He waited, curious to hear how she’d respond.
She stared at the sheriff, her expression hardening. Then she set Pippa carefully on the couch beside her and folded her arms. “I don’t have to answer your questions. Not without a lawyer present.”
Caleb’s chest tightened. Those were generally the words of someone who was guilty.
His suspicions toward her grew.
The sheriff didn’t react, didn’t so much as blink. He simply nodded and closed his notebook. “That’s your right, Ms. Reyes. If you’d like to contact an attorney, you’re welcome to do so.”
Valentina stood, her movements controlled, her chin lifted. “I came here because I needed help. Because I was afraid. And now you’re treating me like a criminal. I don’t appreciate it.”
“I’m only asking questions,” Sutherland said. “You’re the one getting defensive.”
She didn’t respond. Instead, she scooped Pippa into her arms and stormed past Caleb without making eye contact. Her footsteps were quick and heavy as she headed toward the stairs.
Caleb waited until he heard her door close before letting out a slow breath.
Sheriff Sutherland stood and turned toward him, his expression tight. “Well, that was interesting.”
“She’s hiding something.” There was no need for Caleb to keep that thought quiet. He and Sutherland both knew it was likely true.
“Maybe.” Sutherland tucked his notebook into his jacket. “Or maybe she’s scared and doesn’t know how to handle being questioned. People react differently under pressure.”
Caleb shook his head. “You saw the footage. Someone left this house last night. Someone who knew the alarm code.”
“I did see the footage. And I also saw a figure in a black coat with her face covered. That’s not enough to make an arrest. It’s not even enough to hold her for questioning if she doesn’t want to cooperate.”
Caleb’s frustration spiked. “So what now?”
“Now I talk to the other two women,” Sutherland said. “See if their stories line up. Check their clothing for mud, grass, anything that might place them outside recently.”
Caleb nodded, but the unease in his chest didn’t ease.
He couldn’t picture Millie sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet someone in the woods. She’d been rattled since she arrived, looking over her shoulder and jumping at shadows. And he definitely couldn’t see her hurrying outside to kill someone. She wasn’t a cold-blooded murderer.
And Sissy? Heavily pregnant, moving slowly, exhausted most of the time. The idea of her walking to the back of the property in the dead of night felt absurd.
But Valentina . . .
Valentina fit.
She’d arrived at the right time. She had the right build. And now she was refusing to answer questions.
“Caleb, I know this is hard,” Sutherland said. “But don’t go questioning them on your own. Don’t push. You could compromise the investigation and fracture the trust you have with these ladies. I don’t want that for you.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Understood.”
The sheriff studied him a moment. “I know you want to protect them. But right now, the best thing you can do is step back and let me do my job.”
Caleb didn’t argue, but his thoughts churned.
He needed to step back and let the process unfold.
He understood the logic. He even agreed with it.
But this was his refuge. His responsibility.
And someone staying in this house, one of the women he was supposed to protect, had walked toward the woods in the middle of the night.
