Page 71 of The Secrets We Treasure

“Suggesting that they were sent by someone who either knows you or was able to hack into your accounts,” Ian surmised.

Treasure nodded.

“Both Ethan and Leo Clark fit that bill,” Greer said.

Silence descended over the group. It was so oppressive that Treasure couldn’t get a good breath. She hated talking about this. It brought everything back.

“Tell us about the break-in,” Ian prodded.

Her mind went back to that night. She’d just fixed herself some herbal tea, was thinking about Greer. She could still hear the shrill of Tray’s terrified scream as he ran to find her. “Someone tried to break into the window of my son’s bedroom. The alarm went off and scared the intruder away. Normally, Helen and Kevin would have been there, but they were out of town.”

Ian looked confused. “Helen and Kevin?”

“My late husband’s parents,” Treasure explained. “They live with me and my son, Tray.”

“Hmm … that’s interesting,” Ian mused. “The break-in took place while you and Tray were alone.” He gave her a significant look. “Someone close to you must have known they were out of town. If someone wanted to frighten you, it was the perfect time.”

Treasure followed his train of thought. “Meaning that Ethan is the likely culprit.”

“Exactly,” Ian affirmed.

Anger boiled inside Treasure. “If Ethan is behind this, I wanna nail his butt to the wall.” She jerked, slightly embarrassed by her brazenness. Then she saw the fiery look of agreement on Sadie’s face and felt more justified in her fervor.

“Where do we go from here?” Greer asked.

Ian rubbed his jaw. “I think Howard’s right.” He looked at Treasure. “You should act as if all is normal.”

Her heart dropped. “Really?” she squeaked.

“As tough as it’ll be on you, I’m inclined to agree,” Sadie said with a note of sympathy. “Meanwhile, I’ll do some digging. It’ll be easy for me to assess Ethan since my office is at the hotel.”

Ian nodded. “I’ll contact Howard and get him to take me through the details of his investigation.”

The corner of Greer’s mouth turned down. “Does that mean you’re moving forward with the documentary?”

“I suppose it does.” Treasure didn’t want to. That came with its own set of problems. Her stomach knotted. Cricket, Kyle, and Ethan were staying at The Oliver Hotel. What if they ran into Josette Chasing and started asking questions about Treasure’s life? Everything would come crashing down like dominos. Josette wouldn’t pass up the chance to bury her. Panic gripped her in a tight hold. She needed to get things worked out with Francie and tell Greer the truth. A scripture from John flitted through her mind. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” There were too many things coming at her at once. She couldn’t field them all.

Greer spoke, cutting into her thoughts. “I guess this means we won’t be going to Philly next week.” Disappointment settled in his eyes. “I was looking forward to getting to know Tray.”

“I can stay here on the island through next week, but that’s the best I can do. I need to get home to Tray. You could go with me to Philly then.”

He brightened. “Sounds great. I hope your filmmaker friends won’t mind me tagging along for the documentary because I’m not leaving your side.” His face darkened. “Not with that egotistical maniac on the loose.” He looked at Ian. “I hope you bust Ethan soon.” He balled a fist. “Otherwise, I might have to take matters into my own hands.”

“Easy,” Ian cautioned. “It’s always better to stay on the right side of the law.”

“Law or not, I’ll not sit back and have Ethan hurt Treasure,” Greer thundered.

Greer was so fierce, so strong and steadfast. Tears glistened in Treasure’s eyes. “Thank you,” she uttered.

He looked surprised. “For what?”

“For loving me. For being on my side.”

“Of course.”

Blinking back her emotion, she turned to Ian and Sadie. “Thank you so much for meeting with us.” Her voice trembled. “I hope you can help put an end to this nightmare.”

“We’ll certainly do our best,” Ian promised.

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