Secrets We Keep (Thistle Cove 1)

“Sex?” Detective Belcher asks.

“No.” I can’t help but laugh. Rose was hot, but not my type. “Definitely not sex.”

“Drugs,” McMichael clarifies. It’s not a question.

“Yeah, we’d had an arrangement for a while—you know, back when I was dealing,” I say, emphasizing that it was in the past. “But I didn’t have anything.”

“If you didn’t have anything to give her, why’d you meet up?”

I shrug. The truth is caught somewhere in between. I may still have a few ounces of weed stashed away—primarily for personal use. But that’s not what Rose wanted. She wanted something harder. Something I don’t mess with.

“Rose and I go way back, meeting up with her before the bonfire wasn’t a big deal. Plus, I knew she’d skipped out on school that day, so I was curious.”

Belcher nods and takes notes. “Did she say why she skipped school?”

“No, but we were both in a hurry.”

McMichael and the detective share a look. “Explain how Rose seemed rushed.”

“She hopped out of the car before I’d turned off my motorcycle and asked me if I had any product to sell. I told her I’m not into that anymore.”

“How did she handle that information?”

“Annoyed. She threw her hands in the air and said, ‘You’re good for one thing, Ezra Baxter, and you can’t even do that.’ Then she called me a pussy.” I glance at the Detective to see if my language affects her. She’s stone cold. Damn.

“She seriously said that?” Belcher asks.

I snort. “Yeah. You know Rose has never been the type to pull punches. That girl knows what she wants, when she wants it. No one is going to get in her way.”

“Sounds like her father,” the Chief says. “Did she give any indication that she was depressed or may harm herself in some way.”

“No.”

“Did she seem like she was thinking about running away?”

“The only thing she said was that she was tired of Thistle Cove. I think ‘bored’ was the word she used. When I told her I needed to head out and go to the bonfire, she kind of laughed like it was dumb, which was rich since she’s head cheerleader and into all that shit.” McMichael gives me a warning glare for my language and I mutter, “Sorry.”

“She didn’t owe you money or anything like that?”

“Nah. Rose always had plenty of cash.”

Belcher’s pen slows. “Do you know where she got it from?”

Again, I shrug. “Her daddy? I don’t know.” Saying that makes me think something. “You know, something I just remembered. Right before I left she got a phone call. The name on the screen said, ‘Daddy.’”

“Her father?”

“I guess. Who else would it be?” I lean back in my seat. “That’s all I know. Can I go?”

He looks at Belcher and she shakes her head.

“You can go. For now.”

“You got it.” I give him a salute. “I’m on the straight and narrow now, Chief. No more trouble, I swear.”

“Does that mean I’ll see you on the football field Friday night?”

“That’s the plan,” I say, but pause. “If you want to guarantee that, please don’t call my dad.”