Page 35 of You Shouldn't Have Come Here

Sheriff Almond nodded. “And you, miss.” He directed his attention to me. “You live here too?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m a guest. I got in a few days ago.”

“You traveled alone?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Humph.” He shifted his stance. “Where from?”

“New York.”

Sheriff Almond let out a low whistle. “You’re a long way from home.”

I nodded.

His eyes bounced from me to Calvin. “Well, all right.” He pulled a card from his front pocket and handed it over. “Mr. Wells, if you think of anything else, please give me a call. Otherwise, I’ll be in touch if I have any more questions.”

Calvin slid the card into his pocket. “Will do, Sheriff. I hope you find her.”

He tilted his hat, and his eyes lingered on me for a little too long. “Sorry to bother you. Y’all take care and stay safe.” The sheriff turned on his foot and walked slowly back toward his vehicle. He held his head high and scanned the property before getting into his SUV.

Calvin gave a small wave and closed the door. His hand lingered on the handle, and I watched his head fall forward briefly before he picked it back up.

He turned toward me with a smile. “Where were we?”

I rubbed my lower back. The pain radiated, extending nearly to the middle.

“Is it all right if I head to bed early? I just need a good night’s rest. That fall wrecked me.” My voice was low, and I brought the palm of my hand to my forehead, pressing against it.

Calvin’s face crumpled for a moment and then relaxed. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Do you need anything?”

I gave a tight smile. “No, you’ve done enough,” I said, turning on my foot.

“Good night, Grace,” he called out as I headed down the hall.

The door with the padlock that supposedly led to the basement made me stop in my tracks. I stared at it, wondering what was on the other side.

A shiver ran down my spine as a thought crossed my mind. The missing woman. The scream I heard the other night. The woman’s clothes in the dresser. Maybe they weren’t his ex’s. Maybe they were Briana’s. I made my way down the hallway and closed the bedroom door behind me. When I went to turn the lock, I realized there wasn’t one.

Day Five

18.

Calvin

My knuckles rapped against Grace’s door. Usually, I’d wait out in the kitchen until she woke up, but I wanted to make sure she was feeling all right, especially after getting that concussion. Our night didn’t end how I intended it to. After the sheriff showed up, Grace seemed to have built a wall between us. It didn’t make any sense why he came around here anyway. That girl had never even checked in. He said so himself. I was glad he left quickly. But I think the damage was already done. He spooked Grace. She’d already been on edge with the riding accident and the issue with her car. Now, who knows how she was feeling? I laid awake nearly all night thinking about her, and when I finally fell asleep, I dreamed about her.

Footsteps padded across the room, something slid across the floor, and then the door opened. Her hair was messy, and she was dressed in a tiny silk robe.

“Hey. Sorry to wake you. Just wanted to make sure you were all right. How ya feeling?”

“A little sleepy andfoggy-brained.”

I placed my hand against her forehead. “No fever.” I smiled.

She shook her head. “I’m not sick.”

“Gotta make sure. You could have caught a bug when you were rolling around in that dirt.” I teased, pulling my hand away. “There’s a fresh pot of coffee and some oatmeal in theCrock-Pot. Brown sugar is beside it.”