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“It’s good to hear from you, but if Rand finds out, you could be in serious hot water.”
Lysander sighed. “I know. After you left, I overheard some of the conversation between Father and Garrick. Truth is, Tiberius, I’ve wanted to reach out over the years, but...it would have been a sin against the Prophet, and that’s a risk I’d never take—until now.”
“What’s changed now?”
“I need to ask you something. Will you tell me the truth?” His voice was soft, hesitant and yet urgent.
“I will.” He was the only one who would.
“Garrick and Father had a conversation about the crimes. Garrick told Father that Bexley and Ahnah are alive, that you helped make them appear to be dead. That they didn’t drown. Is that true?”
“What did Father say to that?”
“Just that Garrick was mistaken and must have seen someone similar. But is it true? What he said?”
Ty was at a crossroads here. The news hadn’t fed a list of the missing women to the public, so the knowledge that Ahnah and Bexley were alive hadn’t spread yet. “No. It’s not true. I didn’t help anyone escape. I wish I had.” He hated lying through half truths, but if Lysander believed they were alive, he might tell Bexley and Ahnah’s father. He had to protect them. And Josiah.
“Why would he say that?”
“I don’t know for sure.” Why would it benefit Garrick to tell Rand? How long had he been sitting on this information? Long enough to put a plan in motion? “Hey, do you remember Matt Devlin?” He would have been six years older than Lysander, but he was mean enough he might remember him.
“Vaguely. Why?”
“I was wondering if his name ever came up that you heard of? He got into trouble, and then his family left the community. Would you know anything about that?”
“No. I remember him eyeing Bexley often. And that you punched him in the face for it and broke his nose.”
“How did Dalen become Rand’s successor? Could you tell me that?”
The line hung with silence.
“Lysander? You still there?”
“Yeah. I’m still here. Look, Dalen isn’t taking Father’s office. Father is protecting Garrick. Look, some ugly things have gone down here. Garrick got into trouble. Families talked amongst themselves, and the rumors reached Father’s ears, so he had to give Garrick penance. He named Dalen as his successor and made his mother the first wife. You should know that he never intended to keep that decision in place. He was waiting on the talk to die down.”
“How did Dalen take that—or did he know?”
“Well...he had an affair with Garrick’s wife and left the Family, taking her with him. Threatened to bring the whole thing down, but that was a little over a year ago.”
Dalen left? He wasn’t on the list Rand gave him. Who else had he omitted from it? And why?
Dalen’s stealing of Garrick’s wife seemed like revenge enough. If Dalen was the UNSUB, tattooing women with the Family’s logo would be another way to disgrace them and implicate them in the murders later. Maybe that’s why he never retaliated in other ways. But it didn’t explain his personal beef with Ty—if it was Dalen. Unless Garrick had fed him some kind of bogus junk about Tiberius to help him join the let’s hate Ty club. But what could he have said to sway Dalen into a grudge like this? “Do I know this woman?”
“No. She made friends with Garrick on his business trips and joined the Family.”
“Does she have a name?” He’d like to talk with her. She might know things, or she might not realize she knew things. This could be a break for him, and if she left Garrick, she would have no reason to refrain from answering questions about him. In fact, she might be all too happy to spill the tea.
“Carrie. Why?”
“This has been helpful, Lysander. Thank you.” And yet Ty was lying. His entire job was focused on finding truth, letting truth bring justice, and he was concealing it like a common criminal. Hiding under all the lies and half truths. “But I have one more question. Have you heard any buzz about a son and mother disfellowshipped because he was carving the logo in animals and causing disturbances within the family? He’d be older.”
The line was quiet. “No, but I could find out. Why?”
“He might be killing women in the Outer Banks.”
Lysander hummed. “I’ll try to find a way to secure the information without looking sketchy and text you if I get it.”
“Great. This means a lot.”
