Page 60 of The Lost Bones

“Hey.” Nick came out fixing his tie. “I could have taken a cab but figured you’d be driving by my place anyway.”

Mackenzie was tracing the tiny hole. “Who did this?”

He shrugged, but his forehead was creased with lines. “Probably some prank by delinquent teenagers. Really hope Luna doesn’t grow up to be like that.”

“When did you notice it?”

“This morning.” He checked his watch impatiently. “Come on. We gotta go.”

Mackenzie stood up slowly. “Has this ever happened before?”

“What? This?” He pointed at the punctured tire. “No.”

The thoughts hissing through her brain made her stomach swoop in fear. “First you hear someone walking around at night in your house, and then someone pops your tire—which, by the way, could have caused a serious accident if you hadn’t noticed.”

“Come on, Mack. It’s just a coincidence.” He shrugged nonchalantly and turned around to head to Mackenzie’s car. She stepped forward and yanked his elbow.

“No, it’s not!” she cried, worry taking over. “I’m being watched. That’s how they knew when to leave Sophie’s body inside the trunk of my car. The people who have hurt me have been targeted.”

“Have I ever hurt you?” he challenged.

“Of course not.”

He bit back a smile. “Then why would this person come after me?”

“Maybe we should ask for a security detail to be assigned to you.” She was already forming a list in her mind.

“You’re overreacting,” he groaned.

“You did the same with me!”

“The day there’s a body left in my car, we can talk about this.” He dropped his voice, realizing they were arguing out in the open.

Her skin was burning up.Wasshe overreacting? A potent haze was permeating the corners of her mind. What if Nick was also being watched? What if he was in some kind of danger?

When he lightly touched her shoulder, she was anchored back to the moment. “I’ll be careful. The first sign of any real trouble and I won’t fight you over this. Nothing will happen to me.”

Mackenzie nodded through the fluttering in her throat, hoping that the sickening feeling of someone lurking around Nick was just an illusion.

Rathbone was a man Mackenzie could never figure out. He’d had the most tumultuous term as mayor in the history of Lakemore. But there was nothing about him that was leader-like. No charisma and no passion, and not even a semblance of being effective. He reminded Mackenzie of someone who’d gone into politics with no ambition or desire to make a change but who was there purely for the perks. But then by accident someone had made him mayor, and he was stuck in this position, living a destiny that wasn’t meant for him.

Inside Sully’s office, Rathbone stood by the open window puffing a cigar, while Sully was relegated to sitting on a chair that wasn’t his.

“I know it’s a bit cramped, but I’d rather talk here.” Rathbone sat on Sully’s chair, facing Sully, Rivera, Mackenzie, and Nick. “Your conference room is too public, and you don’t have the best track record of containing leaks. Did you see the media circus outside?”

Mackenzie had seen it when she reached the office. It was worse than before. She couldn’t even bear to listen to the radio. Debbie’s brutal murder had made for front-page fodder.

Lakemore Latest’sDebbie Arnold murdered.

What is the Lakemore PD hiding?

Is this an attack on the media?

Free speech in danger in Lakemore.

Who killed Lakemore’s own Debbie?

“Debbie was a local celebrity,” Sully said, pushing the delivery box containing whatever his latest hobby was under the table, away from Rathbone’s sight. “It will take time, but things will settle down.”