“I don’t know why you didn’t receive the message,” Mary said.
I suspected it would be simple to confirm their story, which meant…
Dungar’s gaze met mine, and I could see the same realization dawning in his eyes.
If Mary, Ava, and Joyce weren’t the thieves, then who was?
And what had we missed while we’d been watching the wrong people?
Chapter 25
Dungar
The walk to the sheriff’s office felt like a funeral procession. I flanked the three women while Riley walked in front, her hand resting casually on her weapon. My brothers surrounded our group, their big frames creating an impenetrable escort along Main Street.
The night air carried the scent of cooling earth and distant pine, but all I could focus on was the failure of my carefully constructed operation. If they were telling the truth, something we’d be able to confirm quickly, then every detail I’d planned, every contingency I’d mapped, and every protocol I’d established had been based on false assumptions.
“I still can’t believe you think I’d harm the luminooks,” Mary said with a touch of hurt in her tone as we climbed the steps to the jail. “I was so careful to follow the king’s instructions.”
I may have missed something fundamental.
Inside the office, my brothers gathered around my desk while I urged the women to sit.
“I’m going to question each of you separately,” I said. Common procedure to see if there were holes in their stories.
“Do you need us any longer?” Tark asked, glancing toward the dark window. It had to be after midnight. They must be as tired as me.
“No, thanks.” My lips thinned. “I’ll reach out in the morning.”
Each one of them hugged Riley and me before leaving, their acceptance of her as my mate warming me through.
The last to leave, Greel squeezed my shoulder before turning toward the door. “Call if you need anything.”
When the door closed behind them, silence settled over the office. Mary, Ava, and Joyce sat in the three chairs I’d arranged in a precise line facing my desk. Riley positioned herself off to the side, her hand on the hilt of her weapon.
I nudged my head to the small room on one side, beyond the jailcell. “Joyce first.” At my urging, she went ahead of me into the storage closet, me following with a chair. After shutting the door, I pointed. “Have a seat.”
She did as I asked, her hands trembling.
“Let’s start from the beginning,” I said. “You said you came to Lonesome Creek because Mary recommended it?”
Joyce nodded. “I mentioned that Mary and I went to college together. We’ve stayed in touch over the years.When I told her I needed a vacation, she suggested this place. She said it was beautiful and peaceful.”
I wrote down her response in a doc on my phone, noting the consistency with her earlier statement. “And the phone call yesterday about everything being ready for tonight?”
“I was confirming with Ava that her camera equipment was all set. The king wanted documentation of the process.” Joyce glanced toward the door. “I wanted to make sure we could help properly.”
A quick scroll on the internet showed that Joyce’s background check came back clean.
When I’d finished with her, I opened the door. “Please wait with Mary. Send Ava in next.”
Joyce scurried from the small room and Ava soon appeared, sitting before I asked.
I went through the same details, focusing on her role as photographer.
She shifted in her chair. “The timing was crucial, according to Mary. New moon phase, optimal conditions for environmental adaptation. I spent the day checking my equipment, making sure everything was calibrated correctly.”
Ava’s credentials also verified perfectly; her online portfolio showed years of legitimate wildlife photography.
