TESSA: "I think we need to investigate that possibility."
Walter sighed.
WALTER: "I never wanted this to become a fight."
TESSA: "You didn't start it."
WALTER: "People around here have lived with that sheriff for a long time. I don't want Darcy or the others getting hurt because they helped me."
Tessa's expression softened.
TESSA: "That's why we need to handle this carefully. Nobody should have to choose between telling the truth and keeping their job."
Walter looked down at his hands.
WALTER: "Your mother would have hated all this."
TESSA: "She would have hated what happened to you. But she would have wanted the truth."
Walter did not answer.
For a moment, the two of them were simply father and daughter, speaking across a phone line after a frightening morning.
Then Tessa ended the call and turned toward the attorney.
TESSA: "We need the deed, the original access records, and the full history of the proposed easement."
ATTORNEY: "I'll request them."
TESSA: "And the diner footage?"
ATTORNEY: "Darcy has preserved it. We should arrange a formal copy through the proper process."
TESSA: "What about the county meeting?"
The attorney checked the time.
ATTORNEY: "It is scheduled for ten."
Tessa looked toward the road.
TESSA: "Then we should be there."
The attorney raised an eyebrow.
ATTORNEY: "Your father is in the hospital. Are you sure you want to attend?"
Tessa thought for a moment.
TESSA: "I want to understand what they intended to do with his property. If the meeting is about that road, I don't want the decision made while he is unable to speak for himself."
ATTORNEY: "We can attend as members of the public. We'll make sure the proper procedures are followed."
Tessa nodded.
She had no intention of turning the meeting into a confrontation.
But she would not let the county quietly approve an arrangement that could affect her father's property without proper scrutiny.
At Pine Ridge Diner, Darcy was preparing to leave.
She had closed the register, secured the footage, and written down the names of the customers who had been present.
Raymond had returned with a signed statement.
Michael had sent her a copy of his phone recording.
She placed everything in a folder.
Then she noticed a vehicle stopping outside.
A man in a dark jacket stepped out and approached the door.
Darcy recognized him as Wayne Hollister.
He entered without greeting her.
WAYNE: "I need to speak with you."
DARCY: "About what?"
WAYNE: "This morning."
Darcy folded her arms.
DARCY: "Walter?"
Wayne looked toward the corner booth.
WAYNE: "I understand there was an incident."
DARCY: "You understand wrong."
WAYNE: "I would prefer to discuss this privately."
DARCY: "Then you should have come before the sheriff threw an old man onto my floor."
Wayne's expression tightened.
WAYNE: "You need to be careful about making accusations."
Darcy stared at him.
DARCY: "I watched the recording."
Wayne stopped.
DARCY: "I saw the whole thing. I saw Walter sitting quietly. I saw your cousin drag him out of the booth. I saw him hit the display."
Wayne looked toward the office.
WAYNE: "You should not distribute that recording without understanding the legal implications."
DARCY: "I haven't distributed anything. I've preserved it."
WAYNE: "Good. Keep it that way."
Darcy stepped closer.
DARCY: "Why did Vance have papers with Walter's name on them?"
Wayne said nothing.
DARCY: "Why was he talking about the timber road?"
The commissioner looked at her.
WAYNE: "This is a county matter."
DARCY: "Then why did your cousin come here before sunrise?"
Wayne adjusted his jacket.
WAYNE: "I suggest you stay out of matters you don't understand."
Darcy's voice became firm.
DARCY: "I understand what happened in my diner."
Wayne stared at her.
For several seconds, he seemed ready to say something else.
Then he turned and walked out.
Darcy watched him leave.
She knew the visit had not been a friendly inquiry.
It was a warning.
But it had also confirmed something important.
The road dispute was connected to the sheriff's actions.
And the people involved were worried about what the recording might reveal.
Darcy picked up her phone and called the attorney whose contact information Tessa had provided.
DARCY: "I need to report something. Wayne Hollister just came to the diner."
ATTORNEY: "What did he say?"
DARCY: "He warned me not to distribute the footage. He also asked about the recording and told me to stay out of the county matter."
ATTORNEY: "Did he threaten you directly?"
DARCY: "Not in those words."
ATTORNEY: "Please write down everything you remember, including the time he arrived and the exact language he used."
DARCY: "I will."
ATTORNEY: "Do not delete or alter the recording. We will arrange to preserve it properly."
Darcy ended the call.
She looked around the diner.
The place was quiet again.
But the morning had changed everything.
For years, people had accepted that Hollister could do almost anything he wanted. They had learned to avoid confrontation and keep their opinions private.