Raven nodded and unlocked her office door before motioned for her aunt to step inside. Setting the folder down on her desk, she motioned for her aunt to sit. “Please.” She waited for her aunt to sit then decided against sitting down herself and opted to stand at the corner of her desk instead. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m here to ask for your forgiveness,” her aunt said, surprising her. Raven decided it would be better to remain quiet and let her aunt continue. “Colin has had a few days to come to terms with what has happened. We’re willing to testify. Both of us.”
Raven shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry, testify?”
“Yes,” Roslyn said, scooting forward in the seat. “Your uncle and I realized after talking with the police what really happened. How we were both duped into believing it was within our legal rights, as guardians over this place, to withdraw extra funds for its care. We didn’t know the legality of it all.” Roslyn waved her hands around as if searching for the words. “We left that up to Morgan Roche, whom we hired to take care of all of that.” She tilted her head and smiled slightly. “We’re willing to testify that Miss Roche misguided us. She’s the reason money was misplaced from the resort’s accounts.”
Raven sat on the edge of the desk and swallowed. “You’re telling me…” She wanted to laugh but took a deep breath instead. “That Morgan Roche convinced you that it was okay to steal money?”
“We never stole,” her aunt jumped in, sounding shocked. “We were informed we could withdraw funds and use them as we saw fit for the business.”
“Right,” Raven said slowly, “and do you have receipts for these… business transactions?”
Her aunt took a deep breath. “I’m sure I could find some… if you’ll tell me how much we’re talking about.”
“Three million dollars.” Raven crossed her arms over her chest.
“What?” Her aunt stood up. “That’s a lie!”
It was strange watching her aunt go from a docile mouse to a roaring lioness in a heartbeat. Roslyn’s pale skin turned a bright shade of purplish red, almost the color of a ripe beet.
Raven stood up and prepared to stand her ground.
“There has to be some sort of mistake,” her aunt said after taking a few deep breaths. “I can assure you, the amount of money your uncle and I know about is nowhere near that.”
“Numbers don’t lie,” she said, motioning to the folder.
Her aunt looked between her and the folder. “Give me a month.”
“For?” Raven asked.
“To prove to you that we had nothing to do with the missing money,” her aunt answered.
It was laughable. Really. Raven was positive that once she turned over the proof to the police, they’d get a warrant to gain access to her aunt and uncle’s finances and find the corroboration.
“I’m sorry,” she started to say, shaking her head.
Her aunt moved closer to her until she was a breath away. Her hand jerked up and gripped Raven’s arm like a tight vice. Her longer fingernails dug into her skin, causing Raven to hiss with pain and try to jerk free.
“You’ll give me a month. If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone what you were really doing out there in the woods that night,” her aunt hissed.
Raven’s eyebrow shot up. “What was I really doing?” Forgotten was the pain in her arm as curiosity peaked.
“I know who you were meeting. I found the notes.”
Raven was able to jerk free. “You’re out of your mind.” She moved to stand behind her desk, hoping to put some space between them.
“You think this is a joke? Meeting with a man twice your age? Is that the reason you killed him? Because he threatened to tell everyone about your… liaison?”
“What?” Raven gaped. “Joe? You think Joe and I…” Raven did laugh this time.
“I’ll go to the police. I kept the notes hidden.” Roslyn smiled. “They’re proof enough that you started the fire to cover up your affair. That you killed him.”
“You need to leave.” Raven walked over to the office door and held it open. “You’re just as crazy as I remember you being.”
Her aunt glared at her as she passed by. “One month. Give us the decency of one month. If not for me, then for your uncle and cousins.” When Raven wouldn’t agree, she jerked around and left quickly.
She wanted to take a moment to compose herself but as she was walking out, she saw her cousin Liza storm across the lobby towards her.
Holding in a groan, she held the folder tight against her chest and waited as her cousin stopped directly in front of her.
“Don’t do this,” Liza hissed in a low tone.
“What?” Raven asked.
Her cousin glared at her, much like her mother had just done. “Word is going around that you have…”—she tapped the folder— “something you’re taking to the police that will send my parents up the river.”
Raven wanted to laugh at her cousin’s analogy but instead braced herself for the next onslaught.
“I think it’s terrible what you’re doing,” Liza said.
“Your mother just paid me a visit,” she countered. “If she couldn’t persuade me, then none of your threats can.”
Liza swayed back slightly then shrugged. Her cousin’s eyes ran over her. “You’d be surprised at the things I hear around here.”
“Like?” Raven said with a sigh.
“Like rumors about you having a fight with your boyfriend the night the fire started.” Liza crossed her arms over her chest.
“Is blackmail your family’s go-to move?” Raven shook her head. “That’s old news. You’re ten years too late.” She moved to walk around her.
“I also know who he cheated on you with and why,” Liza said, causing Raven to stop walking. She wanted to fall for the bait, really, she did. But why Reggie cheated on a sixteen-year-old naive Raven no longer mattered to her.
Instead, she walked out the front door of the resort, climbed in her car, and set the folder on the seat next to her, even more determined than she had been before.
When she walked into the police station, she never expected to be as nervous as she was. Her palms were sweaty, and her voice even shook when she asked to talk to Sheriff Sean Stone.
She was taken to a small waiting room and had to sit on her hands to keep them from shaking as she waited for Cade’s uncle to come into the room.
“Miss Brooks.” Sean smiled at her as he walked into the room. “I was going to be heading your way later today. This saves me a trip.”
“Oh?” she asked, slightly worried about something new now.
“I received a very interesting email earlier today.” Sean sat down across from her and pushed a piece of paper in front of her.
She looked down and reread the email she’d received and deleted herself earlier.
“You should have never returned. Joseph Ramsey’s death is your fault. Just like all the others died because of you all those years ago.”
“How did you… Where did you get this?” she asked, looking up at him.