Phil eases back, almost imperceptibly. He thinks I’m bluffing, and guilt prickles at that.
I watch Edwin for a flicker that says he knows I’m telling the truth … because he played a role in the deaths. I don’t see it, though. I do, however, notice Felicity’s gaze slide her grandfather’s way. She’s wondering whether he knew this. She’s wondering whether he’s involved. His own features, though, only gather in irritable confusion.
“Is this a joke, Casey?” he says.
I let my expression answer. He meets my gaze. Studies it. Narrows his eyes.
“Explain,” he says.
I arch my brows. I could remind him that I’m not his public servant, but I won’t be petty. My expression says enough.
“I’m not sure what you want me to explain,” I say. “We found three settlers. They appeared to be the victim of hostile attacks. The classic signs were there, with frenzied slashes plus evidence of blunt force trauma. But then April discovered a bullet lodged behind bone. We found evidence of other bullet wounds, with the projectiles either passing through or being removed. That remaining one, I believe, was missed. The stab wounds were then used to disguise the entry and exit paths. Decent work, and without that bullet, I’d have bought it. April would have figured it out, though, through internal tissue damage.”
Phil stares at me. He realizes now that I’m not making this up. That we once again excluded him from the “need to know” roster.
I’ll need to convince him it wasn’t a lack of trust but, rather, that we’d been too busy dealing with everything else and weren’t ready to inform the council. And, yes, perhaps that last bit is trust. We don’t trust him not to tell the council, but we also don’t wish to put him in that position.
“You think we did this thing,” Edwin says.
I shrug. “Makes sense. You have guns. You also have a reason to prove that the hostiles are a wildly escalating threat.”
“We are not killers,” he says, enunciating each word.
“Then someone from your settlement found these settlers, already dead, and you decided to make use of their bodies. Give meaning to senseless deaths. You’d use that to convince us—and through us, the council—that the hostiles must be stopped. Relocated or otherwise removed.”
Edwin watches me for a moment. Then he says, “Were you good at your job down south, Casey? Or did you achieve your position based on your sex and ethnicity? The elevation of an underwhelming officer to fulfill some bureaucratically determined quota?”
Dalton rocks forward, eyes flashing as his mouth opens. Before he can say anything, though, Felicity walks past him. Strides to the door. Opens it.
“Felic—” her grandfather begins. The shutting door cuts him short. She doesn’t stomp out and slam it. Just wordlessly leaves, letting the door close behind her.
“Nicely done, Edwin,” Émilie murmurs. “I see your attitudes haven’t changed, even with a granddaughter you are obviously grooming to succeed you. Didn’t have any grandsons, did you? Such a shame.”
“Casey is—” Dalton begins.
“Casey is well qualified for her position,” Phil cuts in, his voice cool and smooth, his gaze equally cool as it lands on me. He’s furious with my perceived betrayal but rising above it to defend me, which adds iodine to the sting. “Her performance ratings and clearance scores placed her in the top tenth percentile and—”
“And none of that matters,” I say. “Because Edwin isn’t really questioning my skill or my ability. He’s seen how effective I am. He’s just playing a very old and very tattered card. Do you think that’s a new one, Counselor? Insinuate that a woman got her job because of her sex? That a minority got it because they tick a box? I’m sure you heard that yourself, back in the day. Or is your memory really fading that fast?”
“I was simply—”
“Being an asshole. Being an asshole defense lawyer, to be precise. I laid out my case against you, and you deflected by pretending my theory only proves I’m clearly a lousy detective.”
“We neither killed nor mutilated these settlers,” he says. “I don’t see the point of such a sham. You already know the hostiles are dangerous. Even if we mutilated the corpses, would we not ensure you found them?”
“I believe we were supposed to find them. Eventually. Scavenging would only add to the damage, as it did with the tourists. The bodies would be left for a couple of days, and then we’d be alerted to their presence. However, before that could happen, they disappeared from the scene. Those responsible for the deaths pondered that, uncertain how to handle the unexpected twist. Then…”
I shrug. “Perhaps the person responsible decided that the best way to handle it was to come to Rockton himself. Come and tell me that a hunting party happened upon these poor murdered settlers and returned to tell him, but in the meantim
e, the bodies disappeared. So he proceeded to Rockton to inform me personally, despite his banishment, proving that the situation was indeed dire.”
Edwin’s face darkens for a split second before he leans back in his chair, hands folded on his lap. “That is quite a tortuous piece of speculation, Detective Butler. Reminds me of all the times I had to explain away a bit of irrefutable evidence against a client. Come up with a preposterous story and pray the jury was filled with gullible idiots. Apparently, now I’m the gullible idiot.”
“No,” Dalton says, “you’re the very old lawyer who’s forgotten how to ply his trade. Even I can see what you’re doing, Edwin. Discrediting the witness. Isn’t that what they call it? Don’t provide any proof that you didn’t do this. Just deny it and insult the detective and her theories.”
“What are you here for, Edwin?” I say. “I have work to do. You know what I found. You know you’re a suspect. Now please convey this critical information that brought you here, so you may return to your village and let me solve the six goddamn murders currently on my plate.”
Edwin straightens. “I came to inform you that there has been increased evidence of hostile activity. Another hunting party was confronted. Fortunately, the situation was resolved without bloodshed.”