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“You know a Levi Devlin?”
“Levi Devlin...” Wasn’t ringing a bell.
“He was on the list of disfellowshipped men leaving within the past ten years, arrested on drug charges and in prison, so I had Selah do a check on the rest of the Family.”
“I don’t know a Levi. I know a Matt Devlin, though.”
“Matthew Levi Devlin. Goes by Levi now. Left Asheville—I’m assuming the Family—and moved to Raleigh. Two counts of sexual assault. Did some time and is an over-the-road truck driver now.”
“Hey, I’m putting you on Speaker. When Bex was sixteen, Matt had a thing for her.”
“He bullied me and pushed me against a tree and groped me.” She instinctively folded her arms over her chest.
“I put my fist in his face and we went to Rand. He was reprimanded and...come to think of it, his family moved. Never saw him again.”
Bexley gave him a knowing look. “He hated Tiberius. Because of me, I think.”
“Did their leaving have anything to do with you taking his behavior to your dad? If your dad forced them out of the community, he might blame you for any downward spiral in his life.”
“Maybe. He had to receive ten lashes. That was standard punishment, but Rand rarely enforced it unless he thought the man was a threat to him.”
Asa grunted. “I’m sending over his photo. We’re looking for him. If his runs are anywhere near here, and during the times of our victims’ disappearances, we might have something. Selah’s working on this mystery brother you told us about. The one from the first ‘first wife’ who cut the emblems into the squirrels. But she has quite a few men with Granger for a last name to sift through, and that’s with it narrowed down to North Carolina. She’s cross-referencing the ones she does find with criminal records. I guess the portrait artist hasn’t returned to work early and provided a sketch for the Smoothy character at the Inky Octopus?”
“Nope. If he doesn’t send it tomorrow like the other guy said he would, I’ll follow up.” Ty’s phone dinged, and he stared at Matthew Levi Devlin. “That’s him, only older and scruffier. I could see Cami being into him. She had a bad-boy type.” His words carried regret.
Ty removed Asa from speakerphone. “Violet in charge while you’re gone?”
“Yes. She’s objective and has a level head.”
“I get it.”
“Ty, the hurricane has less than twenty-four hours to landfall if it doesn’t pick up speed—and they’re predicting it will. The team is going to evacuate before they close the bridge. That includes you.”
“Yeah, I hear ya,” he mumbled. “Talk to you later.” He ended the call. Bexley took her coffee and headed to her room. Violet came up the stairs.
“Hey,” he said. “I hear you’re in charge.”
Violet strode to the fridge and removed a carton of organic strawberries and blueberries. “Asa needed to go to Memphis. Too much guilt eating at him. Besides, he and Fiona have a good working rhythm.”
“And?”
“And I know things Asa doesn’t. For one, how to keep you in line,” she teased, and he barely caught it. “What’s Bexley going to do about the hurricane?” She popped a blueberry in her mouth. Ty stole a strawberry from her bowl.
“She’s going to hunker down like most. Asa said we’ll have to evacuate.” He snagged another strawberry, and she held up the paring knife she’d been using to slice away the green tops.
“Take one more bite of my breakfast...” The corners of her lips twitched. “Have you told him you won’t be evacuating?”
“How do you—”
“You have a son, and you love that woman even if she did tear out your heart and stomp on it with steel toes. If she doesn’t go, you won’t go.”
“Nice imagery, Vi.” Ty wasn’t so sure he loved Bexley, but that kiss had brought out deep feelings. Feelings he didn’t have time to act on.
She finished slicing the stems off the small carton of strawberries. “You should tell him. If you don’t, he’s not going to take insubordination well. We all know what Asa is like when he shows his big bear claws.”
Ty sighed. “You’re right—about telling him I have a son. He’s going to be mad I kept it from him.”
“Probably.” Violet stuck a spoon in her bowl of fresh fruit. “Before I lose my chance, I’m taking advantage of the fact people are mostly indoors today, and plan to interview more family and friends of the missing women. Catherine Overly is our newest missing woman, and I want to focus on her. Asa combed her condo, but I haven’t.”
