Page 10 of Shapeshifter's Vengeance

She shakes her head. "No, but it’s a start. We can track down any black SUVs in the area."

I nod, feeling a glimmer of hope. "Good work, Lisa. Let’s follow up on this."

The task force springs into action, each deputy taking a task. The energy in the room shifts, a sense of purpose replacing the earlier frustration.

As we work, I glance at my phone once more. Still no reply from Alexei. But now, at least, we have a lead. And that’s enough to keep going.

The night stretches on, but we don’t stop. We can’t. We owe it to Alexei, to the victims, to the town.

As the first light of dawn breaks through the windows, I stand up, stretching. "Alright, everyone. Let’s take a short break, then regroup. We’re getting close. I can feel it."

The deputies nod, exhaustion etched on their faces but determination burning in their eyes.

I step outside, taking a deep breath of the cool morning air. The town is still quiet, but there’s a sense of anticipation in the air.

"We’ll get through this," I whisper to myself. "We must."

With renewed determination, I head back inside. There’s still a lot of work to do, but for the first time since this nightmare began, I feel a glimmer of hope.

My phone rings, cutting through the quiet of the morning. It’s Ana, Alexei’s sister. Her voice is panicked.

“Evelyn, they’ve taken him!” she cries.

“What? Who took him?” I ask, my heart racing.

“They just sent a prison escort to pick him up. A judge ruled that Alexei should be in solitary confinement, not under house arrest. They’ve already taken him to the prison!”

I feel a surge of anger. “I’m heading to the courthouse. Meet me there. They have no right to make such a decision in my absence.”

I hang up and rush out, my mind racing.How could this happen without my knowledge? I’m the sheriff!I’m supposed to be in the loop on everything involving this case.

Ana was already there when I arrived at the courthouse, her face pale and drawn. “Evelyn, this isn’t right,” she says, her voice trembling.

“I know,” I reply, gripping her hand. “I’m going to fix this.”

We head inside, and I make a beeline for the judge’s chambers. The judge, an older man with stern features, looks up as I burst in.

“Sheriff,” he says, his tone cold. “What is the meaning of this?”

“You ruled to have Alexei locked up in solitary confinement without consulting me,” I snap. “Why?”

“He’s a suspect in a murder case,” the judge replies. “He poses a danger to the community.”

“He’s a suspect, not a convicted criminal,” I argue. “The evidence against him is circumstantial at best.”

The judge’s eyes narrow. “Are you giving him preferential treatment because he’s your fiancé?”

I feel my blood boil. “I’m treating him like any other suspect. House arrest was sufficient. This ruling is excessive and unnecessary. Hell, up until this happened, that man gave everything to this community! Are we going to pretend like he’s not the mayor here?”

“The decision stands. He has been suspended as mayor,” the judge says, his tone final. “Unless you can present new evidence exonerating him, he will remain in solitary confinement.”

I take a deep breath, trying to control my anger. He is trying to bait me into making a mistake, and I won’t give him that satisfaction. “This isn’t over,” I say, turning on my heel and storming out.

Ana follows me, her eyes filled with tears. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll find a way to get him out,” I assure her. “But it looks like our best shot at that is to exonerate him, so, we need to get back to work and finish this.”

Chapter 5: The Breakup and the Note

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