Heart's Desire

Chapter 22 - Monty

Freya frowns. "Our parents aren't wealthy, though."

Sheriff Page turns sharp eyes on her. "They own over ten-thousand acres of land, Ms. Hunter. That's worth millions."

"But this is our family's terri— our home," Freya argues. "Our parents would never sell even a piece of it, and neither would any of us."

Page shrugs. "Never say never. Besides, the house was insured, as were your parents' lives."

"As are their lives," Dane corrects. "They'd have to be declared dead for anyone to collect, and there's been no evidence of remains. Unless...?"

She casts him a half-pitying, half-understanding look. "No—the lab found no trace of human remains among the ash. However, at this point..."

"That aside, they can't have been insured for much, at their age," I say, speaking up for the first time.

"You in the insurance business, or the NBA?" Page asks, looking me up and down and seeming to take me in for the first time.

"No, ma'am. Personal protection, formerly. I had a few older clients—rich dude types—who insured their lives during periods of escalated threat. It wasn't cheap. The older you get, the more likely you are to die, the less a company is willing to bet against those odds—unless you can match that bet upfront."

"Well, your parents did just that," Page says. "Each insured for half a million dollars, just a month before their house burns down and they vanish."

Dane gives only the slightest sign of surprise—something anyone who doesn't know him well would miss—and Freya has a pro-level poker face. I, on the other hand, can't hide my shock.

Page locks on target and keeps her eyes on me. "So now I gotta ask. Is there any reason you can think of, Mr. Hunter, for your parents to be in fear for their lives?"

Several thoughts flick through my brain—the Outcasts, the Mortaines—but none of that is something I can easily explain to a human sheriff with no understanding of Wolves.

"No, ma'am," I say, hoping my voice carries only innocent perplexity. "Mom and Dad never mentioned anything like that to me."

Not that they would have. They knew how easily I worry, and how quickly I'd drop everything and come running if I thought someone I loved needed me. I hadn't understood, at first, why they'd gradually distanced themselves over the years, but eventually I got it: they loved me, too, and didn't like to see me hurt myself or my career. It was a hard lesson to learn—that caring too much could push people away—and it still hurt deep inside when I thought about it too much. Because I hadn't really learned that lesson until it was too late.

Page nods, bringing me back to the present. "Well, given their proximity, and the possibility of a direct benefit from your parents' deaths, your brother and sister are prime suspects. Judge Peters granted the warrants on the grounds that time is of the essence when searching for this kind of evidence. I'm sorry, but I'm just doing my job."

"Like you were before Dane showed up and kicked your butt into gear?" Freya asks, arms crossed and a belligerent sparkle in her eyes.

Sheriff Page shrugs, seemingly unoffended. "I do my job the best I can with the resources I have, Ms. Hunter. Scientists who specialize in chemical forensics aren't usually among those resources. I appreciate you calling in that favor, Dane, but that's why this is a surprise visit. As dedicated to justice as you may be, you got a conflict of interest here."

As she speaks, the others approach, drawn by curiosity and the length of time we've been talking.

"What's going on?" Sasha asks, coming to stand by Jake. Likewise, Kit comes to me, slipping his hand discreetly into mine.