He’s a tall, built man, towering to at least six-seven. I think his family descends from giants because his father and brothers are just as freakishly large. His father was a sheriff, and his father before. Pretty sure a couple of his brothers are cops, too. One big family of gigantic cops. Just what the world needs, right. Scruff peppers Sheriff Walters’s cheeks, and his brown eyes are tired and wary. I already gave the run down to the responding officer, but when I told him a man was missing and I was gifted a bloody rose, he was more concerned about getting a search party going. Considering dense woods surround me, it’s likely the man took Arch on foot until he managed to get him into a car somewhere and drive off. I sniff, wiping snot from my nose and nodding my head. “Yeah, sure.” “Can you give me the name of the man who was with you here tonight?” “Archibald Talaverra,” I answer robotically. I guess Arch being pretentious and giving me his full name paid off. I almost smile, yet it’s anything but funny. The sheriff doesn’t speak right away. I glance at him and note his bushy black eyebrows are raised high on his forehead. “Talaverra, huh? This man might’ve done you a favor,” he says, muttering the last part. “What?” I squeak out, the corners of my eyes rounding. The sheriff sighs and runs a hand through his thick, dark hair. In his younger years, I’m sure he was attractive. But now, silver is invading his hair, and wrinkles line the edges of his eyes and mouth. He looks aged and weathered, and over the years, I’ve watched his eyes grow dull and tired. “The Talaverra’s are known criminals,” he informs me. My eyes pop, and in that moment, I realize my mother did a terrible job raising me. My life choices are questionable at best lately. I’m going to need to have a long hard talk with the She-Devil from above. She’s been trying to kill me off, I think. And I’m starting to wonder if I should just let Her. “What kind of criminals?” Sheriff Walters twists his chapped lips to the side, seeming to contemplate what he wants to say. “Nothing has been proven. Never any sufficient evidence. But they deal in cocaine primarily. Allegedly,” he tacks on at the end, side-eyeing me. “What I can say 1s Archibald has been accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife several times. He’s gotten out of the charges unscathed, of course. But he’s known to be a very violent man.” I turn my head and cover my face with my hands.