“How about these?”
Brandon stared at her, then wordlessly snatched the keys from her grasp. He frantically undid the lock on Alejo’s cell and stepped aside. Alejo ambled out into the light and rubbed his eyes. In a blur of motion, he tumbled forward and threw his arms around Brandon.
Brandon hugged him back, releasing a ragged breath into Alejo’s shoulder.
The guilt in Ashley’s stomach tightened.
“Can’t wait to leave a one-star review for this one.” Alejo chuckled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. Dark shadows bored deep into his face. He let go of Brandon and stretched his arms. “The bed was really uncomfortable. No complimentary pillows.”
“You look pretty okay for a guy who’s been in jail for two weeks,” Brandon said.
“You flatter me.” Alejo straightened. “Becky brought me food and shower stuff from home. I’m supposed to be waiting for a transfer to county jail next week.”
“Well,” Brandon said, but he didn’t finish the thought.
Alejo gave the station a cursory glance. “No one came in recently. If Logan’s not here, where is she?”
“I don’t know, but we need a plan.” Brandon adjusted his glasses. “We have to get out of here. We just broke you out of jail, which is an actual crime. I don’t think Paris will overlook that one, even if you guys are friends.”
Alejo shrugged. “We reinvented ourselves before. We can do it again.”
Ashley looked at the two men in awe. This was the same Brandon and Alejo she’d seen on TV, but now they were here in the flesh. They weren’t full of darkness and secrets and pain like she’d thought. They spoke to each other like any two people did. Brandon rubbed the back of his neck. Alejo touched Brandon’s shoulder to comfort him, and Ashley felt like a monster.
“Let’s go,” Brandon said. “We find her and then we pack up tonight.”
“Wait,” Ashley said.
Both men turned to look at her like they’d just remembered she was there. She couldn’t blame Brandon for the disdain plain on his face, but it was Alejo’s expression that was more difficult. It was calm, like he wasn’t even angry. Like he didn’t blame her for the last two weeks. Maybe he didn’t know it was her.
“I wanna help,” Ashley said. “I wanna find her. I was with her when she…”
Brandon’s eyes narrowed. “When she what?”
“Paris might’ve taken her to the hospital in Ontario.”
“Hospital?” Alejo asked. “What happened?”
“We were kind of attacked,” Ashley said. “Well, she was.”
“By who?” Brandon asked. Rage flamed behind his expression. “Is she hurt?”
“A little. I don’t know.” Ashley swallowed. “I didn’t get to talk to her before Sherriff Paris took her. It was John Paris and Paul Miller. They tried to … drown her.”
Brandon met Alejo’s eyes. Ashley watched their hearts break. She clenched and unclenched her fists.
“Me and Logan were trying to find out who’s doing all of this. Who’s hurting people.”
“And you landed on Alejo?” Brandon asked.
“I’m so sorry.” Ashley shook her head. “I know it isn’t you. Me and Logan think it’s … we don’t know what it is. I don’t even think it’s human.”
Brandon and Alejo were quiet again. They communicated in a silent language Ashley didn’t understand, then slowly nodded.