Page 5 of Forever

Stew swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "It's... complicated. We've had some financial setbacks recently and had to make some cutbacks. Night security was one of them." He wrung his hands together, desperation seeping into his voice. "I know it sounds bad, but we didn't have a choice. There have been these activists protesting our park and it's been costing us a lot of business."

Morgan's eyes narrowed as she observed Stew's nervous demeanor. His hands twitched at his sides, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, avoiding her gaze. She needed to keep digging.

"Activists?" Morgan asked, her tone skeptical. "How long has this been going on?"

"Months," Stew admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ever since that documentary came out about marine parks, we've had people picketing outside nearly every day. The protests have scared off a lot of customers."

"Interesting," Morgan muttered, filing away the information for later. "And you're certain the victim isn't an employee or a guest here? You've never seen her before?"

Stew shook his head vehemently. "No, never. I don't know who she is or why she ended up in our dolphin tank."

"Right..." Morgan trailed off. "Tell me about yourself, Stew," she said, switching gears. "How long have you worked here?"

"Twenty years," he replied, his voice cracking slightly. "Started out as an animal trainer, worked my way up to park manager."

"Have you ever had any issues with your employees? Any conflicts or disputes?"

"Nothing major," Stew insisted, looking almost offended by the question. "We're like a family here. Sure, we have our disagreements, but who doesn't?"

She nodded. It seemed this conversation was going nowhere helpful, and she was wasting time. They needed to get out there and get some answers.

"Thank you for your time, Stew," Morgan said, her eyes scanning the room as she gathered her thoughts. He offered a tight smile and nodded.

"Of course, Agent Cross. Let me walk you out." Stew led them through the winding hallways of Orca World's administrative offices, his footsteps echoing off the tiled floors. Derik walked silently beside Morgan, his eyes lingering on her every few seconds, but he never said a word.

As they stepped outside into the sweltering Texas heat, Morgan took in the sea of uniformed officers and crime scene technicians that had descended upon the park. The distant sounds of sirens and murmured conversations mingled with the shrill cries of seagulls overhead. It was a surreal juxtaposition against a backdrop of colorful attractions and posters promoting family fun.

They were making their way towards the exit when an officer jogged up to them, his face flushed from the heat. "Agents, we've pulled the body from the tank. There's a guest here who claims he knows the victim. He's pretty hysterical."

Morgan's jaw clenched, and she glanced at Stew, whose nervous demeanor seemed to intensify.

"Where's the guest now?" she asked.

Before the officer could respond, a young man came running over to them, his face a mixture of agony and disbelief.

"Dad!" he choked out, looking at Stew with tear-filled eyes. "It's Stacy! It's her body they found in the tank!"

Morgan's stomach sank, and she locked eyes with Stew, who stared at her, petrified.

So, he did know the victim after all.

CHAPTER FOUR

Morgan clenched her jaw, watching Stew with suspicion as the guest--who was apparently his son--came over to him with tears streaming down his face. The boy was probably not much older than nineteen.

"Jesus, Evan," Stew muttered, his skin paling as he reached out a hand to steady his distraught son.

Morgan narrowed her eyes, watching the exchange with a wary curiosity. "Evan, is it?" she asked, her voice firm but not unkind. "I'm Special Agent Cross. Do you know the victim?"

He nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Yeah, I do," he managed to say through ragged breaths. "Stacy was my girlfriend."

"Damn," Derik whispered under his breath, casting a sidelong glance at Stew.

Morgan could hardly believe what she was hearing. The victim was Stew's son's girlfriend, and he not only had known that--but he'd lied about it too. Morgan had the strong urge to snap cuffs on him right there, but she needed more information first.

"Take a deep breath, Evan," Morgan instructed, her tone gentle but insistent. "I need you to tell me everything you can about Stacy. When did you last see her? Did she have any enemies or people who might want to hurt her?"

Evan wiped at his tears with the back of his hand, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "I saw yesterday afternoon," he said, his voice trembling. "We were supposed to meet up this morning, but she never showed. She didn't have any enemies that I know of – everyone loved her. This doesn't make any sense."

---