Secret Admirer

Prologue

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Prologue

Cole

We stood in the cold rain on a dark day in September. We were putting two coffins into the ground. Lindsey Markham and her father, the Mayor, were dead. There wasn't a business open today. Everyone was out here at the cemetery. Everyone but Ethan.

The night we got the call was the worst night of my life. We couldn't find Ethan or Lindsey. The mayor had been missing for weeks. By the time we got to Ethan it was too late. The cabin had burned to the ground taking both of the Markham's with it.

Ethan was sitting far enough away from the fire to stay safe but refused to leave until he saw that Lindsey's remains were removed from the site. He was arrested for arson by Charlie right after.

Georgia got Ethan the best attorney money could buy and has been fighting the state charges against him with Brynn by his side. He was released into Georgia's custody until the trial but it doesn't look good for him.

He swears Lindsey was talking to someone else in the cabin. He is adamant that there's another person involved. We don't doubt him. We know Charlie isn't on our side but Georgia isn't giving him that little detail away just yet.

We huddled together under umbrellas. We listened to the priest speak, all praising the good mayor and his daughter. He spoke of the good things they did for the town and how much they will be missed.

I can't help but feel it's all a load of shit! The mayor took advantage of the people in this town. He raised rents, he swindled them out of their homes, their businesses and offered them back at higher prices and increased interest rates. He did nothing but screw everyone for a buck.

I stayed in the back of the crowd. I didn't want to be here but I came to see who else showed up. I was surprised to see everyone else had the same idea.

"Odd coincidence that the two people everyone hated are getting mourned by the same." Will said, leaning against the tree next to me. "Don't you think?"

"I guess." Looking around there were no tears in anyone's eyes, no sadness on their faces. Just curiosity about the dead. "Have you seen Ethan this morning?"

"No." Mr. Tucker looked up at the sky as the thunder rolled. "Brynn said he wasn't coming. Best for everyone I think. He hasn't been the same since the fire."

No, he hasn't. He hasn't come to the work site, he hasn't been to the diner. He stays at Georgia place on the outskirts of town and roams the forest. He won't say what he's looking for but he goes out every day looking.

It messed him up. The fire. The way Lindsey went crazy and killed her father and forced him to do the same to her. She was a lunatic, plain and simple. Ethan isn't seeing it as that easy to dismiss. She's haunting him, that's the truth of it.

"He's coming to the party tonight." Will informs me. I'm surprised that he wants to be out there with the publicity on today.

"Shouldn't he be keeping a low profile? The press are going to eat him alive." I'm not exaggerating. The press have been all over the place lately with Georgia's election win.

She's getting sworn in as Mayor today. We hope it gives us the opportunity to change the charges against Ethan and press them against those ultimately responsible for this mess.

"Georgia wants him there. I assume you're heading that way after this." He assumes right. I have my marching orders from the Mayor myself.

"I'm in charge of the table and chairs set up." I inform the man who has been a surrogate father for me. "I don't think she's going to let me off the hook."