Page 72 of Landon

Devil’s eyes narrowed. “Did he sound suspicious?”

Landon shook his head, trying to piece it together. “Not that she noticed. He didn’t raise any red flags with her, but he’s definitely someone to keep on our radar. Right now, I don’t trust anyone in the Fugate orbit who hated Pamela.”

Sadie piped up from her computer, a grin tugging at her lips. “Royster Barton,” she said, unable to resist a smirk. “If my name were Royster, I’d go by Roy too.”

Devil chuckled, and Landon couldn’t help but roll his eyes, though his own tension remained. “What do we know about him?”

Sadie’s expression shifted, and she quickly dove back into her research. “Roy Barton’s a well-known attorney. Works at the firm his father founded, no complaints, lawsuits, or investigations on him. He lives alone in Bellehaven, that upscale subdivision outside Helena. Think golf courses, big but tasteful houses, restrained wealth.”

“Man, I’d like to haverestrained wealth,” Devil muttered with a grin, though his humor only barely covered the interest in what they could dig up on Roy.

“Sadie, can you pull up any correspondence between Barton and Mike?” Landon asked, his tone sharpening. Devil’s smirk faded, and he turned his focus back to his screen, fingers flying over the keyboard.

Just then, Todd strode in, his normally composed face hard. He didn’t waste any time. “We got the results back from the liquid sample found in Mike’s toiletry kit,” he announced. “It’s digoxin. Medical name, but it’s basically derived from Foxglove. Every part of that plant is toxic. It can trigger a heart attack.”

Landon clenched his fists, the revelation settling in like a dark weight. “It could look natural, especially somewhere like Jamaica, and no one would question Pamela dying of a heart attack.” His voice was a rough whisper. “And when her body would be sent back, the Fugates would just want closure—no one here would push for an autopsy. They’d pay for Pamela’s return and bury her.”

Devil nodded grimly. “But who gave it to Mike? Which Fugate ordered Mike to poison Pamela?”

Frazier’s brow furrowed as he hesitated, then exhaled sharply. “We found an unknown number that called Mike the day before your flight and once again on the morning of yourdeparture. Then it hit his phone again after you arrived. I haven’t yet been able to narrow down where a call from the burner came from.”

“Any way to trace the unknown number?” Landon’s voice was taut with anticipation.

Sadie leaned forward, her fingers tapping rapidly. “Not immediately, but I can get the call origin using Logan’s new software.”

Landon couldn’t sit still. He moved to stand behind her, his focus locked on her screen. “And?”

Sadie’s brow furrowed as she worked, then she glanced up, her eyes glinting with intensity.

“Chill out, Landon. This will take a while.”

He knew she was right, and while patience was usually one of his virtues, he found that when it came to Noel, he couldn’t dislodge the knot in his gut to make sure she was protected.

An hour later, Sadie finally swiveled around and reported, “Two of the calls were placed from downtown Helena… right near the courthouse. Roy’s office building is near there.”

A surge of frustration twisted in Landon’s chest, and he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension. “That’s still circumstantial. We need more than proximity.”

Sadie’s fingers flew across the keyboard again, her jaw set. “Okay, okay, I’m working on it.”

Time crawled, then she finally turned to face him and the other Keepers staying late to see how this would play out.

“The last call, the one placed after you arrived in Jamaica and the family was notified about the kids being taken… pinged from Bellehaven.”

A hushed silence fell over the room as the weight of this new detail sank in. “Goddamn,” Devil murmured. “That’s some fuckin’ good software.”

“Yeah, and while it still doesn’t give us the proof we need, we’re much closer.”

Logan joined Landon, his expression grim. “Do you think one of the Fugates might’ve put this in motion? Maybe Thurston or Stan? Maybe Margaret? Pamela was becoming a problem for them, and it’s possible they decided they’d had enough. Could they have approached Roy to set Mike up for this?”

Landon considered it, his mind racing through the options. “Margaret? I can’t see her being involved, but then she’d probably do anything to protect her family. But as for the others… hell, I just don’t know. Stan hates his ex-wife, and Thurston would protect the ranch at all costs.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time a family attorney was used to take care ofproblems,” Logan said.

He checked his watch, feeling the pressure of time and wanting desperately to warn Noel. “Let me call her,” he said, dialing her number. The phone rang, but it immediately went to voicemail. He cursed under his breath, then left a message, his voice steady but with an urgency he couldn’t hide. “Noel, just wanted to update you. We’re becoming suspicious of Roy Barton. Evidence suggests he might have been the one to contact Mike regarding Pamela. We don’t have solid proof yet, and we’re not sure if any of the Fugates were involved, but be careful. I’d prefer you don’t see him alone again.” He ended the call, gripping his phone tightly.

“Had to leave a message?” Devil asked, watching him closely.

“Yeah, but I’ll talk to her tonight. She needs to know not to be alone at the Fugate Ranch—or anywhere near Roy.”

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