Out of sight, out of mind was the town’s motto.
The tiny pasture dotted with gravestones was framed by redwoods. A babbling stream could be heard amid the rustling leaves of the trees. It was peaceful. Colby crouched in front of a grassy mound that contained Skye Strickland. He inserted some wildflowers into a small steel vase that was built into the grave.
He heard movement behind him.
Nearby, Alicia and Kane waited, giving him as long as he needed.
He’d often thought about this moment and how he would feel.
It wasn’t the same. Seeing the headstone for the first time felt strange, almost surreal, as had returning to Humboldt. He’d never imagined he would step foot inside the county again, not after that night, not after losing her, not after what Jessie had done. Colby cleared away crumpled brown leaves and dirt and cleaned up the headstone with a bottle of water and a cloth.
Death had haunted Colby since he was young. Although he’d grown up with it, witnessed murder multiple times, it never got easy. Society tiptoed around the issue. Religions made up stories about it. Mediums profited from it. Rarely was it discussed and yet everyone would one day experience it. It was the great unknown. The very mention of it conjured images of beauty and horror in his mind. He’d grappled with the uncertainty, spent his life living on the cusp of life and death, hoping that whenever it was his time to go, he wouldn’t go in fear as many a person did, but that he would slide into it no different than entering a warm bath.
He rose. He talked to Skye as if she was right there. As if she could hear him. Mostly it was a long-overdue apology. Apologizing for his family. Apologizing that he hadn’t done more.
Ten, maybe twenty minutes passed before Alicia brought Kane over. Initially, she said nothing but simply sidled up beside him. Kane sniffed the mound of grass, then looked up at him as if sensing he wasn’t okay. Colby ran a hand over the dog’s head and Kane licked his palm. He took a deep breath and let it out. “Ten years. It’s gone by so fast.” He shook his head as the memories hit him hard. He could tell Alicia wanted to know what happened but out of courtesy had never asked. He’d told her very little about his family or the feud that had carried over from one generation to the next. Mostly, it was because he was unsure if she would stay once she knew. “They hold a festival every year here in Garberville called Reggae on the River. We met there. Before that day I hadn’t seen her around town. Hell, not even in the county. I’d seen a number of the Strickland family but not her. I found out later she was homeschooled. The few times she was allowed to go into town, I wasn’t around. She was younger than me by a couple of years. The festival was meant to be her big moment of freedom, her coming of age, I guess you can say.”
“They let her go by herself?”
“Oh, hell no. She was with family and they kept a close eye on her.” A warm smile formed. “God, she was beautiful. She stood out like a daisy. A rare wildflower. That’s what she was. Wild. You know I’d heard folks talk about…” he trailed off.
“Love?” Alicia asked.
“That’s it, but... I always thought it was crap.” He chuckled. “But I swear the day I laid eyes on her…” He sucked in his gums. “Well, I just had to know.”
“So how did you get around her family?”
“I rolled out the Riker charm…”
“Yeah, and what’s that look like?”
“I started a fight.”
Alicia stifled a laugh. “You started a fight?”
“Well, not me. My brothers…”
Alicia pursed her lips as she tried to contain her amusement. “Oh, is that so, Colby Riker? And let me guess. In this commotion, you just so happened to… sweep in and bring her to a place of safety? Would that be right?”
He nodded, a grin forming. “Something like that. By the time the crowd dispersed, I at least had a name, and she had mine.”
Alicia nodded, clasping her hands behind her back, a smile spreading.
“And so that was that?”
“Oh no. It took a lot more than that. A few months to be exact. I would tell you about the day I threw up on Hank because she made me so nervous but… I…”
Alicia burst out laughing. “You. Nervous? C’mon.”
Colby looked at her and was struck again by the very thing he’d kept from her, the very thing he had wanted to ignore since he got her bail bond information. “You know, Alicia. There’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”
Before he got the words out, footfalls came from behind them and they turned.
It was Sheriff Dan Wilder, in full uniform, with another officer.
The moment he laid eyes on Alicia, he stopped and his jaw dropped.
“Well… Well, I’ll be damned if you don’t look like her.”
“Excuse me?” Alicia asked, her brow furrowing.
“I knew Colby was back but… uh… who might you be?”
“Alicia Scott.”
“Huh.” Dan broke his gaze and his eyes flicked to Colby. “They say that somewhere in the world everyone has a doppelganger. But you are a dead ringer. Don’t you think?” Alicia glanced at Colby and he dropped his chin ever so slightly before meeting Dan’s gaze. “Your mother said you’d be here. It’s good to see you again.” Dan’s gaze diverted to Alicia again before he extended a hand to him. Colby looked at his hand but didn’t shake it. Dan registered it. “Understandable. I’ll cut to it then. I’ve been meaning to meet with you since I saw you at the meeting a few weeks ago but I’ve had my hands full.”
“Sounds like all the Stricklands have.”
He removed his police hat, and held the brim between both hands,
