For the first time, Paula faltered. Her gaze dropped to the floor, her mouth working before the words finally came out.
“Because I haven’t been able to let go of Harris’ disappearance,” Paula murmured. “I’ve kept looking. All these years. I stayed in contact with Leah and Randall.” She hesitated, her voice lowering even more. “More with Randall. Leah… Leah is difficult to deal with. Always has been.”
Paula’s words hung there, heavy with things unsaid. Garrett studied her face, searching for the crack between grief and guilt.
Sheriff Raines straightened, his voice carrying the weight of command. “Paula, go to interview room one and wait for me. I’ll need you to sign your statement and then you can go. Not home though. You’ll need to figure out some other place to go.”
Paula gave a quick nod and slipped out, her footsteps fading down the hall.
The sheriff closed the office door behind her before turning back to them. His expression was tired but steady. “I brought her here so she wouldn’t be at her place while the CSIs were still working the scene. Less distraction for them.”
Garrett gave a short nod. He could respect the strategy.
“I’ve got no grounds to hold her so I’ll be releasing her in a couple of minutes, as soon as she’s signed her statement,” Raines went on. “And for the rest, I’ve got Leah and Anais scheduled for later this afternoon. Randall will be first thing in the morning.”
Garrett felt the knot in his stomach tighten. They were finally getting movement on the people who mattered most in this puzzle, and each one of them carried a piece of the truth about Harris.
“Why didn’t Randall want to come in with his wife and daughter?” Garrett had to ask.
Raines let out a slow breath, his hand brushing along his jaw. “From what I can tell, there’s some tension there. I’m not sure what or the source, but Leah made it clear she didn’t want Randall present when she and Anais sat down with me. He didn’t push it. Just agreed to come in on his own tomorrow morning.”
Garrett felt the weight of that settle in his gut. Families broke apart in silence, the kind that bred secrets.
“And don’t worry,” the sheriff continued a moment later, “we’ll be looking into Paula’s claim about Anais and that militia group. If there’s anything to it, we’ll uncover it.”
Garrett gave a single nod, though the unease coiled tighter in his chest. Every answer only seemed to open three more questions.
Isla and he walked out of the station into the bright midday sun. A black SUV sat parked at the curb, gleaming and new.Noah had kept his word. Garrett pulled out his phone, tapped in the security code Noah had texted, and the locks clicked open.
They climbed inside, shutting out the noise of the street. Isla pulled her seat belt into place, her expression already shifting into work mode. “I’ll be digging into that militia myself,” she said. “If Anais is mixed up with them, there will be some kind of footprint.”
Garrett started the engine, the low hum settling into his bones. “Good. If Anais really was behind the attack, she could have used a sharpshooter friend to do the job.” His grip tightened on the wheel as he glanced her way. “But the bigger question is why. Why target us?”
Isla tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in thought.
“Maybe,” Garrett said, voice flat, “she’s going to extreme measures to point the finger away from her mother and father.”
The silence that followed was thick, heavy with possibilities Garrett wished he could rule out.
The county hospital rose ahead, a low sprawl of beige brick and glass framed by rows of tired oaks. Garrett pulled the SUV into the visitor lot, and he and Isla made their way inside, the smell of disinfectant hitting him the moment the doors slid open.
On the recovery wing, they spotted trouble right away. Leah stood near Trudy’s room, her voice raised as she tried to reason with the guard posted there. It wasn’t Cal this time but another Crossfire Ops operative, Jackson Ward, someone Garrett and Isla both knew and trusted. Jackson’s arms were folded, his stance unyielding.
“I just want to see her,” Leah pressed, flustered, her words tumbling out fast. “I need to ask her a few questions.”
“What questions?” Garrett snapped, the words sharp enough to make her stiffen.
Leah’s gaze flicked past Jackson to him, then to Isla. She drew in a breath, motioning for them to follow her. With a look back at Jackson, Garrett gave a nod, and the man stayed put while they moved a few steps up the hall.
“I need to ask Trudy if she thinks it’s possible, if she has any proof,” Leah whispered, the anger in her eyes giving way to something raw. “Because I think it was Randall who took our son.”
Chapter Ten
Isla mentally repeated what Leah had just said. She certainly hadn’t expected Leah to point the finger at her own husband.
“Why would Randall take Harris?” Isla couldn’t ask fast enough.
Leah’s eyes glittered, sharp with conviction. “Because Randall would have wanted to choose the family who raised his son. He wouldn’t have wanted to leave that to social services. He’s controlling. Secretive.” Her mouth tightened. “That’s who he is.”
