Saturday began before dawn with sleet tapping against Cole's bedroom window. He had slept in short intervals, waking each time a car passed on the county road and remembering that Lily was spending another night in the apartment where Brandon knew the stairs and every entrance. At five thirty he checked his messages. Lily had sent one before bed saying that Anna would arrive by afternoon and that she intended to work the first part of her shift because she did not want Brandon deciding where she could earn a living.
Cole understood the choice even if he wished she had been somewhere safer. He sent a brief acknowledgment and left the rest alone. During the night he had spoken again with Dex, who was traveling with eight other longtime friends toward Cedar Hollow. Cole had repeated his conditions: they were not there to confront anyone, they were not going to enter the diner as a group, and they would leave if their presence frightened Lily or created a danger. Dex had answered with a seriousness that reminded Cole why their friendship had survived so many changes in both their lives.
"We're not twenty years old anymore," Dex said. "We know when a witness is worth more than a fist."
"I hope so."
"You still know how to insult a man while asking for a favor."
Cole smiled into the dark. "It's a skill."
By six forty-five he was parked a short distance east of the Mountain View Diner. He could see the front door, the employee parking area, and most of Main Street. Marlene had agreed that if Brandon entered, she would address him as the owner. Ray would contact the appropriate dispatcher if there were threats or a refusal to leave, and Josh would keep the front exit clear. Nobody had assigned Lily the job of facing him down. She had been explicit about not wanting to perform courage for an audience, and Cole had agreed.
At seven three, her car arrived. She got out, took a moment to steady herself, then went through the employee entrance. Cole recognized the familiar effort in that pause. The important thing was not that she no longer felt fear; it was that she had a plan that did not require pretending fear was absent.
At seven twenty-two, Brandon's black pickup turned onto Main Street. Cole felt his shoulders tighten. The truck passed the diner once, returned, and parked beside the rear fence, where Lily would see it if she looked through the kitchen window. Brandon stayed in the cab for several minutes. His presence was deliberate, and Cole knew what message it was intended to send.
Cole texted Marlene that Brandon was outside. She answered that she knew and that Lily had stepped into the office. Ray acknowledged the same information. There was nothing more for Cole to do except remain available and avoid giving Brandon an excuse to shift the attention to a fight between men.
When Brandon finally got out, he closed the truck door with unusual care. He was wearing a dark jacket and work boots, and his expression had the flat, exhausted look of someone who had slept very little and decided to blame another person for it. He entered the diner, stopped just inside, and scanned the room.