“Ford,” Ford managed to get out when Cam patiently waited for him to speak.
“He’s Jimmy Cornell’s brother,” Alex said softly.
Cam’s eyes narrowed a bit, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he stepped forward and extended his hand to Ford. “It’s nice to meet you, Ford.”
Ford looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there, and I was reminded that he’d had some kind of run-in with the law when he’d been a teenager. I hadn’t remembered to ask Alex about the details.
Ford managed a stiff nod and quickly shook the sheriff’s hand. But when he tried to step back, the sheriff held onto his hand just a little longer than necessary and I saw something flash between the two men that I couldn’t quite put a name on. Ford once again dropped his eyes and after a moment, Cam finally turned back to me. “Alex is just giving me the lay of the land. I’d like to stop by and meet your brother and Mr. Grainger so I can introduce myself. You think that’d be okay sometime?”
I nodded. I wasn’t surprised the new sheriff would want to try and smooth over the damage the previous one had left behind, and Dallas and Nolan were at the top of Curtis Tulley’s list of victims. “I’m sure that would be fine,” I said. “The sanctuary is open from eight to four on weekdays,” I added.
“Good,” Cam said with a nod. To Alex he said, “Should we continue?”
“Yes, sir,” Alex said with a smile. Alex shook my hand and returned to the driver’s seat.
“Maddox, it was a pleasure,” Cam said as he shook my hand. “Ford,” was all he said when he nodded at the younger man.
“Sheriff,” Ford acknowledged, though it seemed to take a lot of effort to do so. He clearly wasn’t comfortable around the man, but I wasn’t sure if it was the man’s position or something else. I couldn’t say Ford seemed exactly comfortable around me either.
I watched the police car drive off, then turned to Ford. “Did you want to talk to me?”
“Yeah, um, I overheard my mom and Jimmy talking a little while ago and I don’t know if this means anything, but there were a couple of guys asking about your friend… Isaac.”
I automatically stiffened. “Who?”
Ford flinched at my tone. “Um, I don’t know. I didn’t see them. But Jimmy told them Isaac worked for your brother. I was gonna drive out there and warn you but then I saw you walking and…”
I didn’t listen to the rest of Ford’s words as panic seized my chest. I dug out my phone and dialed Isaac’s number, but it went to voicemail after a few rings. I sent him a text telling him to call me as soon as possible. I didn’t bother trying Sawyer, since he, Dallas, and Nolan were doing a rescue call on a deer that had been hit by a car and was lying injured in a field near the road a few towns over.
I waited a minute, then tried Isaac again. When there was still no answer I said to Ford, “Can you take me out there?”
He seemed surprised by my request but immediately nodded his head. The weather was growing increasingly dicey and the plan had been for Isaac to pick me up in town in an hour after I was finished with my appointment. I hadn’t told him yet, but I’d started seeing a therapist about my PTSD. Today was supposed to have been my third appointment, but my concern for Isaac and Newt was overruling everything else, so I sent my therapist a quick text explaining I had a family emergency.
My therapist and I hadn’t gotten into the details of everything I was dealing with, but she had offered me some ways I could make traveling in the car easier. It mostly included different breathing techniques and envisioning a place in my head where I felt safe. Not surprisingly, that place was the sanctuary and Isaac and Newt were always a part of that picture.
If Ford thought me strange for any of it as we made the drive to the sanctuary, he was kind enough not to say anything or try to engage me in conversation. By the time we pulled into the driveway, the snow was starting to fall, but it was the wind that was making things more difficult. The blowing snow was causing drifts to pile up quickly, but Ford managed the thickening snow without too much trouble.
I was out of the car before Ford even pulled to a complete stop, because through the windshield I could see some guy with his hands on Isaac and Isaac trying to get away from him. They were just outside the office and there was another man, a guy in his early sixties maybe, standing off to the side. It sounded like he was yelling, but it was hard to hear over the wind.