Page 14 of In Her Shadow

Lily’s posture straightened, a line of defense against the implication of guilt.Her hands, which had been relaxed moments ago, now gripped the edge of the desk with a quiet determination.She met Jenna’s steady gaze, her own eyes unflinching, the mark of someone who believed in their truth, no matter how it might be perceived by others.Jenna watched as indignation swept over Lily’s features.

“Are you treating me like a suspect?”Lily’s voice was sharp.“I was right here, holding a Green Gaia Guardians meeting until late.Any of our members can confirm it.”

She turned to her computer, and a rhythmic clicking was followed by a soft whir of the printer as it churned out the attendance roster.Lily gave the list to Jake who scanned the names, his expression unreadable.Jenna knew that alibis could be fabricated, that loyalty among those with shared passions often ran deep.

“Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts after the meeting?”Jenna asked.

Lily seemed prepared for the question, a testament to her experience with law enforcement scrutiny.“I was at home, alone,” she replied with a trace of indignation.“But make no mistake, Sheriff Graves, my alibi is solid.You won’t find anything linking me to Clyde’s death.”

“Tell us about your relationship with Clyde,” Jenna pressed on, aware that unexpected angles often revealed the most in an investigation.

Lily’s response caught Jenna off-guard.“Clyde and I were allies, of a sort.”There was a hint of something like respect in her tone.“True, he was no animal rights advocate, but we both stood against the local cattle farmers and ranchers.He would come here sometimes, and he and I would exchange information.”

“Exchange what kind of information?”Jenna’s question was direct.Could their ‘alliance’ have soured into a lethal contention?Or was this connection a ruse, a misdirection from a woman with everything to lose?

Lily paused, her eyes flicking to the cluttered corkboard behind her before returning to meet Jenna’s gaze squarely.“About the environmental violations, the unethical practices...things that would interest both of us.We wanted change, Jenna.Real change.”

Jenna pondered this new piece of the puzzle.It was plausible—common enemies had made stranger bedfellows.But allies today could be adversaries tomorrow, and Clyde’s death complicated the narrative.

“Did anyone else know about these meetings between the two of you?”Jenna inquired.

“Only those who needed to,” Lily responded cryptically, folding her arms across her chest as if bracing against a chill only she felt.

Jenna leaned forward, placing her hands on the cluttered surface of Lily’s desk.Her gaze was fixed, intense, as if trying to peer into the very heart of Lily Cummings’s authenticity.“Tell me about your latest communication,” she said.

Lily lowered her voice, as though the walls themselves might be eavesdropping.“Clyde called me yesterday,” she confided.“Said he was on the verge of exposing some serious local corruption.He couldn’t talk about it over the phone, but promised to come by today to discuss it in person.”

The small room felt suddenly constricted, the air charged with the electricity of secrets untold and alliances freshly revealed.Lily spread her hands wide, as if to show her own innocence in the matter.“Obviously, that meeting will never happen now.”Her voice carried regret.

Jake’s asked, “Do you have any idea what kind of corruption he was referring to?”

Lily shook her head, her graying hair swaying with the motion.“No, but I’m doing plenty of investigating myself.I’ve got dirt on just about every rancher and cattle farmer in the county.By the time I’m through, this whole industry will be a thing of the past.And, of course, that’s what the work me and my colleagues is all about.”

Jenna digested this statement.If Lily’s claims were true, then the implications for Genesius County were staggering.It also painted a target on Lily’s back – one that could easily align with the fate that had befallen Clyde.Jenna’s lips pressed together in a thin line; the puzzle pieces were beginning to slot together, forming a picture that was as disturbing as it was incomplete.

“And that’s precisely why I assumed you came to offer me protection.Clyde’s fate could easily become my own.But respectfully, sheriff, I don’t want your protection.Please don’t take this the wrong way, but in my line of work, I’ve learned not to trust the police.We Guardians have learned to look out for each other.We keep each other safe.”

Lily’s eyes now bore into Jenna with an intensity that seemed to challenge the world itself.

“Have it your way, Lily,” Jenna said.“We’ll be on our way.”

As they gathered their things, Jake reached into his pocket and unfolded a piece of paper.He laid it flat on Lily’s cluttered desk, the sketch of the mysterious brand catching the light.“One more thing, Lily.Does this symbol mean anything to you?”he asked, his voice steady.

Lily leaned forward, squinting at the tree-like design, her brow furrowed in concentration.“I’ve never seen it before.What is it?”Her fingertips traced the edge of the paper, a gesture of curiosity rather than recognition.

Jenna watched intently, searching for any flicker of deceit or recognition in Lily’s demeanor.Her own intuition buzzed at the edges of her consciousness, urging her to delve deeper, to find the lie in the truth or the truth in the lie.But nothing surfaced; Lily’s reaction seemed genuine, unguarded.

Stepping toward the doorway, Jenna felt a shift in the atmosphere as they prepared to leave the sanctuary of Lily’s office.It was then that Lily’s voice floated after them, halting their exit.“I assume I’ll see you both at tonight’s town meeting?Seven o’clock, right?”

Jenna stifled the sigh that threatened to escape her lips.The town meeting loomed in her mind, a gathering storm cloud on the horizon of an otherwise clear sky.“We’ll be there, Lily.Take care,” she replied.

As she and Jake made their way downstairs, past the early diners who now regarded them with open curiosity, Jenna contemplated the faces they would likely see at the town meeting—could any of those expressions be the mask of a killer?

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Five minutes,” Jenna muttered to Jake.It was almost time to face the town’s brewing storm of fear and speculation.She sat at her office desk, and he was leaning against the filing cabinet, his arms folded across his chest.Then the door creaked open, and Colonel Spelling entered, his military posture slightly slumped with fatigue.“I’ve spoken to all twelve members on Lily’s list,” he said, rubbing his tired eyes.

“Anything?”Jenna asked.She knew he had been checking out the Green Gaia Guardians’ alibis for the time of Clyde Simmons’ murder.

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