Page 213 of Rangers Unexpected Return

“Recent?”

“No.”

He ran one gloved finger beside the grooves in the wood.

“They’re old.”

“How old?”

“I can’t give you an exact date from this, but they’ve been here for years.”

My pulse quickened.

“The Keeper didn’t remove the real box.”

“No,” Mace said. “Someone else did.”

Sheriff Tate walked into the office.

“What did you find?”

I looked at the rectangular shadow beneath the desk.

“The evidence wasn’t taken after Emily died.”

Everyone waited.

“It was moved before anyone officially searched this office.”

Trigger frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“It does if Emily knew someone was coming.”

Rylie stepped through the doorway.

“Emily.”

I looked at her. “What?”

“I remember.”

She walked slowly toward the desk.

“Emily came into our cabin crying. She kept saying…” Rylie swallowed. “‘He’ll never find it now.’”

Every heartbeat in the room stopped.

“What did she hide?” I asked.

Rylie stared at the marks beneath the desk.

“I don’t know. But…”

She looked toward the lake.

“I remember helping her carry something.”

Trigger gently squeezed her hand.