“Sit,” he said, gesturing toward the chairs. “Sandy just made iced tea.”
Sandy was already pouring glasses, condensation sliding down the sides.
“Are you two hungry?” she asked.
“I’m good thanks,” I said quickly.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” Asher added.
Sandy gave Asher a pointed look. “Didn’t you come straight from the community center?”
He hesitated. “Yeah.”
“You must be starving,” she said decisively, already turning toward the stove.
Asher sighed under his breath. “I walked into that one.”
I smiled despite myself. Within minutes plates appeared in front of us, and then the meat lasagna followed, warm and filling. Conversation stayed light at first with talk of the orchard, the tourists, how busy the town had been lately. I answered when spoken to but mostly listened, watching the easy rhythm of their family. Eventually Asher set his fork down.
“Dad,” he said quietly. “We need to talk about something.”
The shift in the room was immediate. Pierre leaned back slightly, attention sharpening. “Okay.”
I started to tell them about Sophie’s disappearance.
“Becket updated me. I know he reached out to Montreal today,” he said.
Asher glanced at me, giving me a small nod. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the folded note, sliding it across the table.
Pierre unfolded it carefully. Silence settled. He read the line once. Then again with no reaction at first. When he finally looked up, something heavier sat behind his eyes.
“I’ve been going after criminals most of my life,” he said quietly. “The Bellerose empire caused a lot of hurt, people disappeared, and many families were left with questions.”
He placed the paper down with deliberate care. “I worked decades trying to bring it down,” he continued. “But it was too big a job for a small-town cop.”
I sat very still.
“What I can tell you,” he said, turning toward me, “is that your friend isn’t the only one who’s disappeared on that route.”
My stomach twisted.
“If I hadn’t seen this note,” he went on, tapping it lightly, “I’d tell you it was possible she ran into wildlife. A bear. A wild cat. The forest doesn’t always give people back.”
The words made my chest tighten.
“But seeing this…” He exhaled slowly. “This means something.”
Asher leaned forward. “Meaning what?”
Pierre rubbed a hand over his jaw. “What I do know is that Provincial Police and the RCMP are closing in on parts of the Bellerose operation,” he said carefully. “There are things happening I don’t have clearance to know.”
That surprised me.
“You don’t?” I asked quietly.
He shook his head once. “No.”
Silence stretched across the table.