Liza sat on the ground under a large oak tree. The flash of police lights and people in uniform scurrying around were stark contrasts to the tranquil setting she’d arrived in. That word again—contrast. Nothing was as it seemed. Everything was beautiful and dangerous. Tranquil and chaotic. Peaceful and deadly.

During her brief stay in Halden’s Mill, already two men had been murdered and, somehow, she was involved. A young officer stood nearby, doing everything in his power to not look her way while all the time keeping an eye on her.

That she had an officer ensuring she didn’t run off was only proof that Chief Murphy suspected her of something.

Could he really think she’d killed the old men? No, he had Conall pegged for that. At least one of them had been murdered before she arrived in town. She could prove that if necessary. And what of Marcas and Conall? Neither of them had returned to the house.

Liza didn’t know what to think of Marcas. In LA, he’d seemed so relaxed and in control, much like his father, but here he was like a madman trying to hold himself together. Now, he almost seemed to be avoiding her.

She knew he was worried about his brother, and she struggled to be understanding, but she couldn’t help feeling like he had been the one to get her into this and now he was never around. Again, she thought she might pack her things and go home—if she didn’t end up in jail. Being the lone outsider made her nervous.

The sound of approaching voices drew Liza’s attention to the side of the house, where Chief Murphy and Fallon were approaching. They were speaking too low for her to catch their words, but Fallon’s animated gestures gave the impression that she wasn’t happy.

Chief Murphy motioned for her to wait where she was. Fallon opened her mouth to say something else, but the chief raised a finger in warning, and she closed it. Liza marveled that she gave in to him so easily. She guessed people in small towns had more respect for the law than what she was used to in the city.

Liza stood as the officer approached. She tried to hide her nervousness but knew he would see right through her act. She still didn’t understand the dynamics of the people of Halden’s Mill, but she knew that this man was not one to underestimate.

“Miss McCarthy,” he said in way of greeting.

Liza nodded. “Chief Murphy.” She wrung her hands before shoving them into the pockets of her jeans.

“No need to be nervous. I don’t bite.”

“I’m not nervous. Well, yes, I am, but not about you. It’s just…you know, all this.” She nodded toward the house.

“All this, as you put it, is the third murder this week in a town that hasn’t seen a murder in over a decade. Does that seem strange to you, Miss McCarthy? It seems strange to me.”

Liza wasn’t sure if he was expecting an answer. She didn’t give one.

“We get quite a few strangers in the Mill. You probably wouldn’t guess that, us being such a remote town. Do you know why we get so many strangers?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “They’re drawn here. Drawn by an evil that you couldn’t possibly imagine.” His eyes locked on hers. “Or could you, Miss McCarthy?”

The chief looked calm and relaxed, but his voice held an edge that threatened to cut if she answered wrong. Liza closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to gather her thoughts. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but I had never heard of Halden’s Mill until Brianna Finn called me in Los Angeles after the first murder. I still don’t understand why I’m here.”

He nodded, whether in agreement or simple acknowledgement, she wasn’t sure. “Fallon said the same thing. The question is, why did Brianna call you?”

Liza shrugged. “You would have to ask her.”

“I’m asking you.”

“I don’t know! Why does everyone keep asking me that? I met Marcas in a coffee shop in Los Angeles, and we dated for about a month. I thought we got along well together. I thought I meant something to him, but he just took off and obviously I was wrong.” Liza pressed her lips together. She hadn’t meant to say that, hadn’t even realized herself how hurt she was.

She turned away, not wanting to cry in front of this man. She didn’t want to cry anymore at all.

“When did you last see Marcas?” Murphy’s voice was softer.

Liza paused. She and Fallon had agreed not to tell the police about Conall. Liza wasn’t so sure that was the best idea. “Earlier today,” she said. That was the truth, at least.

He gave no indication whether or not he believed her. “Tell me what happened here. What really happened—not whatever Fallon told you to say.” He smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. Fallon would never do anything to hinder this case, but the Finns have their own way of doing things. I put up with some of it because of who they are.” His voice hardened. “You, Miss McCarthy, are not a Finn.”

Liza got the message. She told him everything, beginning with Fallon and her entering the house and ending with Fallon finding her on the kitchen floor. The pendant was another thing they’d agreed not to share yet. Through her entire story, the police chief stood with his arms crossed, making no comment and taking no notes.

“You and Fallon are like two peas in a pod,” he said after she finished. “That worries me. Fallon’s a good girl but wild. She thinks she’s special when it comes to following the rules. One day that’s gonna bite her, if you get my meaning.”

Liza tried to hold his gaze but finally looked away.

“I know this sounds cliché, especially to a city girl like you, but don’t leave town. If something spooks you, come to me with it, but don’t be taking off. We may look like a rinky-dink police force, but my reach is long. Take off, and I’ll haul your ass right back here. We clear on that?”

Liza nodded. He gave her one more hard look before turning and stalking back to the house. Liza waited as Fallon approached. She was talking on her cell phone. She ended the conversation and shoved the phone in her back pocket.

“We have to get to Brianna’s. She says something’s not right around her house, but it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Tír na nÓg or the fae, so she can’t really tell what it is.”

Liza nodded. “That cop doesn’t like me much.”

“Don’t mind him. He’s just a grumpy-pants sometimes. Comes with the job. Jim’s a good guy when you get to know him.”

“I hope I don’t get to know him too well.” Liza poked her friend. “He sure has the hots for you, though.”

Fallon’s light mood turned dark. “Jim’s a great guy, just not the right one.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Never mind. Let’s get to Bri and see what’s up.”

The two women drove Marcas’s car the short distance to Halden’s Mill. Fallon assured Liza that Marcas would be okay with that. The town seemed to have come alive. “I haven’t seen this many people outside since I’ve been here,” Liza said.

Fallon looked around. “The place does seem to be hopping, doesn’t it? Is there a party I wasn’t invited to? No, wait, that couldn’t happen. Everyone invites me to their parties.”

Liza noticed a few of the townspeople stare at the car as it passed, as though they were seeing it for the first time. Or maybe they were just used to seeing Marcas driving it.

“Creepy,” Fallon muttered.

“You feel it, too?”

“Yeah.”

Fallon drove across town to Brianna’s house and pulled into the driveway. Across the street, a couple stood in the shade of a maple tree, gawking at them. Fallon climbed out of the car and yelled, “Hey there, Jesse, Linda. What’s up?”

“Hey Fallon,” the man Liza assumed to be Jesse answered. “Has Brianna been sick or something? We haven’t seen her out of her house in a long time.”

“I can’t remember the last time I saw her in town,” Linda added.

“She’s fine,” Fallon answered. “You know Bri, likes to hide with her books and crochet. She’s turning into quite the old maid.” She pulled Liza toward the house. “You guys take care. Nice talking to you.” As they climbed the steps of the front porch, Liza heard her mutter, “This isn’t good.”

The two women barged into Brianna’s house which, Liza realized, seemed to be always unlocked.

“I heard what you said out there, Fallon,” Brianna said. “I am not an old maid.”

Fallon laughed. “It was the first thing that popped into my head.”

“You were talking to Linda and Jesse?”

“Yeah. They’re concerned that they haven’t seen you around town lately. They shouldn’t have that thought. Shouldn’t even notice.”

“With three of the seven Old Ones now dead, their influence on the town is weakening. We will have to be very careful from now on, or people will begin to notice that some of the things we do are rather odd.”

Liza tried to keep up with the two women. “You told me earlier that the Old Ones surround the town and use some kind of magic so people see you as normal, right?”

“That’s right,” Fallon said.

“And fewer Old Ones means…?”

“Less protection,” Brianna finished. “Four Old Ones cannot protect us and keep an eye on who approaches the town. It isn’t enough.”

“So, what happens now?” Liza asked. “What do we do?”

Brianna shrugged. “I don’t know. This has never happened before. We need to get Mom and Dad together with the remaining Old Ones. They have the most knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, with only four Old Ones left, they have to spread out and stay in place. When all seven of them were alive, any two could move about the town while the others held the perimeter. They can’t do that with only four.”

“What if any more Old Ones are murdered?”

Brianna looked at Liza, her deep brown eyes showing the fear that Liza felt growing within herself. “That, dear Liza, would be disastrous.”