Secrets Never Sleep: A chilling mystery suspense thriller (P.I. Nia Carter Thriller Series Book 1) by Dan Padavona
Author:Dan Padavona [Padavona, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-29T00:00:00+00:00
25
Nia stood beside a large table in the police departmentâs records room while Eli pulled boxes of folders off the shelves. Overhead lights reflected on plastic holders that protected an array of photographs.
She got his attention. "Look at this."
He walked over and set Cecilia Grayâs background check on the table. There was no new information, nothing she hadnât learned years ago. But as she scanned the family lineage, a name stuck out.
"Have a look at this," she said.
Eli peered over her shoulder, the proximity sending an unintended shiver down her back. "What did you find?"
"I spotted a name on the family tree. Look hereâCecilia Gray. It lists Eugene Cantelli as a second cousin."
Eli frowned. âI donât recall seeing his name on this report seven years ago.â
âAn oversight?â
He shook his head. âI donât think so. Anyone in a fight with Sebastian Lacroix would need well-connected allies. Theron fits the bill, but so does Eugene Cantelli.â
âPerhaps he lent money to his Gray relatives to keep Lacroix at bay.â
"Blood ties," Eli said, pulling up a chair. "That complicates things."
"Complicates, or explains?"
Nia thought about Cecilia, caught between familial loyalty and a town power struggle.
He flipped open his notebook and jotted the connection. "Could be both. Remember, Cantelli was one of the few who didn't bend a knee to Sebastian Lacroix. He competed against him instead of selling his land on the cheap."
"An enemy of my enemy."
"Exactly."
âBut Lacroix invited Cantelli to his party.â
âHe invited the entire town to his party.â Eli moved toward a steel cabinet marked Police Evidence. "I donât believe those two drink tea together on lazy afternoons."
With a metallic groan, the drawer slid open, revealing the documents. Eli's hand paused over a stack of envelopes tied with frayed twine. He undid the knot and extracted an envelope.
"Letters found in a lockbox inside Ceciliaâs home," he said. "Between Cecilia and Theron. Weâd saved these."
"Read the good bits."
He coughed once before reciting the letter. "'My dearest Theron, in your arms, I find a hope for our futureâa world created just for us.'"
"Passionate."
âIâm not much into poetry.â
âBut youâre willing to paint with my daughter.â
âTrue.â He continued reading. âThey dreamed of leaving, starting anew.â
"Escaping Duskwood. Maybe they realized Lacroix was too strong."
"Conspiracy theories wonât serve us. Besides, I trust my department."
âThen who killed Theron?â
âGood question,â he said.
âHand me the missing personâs report on Cecilia Gray.â
âAt your service.â
She read the report aloud. "Missing since June 5th, no leads." The report included a jumble of interviews and dead-end inquiries, all pointing to a single, chilling conclusion: Cecilia had vanished, and suspicion cast a wide net over both her family and Theronâs.
"Divided loyalties?" Eli suggested, shrugging his shoulders.
"Maybe," Nia agreed, but something didn't sit right. She stood, pushing back her chair. "We need more than what the missing personâs report tells us."
"Agreed. Real voices, real memories."
"Let's hit the pavement."
They found themselves beneath a sun that blazed as had the fireplace at Lacroixâs party. The town felt like a repository of secrets.
Cecilia Grayâs former house was a five-minute drive away. They approached a neighboring home, where a woman was tending to a garden overrun with wildflowers.
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