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His mother’s gaze narrowed, showing she wasn’t buying it. Just like when he was a kid, she could always tell when he was making things up. He scrambled for a better explanation but settled for a subject change instead.
“Have we heard anything more about Jace’s DNA test?” He addressed the matter while trying to ignore the heat of his mother’s gaze on him.
Ainsley shrugged. “If you’d been here earlier, you would have already heard this, but I got a call from the lab that there’s another delay. They said the test had to be repeated.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. First, the delay and now a repeat?” It gave him an idea about what he and Willow would be facing in a few days, but he didn’t mention it.
Jace shook his head. “Yeah, I was so sorry to hear it. And I offered again to move to the Dales Inn, but your mom and brothers and sisters asked me to stay put. Is that still okay with you?”
Asher nodded. “Yeah. It’s fine.”
Ainsley appeared poised to try a third time to get him to talk about Willow and the possible switch, but a cell phone rang before she had the chance.
“Okay, who has the phone at the table?” Callum called out.
A chorus of not me’s rang out.
The “no-phone rule” was one of the few battles that Genevieve Colton won at her dinners. Usually.
“Then whose is it?” she asked.
With an apologetic expression, Marlowe produced a phone from beneath the table. “Sorry, Mom. After the bomb threat...”
Her words fell away as she glanced at the display. Without looking up again, she clicked the screen to answer the call.
“What’s up, Daniel?” She nodded with the phone at her ear as she struggled to her feet, as if the person she spoke to could see her. “Which mystery are you talking about, and what did you find out about it?”
“Okowski?” Ainsley mouthed. At her sister’s nod, she added, “Put him on speaker.”
Marlowe shot a glance at her mother for approval and then lowered into her chair again, set her phone on the table and clicked the speaker button. With so many unusual happenings at Colton Oil, they all wanted to hear what the company’s information technology director had learned.
“Go ahead, Daniel. You’re on speaker with most of the family. You caught us all at dinner.”
“Hello, Coltons.”
They called out greetings at once.
“We have a lead on a dark web connection to the anonymous email about Ace. Should I wait to inform the board in private, or should I tell you all now?”
Everyone waited for Marlowe’s lead since, as Colton Oil CEO, it was her call. She glanced around the table at her siblings and their partners, and then her gaze paused on Jace.
“I’ll step out,” Jace said. “I need to make a call anyway.”
She nodded at him apologetically.
Genevieve lifted a hand to him as he walked toward the living room. “You’ll be back for dessert, won’t you? We have Dulcie’s double-chocolate cake.”
“Wouldn’t miss it. I’m already salivating.” He continued from the room.
As soon as a click announced the front door was closed, Marlowe addressed the phone on the table.
“Okay, you can speak freely. It’s just family now. I’ll update Selina afterward.”
Asher leaned forward. “So, tell us. Who was it?”
“The police found a link to a guy named Harley Watts.”
Rafe shook his head.
