.”

“You feel like they need to be brought to justice.”

“Yes!” Aiden felt his body begin to burn with intention. That was exactly what he wanted. He thought of the phone call with Guy Chambers, of the small slip of paper with a Mexican town written upon it. The culprit for Justin’s death was within reach, Aiden was certain of it.

“I might have a way to bring them to justice,” Aiden lifted an arm and looped it around Brandy’s shoulders. She pressed her head against his bare chest and Aiden felt a pleasant sense of contentment surge through him. Brandy seemed to fit perfectly against him, like they were made for one another. His fingertips spun circles on the soft skin of her exposed shoulder as they talked.

“I know a guy in the FBI who has pointed me in the direction of a potential contact. But it means going to Mexico for a few days.”

“Want me to come with you?” Brandy offered.

“No,” Aiden tilted his head so that he could plant a tender kiss upon her forehead. “I want you to stay here so that when your new piano arrives you can set it up right away.”

“You don’t mind that I ordered it?”

“Not at all.” Aiden smiled. “I’m glad you did. Having it here will make this house feel more like it’s your home too, which it is.”

“I am excited for it to arrive,” Brandy admitted. Then her tone lost some of its lightness.

“Do you think going to Mexico will make the nightmares stop?”

Aiden shrugged.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head sadly, the image of the hooded skull still haunting his thoughts.

“I guess it’s worth a shot though, right?” Brandy noted hopefully.

“Yeah,” Aiden agreed. “It’s worth a shot.”

*

“Mexico!” Betty echoed the location and adjusted her glasses so that they weren’t on the end of her nose.

Aiden placed down her morning tea and croissant and gave her an apologetic smile.

“Well, I suppose it’s up to you as and when you take your vacation.” Betty did a poor job of masking her indignation. Aiden understood her misgivings; he’d been at the helm of Copes and May for just under a month, it certainly wasn’t the right time to be going off on vacation.

“It’s not a holiday,” he explained, standing beside Betty’s desk clutching his own morning cup of coffee.

“I’m actually going down there to follow a lead on something.”

“In Mexico?” Betty’s scrunched her features up as she spoke, making her face seem even more lined than usual.

“I know it’s very last minute but I’ll only be gone a few days.”

“Well, I can keep an eye on the office while you’re gone.”

“Why don’t you take a few days off?” Aiden suggested brightly. Betty instantly shook her head as her eyes began to sparkle.

“No thank you,” she replied courteously. Aiden wondered why she seemed so averse to having a few days’ vacation. Then he realized and felt his cheeks start to burn slightly with embarrassment. The reason Edmond had always looked after Betty as loyally as he had was because he understood that Copes and May was all she had. Betty didn’t have a family waiting for her back home at the end of the day. She enjoyed coming to work; savored the opportunity to chat with people and get out of her modest house.

“Actually, I probably will need you here.” Aiden withdrew his previous offer and he saw Betty straighten in her chair like a wilting flower which had just been watered. She fed on her own importance within the office and Aiden knew he owed it to her to nourish that.

“You’ll need to field phone calls for me, stay on top of incoming emails.” Not that there were many of those to deal with. Clyde White had done a sterling job of turning the residents of Avalon against Aiden yet again. At some point he’d have to win back their collective trust but, right now, he had much older ghosts that needed to be laid to rest.

“I’m more than happy to come in during your absence,” Betty declared.

“Good.” Aiden nodded at her and began drifting towards his own office. He had flights to book and needed to arrange a hire car once he landed in Mexico.

“If someone asks where you are, what do I say?” Betty turned to look back at him.

Aiden paused with his free hand clutching the door handle to his office. What did he want Betty to say? He wasn’t sure he should be openly advertising his impromptu visit to Mexico. Besides, Guy had privately given him the information, Aiden risked landing them both in trouble if word got out about his true intentions down there.

“Just say I’m away on business,” Aiden shrugged.

“Will do.”

*

Buck Fern slowed his patrol car as he passed down the street outside the offices of Copes and May. His golden sherriff’s badge winked in the light from where it was proudly attached to his shirt on his chest.

He glanced in and saw loyal old Betty typing away at her desk. News of Aiden’s encounter with Clyde White in Home Depot had filtered back to him. Despite the sunshine burning overhead and the shimmering blue sky, Buck knew that a storm was heading towards Avalon. Aiden had foolishly brought back the girl who had ignited a fire of hate within the town.

Buck pressed on the gas and moved on past the offices, further down the street. He squinted against the sunlight beneath his stetson and turned up the stereo in an attempt to drown out his own thoughts. His whole body struggled against the weight of protecting his beloved town. Too many people were gone; their memories plaguing his every step. Buck couldn’t escape the ghosts of Avalon but he’d honor their memory; he’d ensure that their beloved town could weather this encroaching storm.

Chapter Three

Questions Need Answers

If Aiden thought Avalon was hot, it was nothing compared to the intense heat which engulfed him as he exited the air conditioned coolness of the airport and headed towards the rental car pick-up point. By the time he’d signed his name, confirmed his identity and climbed into his car, his clothes were already sticking to him, a thin film of sweat covering his whole body.

Wiping his brow, Aiden was quick to turn on the car’s AC. Second, he set up the satellite navigation system.

“Input destination,” the automated female voice prompted him; the system was thankfully already set up in English.

Aiden typed in the name of the town which Guy Chambers had given him.

“San Migeno,” the female voice confirmed. “Calculating route.”

Aiden estimated it would take him almost three hours to drive from the airport to San Migeno. As his route illuminated on the digital screen on the dashboard, his heart sunk. It was looking more like five or six hours.

“Dammit.” Aiden put the car in Drive and pulled out of the parking lot. He had hoped to arrive in San Migeon in daylight but now he’d get there under cover of darkness which would heavily restrict what he could do once he got there. Mexico was a notoriously dangerous place, where the drug cartels were able to thrive. Aiden had no idea what to expect from San Migeon, but if the Caulerone brothers had a foothold there, he had to assume that it was far from safe and that it would be wise to restrict his movements around town to during the day.

*

Aiden was exhausted when he pulled into the parking lot of a motel just outside of San Migeon. The sun had set hours ago leaving an endless raven sky overhead to greet him. Aiden stepped up and looked up, noticing how the stars sparkled brightly above him, just like they did in Avalon.

A sharp pang of longing knocked the air out of Aiden’s lungs. He missed Brandy. Numerous times throughout his flight he’d thought of her; of her soft smile or her deep, dark eyes. He wished he could have bought her with him but it was far too dangerous. He wasn’t on a vacation. He was in San Migeno to find answers and he was determined to get them.

There were less than a dozen cars parked outside the motel as Aiden walked briskly towards the modest reception, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. A quick Internet search had told Aiden that this was the only motel anywhere near San Migeno, it was a town which wasn’t set up to accommodate guests. He wondered if Justin had ever been there, if he had, would he too have stopped at this same motel? The thought made Aiden’s heart seize in his chest. He imagined Justin confidently striding around, his motorbike idling in the parking lot waiting patiently for his return.

“How many nights?” the man behind the counter asked without looking up at Aiden. He had a thick black mustache which concealed his lips as he spoke.

“One,” Aiden replied simply. He didn’t want to risk being there too long and outstaying his welcome.

*

Wearing just cargo pants and a plain T-shirt, Aiden could feel himself wilting in the heat. The hour was still early; he’d been up since the first shards of sunlight had crept beneath his thin motel curtains upon dawn’s arrival. Aiden had barely slept. He tossed and turned on the hard mattress wondering what he might find in San Migeno. Might he even come face to face with Justin’s killer? What would he do if that happened? It was a prospect he hadn’t prepared for.

It was too hot for coffee. Aiden instead had a cool bottle of water from the vending machine outside the motel. Then he came back to his room and stretched out the map he’d purchased at the airport.

San Migeno was now less than two miles away and appeared to be not much larger than Avalon. To most people it would appear on the map as an insignificant speck. But it was towns like those which were far away from prying eyes out of which the cartels liked to operate. A stranger’s arrival would be noticed; they controlled the town and its inhabitants.

Despite the stifling heat, Aiden felt a sharp slice of frozen fear scratch down his back. What exactly was he about to walk into? If the people of San Migeno were anything like those back in Avalon he wouldn’t be getting a warm reception. Quite the opposite; he risked being interrogated or worse by the ruling cartel, the Caulerone brothers.

“What am I doing?” Aiden sighed as he lifted his gaze from the map to drink deeply from his bottle of water.

Everyone else back in Greensburg had managed to lay Justin to rest. They didn’t drive into the desert searching for his killer because Aiden hadn’t let them. He’d kept the truth from Alex and John, even from Justin’s mother. He was protecting them.

Aiden looked back at the map. He was protecting them from whatever evil presumably dwelled in San Migeno. But then why was he so willing to put himself in danger? Aiden let his head fall into his hands and he sat like that until his arms began to ache. The sound of his cell phone ringing forced him to sit up. Reluctantly he grabbed the device and placed it against his ear without checking who was calling.

“Aiden, it’s me, are you alright?” Brandy’s sweet voice crackled slightly on the line. Aiden smiled with relief and clung tightly to the phone.

“Hey, sweetheart, I’m okay. I’m in Mexico now.”

“I figured because when I rang it was real slow, almost like the phone was broken.”

Aiden’s smile widened at the comment but his heart began to burn in his chest. He was already missing Brandy terribly. He could feel each mile he’d placed between them as if they were weighing down on his chest, slowly crushing him.

“Is it nice there?” Brandy asked innocently.

“I’ve not seen much of it,” Aiden admitted. “I’ve mostly been driving.”

“But you’re there now?”

“Yeah, I’m here. When I arrived it was late else I would have called.” Aiden pressed his fingertips against his forehead which was damp with sweat despite the ceiling fan which continually pivoted above him with as much stealth as a jumbo jet.

“Actually…” Aiden sighed and reminded himself how he wanted to always be completely honest with Brandy.

“I’m starting to wonder why I came,” he admitted. He’d acted in haste, not taking a moment to question if he was doing the right thing. Perhaps he’d done so to prevent himself from backing out. But now he was there, almost at San Migeno, and he was afraid of what he might find there.

“You’re there for your friend,” Brandy told him, her voice gentle but strong in its conviction. Aiden nodded. She was right.

“Yeah,” Aiden stood up and glanced out of the window where his rental car was parked just a few feet away, ready and waiting.

Justin’s death deserved answers. Aiden knew that if their roles had been reversed that Justin would have stopped at nothing to learn what had happened to Aiden. Even in death, Aiden owed Justin his allegiance. They had been best friends, a bond which would endure to the end of both of their days.

“Just be careful,” Brandy requested. “And come home soon. I miss you.”

Her words caused Aiden’s focus to stumble from his current investigation.

“Come home?” he repeated, his lips curving.

“Yes, come home,” Brandy repeated.

“So, you feel like Avalon is home?”

He heard Brandy give a light laugh from all the miles away where she stood clutching the receiver in the hallway.

“I guess it does feel like home now,” she admitted brightly.

“I’m glad.” Aiden was locking his motel door behind him, tucking the key into his pocket and moving towards his car. In the unflatteringly bright sunlight he could see just how filthy his car was; covered in few layers of dust and grime. It was difficult to discern what color the vehicle actually was.

“Aiden, I love you.”

Aiden mentally grabbed the words like they were a life preserver in a torrid sea. He was still holding them tightly as he slid in behind the steering wheel and placed the key in the ignition.

“I love you too,” he replied affectionately. They said their goodbyes and Aiden zipped his cell phone into his pocket. He looked through the windscreen at the dusty road ahead which lead out to San Migeno. He couldn’t shake his feelings of apprehension but he knew he had to go down that road.

Pausing for only a second to take a deep breath, Aiden gunned the engine which spluttered before starting and then pulled away from the motel and headed west towards the small Mexican town of San Migeno.

*

“What do you mean he’s out of town?” Buck Fern briefly removed his stetson to run a hand through his thinning grey hair.

“He’s out of town,” Betty informed him stiffly. “On business.”

“What sort of business?” Buck demanded tersely.

“Any business of his is no business of yours,” Betty told him coldly. Then she had the audacity to look back at her computer screen and commence typing.

“He’s shacking up with that Brandy White, did you know that?”

“I did know.” Betty continued typing, not making eye contact with the disgruntled old sherriff.

“Just tell me where he is,” Buck sighed. “I need to talk with him.”

“About what? His choice of bedfellows?” Now Betty’s fingers did cease typing and she looked up to hold Buck in a steely gaze.

“You know how Avalon works,” he said as his flint eyes narrowed and his lips curled downwards.

“People around here are uneasy now she’s back. They think she ran his wife and daughter out of town. Is that what happened?”

“I’m not privy to such information,” Betty shrugged mildly.

“Maybe he’s back in Chicago, visiting the Mrs and having his cake and eating it too,” Buck suggested darkly, his lips lifting into a cruel smirk.

“He’s not in Chicago,” Betty assured him.

“Then where is he?”

“Mexico.” Betty blurted her response and then realized her error. Her cheeks burned with shame and she looked back at her computer screen and tried to appear busy.

“What’s a lawyer doing in Mexico?” Buck leaned closer, eager to press Betty further. She was already cracking, he just had to completely remove her outer shell and get to all the information she was protecting inside.

“Look, Buck—”

“Sheriff.” Buck coldly corrected her.

“Sheriff.” Betty sighed as her eyebrows straightened into an annoyed line. “Like I originally told you, Aiden is away on business. Truly, that is all I know.”

“What business is there to be done in Mexico?” Buck asked rhetorically as he straightened and prepared to leave, satisfied that he’d learned enough from Betty. “Nothing legal,” he added half to himself as he pulled open the door. The gentle chime of the bell above it made Betty quiver with relief.

Buck stepped out into the sunlight and approached his patrol car, which was parked where Aiden’s vehicle normally was. But on his drive by that morning Buck had noticed that the spot was suspiciously empty.

Still mulling over what he’d learned, Buck started his car and pulled out into the road.

Mexico.

He bounced the location around in his mind numerous times, letting it collect all the memories and associations that it could. As he headed back to the sherriff station, he concluded that no good ever came out of Mexico. Buck couldn’t stop theorizing on what possible reason Aiden Connelly could have to be paying the country an impromptu visit.

*

Aiden took one last look at the crumpled piece of paper he’d been keeping in his pocket before entering San Migeno’s small police station.

Everything within San Migeno seemed tired and run down. Even the blue sign above the police station had faded to the point where it was now a dull shade of grey. A few people idled in the nearby streets, taking long drags on cigarettes and squinting against the burning sun as they passively observed the car which pulled up in the center of town.

Aiden offered a few of them a polite smile in greeting, but they returned the gesture with indifference. Pushing his sunglasses up onto his forehead, Aiden entered the police station. He had hoped that once inside the air would be pleasantly chilled but instead the baking heat from outside had penetrated the station’s red brick walls and the ceiling fan which droned above him could do little to combat it.

It had barely been five minutes since Aiden had left his car and he could already feel his T-shirt starting to stick to his back. Inside the police station there was an unmanned desk and a few chairs in what constituted a waiting area. Aiden decided against sitting down as the chairs appeared dilapidated; some missing legs, others with stuffing bulging out of their threadbare upholstery.

A brightly lit vending machine hummed against a far wall and Aiden eyed it longingly. He’d happily forsake the few dollars required just to hold a cool can of soda against his searing cheeks. Instead he pulled himself up to the main desk and pressed down on a rusted bell which he assumed was for visitors.

Almost ten minutes dragged by before someone finally appeared through a door behind the desk. He was a uniformed policeman with skin like leather and deep-set lines woven across his face like the markings of some pirate treasure map.

The man eyed Aiden with mild irritation.

“Hi,” Aiden began uneasily, wishing he had a stronger grasp on the Spanish language. “Hola,” Aiden corrected himself with a nervous smile. The policeman’s face remained as hard as the weathered skin which covered it.

“I’m looking for Javier Santo. I believe he works here.” Aiden emphasized the name as best he could, aware that his other words might not be understood. The policeman sneered as if a bad odor had infiltrated his senses, then he glanced back to the door through which he’d just come.

“Santo!” he roared the name with frightening intensity. Moments later, the door opened and a younger policeman came out. He had short black hair cropped in a trendy style and a deliberate shadow of stubble across his cheeks.

The older policeman pointed at Aiden and then disappeared back through the door.

“Javier Santo?” Aiden asked warily.

“Si,” Javier nodded, his lips twisting as he chewed on gum.

“Hi, um…” Aiden extended his hand across the desk to a bemused Javier. “My name is Aiden Connelly. I’m from America. I was hoping I could talk to you about a friend of mine who was connected to San Migeno.”

Javier eyed Aiden’s hand suspiciously and then reluctantly shook it. His grip was firm and his hand was coarse compared to Aiden’s soft, coddled skin.

“My friend died ten years ago,” Aiden added. Javier’s expression darkened and he snatched his hand back.

“We should not talk here,” Javier kept his voice low, shooting a fearful glance back at the closed door behind him.

“Okay,” Aiden nodded. “Where would you like to go?”

“There is a café round the corner,” Javier told him sharply. “Meet me there in ten minutes.”

*

Aiden sat waiting in the sunshine for Javier. He ordered himself a glass of Coke without ice and sat nursing it. Ten minutes turned into twenty and he was starting to fear that the policeman wouldn’t show. Aiden was considering just going back to his motel when something blocked out the sun, bathing him in pleasant shadow.

Looking up, Aiden saw the uniformed figure of Javier Santo looming over him. He stood for a moment and then sat down across from Aiden. He ordered an iced tea from a nearby waitress and then pulled out a packet of cigarettes from his trouser pocket and proceeded to light one.

“So why are you in San Migeno?” Javier asked, the newly lit cigarette dangling from his lips.

“I told you, to find out what happened to a friend of mine.”

“What would I know about something that happened ten years ago?” Javier asked, gesturing wildly with his hands and leaning back in his chair. He was wearing aviator sunglasses which concealed his eyes from Aiden. It was difficult to hazard how old he was but Aiden guessed he was in his mid to late thirties. He was considerably younger than the policeman Aiden had first encountered but he seemed wearied by the world. He held his head high when he walked but his shoulders remained slumped.

“A contact of mine pointed me in your direction,” Aiden explained, cleaning closer to prevent anyone listening in on their conversation. “See, my friend who died, he was connected to the Caulerone brothers and my contact said you’d been investigating them.”

“Ha!” Javier laughed and pulled his cigarette from his mouth.

“What’s so funny?”

With his free hand Javier pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, revealing his dark-brown eyes which were framed by deep, dark circles. But it was the harsh scar which ran clean across his left eye which caught Aiden’s attention. He had not noticed it back at the station but now in the sunlight it was painfully obvious and impossible to ignore.

“No one investigates the Caulerone brothers,” Javier insisted, putting his cigarette back between his lips and taking a swift drag.

“If you value your life, Aiden, wasn’t it? I suggest you don’t say their name again in this town.”

Aiden didn’t understand. Guy had been quite clear during their phone call. Officer Javier Santo, based in San Migeno, was investigating the Caulerone brothers and the cartel they were running out of the town. Guy basically listed Javier as an FBI informant.

“Please,” Aiden pleaded. “I’m not looking to land the brothers in trouble. I just want to know what happened to my friend, why they killed him.”

Javier put a hand up to his left eye and rubbed it wearily.

“Pick a reason.” Javier shrugged nonchalantly. “Perhaps they didn’t like how he dressed, or maybe he gave one of them a funny look once. The brothers, how you say in American? They kill without conviction.”

Aiden was beginning to despair. He’d come all this way to learn that Justin possibly died because the Caulerone brothers didn’t approve of his leather jacket?

“I just…” Aiden gripped his glass of soda in his hands, needing something to hold on to. “All I need to know is if he was working for them. If he ever came to this town.”

“Sounds like you want to know a lot,” Javier raised his eyebrows at him.

“I owe it to him to find answers,” Aiden admitted, trying not to sound defeated.

“Ten years is a long time to wait for answers.”

“I only recently learned the truth about what happened to him.” Aiden felt a fresh wave of guilt break across his back as he thought of all the years he’d lived under the illusion that Justin had died in an accident.

“In America, the truth will set you free,” Javier nodded. “Here, the truth will get you killed.”

“So there’s nothing you can tell me?” Aiden asked desperately.

“Whoever this contact of yours is…” Javier once more plucked his cigarette from his lips and used it to point across the table at Aiden. “They are wrong. I don’t rat on the brothers, no one does.”

“But you did once,” Aiden glanced briefly at the deep scar across Javier’s eye. It was then that he noticed how the policeman’s left eye had remained motionless throughout their conversation. Aiden had tried not to stare at the scar out of politeness but now he realized with a chill that whatever had happened had left Javier with more than an unsightly scar; it had robbed him of one of his eyes.

Javier blinked and lowered his sunglasses, his mouth set in a tight line.

“My friend was just a young man when he was killed,” Aiden continued. “He was the kindest, most outgoing person I knew.”

“Yeah, well he wasn’t the smartest,” Javier stated, taking the last of his cigarette and stubbing it out in a nearby ash tray.

“Smart guys don’t get involved with the brothers. You look like a smart guy. You want my advice, turn around and go back to America and don’t look back, you got it?”

Javier tossed down a few dollars and began to leave the café. Hurriedly, Aiden dropped a few dollars from his own wallet and followed him.

“Javier, please—” He reached out and touched the policeman’s shoulder. He could feel the tension building up within Javier as he spun around and exhaled sharply in annoyance.

“You can’t bring your friend back,” Javier confirmed grimly. “Coming here, all you can hope to do is bring about your own death.”

“Can you seriously not tell me anything?” In his mind Aiden was frantically replaying his conversation with Guy Chambers. Had he misunderstood something? He’d thought Guy was being perfectly clear when he said he had a lead which Aiden should follow. A lead which had taken Aiden to Mexico but now he felt like he was standing at a dead end.

“Things don’t work here like they do for you back home,” Javier sighed. “You think I run things because I wear this badge?”

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