"This wasn't the sickness," Corin said, his voice flat. "This was deliberate."
"How can you tell?"
"The contamination kills slowly. This..." He pulled out a frame, and the dark residue dripped from it like tar. "This is poison. Someone came here and poisoned my hive."
Chloe's stomach turned. "Who would do that?"
"I don't know." But his jaw was tight, his eyes hard. "But I must find out."
A voice called from the direction of the road.
"Corin? Everything alright?"
They both turned. Jasper Mince was walking toward them from the gravel drive, a toolbox in one hand and a concerned expression on his weathered face. His sandy hair was ruffled by the wind, and he wore the same work boots and heavy jacket he always did.
"Jasper." Corin's voice was carefully neutral. "What are you doing here?"
"Dropping off those hive tools you ordered. Left them at the Mercantile last week, remember? Rufus asked me to bringthem out since I was passing through." He held up the toolbox as evidence, then frowned at the open hive. "What happened there?"
"Someone poisoned it."
Jasper's expression shifted to shock. Genuine, convincing shock. "Poisoned? Who the hell would poison a beehive?"
"That's what I'd like to know."
"Jesus.” Jasper set the toolbox down and moved closer, peering at the dead bees with what looked like real distress. "I've been doing deliveries in this area for fifteen years. Never seen anything like this. You think it's connected to all that trouble with the soil?"
"Probably."
"Damn shame." Jasper shook his head slowly, his eyes flicking to Chloe. His expression was sympathetic, nothing like the cold accusation she'd seen at Freya's shop from Paul. "You doing okay? I heard you had a rough time the other day. Collapsed or something?"
Chloe forced herself to nod. "I'm fine. Just overworked."
"Glad to hear it. This whole mess has been hard on everyone." He turned back to Corin, his manner open and friendly. "Listen, if there's anything I can do to help, you let me know. I've got contacts with some beekeepers over in Asheville. Might be able to get you some replacement colonies once this all settles down."
"I appreciate that."
"Course." Jasper picked up the toolbox and handed it to Corin. "Hope you find whoever did this. Sick bastard, poisoning bees. What kind of person does that?"
He nodded to both of them, then headed back toward his truck.
"Nice of him to offer help," she said.
"Jasper's always been like that. Reliable." Corin's voice was distant, his attention still on the dead hive. "He's been running deliveries around here since before I took over the orchard."
Chloe nodded, filing the information away. Jasper Mince seemed like exactly the kind of person every small town needed. Steady. Helpful. The sort who showed up without being asked.
"You think this is connected to whoever's been watching me?" she asked quietly.
"Has to be." Corin's jaw tightened. "First the well, then your collapse, now this. Someone's escalating."
"Paul Whitmore was pretty vocal about blaming me. And he's been making deliveries around the affected areas too."
Corin was quiet, staring at the dead hive. "Paul runs his mouth, but I don't know if he's got the knowledge to pull something like this off. Breaking old seals, using concealment magic..." He shook his head. "That takes more than grudges."
"Then who?"
"I don't know. But I need to find out. And when I do, they're going to answer for it."
