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“Do you think it’s him?” Andi whispered, a glimmer of fear in her gaze as she glanced at Duke. “The guy who murdered Henrietta and Craig?”
Duke’s throat tightened.
He’d wondered that also.
What if this killer was just taunting them? He’d gotten away with his crime for so many years. Maybe he wanted to prove he was still in control. Or maybe he was desperate not to get caught.
Either way, he was a dangerous man . . .
“Duke? Andi? What are you doing up?” Simmy appeared in the doorway, pulling a thick blue sweater across her chest.
“We couldn’t sleep so we were talking.” Andi nodded toward the ceiling. “Then the power went out . . .”
Simmy frowned and wandered closer. “We need to keep that fire going so it doesn’t get as cold as an igloo in here.”
“I can do that.” Ranger stepped out of the hallway. Instead of wearing multiple layers, he was now dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt, and a flannel button-up shirt. He almost looked . . . presentable.
But Duke still didn’t trust the guy.
Duke watched as Ranger went to the fireplace in the corner and began to add wood.
The man had woken up awfully fast after the power went off.
He must not have been asleep.
Simmy either.
However, given everything that had happened, Duke could understand. He and Andi had been in the same position.
As Ranger worked on the fire, Mariella and Matthew wandered from the hallway. Both had curious, confused looks in their eyes. Based on the way they shivered, they were cold.
“The gang’s all here . . .” Andi muttered.
Everyone gathered around the table, and Simmy set a battery powered lantern in the middle.
Duke needed to put on his tour guide persona instead of that of a seasoned investigator. Talking about Celeste had left him feeling melancholy . . . and determined. But he couldn’t show that.
Instead, he glanced at the twins. “Couldn’t sleep?”
Mariella and Matthew both shook their heads.
“No, then we heard people talking and got curious.” Mariella glanced around the table, her long blonde hair piled high atop her head, an oversized sweatshirt covering her hands to the tips of her fingers, and a sleep mask acting as a headband. “What are you guys doing out here?”
“We’re just trying to figure things out.” Duke didn’t want to scare them. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t keep them completely in the dark. It wouldn’t be wise.
Especially since they could all be in grave danger right now.
“Does the power go out here a lot?” Mariella’s eyes latched onto his, and a ripple of anxiety filled her gaze.
“It’s not unusual, given the conditions out here,” Simmy answered. “But the fire will get everyone warmed up soon.”
Mariella glanced at the papers Duke and Andi had tacked on the wall. “What’s that? Wait . . . it almost looks like you guys are trying to figure out . . . a murder.”
Duke’s jaw clenched as he looked at Andi.
She said nothing, leaving the response to him.
He wasn’t sure how he wanted to answer. But the facts in front of everyone were undeniable.
