[COMPLETED] When down on her luck, Abby Redding lands a position as the personal assistant for wealthy businessman Alex Carter, her first assignment is to fix up his new cabin in a remote town.
Things don't go as planned when an unsolved murder and...
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Zachary Caldwell watched his brother with a mix of worry and anger as they sat in the backroom of his grocery store. He was in his wheelchair while Don sat at the small table Zachary kept his computer on.
"You really aren't going to go out there?" Zachary asked for the third time.
"I told you I'm not. Do I need to say it in Swahili for you to believe me?" Don Caldwell adjusted his Sheriff's badge as he avoided his brother's judging eyes.
"You don't know Swahili," Zachary muttered. "It's not like I want to be bugging you but Wally seemed really worried. He said those reporters scared that girl."
"She's not a girl. She's an adult. An adult who chose to take a job working with Alex Carter," Don reminded his brother. "They didn't call law enforcement so there's no reason for me to go out there."
"Why are you being this way? Is it because of what happened years ago? Because of Crystal? You went up there the other day when that lady was in an accident. Nothing crazy happened, Don. You survived it without any repercussions."
"Don't bring her up again," Don warned.
"Why not? It happened over twenty-five years ago, Don. Crystal's gone. It wasn't your fault. When are you going to stop blaming yourself?"
"Wasn't it? Maggie had no one to help her protect Crystal. It makes me sick thinking of it. After everything that happened...she was the only innocent one in all this. Crystal and you, Zachary. That night will haunt me forever."
"Stop making me sound like some kind of saint." Zachary bristled at his brother's praise. "If you're guilty then so am I. I was the idiot who swerved his truck in the rain. I could've done something if I hadn't been speeding."
"It was raining and you were worried. If it weren't for me asking you to check on Maggie and Crystal all those years ago, you wouldn't have gotten into an accident. You'd be walking right now instead of confined to a damned wheelchair." Don squeezed his eyes shut as he ran a tired hand over his face. "It's all my fault."
"No, it's not. You had no idea what would happen that night when you asked me to check on them. I just wish I'd been able to get to them," Zachary whispered. "It's all my fault, Don. Whatever guilt you have, let it go. Blame me if you have to blame someone. You told me to not speed and I did it anyway."
"No, it's not. They were my responsibility and I let them down. Then you had your accident and I couldn't leave you."
They became silent, each reflecting on the painful and unchangeable past.
"You know...you never told me what you were doing before you and the ambulance came to get me," Zachary whispered.
Don's eyebrows raised in surprise. "What I was doing?"
"Yeah. What kept you from your family and then me for so long? What had you tied up that you left the station so late?"
"It was over twenty years ago and you expect me to remember? I should be asking you the same thing. What were you doing before you went to check on Maggie and ended up in that accident? I covered for you on the report, but we both know you were drinking, weren't you?"
