Holy shit.Ingram lied?
He brings up a window full of code lines. “This clip wasn’t filmed months ago,” he says. “It was filmed seven days ago.”
The room goes still. The world tilts.
Anton’s jaw tightens.
I have been working next to a man who deliberately tampered with evidence, who likely sent me in the wrong direction, who sloppily managed a woman’s death…for what?
I furrow my brows. “Did Ingram know Zoe?”
Wouldhehave wanted her dead?
Enzo is the only one in the room who’s been in this town that long. “Not that I know of. There’s a big age difference, so they never went to school together. He has a family, and his kids are too young to be her friends. No work connectionor social groups they belong to that I know of. We can dig if you’d like. It was our next thought to check into this, but we won’t do anything if you don’t greenlight it.”
A cold ripple crawls down my spine.
“Ingram is lying about the timestamp to bury something,” Ava says, more pointedly than Enzo was willing, “or he was trying to burysomeone.”
Anton’s hand slides into mine under the table. I glance over, and there in his gaze is that protective beast. He doesn’t want me near Ingram anymore.
And I don’t want to be near him either because I’ll have to pretend none of this happened. GhostEye hasn’t been sanctioned to do this work. I can’t bring this all forward to Callum…
But if Ingram was willing to cover his tracks by tampering with his bodycam, what else is he willing to do? All I have right now is that he lied about a timestamp and pulling someone over. I need more. I needwhy.
“I’m going to see Zoe’s parents,” I say. “Today. Feel free to dig into connections between Ingram and Zoe if you have time.”
Ava nods firmly. “We’ll make time.”
I’m doubtful that in a town of this size, Ingram would have been able to hide a deep association with anyone, but why would he obstruct justice?
He has to have a hell of a good reason because getting fired is the tip of the iceberg. This is a felony. He would only risk that to avoid a far bigger consequence.
Did he risk a felony to avoid a murder charge?
Concern blazes in Anton’s eyes. “I’ll come with you.”
He doesn’t want me to be alone anymore. Not with these lies swirling around me. Not if Ingram finds out I know about Andy…
He hedges his offer. “If that’s what you want?”
Something is off, and whether I meant to or not, I’ve put myself right at the center of it. I’m capable, but I’m not just protecting myself; I have our baby to think about. And when people have a lot on the line, or worse, nothing to lose, the threat heightens tenfold. So hell yeah, I want Anton with me.
I nod.
He takes my jacket off the back of my chair to help me into it.
“Before we walk out that door,”—he turns back to Ava and Enzo—“let’s all get something straight.”
All eyes are on him.
“Nobody shares this,” he orders. “No one. Not with patrol. Not with admin. Not with Callum.”
Ava blinks. “Even Callum?”
“I don’t give a damn if he’s chief of police,” Anton says, voice calm and terrifyingly firm. “Until we know exactly who we’re dealing with, Freya’s safety comes first—not hierarchy, not courtesy, not old partnerships. This town is small. If Ingram hears any of this…”
He plants one hand on the table, leaning forward slightly—unmistakably alpha. “When people try to cover up mistakes, they get desperate. And somebody, maybe Ingram, is desperate. You get me?”
