Page 46 of Shapeshifter's Vengeance

He meets my gaze, his eyes filled with concern. “Evelyn, Cassandra has too many dark forces in her. I suspect she’s not working alone. She has allies, and we need to find whoever is helping her or giving her those powers.”

I nod, absorbing his words. “Did you see anything that could help us identify her allies?”

Alexei shakes his head. “No, but she’s definitely injured. The dagger used against her produced a wound that will take a while to heal.”

“You’ve done enough, Alexei,” I say firmly. “You can rest now. I’ll handle it from here.”

He gives me a weary smile. “Be careful, Evelyn. She’s dangerous.”

“I know,” I reply.

The team carefully removes the recorder from Alexei’s body. We gather around the audio equipment, anxious to hear what was captured. As the tape plays, the room fills with the tense conversation between Alexei and Cassandra. Her voice is filled with malice, and I can hear the pain in Alexei’s responses.

“Make another copy,” I instruct one of the deputies. “Remove any part of the conversation where supernatural elements are mentioned. We need to create an incriminating audio for Cassandra that we can use. It’s time to start our own smear campaign, we will use the same press against her.”

As the team works on the audio, I gather my thoughts. Cassandra’s allies need to be identified, and we need to find a way to stop her. I can’t let her continue to wreak havoc on Harmony Grove.

“Sheriff,” one of the deputies calls out, “we’ve got the edited audio ready.”

“Good,” I reply, standing up. “Let’s hear it.”

The deputy plays the edited version, and I listen intently. It captures Cassandra’s malice perfectly without mentioning anything supernatural. This will be useful.

“Make several copies,” I instruct. “We need to distribute this strategically.”

The deputy nods and gets to work. I turn back to Alexei, who’s watching me with a mix of pride and concern.

“Get some rest,” I tell him again. He looks like he needs it desperately, and I don’t blame him for not wanting to take a rest. Cassandra is devolving fast, and we must stop her immediately. “We’ll take it from here.”

He nods, finally giving in to his exhaustion. I watch as he leaves the room, feeling a pang of worry. But I push it aside. There’s work to be done.

I feel a flicker of hope. This is a start. We have a plan, and we’re executing it. Now, we just need to stay focused and vigilant. I hope this forces her to do something drastic, but I have my doubts. She is wounded but we still need to find her before she returns for us all. I don’t need a soothsayer to tell me that her return will be deadly.

I take a moment to step outside. The cool air helps clear my mind. I look up at the stars, feeling a mix of determination and resolve.

We will stop Cassandra. We will protect Harmony Grove. And we will do it together.

I head back inside, ready to continue the fight. There’s no time to rest. Not until Cassandra is stopped for good.

I sit at my desk, eyes fixed on the screen as the recording uploads to the news outlet’s server. Every second of Cassandra’s malicious confession is captured, her voice dripping with hatred and vengeance. The story we’re spinning is simple: Cassandra attacked Alexei in his home, making her the prime suspect in the recent murder cases.

We have a confession and will let the press do the rest. Public opinion would be swayed very soon, and everyone would see her for the devil she is. The disgusting accusations about me covering up for Alexei will stop, and I can finally focus on bringing her to justice.

Once the edited upload is complete, I take a deep breath and press send, sharing the link with every major media outlet inthe region. The gears are set in motion. I can already envision the headlines: “Cassandra, Wanted for Attempted Murder and Murder, Bounty Placed.”

My phone buzzes. It’s a message from the news anchor confirming receipt. The news will break in minutes.

I step outside my office, the cool air a brief reprieve from the tension. The press conference is about to start, and I must be composed. Alexei stands nearby, talking with some deputies, his presence a steadying force.

“Ready?” he asks, joining me.

I nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

We walk together to the front of the station, where a crowd of reporters waits, microphones and cameras aimed at us. The murmur of voices hushes as we step up to the podium. I clear my throat and begin.

“Good afternoon. As many of you know, there have been a recent series of events involving a woman named Cassandra. Today, we have evidence linking her directly to these crimes. Last night, she attacked Mayor Alexei in his home, confirming her as the main suspect in all the murder case we’ve been investigating.”

There’s a ripple of shock through the crowd. Cameras click, and hands shoot up with questions, but I hold up a hand to forestall them.

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