Chapter One:
Ron Page had made them famous. None of them liked it. All of them prayed that a bigger news cycle would come around and the world would forget them and move on. Still, they knew that the likelihood was minuscule that people would forget that for years a serial killer had lived amongst them.
But at least they could do their best not to fan the flames. None of them responded to requests for interviews or posted on social media. The Ruby Sisters pulled in, closed ranks, and decided to wait it out.
And after Judith asked them to, the town of Spring Falls did the same. Never had Judith been as proud of her town because she only had to ask once. She invited everyone she knew—which was most of the town—to meet in April’s empty house.
Judith stood at the front of the room, red hair flaming, and asked that they honor one of their own and protect April and their town. All the Ruby Sisters stood beside Judith, hands clasped, faces pale but determined. Except for April. April wasn’t there, and that made what happened even more real.
“We are a community,” Judith had said. “If something bad happens to any of us, we stand by one another.”
Booker Morris stood in the back of the room, quietly watching, but everyone knew that he, as the Chief of Police, supported Judith’s request.
“If you know anything that will help, please share it with the appropriate person,” Judith said. “They will take it from there. This is not just one woman’s tragedy. It is all of ours. You know you can come to me anytime if you are in trouble, and I will do what I can to help.
“And I know you will help April now by not gossiping and spreading rumors. By turning away requests from the media to dramatize what happened here.”
Booker had watched the crowd as somehow Judith worked her magic. The worry and fear etched on the faces of many of the people in the room had begun to dissolve. Some faces reflected relief. Others sorrow. But Booker thought Judith had done it—diffused the bomb that Ron Page had thrown into their town.
After Judith spoke, the Ruby Sisters moved through the crowd, talking, hugging, and soothing. Booker watched them all as they worked the room, but his eyes kept returning to Marsha. He had noticed how Marsha would often look away when Ron’s name was brought up in a conversation. Marsha’s face would pale, and she’d glance to the side or look down at her hands, fidgeting in her lap. Booker knew that Judith, too, had noticed Marsha’s reactions. Sooner or later, they’d get to the bottom of it.
But that day, all they all wanted was for Spring Falls to return to the quiet, comfortable, almost unknown town they knew and loved. And for April to find some peace and come back to them.
***
Harry the Hawk did what he had done all his life. He blended into the crowd. It was easy this time because everyone’s eyes were on the tall, red-haired woman speaking at the front of the room, urging restraint and kindness.
Even if they weren’t watching the woman, Harry knew that now that he was this old, it was even easier to become invisible. No one would notice him hidden in the back of the room. Over the years, his once blond hair had thinned into little wisps and his tall, lean body stooped over as he leaned more heavily onto his cane than necessary.
He was a nobody in this crowd, just as he wanted to be. As he always wanted to be. To his friends and enemies, he was Harry the Hawk, known for his keen awareness and ability to focus on a problem and resolve it. To everyone else, he didn’t exist.
It had been a long time since he had found himself surrounded by people, because showing up in person was something he rarely did anymore. He had people who showed up for him. However, this time was different. Time was running out, and he had some debts to pay before he left this earth.
Harry was not afraid of being recognized. No one knew him in Spring Falls. Strangely enough, it was why it was dangerous for him to be here. Because he was a stranger in town, someone might ask about him only because they didn’t know who he was. But Harry was counting on the fact that people rarely noticed old men. Because this time, what needed to be done could only be done by him.
Why he had waited this long to deal with the past was hard to say. Probably because, despite his reputation as a predator when it came to business dealings, Harry knew he was a coward in life.
He had lived his whole life behind the scenes, pulling strings, making things happen, watching like a hawk over people’s lives. And then doing what was necessary for whatever he considered the greater good. But uncharacteristically, although he had carefully watched over the life of someone in this room, he had done nothing to hurt or help.
Harry knew that staying away, and doing nothing, had been a cowardly thing to do. It was so much easier to observe from a distance. It was safe living inside a world that he created and controlled. However, his doctor’s diagnosis confirmed what he already knew. Which meant it was time to do something that he should have done years before.
As the red-haired woman and her friends began moving through the crowd, Harry turned, and leaning heavily on his cane, walked quietly out the front door, and into the frigid air.
The winter wind snapped through the trees, bringing with it the smell of smoke that he could see streaming from one of the houses down the street. He had always loved that smell, and Harry wondered why he hadn’t indulged himself more often with a fire in the winter.
A car door opened, Harry ducked his head, threw his cane in first, and then folded himself into the back seat. As the car moved away from the Ruby House and into the night, Harry turned and looked back at the crowd streaming out the front door. He caught a glimpse of her as she stood in the doorway, saying goodbye to the crowd.
Yes, he had some wrongs to make right, but timing was everything, and today was not the day.
