“That makes sense,” I say, watching her carefully. “Has that happened where you worked?”
Julia nods, following us into the warmth of the barn. “In Colchester, just last year. It was all over the local news. The vet I worked for got called out, and I went with him. We had to treat several animals for smoke inhalation.”
The animals greet us with a chorus of hungry sounds. The mama cat immediately weaves between Julia’s legs, and she bends down to stroke her, cooing softly.
“The kittens are in the tack room,” Lana says, pulling out her phone. “I’m going to check something quickly.”
While Julia heads for the tack room, Lana pulls me aside, her phone screen illuminated.
“I’m looking up that fire she mentioned,” she whispers. “Let’s see if her story checks out.”
I nod, then head to the feed storage to begin measuring out portions for the animals. Julia joins me a few minutes later, a tiny kitten cradled in her hands.
“They’re adorable,” she says, gently stroking the kitten’s head with one finger. “This little one is the runt. She needs some extra attention.”
There’s a softness in her expression that’s hard to fake—a genuine tenderness as she handles the small animal. I find myself wanting to believe her, despite my training to trust no one.
“Found it,” Lana announces, walking over with her phone. “Barn fire in Colchester, last February. And look—” She turns the screen toward us, showing a news article with a photo of emergency responders treating animals outside a smolderingbarn. In the corner of the image, Julia administers oxygen to a tiny lamb.
“That’s me,” Julia confirms, looking at the photo. “It was a terrible night. We lost two horses, but we saved most of the animals.”
I feel some of my suspicion ebbing away. At least this part of her story checks out. She really is a vet tech from Colchester who helped during a barn fire.
“We should finish up here,” I say, handing Julia a scoop of the cat food. “The animals are waiting.”
We work together efficiently, each taking different tasks. Julia clearly knows what she’s doing around farm animals, handling a stubborn stallion without a care in the world. By the time we’re done, I’m almost convinced that she really is exactly who she claims to be—a stranded motorist who happened upon our doorstep at an odd time.
Almost.
As we exit the barn, Scout suddenly perks up, trotting toward the back door of Jake’s house. He stops, sniffing intently at something swaying in the wind attached to the door.
“What is it, boy?” Lana calls, following him. She makes her way over to the door and pulls it free, unfolding it carefully as she walks back to us. Her eyes widen as she reads, then she passes it to me.
“Meeting still on at the mill. Noon today. Crucial information about Wolf’s treasure. Bring what you’ve found. Watch your backs.”
Julia appears beside us, peering curiously at the note. “What’s that?”
I exchange a glance with Lana. We hadn’t planned on involving Julia in this, but now she’s seen the note. We could lie, but if she’s working with someone—with Margret, perhaps—she might already know about the treasure.
“Someone wants to meet us,” I say carefully, folding the note and tucking it into my pocket. “About some local history stuff.”
“At the old mill?” Julia asks, surprising me. “I saw it yesterday. Not too far from where my car went off the road. Walked right up to it, thinking it was a house. It’s a beautiful old ruin.”
Lana and I exchange another look. If Julia’s car really were near it, that would confirm her story.
“We were planning to go there,” Lana says slowly. “But with the storm...”
“The roads should be passable by noon,” Julia offers. “The plows were already out early this morning. I saw them from the window.”
I consider our options. If we leave Julia alone at the house, she could search for the ammunition box or contact whoever might be working with her. If we take her with us, we keep her in sight.
“We should probably get back to the house,” I say, making my decision. “We can figure out what to do about the meeting once we’re inside.”
The ride back to Ella’s house was quicker thanks to the fact that we’d already cleared a path. As we pile out of the UTV, I notice Lana checking her phone. Her eyebrows raise slightly.
“You know what just dawned on me? I’ve got service,” she announces, holding up her phone. “Signal’s back.”
Julia perks up immediately. “Really? Oh my gosh, would you mind if I borrowed it? My parents must be freaking out by now.”
