Page 27 of Caspian (HC Heroes #14)

C as and his brother stood when they heard a vehicle pull into the driveway.

Harper and Sadie were seated at the kitchen table, their expressions a mix of determination and anxiety.

Harper clutched the diary pages tightly in her hand, her knuckles white against the aged paper.

He knew how much this meant to her and Sadie.

They were all standing on the brink of a revelation that could change everything, but it also meant walking into dangerous territory.

Gabe stepped through the front door when Dale opened it, his expression serious as he took off his hat and nodded to them. “All right, let’s get to it,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of his role as both their friend and the sheriff.

“Okay,” Dale said. “The girls are in the kitchen.”

His brother led the way and Cas followed the sheriff, who set his hat on the counter and took a seat, glancing at the pages laid out in front of Harper. “So, this is what you’ve got.”

She nodded, pushing the diary pages across the table to Gabe. “These are the missing pages we found in Uncle Andrew’s credenza. They detail everything—P’s murder, Nevil Anderson’s involvement, and how the prominent families covered it all up with the fire, which killed two more people.”

Cas sat down next to her and reached for her hand under the table.

Gabe’s brow furrowed as he read through Mary’s words, his jaw tightening with each line.

“This is damning evidence,” he said finally, looking up at them.

“It confirms a lot of what we suspected, but it also makes this more dangerous. You’re dealing with people who’ve been protecting these secrets for almost a century.

They’ve already shown they’re willing to go to great lengths to keep them buried. ”

He nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. “What’s our best move here, Gabe? We need to make sure this sees the light of day, but we can’t ignore the risks.”

The sheriff leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he considered the options.

“First, we secure this evidence. I’ll take these pages and the other documents you’ve found and get them locked up at the station, but I’m also going to reach out to some contacts outside of Harland County.

If we keep this within the local system, there’s too much room for interference.

We need oversight from higher up—state or federal level—to make sure this gets the proper attention. ”

Dale nodded, his expression grim. “And what about us? Nevil Anderson still has descendants and connections in town. If whomever has been leaving the threats gets wind of what we’re doing, it could be a big problem.”

Gabe sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“We’ll need to be careful. I can’t offer full-time protection, but I can have patrols keep an eye on things, and I’ll make sure you’re all on a watch list for potential threats.

We also need to be strategic about how we release this information.

If we go public too quickly, we risk losing control of the narrative. ”

“We have the protection part covered,” Cas said, speaking up for the first time. “And Carter is doing a deep dive on all three founding families, including their financials.”

It was only a matter of time before he got his first update from Mac.

“We’ve come this far, Gabe. We can’t let them win,” Harper said, her voice steady but edged with fear. “Mary deserves better than that. And so do all the people who died because of what they did.”

The sheriff nodded, his expression softening. “I hear you, Harper. We’re going to do this right. But I need you to be prepared for pushback. These families have money, lawyers, and the means to make this difficult. It won’t be as simple as just exposing the truth and having everyone believe it.”

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the back door, and Cas turned to see Mac entering with a thick folder in his hands.

He gave a nod to Gabe and then turned to the group, his face serious.

“Just got our first batch of research from Carter. He’s been digging through old records and some surveillance data.

Thought you’d want to hear what he’s found. ”

Mac dropped the folder on the table, flipping it open to reveal a series of documents and photographs.

“Carter found a connection between Nevil’s family and some shady dealings in town that go back decades.

Financial records, hidden transactions, all tying back to the same families mentioned in the diary.

It’s clear they’ve been using their influence to manipulate more than just the fire, they’ve got their hands in a lot of things around here. ”

Jesus, that wasn’t good. He exchanged a look with his brother, noting the same sentiment in his eyes.

Gabe flipped through the documents, his gaze scanning the information quickly. “This is exactly what we needed. Proof that their corruption goes beyond just the cover-up. It’s a pattern of behavior.”

Mac nodded. “Carter’s still digging, but it looks like there’s enough here to establish a clear motive for the threats against Harper and anyone else who gets close to the truth.

We’ve also got a few surveillance clips from around town showing some of George Anderson’s known associates near Harper’s apartment recently.

Nothing directly incriminating, but it’s enough to suggest they’re keeping tabs. ”

“George Anderson owns Harland Community Bank, right?” Harper asked.

“Correct,” Mac answered. “He’s one of Nevil’s three great-grandchildren.”

Harper’s face tightened, her grip on Cas’s hand tightening as well.

He squeezed back. “So, they’re watching us. They know we’re getting close.”

Mac nodded. “And they’re not happy about it. But this also means we’ve got leverage. If they know we’re not backing down, they might start to make mistakes. Desperation makes people sloppy.”

The sheriff leaned forward, sweeping his gaze over the group.

“Here’s the plan. We go through Carter’s findings, keep gathering evidence, and build a case that’s too solid to ignore.

I’ll reach out to my contacts and get external oversight involved, but we need to stay quiet and keep this under wraps until we’ve got everything lined up.

No one leaks anything. We can’t afford for them to get ahead of us. ”

Dale nodded. “We’re with you, Gabe.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Whatever it takes, we’ll see this through.”

Harper met his gaze, her eyes filled with determination. “We can’t stop now. We owe it to Mary and everyone else who was hurt by what they did. We’re going to finish this.”

Gabe met each of their gazes, his expression one of unwavering support. “All right then, let’s get to work. We’re going to take them down, one step at a time. And we’re going to make sure the truth comes out, no matter what.”

As the group huddled closer to review the evidence, Cas knew they were in deep, and the risks were real, but he was determined to see Harper and Sadie, as well as Mary, come out on top.

It was time to bring Harland County’s dark past into the light, and they were ready to do whatever it took to make sure justice was finally served.

***

C as stood near the window, arms crossed as he listened to Harper and Gabe discuss their next steps.

The tension in the room was palpable, everyone on edge as they tried to piece together the final elements of this tangled mess.

He glanced out toward the driveway, where his truck was parked by the garage.

It was quiet, the sun casting long shadows as the day moved on, but Cas couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, that something was coming.

The sudden crash of shattering glass tore through the house, startling everyone.

Cas’s heart leapt as he turned toward the sound, his instincts immediately kicking in.

He bolted for the back door with Gabe and Mac right behind him, the three of them racing outside.

Cas’s eyes darted to Harper’s truck, and he felt his stomach drop at the sight of the shattered back window, glass scattered across the ground.

“What the hell?” Cas muttered, scanning the area. Whoever had thrown the object was nowhere to be seen, but he wasn’t ready to let it go.

The three of them spread out, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone in the area.

Cas sprinted to the edge of the driveway, his eyes darting to every corner, every possible hiding spot.

The neighborhood was quiet, shadows cast from the setting sun made it impossible to see clearly.

Cas’s frustration grew with each second that passed without any sign of the culprit.

“Nothing,” Gabe called, his voice tinged with annoyance. “Whoever did this is long gone.”

“Probably had a car waiting for him,” Mac said, phone in hand. “I’ll get Carter on it.”

He clenched his jaw, kicking a piece of broken glass in frustration. “They’re messing with us, and they know it. They’re getting braver, too. This happened under the sheriff’s nose.”

Gabe nodded, his expression tight. “Desperate people do desperate things. They’re trying to shake us up, but we can’t let them.”

Cas turned back to the truck, his gaze landing on the object that had been thrown through the window.

A thick, half-melted candle lay among the shards of glass on her seat, its wick charred and blackened.

A note was tied around it, the paper singed at the edges and smeared with soot.

Gabe pulled a latex glove from a pocket in his uniform and carefully picked up the candle, untied the string then unfolded the note.

“ ‘Keep going, and you’ll end up in ashes like the rest,’ ” Gabe read, his voice low. He looked up, meeting Cas’s eyes. “They’re escalating.”

Anger flared through Cas swift and strong. “This has gone far enough. We need to use the evidence we’ve already gathered and shut this down before someone really gets hurt.”

Mac, who had been examining the ground, stood up and dusted off his hands. “This is more than intimidation now. They’re making it clear they’re willing to act, and that puts everyone at risk.”

They headed back to the house. Gabe pulled out two evidence bags and shoved the candle and note inside them along the way, his expression grim.

Cas understood the magnitude of the situation and it pressed down on him, every step he took heavy with frustration and determination. As soon as they were in the house, Dale and the girls advanced, asking what happened.

“Found another note,” he replied, then asked his brother to pull up the footage from the cameras mounted around the house.

“Already did,” Dale said, holding up his phone.

Cas stood behind his brother with the others, fixing his eyes on the screen as the footage played. They watched as a figure darted into view, face obscured by a baseball cap pulled low. Dale rewound the footage, slowing it down to try and get a better look.

“Check this out,” Dale said, pausing the footage on the clearest frame. “We’ve got something. Not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.”

The figure glanced up for a moment, revealing just enough of their face to be partially visible.

Cas leaned closer, studying the grainy image. It wasn’t a full view, but the person’s face was just visible enough to catch a few defining features. A thin male, about five feet eleven, in his late thirties, no facial hair. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

“Send that to me,” Gabe said, pulling out his phone. “We’ll run it through our systems and see if we get a hit.”

Mac nodded. “Send it to Carter too. He can work his magic on it, see if we can get a clearer picture.”

He watched as his brother quickly sent the image and the others received it. Frustration simmered inside him. They were close, but not close enough. Dammit. Whoever was behind this was still out there, playing a dangerous game, and Cas was sick of watching from the sidelines.

Harper walked over, and he immediately slid his arm around her, drawing her close. Poor woman was shaking.

“Did you find anything?” Sadie asked, stepping into his brother’s arms.

Gabe nodded, though his expression was cautious.

“We’ve got a partial image. It’s not much, but it’s something.

We’re going to keep digging, but I need you to be extra vigilant.

Don’t go anywhere alone. Whoever’s doing this is stepping up their game, and I don’t want anyone to get caught off guard. ”

“What was in the note?” Harper asked, and he silently grumbled.

He had hoped to spare her the latest threat.

“This.” Gabe held up the evidence bags, allowing the girls time to read it.

Harper glanced at Cas, anger and resolve burning in her eyes. “We’re not backing down. We’ve come too far to let them win now.”

He set a reassuring hand on Harper’s shoulder. “They can try to scare us all they want, but we’re not stopping until this is over.”

The sheriff tucked the evidence bags under his arm, his face set in determination. “We’ll find them,” he said, his voice firm. “And when we do, they’re going to regret ever starting this.”

“Hooyah,” he spouted, and his brother echoed the Navy battle cry.

They had a face to chase, a lead to follow, and Cas would not rest until he saw this through. Whoever was behind this had made it personal, and he was ready to fight back, not just for the truth, but to keep everyone safe, especially Harper.

It was time to set a trap.