“None taken, sir. If we can help, let us know.” With a final nod, Dad and I took our leave, both weighed down by the information we’d left unsaid.
On our way back to the car, I asked the question I couldn’t push out of my mind. “Did we do the right thing?” I didn’t want to sound like a pussy who couldn’t look after the affairs of his own pack, but this was a sensitive issue that needed to be handled with care.
Dad clenched his fists. “There’s no simple answer, Ty. But sometimes, protecting our pack members means shielding them from the darkest truths.”
We left the grieving parents and headed back to the estate. Thank fuck I had a techie on my side. Bryce would scrub the emails and messages between Cecily and Castro off her phone and the cloud, but leave the rest behind so the police wouldn’t get suspicious if I handed over a completely empty phone. We’d done enough by putting Liza’s history with Castro out there.
This wasn’t a human issue, and I didn’t want the cops digging too deeply into pack business.
I found Bryce in my office, his feet propped on my desk. I leaned against the doorframe, waiting for him to become aware of my presence, but he was too engrossed in whatever was on his laptop screen. He’d moved mine across the desk to make room for his own.
“Quite comfortable, are we?” I finally asked.
“Jesus, Ty, what the fuck? Thought you were a wolf, not a cat. Seriously, man, don’t sneak up on me like that.” He opened his briefcase and tossed Cecily’s phone at me. “Here, oh mighty leader, cleaned and ready for the police.”
“Thanks for doing this. Until I get a new informant in place, I’m kind of stuck. I don’t want to go running back to Nico unlessI have no other option.” I lifted the phone and shook it. “You have any problems with it?”
Standing, Bryce shook his head. “No, it wasn’t too difficult. She wasn’t security conscious, so there were no other passcodes or anything to get in my way. Did as you asked and just cleared off the conversations between her and Castro.” He looked up as he packed his computer and paperwork into his briefcase, eyes blazing with fury. “How did her parents take finding out their darling daughter was nothing more than a two-faced, scheming b?—”
“Enough, Bryce.” I held up my hand. “I’m not enamored by her actions, either, but she’s dead. Whatever her parents are, they are grieving the loss of their daughter.” I sighed. “I’d better go if I want to get this into the hands of the detective tonight. See you later?”
Before he could say anything else, I turned and went back the way I’d come.
“Here.”I handed the phone over to the lead investigator in charge of Cecily’s case. “This belonged to Cecily. We, er, found it at her house.” I didn’t mention the incriminating information I’d ensured couldn’t be found or traced. Nor did I dwell on the fact that this piece of plastic and metal had felt like a ticking time bomb.
“Thank you, Alpha Keller.” The lead investigator nodded and took the phone from me. “We’ll examine it thoroughly and be in touch if we find anything pertinent to the case.”
I winced internally, knowing they wouldn’t find shit. At least I didn’t have to worry about humans getting involved. I didn’t have time to deal with their interference.
Before leaving the police station, I pulled out my phone and dialed the coroner. It rang twice before someone answered.
“Coroner’s office,” a gruff voice said.
“Good evening.” I tried not to sound too urgent. “This is Alpha Tyson Keller. I need to speak with the coroner regarding Cecily Jameson’s case.”
“Of course, Alpha Keller. Please hold,” the voice said, putting me on hold.
The seconds dragged on for what felt like eternity until the line clicked and the coroner answered. “Alpha Keller, this is the coroner, Eleanor Bailey. How can I help you?”
“Good evening, Ms. Bailey. You’ve just received the body of one of my pack members, Cecily Banks. Listen, can I ask you please test for any toxic substances? We’ve been given information to suggest she may have been poisoned. Also, could you ensure I have the autopsy report first as it’s vital to the pack’s investigation?”
“Understood, Alpha Keller.” Her tone was sympathetic and professional. “Thank you for the information. I’ll ensure you’re contacted as soon as the report is ready.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation.” With that, I ended the call and got in my car, anxious to get home to Liza and fill her in on the situation.
As soon as I walked through the door, I spotted Liza and my parents waiting in the parlor, worry etched on their faces.
“What happened?” Liza asked, searching my eyes for answers.
“Where do I even begin?” I slumped onto the loveseat next to her and recounted everything, from the housekeeper’s story of the mysterious gifts Cecily received to the missing phone. Liza’s shock was palpable, her eyes widening with each revelation.
“Castro did this, didn’t he?” The fear in Liza’s words was unmistakable.
Mother, who’d been listening closely, said, “If it was Castro, we shouldn’t tell the pack. It will only cause more panic, which is the very last thing we need.”
I nodded. “I agree. We need to keep this information to ourselves for now.”
“Are you sure that’s the best course of action?” Liza bit her lip. “Won’t people suspect something is amiss?”
