“You’re searching our things?” she snapped. “This is ridiculous. You have no right to do this without a warrant.”
The sheriff nodded slowly, his gaze steady. “Actually, the owners of this house have given me permission, so I do.”
Valentina’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue further.
Sissy stood, her hand braced against the armrest. “I don’t mind. You can search my room. I have nothing to hide.”
Her voice was small, cooperative, and Millie felt a pang of sympathy for her.
Sissy looked genuinely confused. Scared, even.
But not guilty. Only vulnerable—much more so than Millie and Valentina.
“Thank you.” Then the sheriff looked at Millie. “Ms. Anderson?”
“Of course,” Millie said. “Whatever you need.”
The sheriff nodded and gestured toward the stairs. “Let’s start upstairs.”
They moved as a group—Millie, Sissy, Valentina, the sheriff, and Caleb, who’d appeared silently in the doorway.
Millie’s thoughts raced as they climbed the stairs.
Someone inside this house had disabled the alarm. Someone had gone outside last night. Someone had been in or near the woods when that man died.
This person may have even killed the man.
They needed answers. Only someone who was guilty would argue against that.
They reached the second floor, and Millie glanced toward Valentina, who stood stiffly near her door, Pippa still clutched against her chest.
That was when Millie saw it.
The dog’s paws.
Small. White.
And streaked with dried mud.
The dirt wasn’t fresh. The dog hadn’t just gotten muddy this morning.
The mud had time to dry.
Millie’s breath caught.
Valentina claimed she’d been in her room all night.
But Pippa’s paws told a different story.
Millie’s gaze snapped up to Valentina’s face, her pulse roaring in her ears.
Valentina was watching her. And her look clearly warned Millie to stay quiet or else.
chapter
thirty-four
After the roomshad been searched and Sutherland had gone back outside with his deputies, Caleb slipped out to the kennel to clear his head.
