“Neither does your family, from what I saw,” Ivy observed. “They just want to know you. The real you, not just the parts you think are acceptable to share.”
The insight struck him with unexpected force. How long had he been compartmentalizing himself? The ranger, the son, the brother, the bear—maintaining careful separation between each aspect rather than integrating them into a complete whole.
“What we learned tonight about those land transactions,” Ivy said after a moment, her voice thoughtful in the moonlit cab. “The pieces are starting to fit together.”
Henry nodded, already assembling the evidence. “The nature center location would be perfect for development if the wildlife corridor restrictions were removed.”
She turned toward him, moonlight in her eyes. “We need to see those county records firsthand.”
“Monday morning,” Henry confirmed. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Chapter
Nineteen
Henry shifted uncomfortablyat the front desk of the County Records Office. Even at this early hour, his bear bristled in the artificial confines with the fluorescent lighting and recycled air.
Beside him, Ivy adjusted the strap of her messenger bag. “Angela should be here already,” Ivy said, glancing at the empty front desk. “Joy said she comes in early on Mondays.”
As if summoned by her name, a door behind the reception counter swung open. A woman with a practical bob and reading glasses emerged, arms laden with file folders. She smiled when she spotted Ivy.
“You must be Dr. Bright,” she called, setting down her files and coming around the counter with extended hand. “Joy’s told me all about you and your nature center project.”
Henry observed the instant rapport that formed between the women, another example of Ivy’s natural ability to connect with people. Her smile seemed to brighten the institutional lighting as she introduced Henry.
“This is Henry Kincaid, Forest Service ranger and Joy’s cousin. We’re working on the nature center project together.” Henry nodded in acknowledgment.
“Let me show you what I’ve found so far,” Angela said.
Angela led them through the reception area toward a back room filled with file cabinets and computer terminals. “You’re lucky you came early. This place turns into a madhouse after nine.”
The records room smelled of printer ink and dusty folders. Henry felt his shoulders tighten as the ceiling seemed to press down on him, but he pushed the sensation aside. The ranger in him recognized this as just another kind of tracking, following a paper trail instead of paw prints.
“I’ve pulled everything related to the nature center location and surrounding parcels for the past five years,” Angela explained, gesturing to a workspace where several bound volumes and manila folders waited. “Property transfers, zoning applications, variance requests—anything that seemed connected to what Joy mentioned.”
Henry’s attention immediately fixed on a large map spread across one table, showing the nature center boundaries and adjacent properties. His ranger instincts drew him toward it while Ivy began scanning through a stack of documents.
“This is the official survey map?” he asked, already noting discrepancies between what was marked here and what he’d observed on the ground.
Angela nodded. “The most current one on file. Shows property lines, zoning classifications, protected areas—everything that’s legally registered.”
They then got to work, reading through the documents, working methodically, side by side. “Look at this,” Ivy said after nearly an hour of searching. “Porter’s company has purchased seven parcels surrounding the nature center in the past eighteen months. And the timing of these purchases corresponds with the initial nature center proposal.”
A deep, satisfied growl rumbled in Henry’s chest before he could stop it. The sound was quiet but unmistakably bear. The breakthrough felt like tracking an elusive predator and finally discovering its den.
As the morning progressed, they built a complex web of connections. Various shell companies formed a circle around the nature center property, positioned strategically to benefit from any development opportunities. The purchases had been carefully timed and structured to avoid drawing attention.
“Here,” Henry said suddenly, pulling a document from near the bottom of a stack. “Porter’s development application. For a ‘Mountain Recreation Complex’ that would require access through the exact corridor we’ve been having issues with.”
Ivy moved to his side immediately, their bodies gravitating toward each other as they examined the paperwork together. The application had been filed just days before the nature center contract was awarded to Vance Construction.
“This can’t be coincidence,” Ivy murmured, her voice tightening. “The application depends on changing protected land status that’s currently guaranteed by the wildlife corridor.”
Henry’s finger traced the map attached to Porter’s application. “His project needs the nature center to fail, or at least to have those corridor protections weakened.”
Their discovery energized them, sending them deeper into the records.
“Ivy,” he said, his voice low with purpose. “Look at these variance applications Porter filed.”
