Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
My dad beamed with pride. “I told you she’d figure it out.”
“So, what deal did you make with the motorcycle gang you arrived with in exchange for showing up with you at the cemetery?” I asked. “An easy assumption since they weren’t seen again after that.”
“She’s good,” Agent Sadler admitted. “Most people wouldn’t have noticed that detail.”
“Sheriff Madison did,” Josh said defensively, standing up for our dad. “He was suspicious of you since the beginning.”
Stone chuckled. “I guess I’m losing my touch.”
“Or Willow Lake’s Sheriff’s Department is a lot sharper than you give them credit for,” my dad countered.
Stone laughed. “I didn’t expect you to have a secret weapon.” He nodded toward me.
Ian’s arm slid around my waist. “I assume you’ll be leaving soon since this case is nearly done.”
“We’ll be gone once we finish tying up loose ends.” Stone’s gaze landed on me. “Now, I need all of you to come down to the police station for interviews about what happened in the mausoleum.” Stone smirked. “And I’ll be handling yours personally, Spicy.”
My dad stepped forward. “I don’t think so and her name is Pepper. I’ll do the interview, and you can sit in if you’d like.”
Ian leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Your dad is the best.”
I smiled. To me, my dad is my superhero, and he always will be.
Chaos erupted at the police station as soon as we arrived.
The second Anderson and Swatcher spotted each other, they started arguing and throwing accusations so fast that I wondered if they’d rehearsed this moment.
Stone barked out an order. “Separate rooms. Let them cool off.”
Sadler took Amy and Beau to be interviewed, while my dad and Stone sat down with Ian and me.
I detailed what happened quickly, eager to ask questions of my own.
Stone leaned back in his chair, watching me carefully and when I finished, said, “How convenient that Anderson just happened to find the bloody knife in the passageway.”
“Or how convenient that he wants us to believe he just found it,” Ian suggested.
“Anderson most likely is working with you guys to clear his name. It doesn’t make sense that he would kill anyone,” I said.
“Unless he’s guilty and doesn’t want us to figure that out,” Stone countered.
Ian nodded. “So, he misdirects.”
“Shifts the blame onto Swatcher,” Stone agreed. “Who, for all we know, was never guilty in the first place.”
My dad leaned forward where he sat at his desk. “But let’s not forget what Pepper said—Swatcher did hire Jones to help him. That’s already suspicious.”
Stone nodded. “And maybe Jones got too greedy and wanted a bigger cut, so Swatcher killed him.”
Ian offered another possibility. “Or maybe Anderson and Swatcher were working together all along, and Anderson turned on him to save himself.”
I glanced at Stone. “Tell me about the vanishing guy?”
Stone hesitated.
And I knew then—whatever he was about to say, it was big.
“You’ve seen for yourself how talented my daughter is when it comes to solving a mystery, even one with a web of players,” my dad said, his tone carrying a clear challenge. “Why not see what she can offer you? Unless, of course, you feel threatened by her skill.”
Stone stood and crossed the room, glancing out the window for a moment before turning his attention to a large rubber tree plant nearby. “I wish they’d add plants in the FBI offices. Sterile spaces lack calm.” Then he looked at me. “Funny that you keep calling him the ‘vanishing guy’ since his name is actually Guy, Guy Braven. Not that you’d expect it from looking at him in a hoodie and biker boots, but he’s a high-end thief—one we caught by accident.”
He folded his arms across his chest and continued. “The way he operated reminded us of another master thief from years ago—one we never caught—known as The Shadow. We suspected Guy was working with him, handling the jobs the aging thief couldn’t pull off anymore. He confirmed it. So, we made a deal. He’d help us take down The Shadow, and in return, we’d work something out for him.”
“And then he slipped away from you,” I said. “No wonder he’s so talented.”
Stone sighed. “Disguises himself just like The Shadow did. We never even came close to catching him.”
I tilted my head. “Then why did you tell Sadler in the hospital stairwell that you wanted him gone?”
“I was worried that either The Shadow or one of Guy’s contacts was in Willow Lake. If they got wind of him being here, they’d either get to him first—or eliminate the problem. What I didn’t expect was to run into an even bigger problem.”
Stone flashed me a knowing smile.
“Excuse me, but I figured out the players in this game, corralled two suspects, and found the secret passageway.”
Stone smirked. “And yet… you still haven’t found the Willow treasure.”
Ian, ever my biggest fan, responded before I could. “She will soon enough.” There was pure confidence in his voice, and I couldn’t help but smile.