Caleb Morgan noticed the yellow ribbon before he noticed the girl.
It fluttered from the left mirror of his black Indian Challenger, bright against the chrome, twisting in the late-afternoon wind outside Rosie's Roadhouse.
Caleb stopped halfway across the parking lot.
He was certain it hadn't been there when he'd gone inside for coffee twenty minutes earlier.
Then he saw her.
A little girl, perhaps eight years old, stood beside the motorcycle with both hands clasped behind her back.
She wore faded jeans, red sneakers, and a denim jacket covered with tiny embroidered stars.
Beside the diner entrance stood an older woman watching nervously.
Caleb approached slowly.
"Did you put that there?"
The girl nodded.
"Is that okay?"
Caleb looked at the ribbon.
"Depends."
Her face fell.
He smiled.
"Why'd you do it?"
She looked at the large winged emblem stitched across his leather vest.
IRON HARBOR RIDERS.
"My dad had that."
Caleb's smile disappeared.
"He rode with Iron Harbor?"
Another nod.
"What was his name?"
The girl looked toward the older woman.
The woman stepped forward.
"Lily, come inside."
"But Grandma—"
"Now, please."
Lily lowered her head.
Before walking away, she touched the ribbon.
"Daddy always had a yellow one."
Caleb watched them disappear into the diner.
Something tightened in his chest.
Iron Harbor wasn't enormous, but Caleb had ridden with the club for sixteen years. He knew most members across the regional chapters.
He couldn't remember anyone whose young daughter tied yellow ribbons to motorcycles.
Inside, Caleb found the woman sitting with Lily in a booth.
He approached carefully.
"Ma'am?"
She looked up.
"My name's Caleb Morgan. I'm not trying to bother you."
"I know who you are."
That surprised him.
She nodded toward his vest.
"Road captain."
Caleb glanced down.
"Yes."
The woman introduced herself as Ruth Daniels.
Lily was her granddaughter.
Caleb sat across from them only after Ruth gestured toward the empty seat.
"Her father's name was Daniel Reed," Ruth said.
The name hit Caleb immediately.
Danny Reed.
Young mechanic.
Quiet.
Funny once he trusted you.
Caleb hadn't seen him in years.
"I remember Danny."
Ruth's expression hardened.
"Then you may remember he disappeared four years ago."
Caleb frowned.
"Disappeared?"
Ruth stared at him.
"You really don't know."
"Know what?"
Lily pulled another yellow ribbon from her pocket.
Her small fingers tightened around it.
"My daddy went riding with your club."
She looked directly at Caleb.
"And he never came home."
Caleb didn't leave town that evening.
He booked a room at a roadside motel and called three people before unpacking his bag.
The first was Marcus Hale, president of the Iron Harbor Riders.
"Daniel Reed?" Marcus repeated.
"Yeah."
"He left the club years ago."
"Why?"
A pause.
"Family stuff, I think."
Caleb stared through the motel window.
"Did he disappear on a ride?"
Another pause.
"I don't remember that."
That answer bothered Caleb.
The second call went to Roy Jensen, an older rider who had once supervised Danny at the club's repair garage.
Roy remembered more.
"Danny wasn't officially on a club ride," he said. "There was some trouble outside Marston."
"What kind?"
"Storm. Flooding. Highway closed."
"And?"
"I heard he went missing helping people."
"Who?"
"No idea."
Caleb's third call was to someone he hadn't spoken with in six years.
Evan Cole.
Former Iron Harbor member.
The moment Caleb said Danny's name, Evan became silent.
"You should leave this alone."
That was all Caleb needed to hear.
"No."
"Caleb."
"What happened?"
Evan exhaled slowly.
"Four years ago there was a charity ride through Benton County. Twenty-three bikes. Weather turned bad."
"I don't remember any charity ride."
"It wasn't officially registered."
Caleb sat straighter.