Page 27 of Where Secrets Lie

Hez bit his lip for a moment. Provenance documents from a respected university dramatically increased an artifact’s value, but they took some expertise to fake. “Did you ask Professor Guzman who might be forging the provenance documents now that Andersen and Harrison are gone?”

Dominga leaned forward. “We asked, but he didn’t have any ideas off the top of his head. He said whoever is doing it is being more careful now.”

“Hmm.” Hez drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. “Maybe we should come at this from another angle. The Coast Guard and police have been keeping a close eye on the beaches. Do you have any idea how the smugglers are doing it?”

A wide grin split Ed’s face. “We do indeed. A little birdie told me all about it. We’re still nailing down a few things, but another shipment should be coming soon. We might be able to catch them.”

Hez pumped his fist. “That’s awesome! Who’s the birdie? Our friends over at the DA and U.S. Attorney’s Office will want to know for their warrant applications.”

Ed’s grin faded. “Uh, I promised not to tell. The source isvery nervous. Do you think they can get warrants without the identity?”

Hez considered for a moment. “Maybe, but we’ll need to give them as much corroborating detail as possible. When and where the shipment will be delivered, means of delivery, contents of the shipment, and so on.”

Ed nodded. “We can get most of that from the source. We’ll also independently verify whatever we can.”

Simon listened to Ed with rapt attention. “That sounds cool! I can help too.”

Hez cleared his throat. “That... might not be the best idea, Simon.” Defiance sparked in Simon’s eyes and he opened his mouth to object, but Hez hurried on before his nephew could speak. “We need you to work with Toni. She has three new leads, and she’s the only one working on them. Ed and Dominga are both working on a single investigation.”

Taking his cue, Toni nodded. “Yes, I could really use your help—and you’d be working with your mom too.”

Simon’s rebellious look vanished. “I’d like to work with my mom.”

Hez breathed a sigh of relief. Poking around in the university’s finances would be much less dangerous than trying to catch smugglers. Plus, Jess was one of the most formidable people he’d ever met. Standing next to her was probably the safest place in the world for Simon.

***

Bookshelves lined the wall behind Pastor Forrest Walsh’s office, and Savannah studied the titles of the theology bookswhile their pastor took his seat at the tidy desk. The tension in her shoulders radiated up her neck. Why was she so nervous? This should have been an easy counseling session, but the betrayal in Hez’s eyes when he found her going through the trash still stung. Maybe Pastor Forrest could straighten out this fear in her head.

The pastor and his wife had dealt with his own addiction before God had called him into the ministry. If anyone knew how to emerge from this kind of situation, he would. Maybe he could help Hez face his problem.

Pastor Forrest’s brown eyes were wise and kind. “So the two of you are about to be remarried. Congratulations. I’ve often done premarital and postdivorce counseling, but never both at the same time.” He chuckled. “When were you divorced?”

“About six weeks ago,” Hez said.

The pastor’s brows rose. “The ink is barely dry. Why do you think it’s a good idea to remarry so quickly?”

Savannah shot Hez a glance. “The divorce was kind of a misunderstanding. We still love each other, and Hez thought he could show me he wanted what was best for me by filing for divorce. I was about to tell him I didn’t want it any longer, but it was a little too late.”

“I never stopped loving Savannah. We just had a lot of problems to work out.”

The pastor shifted in his leather chair. “It’s not unusual to hear divorced couples say they still love each other. But since it wasn’t enough the first time, what has changed since your marriage fell apart?”

Savannah launched into Ella’s death, Hez’s drinking, and the destruction that followed. “It was a difficult time, and we bothwant a second chance.” What had changed for her? She wasn’t able to answer his question, not really.

His attention turned to Hez. “How do you feel about all of this, Hez? What has changed for you?”

Hez shifted in his chair. “I stopped drinking and started attending AA. I realized I was a workaholic, and I left my high-pressure job and came to TGU to start a legal clinic. I wanted to be closer to Savannah and start over. When I realized she wanted her freedom, I gave it to her even though divorce was the last thing I wanted.” He turned toward Savannah and caught her gaze. “If there are any other changes I need to make, I’ll make them.”

“I can hear the sincerity in your voice, Hez,” the pastor said. “You’ve already made some huge changes. Congratulations on your hard work. How about you, Savannah? What has changed for you?”

That question again. She wet her lips, and her heart rate accelerated. “I’ve been trying to get better at confronting emotional problems instead of running away.” What a lame answer. Hez had worked tirelessly on his issues, and she still found it hard to confront hers. Maybe she was the one who needed to change the most. She’d hurt Hez deeply by looking for wine bottles, but how did she get past this fear?

The pastor’s expression went neutral. “Is there anything specific you know you need to work on?”

“The trauma of Ella’s death still hurts, but at least we can talk about it now.” She darted a glance at Hez. “I-I’m worried he’s started drinking again. He says he hasn’t, but I found an empty wine bottle in his trash, and it’s hard to believe someone else put it there as he claimed.”

Hez twisted in his chair to look at her. “I don’t blame you, Savannah. But how can we think about marriage again if you’re constantly going through the trash and checking my breath? Will you ever trust me again?”

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