“Yeah,” I said, trying not to freak out. “I know he didn’t do it. I’ll warn him.”

“You stay safe, girl.” Then he hung up.

I placed the phone on the table and stood. I had to talk to Wyatt.

“What’s goin’ on, Carly?” Marco asked with concern in his eyes.

“Hank said the sheriff’s department was at his house this morning, looking for Wyatt.”

His face paled. “Shit.”

“Hypothetically speaking, if you knew there was a warrant out for someone’s arrest and you happened to know that person’s whereabouts, would you be obligated to detain them?”

He put down his fork, his face grim. “Perhaps you should take a walk and make sure we don’t have any visitors before I step outside and get in my car to go to Hilde’s.”

I nodded, then hurried out the door, my mind frantic with worry. Where could Wyatt hide that the sheriff’s department would never think to look for him? I was almost to his truck when I figured it out.

He got out and shut the door, standing next to his truck with a blank expression. “What happened?”

“I just spoke to Hank—”

“Is he okay?” he asked, sounding more worried than I’d expected.

“He’s fine. Just concerned. The sheriff’s department just paid him a visit. They’re looking for you, Wyatt. They have a warrant for your arrest.”

He showed no reaction whatsoever.

“You have to hide.”

His gaze shifted to the house. “Is Marco on his way out here to arrest me?”

“No! But you have to leave now. If he sees you, he’ll be obligated to take you into custody.”

He gave a hard shake of his head. “I’m not leavin’ you.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Wyatt!” I shouted. “Forget the damn blood price!”

He took a step toward me, his hands clenched at his sides. “You think I’m sittin’ out here because of the blood price?”

I shook my head. “No, but don’t you dare go there. You need to get out of here. Now. Marco’s off today. He’s going with me to visit Hilde, and I’ll make sure he follows me to Bingham’s. You have to go somewhere the sheriff’s deputies won’t find you. If you don’t know where to go, I have a suggestion.”

“I’m not hidin’, Carly!”

“Do you think you can protect me, or anyone, if you’re stuck in a jail cell? For once in your life, stop being a stubborn ass and listen to reason.”

He started to say something, then stopped, some of his anger fading. “Where?”

I held up my hands. “Now, hear me out before you tell me no.”

“That bad, huh?” he grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“It’s somewhere they’ll never think to look…Bingham’s.”

He jerked his hands out of his pockets. “What?”

“You took Lula in when y’all thought your father was looking for her. She’ll be more than happy to protect you now.”

“Bingham won’t.”

“He will if Lula tells him to. How else do you think you and Max ended up being Beatrice’s godfathers?”

He was silent for a moment. “I’m not a coward.”

“No one said you were, but I also thought you weren’t stupid. Now go.”

He hesitated and cast a glance back at the house. “Does he love you?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” I shouted, throwing my hands out to my sides. “Why won’t anyone believe we’re just friends?”

Pain filled his eyes. “Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Carly.”

“We’re just friends.”

Which was true, even if it wasn’t the whole story. But I needed him to leave, to get to safety quickly. He didn’t say anything for several seconds. Then he got into his truck and turned around to head back to the county road.

Marco was waiting for me when I went back inside. “Is it clear for me to come out?”

I nodded. “Thanks for giving me a chance to warn him.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Max would kill me if I arrested his brother.”

“Would you do it if you thought he might be guilty?”

He hesitated. “He isn’t. Wyatt isn’t perfect, but I know he didn’t kill Heather Stone.”

He hadn’t exactly answered my question, but I let it go. “Since the sheriff’s department wants to arrest Wyatt, I’m thinking about calling Max and telling him I won’t be in today. Or,” I added, “I might go in for the busy lunch rush, then do more investigating before the dinner shift.”

“Why don’t you talk to Hilde and Bingham, then we’ll decide?” he asked as he picked up the bouquet of daisies from the table.

“Yeah,” I said. “Good idea.” I grabbed my bag and headed outside.

“You follow me,” Marco said as he locked his front door.

“Okay,” I said, “then you can follow me to Bingham’s and wait on the side of the road. We’ll figure out where to go from there.”

He nodded with a grim expression. “I’m gonna take my own car. I don’t want to be calling attention to myself in my deputy vehicle.”

I was parked behind his Explorer, so I tossed my bag into the back of my car and got in. After backing up and turning around, I got onto the county road leading to the highway.

Marco followed, and I stopped about twenty feet from the stop sign at the highway and let him pass me. He headed toward town, but it wasn’t long before he turned off onto a county road. Several minutes later, he pulled off and parked in front of a pale yellow house set back about thirty feet from the road.

I parked next to him and got out. My nerves were on edge as I walked toward him. Now that we were here, I wasn’t so sure I could go through with asking Hilde questions about her niece. She’d only just found out Heather had been murdered.

Marco gave me a reassuring smile after I told him my concerns. “How about you let me take the lead at first? Then we can suss out how she’s feelin’ and go from there?” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Heather’s been missing for nine years. While I’m sure she’s upset, it’s not like her niece has been part of her everyday life. It might actually give her closure to know why she hasn’t heard from her.”

I nodded. “Yeah. That’s true.”

We walked toward the front door together, and Marco knocked, holding the flowers in his other hand.

The door opened right away, and an older woman answered with a cautious look on her face. “Hello?”

“Hi, Miss Hilde,” Marco said in his friendly voice. “I’m not sure if you remember me, but I’m Marco Roland, Beth Roland’s son.”

She clasped a hand to her chest. “Beth? Oh, my word! How is she? I haven’t talked to her in years.”

“She’s good,” Marco said. “After she heard about Heather, she wanted me to come by and offer condolences on her behalf.” He held up the bouquet.

Tears filled her eyes. “Gerbera daisies. They’re my favorite.”