The bullet passed through Gregory\u2019s upper shoulder.<\/p>\n
That was the first piece of good news.<\/p>\n
The second was that no major artery had been hit.<\/p>\n
By midnight, he was in surgery but expected to survive.<\/p>\n
Paige refused to leave the hospital.<\/p>\n
Toby stayed with her.<\/p>\n
Sherry sat alone in a consultation room under police supervision.<\/p>\n
Calvin Reed was missing.<\/p>\n
The person who fired the shot had not yet been identified.<\/p>\n
No firearm had been recovered.<\/p>\n
Security cameras in the old Raven Creek building had been disconnected years earlier.<\/p>\n
The decoy folder disappeared with Calvin.<\/p>\n
That part did not matter.<\/p>\n
Everything inside it existed elsewhere.<\/p>\n
What mattered was Gregory\u2019s final coherent sentence before the ambulance took him.<\/p>\n
Who Monroe really worked for.<\/p>\n
Deputy Collins wanted Sherry interviewed immediately.<\/p>\n
She asked for an attorney.<\/p>\n
For once, I felt relief at hearing her make a sensible decision.<\/p>\n
Then, twenty minutes later, she changed her mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll talk to Mara.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collins frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t how this works.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows what to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at Sherry through the glass panel in the consultation-room door.<\/p>\n
Her gold-jacket confidence was gone.<\/p>\n
She looked older.<\/p>\n
Smaller.<\/p>\n
Still dangerous in the way frightened people can be dangerous.<\/p>\n
But finally frightened of something larger than losing control.<\/p>\n
Harold arrived shortly after midnight.<\/p>\n
He had spent the previous hour dealing with the police, the old corporate office, and the emergency filing over the property.<\/p>\n
When I told him Sherry wanted to speak to me, he said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMara.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarold.\u201d<\/p>\n
He knew that tone.<\/p>\n
He sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least let law enforcement record it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collins agreed.<\/p>\n
Sherry was informed.<\/p>\n
She did not object.<\/p>\n
I entered the room.<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n
Then she said, \u201cGregory always did have terrible timing.\u201d<\/p>\n
My anger returned instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour daughter is sitting upstairs waiting for him to come out of surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen don\u2019t make jokes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice broke slightly.<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
I sat opposite her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho fired the gun?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCalvin?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you be sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was beside me when the lights went out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould he have arranged it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer came quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Calvin doesn\u2019t like violence.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou expect me to find that reassuring?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does he like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
Always that word.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho does Monroe work for?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
Even now, the question frightened her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAvery Monroe is retired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t what Gregory meant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward the mirrored observation window.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want protection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collins\u2019s voice came through a speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat can be discussed with investigators and prosecutors. You need to tell us what the threat is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never meant for any of this to become criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou forged signatures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI justified things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not the same as not knowing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ever do something wrong for what you thought was the right reason?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised her.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course I have.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I didn\u2019t keep doing it for thirty years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Gregory got involved with Raven Creek, I hated it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil you saw money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The admission was quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was terrified of being poor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat does not excuse you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was the first time I had heard her say those words without immediately adding a defense.<\/p>\n
She continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cCalvin paid for information. At first it was harmless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing about spying on Leon was harmless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew it then.\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I let the silence sit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere does Monroe fit?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked toward the ceiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cCalvin was never the real boss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe acted like he was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen things went wrong, he called Monroe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAvery Monroe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Monroe could reach people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat people?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBankers. regulators. judges. prosecutors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold, listening behind the glass, would understand the implications better than I did.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas Robert Vale one of them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Monroe control him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Judicial Ventures?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was new.<\/p>\n
Robert had not simply protected Calvin.<\/p>\n
He had a financial interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Leon know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Leon know about Monroe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Monroe approached him.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heartbeat changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Leon found the fake invoices.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeon to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he threaten him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCalvin told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would Calvin tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he thought it was funny.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was funny?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat Monroe tried to buy Leon before threatening him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of my husband.<\/p>\n
Stubborn.<\/p>\n
Proud.<\/p>\n
Already ill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he offer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuture development.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeon refused.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry\u2019s face became complicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cMonroe told Calvin to make the Huitt problem disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands went cold.<\/p>\n
Collins\u2019s voice interrupted immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cClarify what \u2018disappear\u2019 meant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked alarmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t mean kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRemove the obstacle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe road?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough fraud?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I exhaled.<\/p>\n
For one horrible second, we had approached the question none of us wanted to ask.<\/p>\n
Leon had died of cancer.<\/p>\n
That remained true.<\/p>\n
No conspiracy had caused his illness.<\/p>\n
But powerful people had still tried to exploit his weakening health.<\/p>\n
That was ugly enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho owned North Cape?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Sherry went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cMonroe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert Vale?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvelyn Reed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn paper.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho actually?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked terrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was someone above Monroe.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed to constrict.<\/p>\n
\u201cName.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never met him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cName.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI only heard a surname.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich?\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cVoss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold entered the room without waiting for permission.<\/p>\n
Collins started to object.<\/p>\n
Harold ignored him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat first name?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA politician?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBanker?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBusiness?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold\u2019s face had gone pale.<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know the name.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a financier named Jonathan Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initials hit me.<\/p>\n
J.V.<\/p>\n
Helen\u2019s ledger.<\/p>\n
Not Judicial Ventures.<\/p>\n
Not only that.<\/p>\n
Possibly a person.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas he connected to North Cape?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to verify.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill powerful?\u201d<\/p>\n
He hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt a chill.<\/p>\n
Sherry whispered, \u201cThat\u2019s why Calvin was scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cCalvin?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said Calvin was in control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe pretended.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut not Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Voss want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe marina.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answered the question of persistence.<\/p>\n
People retire.<\/p>\n
Developers fail.<\/p>\n
Judges age.<\/p>\n
But valuable land stays valuable.<\/p>\n
Toby entered the room.<\/p>\n
His face was exhausted.<\/p>\n
I stood immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cGregory?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paige remained upstairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s stable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Relief passed over her face so quickly that I almost missed it.<\/p>\n
Toby saw.<\/p>\n
For the first time since all this began, he looked at her without anger.<\/p>\n
Not forgiveness.<\/p>\n
Just recognition that human beings could hold contradictory things at once.<\/p>\n
He turned to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Harold.<\/p>\n
Then Sherry.<\/p>\n
\u201cJonathan Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toby frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cA financier who built infrastructure funds, real-estate partnerships, and municipal investment vehicles across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow rich?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow connected?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMore important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toby stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Dad was fighting him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry whispered, \u201cLeon knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Helen\u2019s ledger.<\/p>\n
The real financing record.<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Calvin know Helen had a copy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot until recently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did he find out?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry\u2019s eyes dropped.<\/p>\n
I understood before she answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paige would be devastated.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I thought if Calvin got the ledger, he could negotiate with Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProtection.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not Paige.<\/p>\n
Not Toby.<\/p>\n
Not the family.<\/p>\n
For her.<\/p>\n
At last the center of her choices was exposed.<\/p>\n
Sherry pressed both hands against her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did not comfort her.<\/p>\n
Fear explained many things.<\/p>\n
It excused none.<\/p>\n
Toby asked, \u201cWhere is Calvin now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere would he take the ledger?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t have it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe folder at the warehouse wasn\u2019t real.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCalvin told me after he took it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen he still needs Helen\u2019s ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
My blood went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll go back to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Voss will.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked at Harold.<\/p>\n
\u201cCalvin called him before the lights went out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly one sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018She still has the original.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Helen.<\/p>\n
I reached for my phone.<\/p>\n
Before I could dial, it rang.<\/p>\n
Helen\u2019s number.<\/p>\n
I answered instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelen?\u201d<\/p>\n
No response.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then a man spoke.<\/p>\n
Calm.<\/p>\n
Older.<\/p>\n
Educated.<\/p>\n
\u201cMara Huitt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every person in the room froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Jonathan Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold sat down slowly.<\/p>\n
The man continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you have spent the last two days learning a very distorted version of an old business dispute.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to correct it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is Helen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t my question.\u201d<\/p>\n
A soft pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toby moved closer.<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cDid she come willingly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The honesty chilled me more than a lie.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have something more useful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour consent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the road.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Sherry.<\/p>\n
She had gone white.<\/p>\n
Voss continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSign the access release, and Helen goes home.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt every emotion disappear except clarity.<\/p>\n
For thirty years, Leon had refused.<\/p>\n
For days, everyone had lied, pressured, forged, manipulated, and stolen to reach the same point.<\/p>\n
The road.<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toby grabbed my arm.<\/p>\n
Sherry stared.<\/p>\n
Even Harold looked shocked.<\/p>\n
Voss remained calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should think carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMara.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I heard myself breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you needed only my signature, you would have asked years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there\u2019s something else you\u2019re afraid Helen can prove.\u201d<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
That was answer enough.<\/p>\n
I looked at Harold.<\/p>\n
He understood.<\/p>\n
The ledger was worth more than the road.<\/p>\n
It contained something Voss could not allow to survive.<\/p>\n
I said into the phone, \u201cYou don\u2019t want my land.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s voice cooled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think I want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The line went quiet.<\/p>\n
Then he said, \u201cLeon always was clever.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow well?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough to know he should have taken the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd enough to know he wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man who had spent decades hidden behind initials finally sounded almost amused.<\/p>\n
Then he gave me an address.<\/p>\n
An old marina on the north side of the lake.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBring Harold Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the trust release.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about police?\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may bring whoever you like.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cConfident?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice became colder.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrepared.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call ended.<\/p>\n
I stared at the phone.<\/p>\n
Harold whispered, \u201cHe wants something legal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toby looked between us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
I understood before Harold did.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot a signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cA witnessed signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss wanted the trust attorney present.<\/p>\n
Not merely to pressure me.<\/p>\n
To make whatever happened next look legitimate.<\/p>\n
I picked up Leon\u2019s blue folder.<\/p>\n
For the first time, I finally understood why he had built everything around procedure.<\/p>\n
Signatures.<\/p>\n
Witnesses.<\/p>\n
Restrictions.<\/p>\n
Independent records.<\/p>\n
He knew powerful people could fabricate paper.<\/p>\n
So he built protections that required too many people to corrupt at once.<\/p>\n
I looked at Harold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toby said, \u201cThen I\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paige entered behind him.<\/p>\n
Her face was wet from crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo am I.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry stood.<\/p>\n
Everyone turned.<\/p>\n
She said quietly, \u201cYou\u2019ll need me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paige looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry\u2019s answer changed everything again.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Voss doesn\u2019t know I kept a copy of the one document Leon never found.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat document?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe original North Cape ownership agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry looked at Paige.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last place Calvin would ever search.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paige understood first.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy childhood bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherry nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if that document says what I think it says, Jonathan Voss has spent thirty years protecting a secret much bigger than Raven Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bullet passed through Gregory\u2019s upper shoulder. That was the first piece of good news. The second was that no major artery had been hit. By midnight, he was in … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feel-one-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11432"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11479,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11432\/revisions\/11479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}