Page 45

going to kill him.

Me:I’m going over there right now.

I dropped my phone in my bag and rushed across the street. The sheriff’s office was located in the Town Hall building, an old stone structure that sat on the Harbor. I jogged up the steps, ignoring the sinking feeling in my gut. When I reached the glass doors and pulled one open, I sidestepped an elderly man on his way out, and approached the main desk.

Jeff Ryan, a deputy who’d recently gotten a DUI and was still on desk duty looked up at me. I’d known him since we were kids, so I didn’t bother explaining.

“Where’s Theo?”

“Uh, I don’t know, Ellie, he’s busy.”

“Buzz me in.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Buzz me in, Jeff. Or I’m going to tell every single woman in town what a tiny dick you have.”

“What the hell, you’ve never seen my dick.”

“Doesn’t matter. Gossip doesn’t care about truth.”

He looked behind him, then shrugged and pressed the button that unlocked the interior doors.

“You’re a gem,” I called as I walked through the doors and hurried down the hall. I heard him muttering something in response, but didn’t stick around to hear it, nor did I care.

I turned the corner and rushed to Theo’s office door, not bothering to knock as I opened it wide.

He sat at his desk, his work phone to his ear, listening intently. When he saw me barge in, he gave me an incredulous look and mouthed “what the fuck?” but didn’t disrupt his call, or tell me to leave. No one else was in the room with him.

“Uh huh. Yeah. Alright, roger that.” He hung the phone up and then slowly looked up at me with the kind of brotherly annoyance that Sam often wore on his face.

“What the hell, Ellie?”

“Where is Raf? What have you done with him?”

Theo stood. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No, you must be kidding me. What is this? He’s one of your best friends, why is he even here?”

At that moment, my brother appeared behind me. “What the fuck is going on, man? Ellie, why are you here? Where’s Raf?”

“Jesus Christ,” Theo said, rolling his eyes. “Does everyone have a secret key card I don’t know about?”

“Why won’t you tell us what’s going on?”

“Why are you here, though?” my brother asked again.

I pointed at Theo. “He arrested Raf!” I shouted, my voice harsh.

“What the hell?” Sam rounded on Theo.

“I didn’t arrest anyone. Yet.”

“Yet? What’s that supposed to mean? And where is Raf?”

“I’m right here.”

I turned, and saw Raf standing in the doorway. I couldn’t hold back. I didn’t care that my brother and Theo were right there, or that we were in the damn sheriff’s office. I went to him and threw my arms around his neck, burrowing my face in his chest. His arms came around me too, holding on to me tightly.