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"Not a day went by that I didn't love her. But she didn't tell me." David puts his head in his hands and weeps.

My own tears fall as I drop to my knees and move toward David. I pull his hands away, and when I see his devastated face, I know the truth. "You really didn't know."

He shakes his head. "I wondered when she got pregnant. She denied it was possible. Why wouldn't she tell me?"

"Maybe she does, though eighteen years later." I hand him the letter that had been in mine. His hand trembles as he takes it from me.

Essex helps me to my feet as David walks silently out of the room. Through the window I watch him walk to the end of the dock where he sits.

"I'm staying here," I announce. To Essex, "Your mother asked me to move in here, right? If you don't want me, say so now."

"Babe, I still want you anyway I can get you." He grins. "What changed your mind?"

"All the lies. I'm done in Mount Sterling. I belong where you are, and that's here."

"Too right!"

"Hmm, that's all well and good, but I need to set up this timeline. I'll get a colleague at the office to dig deep. My boss has okayed it and is sending two more agents down here because we don't know who Richard has in his pocket. I do know that David is not behind the deaths."

"Which means someone else is," Nico says, coming into the room. "That's fascinating, brother." Eyes narrow on Essex. "You want to fill me in on this shit you're up to?" Pause. "It isn’t optional."

"Essex, maybe you need to fill your family in on everything, and while you're doing that, I'll help Ed set up his timeline... Then I'll go check on David."

"Wait! What? David Lincoln is here?" Nico looks ready for blood.

Fortunately, Essex grabs him. "I'll fill you in and you'll see David in a different light."

"Tell them everything, Essex." I hold his gaze for a moment, then he drags his brother out of the room.

"I need food. Soon," I say, my stomach growling.

Ed doesn't listen as he draws a line across the board. "Read me the year and the names along with the information we have."

"I can do that." I get comfortable with the laptop on my lap and start with Steven Gibbs. By the time I finish with Joshua Redd, forty minutes have passed.

The board is full of Ed's scribbles, and now he switches to a red marker. "Can you print out a map of all the places these people were last seen?"

"I think so. What do you think?"

"All of these people worked for Lincoln Construction in some capacity. They also had some involvement in the Green Oaks project. Green Oaks was huge and took years to complete. It's central to all these places, which means we need the employment records for these people. We know that Deedee worked in accounting. Joshua was a carpenter and contracted by Lincolns. We need an actual paper trail to prove that they all worked at Green Oaks."

"But what would that mean?"

Ed stands with his hands on his hips and his focus on the board. "That's what we have to find out. I need the plans for the project."

"Richard will have a copy in his office at the house. I can look for them."

"No!" He turns. "I'll get a copy. All the locations will be online with the planning office. You stay out of Richard's office."

"I can get Evelyn to be the look out."

"No. I mean it, Bea. It's too risky."

"Okay," I huff.

"Bea?"

"I won't snoop."

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