Walter leaned forward.
"Getting away from something dangerous can take longer than one journey. But you don't have to finish that journey alone."
For the first time since arriving, Emily began to cry.
She covered her face with her hands.
Walter did not interrupt her.
He simply remained in his chair, allowing her the space to release the fear she had been carrying.
A few minutes later, Gabriel returned.
"I didn't see anyone on the property. But there are fresh tire marks near the entrance."
"Could be from Emily's car," Walter said.
"Some of them are wider."
Gabriel placed his phone on the table.
"I took pictures."
Walter nodded.
"Let's call Sheriff Daniels."
He picked up the telephone.
The sheriff answered after the second ring.
"Walter? Everything all right?"
"Not exactly. We have a young woman here who believes she's being followed. Her name is Emily Carter. She says a dark pickup has been following her since yesterday."
There was a brief silence.
"Carter?" the sheriff repeated.
"Yes."
"Is she Susan Carter's daughter?"
Walter looked at Emily.
"That's what she tells me."
Another pause followed.
"All right. Don't let her leave alone. I'll send a deputy over, and we'll arrange to speak with her somewhere safe."
"Thank you."
Walter ended the call.
Emily looked frightened again.
"Am I in trouble?"
"No," Walter answered immediately. "You're not in trouble."
"But what if they don't believe me?"
"Then we'll provide what we know, show them the photographs, and let them investigate. You deserve to be heard."
Twenty minutes later, a patrol vehicle pulled into the driveway.
Deputy Laura Bennett stepped out and approached the porch.
She was a calm, experienced officer who had worked closely with the Cedar Hollow community since the earlier investigation.
Walter opened the door.
"Evening, Laura."
"Evening, Walter. Where is she?"
"Inside."
Laura entered and introduced herself to Emily.
Instead of immediately asking questions, she sat down and explained what would happen.
"You can tell me what you remember. You don't have to guess about anything. If you don't know an answer, just say so."
Emily nodded.
The interview lasted nearly forty minutes.
She described the pickup truck, the gas station, the damaged car, and the strange telephone calls she had received over the previous week.
She also explained why she had been traveling to Cedar Hollow.
Her mother had left behind a small box containing letters, photographs, and several documents. Before Susan died, she had instructed Emily to deliver the box to Margaret Ellis.
But there was something else.
Three days earlier, someone had broken into Emily's apartment.
Nothing valuable had been stolen.
Her television remained untouched. Her laptop was still on the desk. Even the small amount of cash in her kitchen drawer was there.
Only one thing had disappeared.
The box.
Emily had searched everywhere, convinced she had misplaced it.
Then she found a note beneath her front door.
It contained only seven words:
Leave the past buried. It protects everyone.
Emily had immediately called Margaret's old number.
Nobody answered.
She packed what she could and left.
Laura listened carefully.
"Did your mother ever tell you what was inside those documents?"
Emily shook her head.
"She said they were important, but she didn't explain everything. She told me that some people had spent years making sure certain stories never came out."
Walter felt an uncomfortable chill.
The investigation in Cedar Hollow had officially concluded, but the consequences of the corruption exposed during that period had continued to unfold.
Several people had been convicted.
Others had cooperated with investigators.
And a few cases had remained unresolved because important records had never been recovered.
Walter looked at Laura.
"Do you think this could be connected?"
"It's too early to say," she replied. "But we'll take it seriously."
Laura turned back to Emily.
"Do you have any copies of the documents?"
Emily nodded.
"My mother made digital copies. She stored them on a small memory card. I hid it somewhere else before leaving."
"Where?"
Emily hesitated.
"Inside the lining of my suitcase."
Walter glanced toward the hallway.
"Your suitcase is in the car?"
"Yes."
Laura immediately shook her head.
"We won't retrieve anything tonight. We'll arrange for the vehicle to be secured and have the memory card examined properly."
Emily looked relieved.
For the first time, she seemed to understand that she did not need to solve everything before morning.
Laura stood.
"I'm going to arrange a secure place for you to stay. Walter, could you keep her here until another officer arrives?"
"Of course."
After Laura stepped outside to make a telephone call, Walter walked into the kitchen.
Gabriel followed.
"Do you think this is connected to the old case?" he asked.
"I don't know."
"But you suspect it."
Walter looked through the kitchen window.