Free Buried Secrets (New Adult Dark Suspense Romance) by Emme Rollins

First Joe Wilson, then Nick? And now Scott?”
    “It’s scary.” Ryan lowered his voice, as if there was someone else in the shop who might overhear them. “And the cops? It wasn’t even on their radar until something happened to Nick. Joe Wilson—I mean, no great loss, right?
    Dusty nodded. She was sure no one had taken much notice when Joe Wilson disappeared. Town drunks without family just didn’t register on the missing person radar for a while, even in a town as small as Larkspur. As long as she’d known him, he’d spent most of his time drinking at the Starlite when he had money, and out by the train yards across from the cemetery on the south side of town when he didn’t.
    She decided to see if she could poke any holes in Shane’s story.
    “Ryan, Nick said he was seeing you that night.”
    “What?” His head came up sharply, eyes widening.
    “Weren’t you guys having his farewell party?”
    “Right.” He nodded, busying himself removing the lavender and replacing it with freesia. The competing fragrances made Dusty feel faint. “We all met at the path but then we went over to the Starlite.”
    Well he’d confirmed Shane’s story. A little too exactly, in Dusty’s opinion. She had that same feeling, like something just wasn’t quite right.
    “Nick went with you?”
    “No,” Ryan replied quickly, trimming the thorns off a white rose with a strange looking tool. It trembled in his hands. “I don’t know where he went.”
    “Do you know who Nick met up with?”
    Ryan’s motioned slowed. “What do you mean?”
    “Shane said Nick met up with someone at the path. That’s why he didn’t go with you guys to the Starlite.”
    “No idea.” Ryan trimmed the stem of the white rose and shoved it down violently into the Styrofoam at the center of the arrangement.
    He’s lying.
    She was sure of it. But why? Covering up for someone? Shane? It seemed likely.
    “I just wish I knew why Nick was out at the cemetery in the first place.” She sighed, playing with the stack of business cards on the counter, shuffling through them. “But I guess I shouldn’t cry over spilled milk. That’s what Julia says.”
    Ryan made a face. “I’m lactose intolerant.”
    “Sheriff says it’s a bobcat.” Dusty mused. “But when I talked to Shane, he wasn’t so sure. What do you think?”
    “What did Shane say?” Ryan pushed his glasses up, looking at her.
    She shrugged. “Not much.”
    “I don’t know.” He hesitated, turning another white rose over in his hand, looking at the closed bud. “But I do know Buck Thompson is up for re-election and, for the first time in years, he’s not running unopposed. And then there’s the Pharmatech factory in Millsberg. It’s supposed to bring a lot of business to Larkspur next year. My dad keeps talking about it. It’s not a good year for bad publicity.”
    She remembered seeing re-election signs with Buck’s face on a few lawns as she got closer to town. Well maybe it would motivate him to catch the thing—bobcat or cougar or whatever it was—that killed Nick. What better re-election strategy than to run as the town hero?
    “Who’s running against him?”
    “Guy Walker.”
    Now she remembered the billboard just outside of town. “Isn’t he head of the town council?”
    “Looks like he’s setting his sights higher.”
    “Do you have any yellow roses?” Dusty decided to change the subject. It felt dangerous, feeding her suspicions.
    “Sure.” Ryan stood fully, turning toward the refrigerated flower cases behind him.
    Dusty always thought it would be neat to have one of those—a refrigerator you could see into without opening it. It would have saved Nick and me a lot of “Will you shut that door?” from Julia . The thought was so painful she cut it right off.
    “How many do you want? A dozen?” Ryan opened the door.
    “Just one.” Dusty struggled to keep the pain in. “How much?”
    “Just one?” He took a yellow rose out of the white bucket