Fourth To Run. Carys Jones

that when your new piano arrives you can set it up right away.”

      “You don’t mind that I ordered it?”

      “Not at all.” Aiden smiled. “I’m glad you did. Having it here will make this house feel more like it’s your home too, which it is.”

      “I am excited for it to arrive,” Brandy admitted. Then her tone lost some of its lightness.

      “Do you think going to Mexico will make the nightmares stop?”

      Aiden shrugged.

      “I don’t know.” He shook his head sadly, the image of the hooded skull still haunting his thoughts.

      “I guess it’s worth a shot though, right?” Brandy noted hopefully.

      “Yeah,” Aiden agreed. “It’s worth a shot.”

      *

      “Mexico!” Betty echoed the location and adjusted her glasses so that they weren’t on the end of her nose.

      Aiden placed down her morning tea and croissant and gave her an apologetic smile.

      “Well, I suppose it’s up to you as and when you take your vacation.” Betty did a poor job of masking her indignation. Aiden understood her misgivings; he’d been at the helm of Copes and May for just under a month, it certainly wasn’t the right time to be going off on vacation.

      “It’s not a holiday,” he explained, standing beside Betty’s desk clutching his own morning cup of coffee.

      “I’m actually going down there to follow a lead on something.”

      “In Mexico?” Betty’s scrunched her features up as she spoke, making her face seem even more lined than usual.

      “I know it’s very last minute but I’ll only be gone a few days.”

      “Well, I can keep an eye on the office while you’re gone.”

      “Why don’t you take a few days off?” Aiden suggested brightly. Betty instantly shook her head as her eyes began to sparkle.

      “No thank you,” she replied courteously. Aiden wondered why she seemed so averse to having a few days’ vacation. Then he realized and felt his cheeks start to burn slightly with embarrassment. The reason Edmond had always looked after Betty as loyally as he had was because he understood that Copes and May was all she had. Betty didn’t have a family waiting for her back home at the end of the day. She enjoyed coming to work; savored the opportunity to chat with people and get out of her modest house.

      “Actually, I probably will need you here.” Aiden withdrew his previous offer and he saw Betty straighten in her chair like a wilting flower which had just been watered. She fed on her own importance within the office and Aiden knew he owed it to her to nourish that.

      “You’ll need to field phone calls for me, stay on top of incoming emails.” Not that there were many of those to deal with. Clyde White had done a sterling job of turning the residents of Avalon against Aiden yet again. At some point he’d have to win back their collective trust but, right now, he had much older ghosts that needed to be laid to rest.

      “I’m more than happy to come in during your absence,” Betty declared.

      “Good.” Aiden nodded at her and began drifting towards his own office. He had flights to book and needed to arrange a hire car once he landed in Mexico.

      “If someone asks where you are, what do I say?” Betty turned to look back at him.

      Aiden paused with his free hand clutching the door handle to his office. What did he want Betty to say? He wasn’t sure he should be openly advertising his impromptu visit to Mexico. Besides, Guy had privately given him the information, Aiden risked landing them both in trouble if word got out about his true intentions down there.

      “Just say I’m away on business,” Aiden shrugged.

      “Will do.”

      *

      Buck Fern slowed his patrol car as he passed down the street outside the offices of Copes and May. His golden sherriff’s badge winked in the light from where it was proudly attached to his shirt on his chest.

      He glanced in and saw loyal old Betty typing away at her desk. News of Aiden’s encounter with Clyde White in Home Depot had filtered back to him. Despite the sunshine burning overhead and the shimmering blue sky, Buck knew that a storm was heading towards Avalon. Aiden had foolishly brought back the girl who had ignited a fire of hate within the town.

      Buck pressed on the gas and moved on past the offices, further down the street. He squinted against the sunlight beneath his stetson and turned up the stereo in an attempt to drown out his own thoughts. His whole body struggled against the weight of protecting his beloved town. Too many people were gone; their memories plaguing his every step. Buck couldn’t escape the ghosts of Avalon but he’d honor their memory; he’d ensure that their beloved town could weather this encroaching storm.

       Chapter Three

      Questions Need Answers

      If Aiden thought Avalon was hot, it was nothing compared to the intense heat which engulfed him as he exited the air conditioned coolness of the airport and headed towards the rental car pick-up point. By the time he’d signed his name, confirmed his identity and climbed into his car, his clothes were already sticking to him, a thin film of sweat covering his whole body.

      Wiping his brow, Aiden was quick to turn on the car’s AC. Second, he set up the satellite navigation system.

      “Input destination,” the automated female voice prompted him; the system was thankfully already set up in English.

      Aiden typed in the name of the town which Guy Chambers had given him.

      “San Migeno,” the female voice confirmed. “Calculating route.”

      Aiden estimated it would take him almost three hours to drive from the airport to San Migeno. As his route illuminated on the digital screen on the dashboard, his heart sunk. It was looking more like five or six hours.

      “Dammit.” Aiden put the car in Drive and pulled out of the parking lot. He had hoped to arrive in San Migeon in daylight but now he’d get there under cover of darkness which would heavily restrict what he could do once he got there. Mexico was a notoriously dangerous place, where the drug cartels were able to thrive. Aiden had no idea what to expect from San Migeon, but if the Caulerone brothers had a foothold there, he had to assume that it was far from safe and that it would be wise to restrict his movements around town to during the day.

      *

      Aiden was exhausted when he pulled into the parking lot of a motel just outside of San Migeon. The sun had set hours ago leaving an endless raven sky overhead to greet him. Aiden stepped up and looked up, noticing how the stars sparkled brightly above him, just like they did in Avalon.

      A sharp pang of longing knocked the air out of Aiden’s lungs. He missed Brandy. Numerous times throughout his flight he’d thought of her; of her soft smile or her deep, dark eyes. He wished he could have bought her with him but it was far too dangerous. He wasn’t on a vacation. He was in San Migeno to find answers and he was determined to get them.

      There were less than a dozen cars parked outside the motel as Aiden walked briskly towards the modest reception, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. A quick Internet search had told Aiden that this was the only motel anywhere near San Migeno, it was a town which wasn’t set up to accommodate guests. He wondered if Justin had ever been there, if he had, would he too have stopped at this same motel? The thought made Aiden’s heart seize in his chest. He imagined Justin confidently striding around, his motorbike idling in the parking lot waiting patiently for his return.

      “How many nights?” the man behind the counter asked without looking up at Aiden. He had a thick black mustache which concealed his lips as he spoke.