Page 48 of Christmas in the Shadows

She shrugged innocently. “I think you’re reading too much into my statement.”

The man was definitely on edge.

Instead of saying anything else, he stormed off, leaving a trail of questions in his wake.

CHAPTER 17

Unease sloshed inside Tex as he and Chelsea headed outside toward his truck.

All these events were connected. They had to be. Now there were innocent victims to think about. Whoever was behind this needed to be held accountable.

“He knows something,” Chelsea murmured.

“I know. Far too many people are trying to keep this quiet, if you ask me. This should already have been stopped.”

“I have to wonder if these guys are being pressured to take these drugs.” She frowned as she said the words.

“We’re never going to get any answers from Gilbert—or that guy back there,” Tex said. “Steve, right?”

“Right. He and Gilbert are tight. And you know Gilbert. He’s the type who can get anything he wants.”

As they reached his truck, he paused and let out something close to a low growl.

“What is it?” Chelsea murmured beside him.

He pointed to his tires. “They’ve been slashed.” He circled his truck, checking out all the tires. “All four of them. Someone definitely wants to send us a message.”

Chelsea stared at Tex’s flat tires, her heart pounding harder. Was she really seeing this? But she knew she was.

“Oh, Tex. I’msosorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” He fisted his hands at his side as he stared at the vehicle.

“Someone is taking this to the extreme, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’d most definitely say so—but more because of Mikey than over this.”

Chelsea couldn’t deny that statement. But something else bothered her also, though she tried to pinpoint what.

Then it hit her.

Steve. He’d just come into the hospital.

He would have been in the parking lot recently. Could he have done this?

And his voice . . . she couldn’t be sure, but he almost sounded like the man she’d overheard Gilbert speaking with. She’d assumed it was a young person—maybe even a high schooler. But Steve’s voice had a higher pitch to it, making him sound younger.

How had she not realized that before?

“Chelsea?”

She pulled herself from her thoughts and turned to Tex, who stared at her.

“What are you thinking?”

She hesitated only a minute before sharing her theory.

“You might be onto something,” Tex said. “Having a winning football team would look good for his career.”

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