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But he backed down. Dropping into his chair like a man who’d just remembered the weight of the law.

The room remained still.

Until Finn gave the nod to Celeste to continue. ‘You were saying you did the planning?’

Celeste nodded. ‘I did. I needed to control the cameras to avoid the night shift security, so I organised the new relay box. Griffin didn’t want to install it at night, said it was too risky playing with electricity like that.

So, it was me who gave the paint to Raven to paint bomb the front gate, which…

’ She sighed, fidgeting with her fingers. ‘It put poor Doug in hospital.’

‘That cost us a fortune in medical fees, woman.’ Malcolm snapped, tossing the words like a slap—then cut a quick side-eye toward Finn, as if testing the waters to see how far he could push the cop seated opposite.

Finn didn’t move. He didn’t have to. The weight of his silence pressed hard enough that even Mal shifted in his seat, grumbling under his breath in retreat.

‘You didn’t pay a dime,’ barked out Lenora, standing over her husband. ‘We had insurance for that.’

‘You poisoned Doug?’ Finn’s voice cut through the couple’s argument.

Celeste swallowed, blinking big eyes at Finn, to sit hard on her chair. ‘No, it wasn’t like that. It was never meant to be that bad.’

‘What was it meant to be like?’

‘It wasn’t meant to hurt poor Doug. Believe me, I felt awful over what happened to Doug.

It was never meant to be like that.’ She pleaded from the other side of the table.

‘But I made sure we covered all his medical costs, even giving him a bonus for the time off, visiting him at home every day to make sure Doug and his son were okay. The poor man had no idea I’d set him up as a distraction—he still doesn’t.

And he was more worried about losing his job than what actually happened to him…

all because of something I set in motion. ’

‘So how was this plan supposed to go?’

‘We only wanted to keep Doug busy with Raven doing her usual protesting. The plan was that Doug would contact Mal and those two would drag Raven to the police station, or have Raven repaint the whole fence, keeping them busy at the front, while Griffin put in that relay box in the back.’ Shuffling gingerly in her chair, her eyes lifted to meet Stone’s gaze.

‘I don’t believe it, Celeste, not you.’ Stone knew how caring Celeste could be.

It was Celeste who’d held his hand when he brought Two-Stroke to the hospital.

She’d sat beside him through every police interview, and throughout the coroner’s inquest. Celeste was the one who’d looked after him while he grieved—always checking in, helping with the boys, house-sitting when he needed space.

Ah…

That’s how she knew about the security system. He’d taught her how to use the one at his place.

Damn.

Even so... it couldn’t be her.

‘I never thought Raven would leave the paint in the van long enough for it to turn toxic. It was just meant to be a harmless statement, not a genuine threat.’ Celeste meekly shrugged, her eyes filled with remorse. ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it would be enough to trigger Doug’s asthma, I swear.’

‘How did you get Raven to do it?’ Finn asked.

Celeste faltered.

It was Stone who answered. ‘Raven told Craig and I that Celeste would visit her for a cuppa now and again.’ This was a sad situation, one he’d never imagined. ‘Poor Doug. The man’s been working for you guys for nearly ten years.’

‘First, I need to clarify that I knew Doug would be okay. And he is. We just needed him kept busy, so Griff could put up that relay box. We didn’t want Doug asking questions, or breathing down his neck, when he does such a good job of watching the perimeter.’

‘Doug told us he checked everyone’s phone for the security app,’ said Finn. ‘Did Doug check your phone, Celeste?’

‘Woman doesn’t have one,’ mumbled Malcolm. ‘She doesn’t need to call anyone. She has no friends.’

‘I’m assuming you have a phone, Malcolm?’

‘Of course.’

‘Did Doug check your phone.’

‘What the hell for? It’s my business. Doug works for me.’ Malcolm stabbed at his chest.

But Finn calmly held out his open palm. ‘Can I see it?’

Malcolm dumped his phone on the table like a brick, then pushed it across.

Finn scrolled through the phone. He then glanced at Celeste while holding the phone’s screen up to Malcolm. ‘Did you put this app on your phone, Malcolm?’

Malcolm squinted, leaning close to peer at the small screen. ‘Don’t know what it is. As my wife likes to complain, I’ll admit I struggle with the buttons.’

‘It’s the app that taps into your security system like a spy.’

Malcolm’s eyes widened in shock. ‘I’d never—’

‘The fool wouldn’t know what half of those apps were,’ scoffed Celeste as she smoothed down her cotton dress.

‘The fool doesn’t even know how to text properly.

And before you ask, I put that app on Malcolm’s phone.

I did it so I could watch over everything, while talking to the boys on the radio from the office while Mal was snoring his head off in front of the telly after dinner. ’

‘When?’

‘Long before Lenora ever got involved. I told her to not get romantically involved with Griffin, because I knew what that boy was doing. My daughter never knew the relay box existed, or that I’d been working with the boys for months, telling them which beasts to take, while I covered the loss in our books. ’

‘No, Mum, please tell me it isn’t true!’ Jed dropped a few shades of pale, with his eyes darting between his parents.

‘I had to.’

‘Why, Mum?’ Jed gently grabbed her hand.

‘Money. I’d get my cut from Griff and Bastion to help pay for my retirement.

I couldn’t bear the thought of living with your father after he retired, not when I’d put up with his bullish ways for thirty years, and I never had a cent to my name.

I’ve never been given a wage, but I made sure you and your sister got paid well. ’

Celeste then sneered at Malcolm. ‘But after what you did to our daughter, I told Lenora to set up her own crocodile farm away from you. And you know what?’ She leaned in closer to her husband with a taunting tone in her voice.

‘Lenora would have been better than all the competition out there, and you knew it. That’s why you didn’t want your daughter to be in charge, because she was better at the job than you. ’

Stone sat back, not saying a word at these unexpected twists that just kept on coming. Craig slyly shrugged at Stone, while Amara kept scribbling notes into her tablet, her phone on the table recording everything.

On his other side, Romy’s eyes were as big as saucers. Stone wanted to console her without upsetting her any further. The pretty little filmmaker had cracked her drone’s controller, and broke her personal rule of not interfering with the wildlife—to save his sorry arse.

No wonder she didn’t want to speak to him.

It still didn’t stop him from tugging at her tiny fingers, to gather them up enough to hold her hand.

Thankfully, she accepted the gesture, cupping her other hand on top and giving his hand a squeeze, accompanied by a soft smile, before her eyes returned to the dramas of the Rowntree family.

‘Are you going to lay charges on me, like you did with your daughter?’ Celeste glared at Malcolm.

The big man dropped his head in defeat.

‘No, Mum. I won’t let him.’ Jed put his arm around his mother’s shoulders and faced the police. ‘Saltscale Crocodile Farm will not press charges against any of their family members. And I’d like to know how to get my sister out of jail, so I can take her home. Please.’

Malcolm huffed. ‘Like hell you are.’

‘I’m in charge now, aren’t I, Dad? You just said the deal was done.

’ Jed was the same height as his father but had yet to fill out.

But it had to be the first time young Jed had dared to front his father like this, while shielding his mother like a man.

‘I will do whatever it takes to save this family, even if it means selling Saltscale.’

One glare from Finn and Malcolm dropped hard into his chair, as if a broken man, stunned to silence.

‘I have a question, Celeste.’ Finn calmly crossed his arms over his chest to lean back in his seat. ‘Do you know why Griffin and Bastion let out the stolen crocodiles into the neighbouring crocodile farms?’

‘I asked them to do that.’

‘Why?’

‘For our reputation.’

‘It wasn’t just about your reputation getting tarnished with the fashion houses, was it?’

‘Partly that. I knew there would be a loss of confidence, that the fashion houses would start looking for someone new to run their operations. So, I had the boys make sure the other crocodile farms also had a security breach with that threat of stock contamination. Leaving Lenora with enough stock to start her own hatchery.’

‘You were hoping to lock in their future contracts, taking the business away from Saltscale?’ added Finn.

Celeste nodded.

‘ Mum! ’ Jed’s jaw dropped.

‘I’m sorry, son.’ Celeste patted Jed’s hand like he was a small boy. ‘Honestly, I knew Mal wouldn’t call the police when he noticed the stock was missing. That’s why I was running over to stop you from saying something to Stone… Sorry, Stone.’

Wasn’t that a kick in the guts. When Stone had thought he was fighting for the family, doing right by them—only to find out he’d been played.

‘And what would you have gotten out of setting up this new crocodile farm?’ Finn asked Celeste.