She sighed. "Since they're coming tomorrow, I guess a day early is okay."

I turned and pressed my forehead against the wall next to the coat rack. How did she make it sound like she was doing me a favor? Was it a skill every mother possessed? Would I gain it if I ever had kids? Did they hand it out at the hospital before new parents left after having a baby?

"Well, as long as you guess, we'll be there in..." I glanced at Broadrick to check his progress. "Ten minutes."

"There's a box in the attic of your school stuff. We'll have Broadrick grab it and you can bring it home with you."

"What? No. I don't want a box of school stuff. What kind of stuff?"

Broadrick finished putting everything in the reusable grocery bag and waited for me.

"Some of your art projects and that adorable report you wrote in the fifth grade about leprechauns. Remember how you said they collected the gold to use in bribes? Your teacher did not find it funny, but your dad and I laughed about it for years."

They were apparently still laughing about it.

I pressed my head against the wall again.

Did some women have normal moms? Were people out there frolicking around with normal families? I imagined they went on fall apple orchard visits. Wore matching Christmas pajamas. Ate after-school cookies.

I didn't have those things. No. I had a maniac as a mother.

Broadrick drove to my parents' home with Mr. Jasper's things in the truck bed and Mr. Jasper in the back seat in his cat carrier.

"Stay in the truck," I said as Broadrick pulled into their driveway. "If you come inside, she'll make you go to the attic."

"That sounds... terrifying." He kept the truck running.

Smart man.

I carried the box of Mr. Jasper's stuff to the front door and set it off to the side before ringing the doorbell. She opened it as I carried Mr. Jasper in his carrying cage to the door.

She stared at the rabbit in my hands until I dropped him in hers.

"Love you, Mom," I said and turned.

"Oh, Vonnie. Don't be so dramatic. It was just a couple of days, and he's fine."

I didn't plan to tell her about the carrot overdose. That went to my grave.

"I love you, too," she yelled as I got into Broadrick's truck.

Broadrick waved to her as he backed out.

"I hope Mr. Jasper eats her favorite plant." I buckled my seat belt and leaned back in the seat.

"Harsh." He turned off her street and drove through town. "We have to fill up the truck before tonight."

"You're going to pump the gas. Right?" I asked when he stopped beside a pump but didn't immediately leave the truck.

Broadrick stared at me with serious side-eye. "You're serious about this not pumping gas thing? What did you do while I was gone?"

Shit.

I lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. "What do you think I did?"

It was always better to find out what they knew before admitting anything.

"Drove both vehicles until they were on fumes." He answered so quickly, like he'd given this considerable thought before I ask the question.

I refused to confirm his suspicions.

"How did you get gas before I moved to Pelican Bay?" he asked.

Duh. "I pumped gas." Like everyone else.

"But now you can't do that anymore?" he asked slowly.

"No." I shook my head. "You spoiled me. You showed me there was another way of life and ruined me for my old one." Really, this was his fault if we wanted to get technical.

He grinned but then bit his lips closed like he didn't want to smile at me. "What other life is that?"

"A life where I wake up and the car is magically full of free gas."

Broadrick outright laughed. Twice. "I missed you," he said before getting out of his truck.

I watched him pump gas at the small station in town and patted his arm after he paid and got back in. "See, you're so much better at it than I am."

"I've created a monster." Broadrick shook his head. "What about women's rights? Progress and equality."

"Pft." I waved my hand at him. "That's for babies and jobs. Pumping gas is a man's job."

Broadrick laughed. "Don't let Katy hear you say that."

What he didn't know was that Katy drove Pierce's car half the time just so she wouldn't have to pump gas. That and she said she enjoyed having all that power at her control. She had issues.

Broadrick drove us home, and I sent a text to confirm my early evening plans.

VONNIE: We need to meet. It's important.

He shut off the truck in the driveway. I grabbed the keys from him as he tried to get out.

"I have one more thing to do tonight, and it's on a time crunch. My car is still out of gas because someone hasn't done his job," I said, raising my eyebrows. "Can I borrow the truck?"

"Do I want to know these plans?"

I thought about it for a second. No, he definitely wouldn't. This was much more an apologize-after situation. "Nope."

He handed me the keys. "Don't get my truck impounded."

"That's why you're my favorite. And I have Mr. Zappy with me," I said before giving him a peck on the lips. I'd decided the stun gun needed a name, and Mr. Zappy had a good flow to it. I thought I'd left him at my office desk, which became a crime scene, but I'd found him yesterday. In my silverware drawer. Don't ask. I didn't know.

Broadrick shook his head and stepped out of the truck. He left the driver's side door open for me, but I just slid across the bench seat and closed it.

"If all goes well, I'll be home for dinner."

Hopefully, he planned something good because I was pretty sure I skipped lunch. At least I didn't remember any food besides the iced coffee earlier.

Anderson replied to my text that he'd meet me at my office in an hour. That gave me just enough time to gather the pieces I needed and put it together in a nice package for him. If I had to ruin the lives of multiple people, I at least wanted to be thorough about it.

Honestly, I still hadn't decided if I'd give Anderson what I'd found. I had one more thing to do before I sealed everyone's fate.

I turned the truck away from my office and headed to my first destination. The sky was bright. The sun had an hour or so from setting, but my targets were away having an early dinner, as was their custom. It meant I had time to get in and out without being seen.

**

An hour and ten minutes later, Anderson knocked on my office door. I finished shoving the last of the images into the manilla envelope and laid it on my desk.

He had time to knock again before I made it to the door to answer.

"Vonnie," he said as he swooshed into my office, tan trench coat bottoms all a flutter. "This better be good. I have dinner plans with Lainey."

I walked back to my desk and sat in the chair. "That's sweet. How are things going with her?"

Anderson sat opposite me and repositioned the big shiny police badge he always wore on a chain around his neck. Like anyone in town ever forgot he was a cop. He ran his hand through his dark brown hair in frustration.

"Fine, but probably hungry."

I relaxed a little. It was Anderson. He annoyed the crap out of me, but he was a decent guy. "I like that you're worried about her being hungry. That pleases me."

"That's weird." Anderson rubbed his temple.

I shrugged. "She's my friend."

"For the last time, I saw her first." His voice rose in agitation.

"Yeah, yeah," I said and picked up the envelope. "Let's get this over with. I've got things to do."

He sucked in a deep breath, but slowly, like he really needed to fill his lungs.

"My Uncle Richard is Snowbird the notorious drug lord."