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come hell or high water, that she would
get a good boy like Rutley involved in this situation. It was bad enough she’d
asked the sheriff for help, but to get his son involved? Absolutely not.
    “The what?” Rutley asked as he helped her ease down
into the chair.
    “Nothing,” Mrs. Bamey shook her head. “I’m just tired,
dear.”
    “Why don’t I make us some coffee?” Rutley asked, moving
back to the counter as he rummaged through the cabinets. He glanced at her
over his shoulder, giving another award winning smile as his blue eyes
sparkled. “You take yours black, right?”
    “With honey,” she nodded. “I have to have the honey,
dear.”
    “Right,” Rutley chuckled. He dumped a scoop of
caffeine-promising goodness into a coffee filter before placing it into the
pot, flipping the switch. He listened to the low gurgle of the machine as he
turned back to face her again. “You always did like honey.”
    “Honey’s good for you,” Mrs. Bamey insisted as she
gently massaged her temples with her fingertips. “It’s very healthy.”
    “I know it helps with colds,” Rutley agreed as he eased
down into the chair across from her. He clasped his fingers together, resting
his hands against the tabletop as his eyes met hers. “Mrs. Bamey, what
happened to Lorcan?” He questioned. “Is there anything he’s done lately that
could’ve prompted his disappearance? Has he been doing drugs?”
    Mrs. Bamey scowled. “Oh, heavens no! Lorcan? Doing
drugs? Absolutely not.” She shook her head furiously as she muttered beneath
her breath. “Not my boy. He’s a good boy. It’s nothing like that.”
    Rutley released a low breath, his brows lowering slightly
upon his forehead as he tilted his head to the side. The way he looked at her
made Mrs. Bamey very nervous.
    “You have to give me something to go on,” he said in a
gentle tone. “I don’t like the idea of Lorcan missing any more than you do.
I’m on your side, okay?”
    Mrs. Bamey fought to keep herself in check, unwilling
to let her bottom lip quiver as she felt his warm hand rest atop of her own.
She nodded and closed her eyes.
    Just breathe, she told herself. He only wants
to help.
    “It’s all very complicated, Rutley,” she admitted after
a time. “You have to understand that….things haven’t been easy for our family
since Liam’s murder.”
    That statement seemingly caught Rutley’s interest. He
straightened up in his seat, cocking his head to the opposite side as his lips
parted. “You think Liam was murdered?”
    “I don’t think, sweetie; I know. ”
    “But Mrs. Bamey, the official police report says he
died from a mountain lion attack.”
    “I know what that silly thing says,” she huffed,
frowning. “But you tell me the last time you saw a mountain lion in this part
of Tennessee.”
    The seconds ticked by as they held one another’s gaze,
and Mrs. Bamey wondered what in the world could be going through the young
male’s head as he licked his lips. He blinked, and then finally turned his
attention to the coffee pot. “How about that coffee?”
    Before she could say anything, he was up. His back was
to her as he prepared two cups of coffee, stirring in a generous amount of
honey for her as her mind reeled with how to explain the situation. She knew
it wasn’t easy for the sheriff to piece things together if she wasn’t even giving
him the right information, but there was one small problem; she couldn’t tell
him the truth. It was Urseth’s law. To tell a human about their existence
would result in her death, as well as Sheriff Holter’s. She couldn’t risk
that.
    “Here you go,” Rutley stated softly as he placed the
steaming mug of coffee before her. The cup was one that Liam and Lorcan had
given her for Mother’s Day many moons ago. The letters were nearly faded from
so many washes; she did use it a lot.
    #1 Mom stared back at her as her lower lip
quivered again.
    “Tell me what happened on the night they