Fragile Sanctuary (Sparrow Falls Book 1)

I heaved the damaged drywall into the dumpster with a grunt. My arms and back burned with the effort, but I welcomed the bite of pain. I bent and picked up another panel, tossing that into the dumpster, too.

Shep did the same, grabbing another sheet from the pile. “Would’ve thought you’d be in a better mood with Owen gone.”

I just grunted in response, tossing more drywall. We’d made good progress today. Partly because I was determined to drown out everything around me. I’d done Owen’s work and mine. Probably another chunk, too.

Shep kept on working and talking. “Gotta admit, I don’t miss his moaning and complaining.”

If I’d been able to take anything in this afternoon, I probably would’ve noticed the change in the air with Owen’s absence. But I hadn’t. The only thing I could do was lose myself in the work. The same way I had when I’d first come to work for Shep. The physical strain, the repetition, it all helped to fight back the demons.

The only problem was that Helena had set them free today. Every jerk of my crowbar, every heave of damaged material had all been some futile attempt to battle them back into their cage.

I let out a growl of frustration as I threw one more drywall panel into the dumpster. I turned to reach for another, but there was nothing there. We’d finished a pile that should’ve taken us well into tomorrow morning’s work hours.

That was when I glanced around for the first time. The sun had dipped low in the sky. The only two vehicles in the lot were Shep’s silver truck and my black one. Everyone else was long gone.

I looked down at my watch. Five-forty-five. Hell.

“You should’ve left by now,” I muttered.

Shep just stared at me. “You think I’m going to leave your ass when something has you this tweaked?”

My back molars ground together. “I’m fine.”

“You’ve been a broody asshole of epic proportions this afternoon.”

I kicked at a rock with my boot. “I’m not a ten-year-old girl. I don’t chitchat and gossip. I’m here to work.”

Shep arched a brow at me from beneath his ballcap. “Well, you were tearing that house apart like a man possessed. Pretty sure the crew’s planning an exorcism for tomorrow.”

“We needed to make up for Owen,” I defended.

Shep took a step toward me, making sure to meet my eyes. “Anson, it’s me. Don’t bullshit. Who was on the other end of that call? Your mom?”

I recoiled as if I’d been slapped. “No. You know I’m the last number she’d ever dial.”

“Then who the hell was it? I haven’t seen you this bad since you first got here.”

My throat worked as I struggled to swallow. “Someone from my old team. They think The Hangman’s back.”

Shep went stock-still. “Anson.”

“They got another note. Could be a copycat.” But even as the words left my mouth, I knew it was a lie. Helena wasn’t one to jump to conclusions. If she thought it was The Hangman, then it was.

Shep blew out a long breath. “No wonder you’re a mess.”

I scrubbed my hand through my hair. A mess was an understatement. Memories clawed at the walls I’d created to keep them out. Each one reminded me of why I couldn’t have a normal life. Why I didn’t deserve the tendrils of happiness that had woven themselves around me with Rho.

“What are they doing to find him?” Shep asked.

It was a simple question, but he didn’t know how loaded it was. “They have to find the body first.”

Each time a note had been delivered to us, we’d known what it meant. Someone, somewhere, had lost their life. But I hadn’t let that truly register. Not really. I’d been too caught up in the unsub and trying to put together all the clues.

I’d always had a thing for word games, so my boss had set me loose on each and every note. I could untangle the web the quickest. Each hint gave us a letter of the location, and every clue was branded in my brain. But it was all a game to him. A fucked-up version of hangman.

But I’d gotten a charge out of being the one to figure out the riddles the fastest. I felt a surge of pride in leading the team toward the next piece of the puzzle. I’d been so determined to be the one to stop his reign of terror that I hadn’t realized he was weaving me into his web.

“Do they have any idea where?” Shep asked, breaking into my memories.

I shook my head. “I didn’t ask.”

I didn’t want to know. I knew too much already. Someone, somewhere, had lost the person who meant the most to them. A daughter, wife, mother, sister. And they would be tormented by that loss compounded by notes from the bastard who’d taken her.

Just thinking the word sister had agony shredding my chest. God, I missed Greta. The way she’d give me shit on our weekly phone calls. “How’s the nerd squad doing this week?” Always laughing at her big brother. But she’d also been proud of my work and the life I was building.

It was just that neither of us knew how empty that life could be. Not until it was too late.

Shep studied me carefully. “Does your team think you’re at risk?”

“Not sure. They were asking me to come back.” Just saying the words aloud was like spitting acid.

Shep’s brows just about hit his hairline. “You thinking about it?”

“No.” The answer was instant. Final. “I don’t want that life anymore. Wouldn’t be able to handle it even if I did.”

Empathy swept over Shep’s face, making me want to look anywhere but at him. “It wasn’t your fault, Anson.”

“Don’t,” I clipped.

Something in my tone had Shep backing off. “Okay. Why don’t we get some takeout? Bring it back to my place.”

I was about to open my mouth to decline, but the ringing of Shep’s phone cut me off.

He pulled it out of his back pocket and swiped his finger over the screen. “Yep?”

Everything slowed as I watched the color drain from Shep’s face.

“Where?” he barked.

There was a brief pause.

“On the way.”

Shep was already moving, but I was at his side, some part of me taking on his panic. “What?”

He glanced over at me. “It’s Rho. She was in an accident.”