Shit.
Cas blew out a breath and nodded. “That.”
Tucked under the windshield wiper was another envelope, this one stark white. His stomach knotted, and he exchanged a wary glance with Harper.
“Not again,” she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration and a hint of fear.
Carefully pulling the envelope free, he scanned the empty parking lot again. When he found nothing, he flipped the envelope over, noting that it was addressed to Harper in the same unfamiliar handwriting. The tension in the air was palpable as he opened it, revealing a single piece of paper with the typed message:
This is your last warning. Stop digging, or there will be consequences.
Harper inhaled, and Cas clenched his jaw, a mix of anger and protectiveness surging through him. His mind was already spinning with plans to keep her safe. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just playing games—they were making threats, and Cas wasn’t about to let anything happen to her on his watch, whether she wanted protection or not.
Chapter Nine
Harper followed Cas into the ESI headquarters, the atmosphere shifting from the outside world into the focused, high-tech buzz of the security firm. The sound of voices and the soft hum of computers filled the air, giving the space a sense of urgency and efficiency. Cas led the way, his expression tight and serious, the envelope clenched in his hand. They walked down the main hallway to the open office area where Mac, Carter, Cooper, and Dale were huddled around a bank of monitors.
Dale, she obviously knew, and she also recognized the other three men from the evening she arrived at Sadie’s.
“We got another one,” Cas announced, holding up the envelope. Mac looked up first, his eyebrows raising, while Carter’s eyes narrowed, already shifting into investigative mode.
“Where?” Mac asked, stepping forward to take a closer look.
Cas handed him the envelope. “On my truck, right outside the library, sometime within the last hour.”
“I’m on it. I’ll check the cameras.” Carter immediately strode down the hall and into a room on the left.
Harper appreciated the seamless way the team moved into action, but she couldn’t shake the anxiety gnawing at her. She exchanged a quick glance with Cas, who offered her a reassuring nod before taking her hand as they followed the rest of the team into a nearby conference room.
She wondered briefly where her cousin was, and a second later, Dale smiled at her.
“Sadie said to tell you she’s sorry. She had to go home to do a live craft chat she already had scheduled.”
“That’s right,” she said. “I think she mentioned that last night.”
Possibly. Harper wasn’t entirely sure. Last night, she had still been reeling from the fact she’d kissed Cas when her cousin called.
They settled into the seats around the long table, the fluorescent lights casting a sharp glow on the polished surface. Cas sat beside Harper, his presence solid and comforting even in the midst of chaos.
Mac opened the envelope carefully, pulling out the note inside and reading it aloud,“This is your last warning. Stop digging, or there will be consequences.”
Dale let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “They’re not messing around. Whoever’s doing this really doesn’t want you finding out whatever’s buried in that past.”
Cas leaned forward, with his gaze focused on Mac. “We were at the library, digging through old records about the church fire. Found out that three prominent families might’ve been involved—the Andersons, the Collinses, and the Everetts. We talked to Will Johnson Jr. there, and he remembered the fire vividly because his father died in it. But the whole thing screams of a cover-up, and now we’ve got someone trying to scare Harper off.”
Mac frowned, scanning the note again. “And you think this ties back to one of those families?”
Cas nodded. “Could be. But I also want to know more about Will Johnson Jr. Does his family have connections that could make him part of this?”
Harper inhaled. “Wait, you think Will could be involved? He seemed so genuine, just trying to help us piece things together.”
He shook his head, his expression grim. “Maybe. But he also has means and could have a motive we don’t know about yet.Maybe revenge for his father’s death in that fire. I’m not saying he did it, but it’s worth checking out.”
Mac nodded, jotting down some notes. “I’ll look into his background, see what connections might be there. I’ll ask my uncle if he knows anything about this, too. But our family wasn’t around back when Mary was here. The first McCall to come to Harland was my uncle. The rest of our roots are tied around Austin.”
Harper sighed, feeling the weight of all the uncertainties like a wet blanket. “We’re running out of leads, aren’t we? It feels like every time we get closer to the truth, someone shuts the door.”
Dale leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “We’re not done yet. Carter’s pulling footage from the cameras near the library, and even if the perp covered their tracks, there’s always something that gets missed. We just have to keep pushing.”
