Page 68 of Artifice

She couldn’t ignore the look of concern on his face.

“Listening device?” His eyes were wide as he waited for an explanation.

“I checked my cameras, and it was Mr. Thorne, the groundskeeper at Lighthouse Harbor, who went in my room. I’m nearly certain someone put him up to it.”

Tevin’s gaze darkened with worry. “That means someone is onto you, Olive.”

She nodded grimly. “I know. And if that’s the case, I’m not sure how it happened. I’ve been careful.”

Tevin paused, his gaze narrow with thought. “I have more to tell you. But first, anything else you want to share?”

“I managed to get a lead on those tunnels. Simon mentioned them specifically—said they’re ‘connected to something bigger than you realize—something dangerous.’”

Tevin’s eyebrows shot up. “That matches what I found out today. I spoke with some of the locals who work at the marina. They said there’s unusual activity around those cliffs—the same thing the hikers said. Large boats coming in after dark, staying just long enough to load or unload something, then disappearing before dawn.”

“Wouldn’t it be difficult to load and unload things near the cliffs?”

“It would be. But a competent captain could maneuver a vessel into one of the caves down there.”

“Caves?” she asked.

“That’s right. They’re all over those cliffs.”

Olive chewed on that thought a moment. “So, maybe this is a smuggling operation?”

“Seems likely. But smuggling what? Or who?”

Olive felt a chill run down her spine. “Human trafficking?”

Tevin gave her a pointed look. “It would explain why Colin went missing after asking too many questions.”

She swallowed hard.

She hoped that wasn’t what was going on here. But it was a possibility she had to consider.

CHAPTER 35

Olive changed into some black jeans and a black sweatshirt. She wasn’t sure exactly what she’d be facing tonight when she met Abe.

Hopefully, he’d have answers for her. But there was also the possibility this meeting was some type of trap.

She hated to think of it that way, but she knew it was a real likelihood. At least this time Tevin would be nearby in case she needed a hand.

She drove to the lighthouse but parked a quarter mile away on a side road. Tevin followed in his van, parking even farther back where it wouldn’t be noticed.

The darkness felt unnerving, as did the lightning in the distance. Was another storm coming their way?

She shivered at the thought. It seemed as if everything concerning this case was creepy. She had dealt with underhanded, conniving, and dangerous people before.

But this type of eeriness was usually reserved for the books she read, not the cases she handled.

She and Tevin climbed up a narrow path that wound along the cliff’s edge, leading to the lighthouse. The waves crashed against the rocks below, the sound carrying up to them on therising wind. The sheer power of the surf was intimidating within itself.

Finally, with only five minutes to spare, she reached the lighthouse.

Tevin had split off from her ten minutes ago and found a place in the surrounding trees to watch everything.

Olive had brought her gun—not because she wanted to use it on Abe, of course. But just in case there was more at play here than met the eye. Just in case this was a setup of any type.