“Yeah. They’re holding Noah.” My voice broke a little, and I cleared my throat.
“Any chance Noah actually did it?”
I paused for just a second. “No.”
“Right,” Hart replied, and I knew he’d heard the pause. “Hypothetically speaking, if hehad, why would he have?”
“Because their parents are fucking abusive religious assholes,” Elliot interrupted.
“Mays?”
I sighed. “He’s not wrong,” I confirmed.
“Fucking ducky,” came Hart’s response to that. “Could he have done it, physically?”
“Probably.”
“Timing?”
“Probably.”
“But you don’t think he did?”
“No. Not unless…”
“Unless?”
“He felt like he or someone he cared about was in danger. Like, immediate danger.” I cleared my throat again. “But Momma was pretty small, so I can’t see him feeling physically threatened by her.” Even if he had been to the house, although I didn’t say that last part out loud. I probably should have, and I knew I should have, but loyalty to my twin had to come before my loyalty to Hart.
“Noah’s not big, either,” Hart pointed out, unaware of my inner turmoil.
“But he’s a shifter. Unless she had a gun, he wouldn’t have felt even a little threatened by her.”
“Did she have one?” he asked.
“Not that I know of,” I replied. “Nobody in our house had one when we were growing up.”
“You seen the scene yet?”
“No.” Emotion clipped the word.
“Have they cleared it?”
“No idea,” I told him honestly. “I’ll find out.” I sent Humbolt a text—he’d told me I could text him—asking if he knew if I was allowed on the property. I didn’t actually want to go back, but… I did feel bad about the goats and chickens.
Hart sighed. “Look, here’s the deal. If your mom had been a shifter, then it would fall into federal jurisdiction in the state of Virginia. But barring that, I’m gonna need something more than justI know the victim’s kidsto get involved.”
I nodded, even though only Elliot could see me. “I figured,” I replied for Hart’s benefit.
Elliot frowned. “So what would make it fall into federal jurisdiction?” he wanted to know.
“Conspiracy, hate-crime, treason, abduction across state lines?—”
“Nothing yet,” I interrupted. “I know what it takes to turn a case federal in this state, remember?”
Elliot grunted, clearly not liking my answer. Hart said nothing, maybe hearing the frustration in my voice.
“I just want Noah out and to be able to go home,” I said, struggling to keep my emotions under control. “I don’t care if it’s federal or not.”
