Page 5 of Craving Sin (Touch of Evil 13)

“Around a hundred and twenty yards from here, give or take, something was dumped on the runway,” Russell informed her while keeping his phone against his ear. “For all we know, it could be a tree branch. Maybe a dead animal. I’m having one of the two agents who?—”

“No.” Brook had made it a point not to overstep her role up to this point, but the time had come to take over. Jacob had ensured she was part of his plea deal, and she wouldn’t go any further without taking the lead. She certainly wouldn’t put her team at risk for some type of power struggle between the two sides of the judicial system. “Until we know what it is, I want this to stay in-house. Russell, you and Theo should be the ones to approach whatever is out there. Best case scenario, it’s debris.”

Brook didn’t bother to tack on the worst case. Jacob’s non-reaction wasn’t surprising, but she had caught sight of Mitch’s response to Russell’s phone call. She got the sense that the defense attorney wasn’t shocked by the delay.

“What’s going on, Brook?” Nathaniel asked when she reached her seat. He didn’t seem to mind that Jacob was observing them intently. She calmly collected her jacket, slipping her arms in the sleeves before taking hold of a strap on the back of her backpack. “Is there some sort of problem?”

“We’re not sure.” Brook removed her cell phone from the side pocket, studying the lighted screen. She quickly dismissed several messages that would need to be returned later today. Keeping her phone in hand, she slid the strap of the backpack over her shoulder. “Theo and Russell are checking on something, but we should be able to exit the plane shortly.”

Cold air began to seep into the cabin, indicating that Theo and Russell were finally able to descend from the aircraft’s exit. While the month of June brought mild temperatures to Alaska, this afternoon’s high was still only fifty-four degrees.

“Ma’am?”

“Not yet,” Brook murmured in response to Victor’s subtle question. Nathaniel had already made his way to the front of the plane with his briefcase in hand. No doubt, Victor was keen to move things along, as well. His partner on this trip, however, seemed content to monitor the federal prosecutor’s movements. “We’ll wait for the all-clear.”

Jacob’s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing her statement. She had intentionally not included him in any of the conversations. He didn’t get to perceive any more authority on this recovery mission than what was necessary. Her brother believed he was calling the shots, guiding them to the remains of a victim, but she wouldn’t give him the impression that she would trip over herself for the information. It was bad enough that she had agreed and even pushed for this trip in the end, though not for the reasons everyone currently on board believed of her.

“I’ll be waiting outside,” Mitch stated as he stood from his seat. He had chosen to sit near Victor, leaving an open space between them. Jacob’s defense attorney didn’t even bother to glance in his client’s direction. “I need to make a few phone?—”

“Sit down, Mr. Norona,” Brook ordered without hesitation. “No one else leaves this plane until we’re given permission from my colleague.”

Brook maintained eye contact with Mitch until he slowly lowered himself to the cream leather sofa. He rubbed his chin in frustration, which was when she caught sight of the pearl of blood on the side of his thumbnail. Two things made an impression on her—Norona was nervous, and Jacob was curious.

The vibrations of the cell phone diverted her attention. She swiped to accept the call and lifted the phone to her ear while switching her focus back to Jacob. He met her gaze, and she got the distinct impression that he was at war with himself. It was as if he wanted her to believe he was aware of what was taking place outside, but something told her he was just as in the dark as she was right now.

“Brook, we’ve got ourselves a crime scene,” Theo advised, his tone grim under the muted muffling of the wind. “Keep everyone on board for now. You’ll want to see the body yourself before we call in a forensics team.”

Theo’s long pause conveyed there was something more to the crime scene…something worse.

“It’s Jacob’s signature, Brook.”

She didn’t reply to Theo’s depiction of the victim. Unless the woman had any form of identification on her body, it could be days before they had a name. Brook slowly lowered the phone while assessing Jacob’s reaction. He hadn’t personally taken another life, but she wouldn’t put it past him to pull the strings of another. He had done it before, and he would no doubt try again…if not having done so already.

“Nathaniel?” Brook slipped her cell phone into the pocket of her jacket while waiting for the federal prosecutor’s full attention. Keeping her tone casual, she made a request. “I’ve received word we might have a situation on our hands. You and the others are to stay on board until you hear otherwise. I’ll be back shortly.”

“What kind of situation?” Nathaniel asked in frustration. “If it involves this case, then I have a right to?—”

“I’ll let you know when I know,” Brook stated firmly as she made her way past him toward the exit. She glanced at Norona’s empty water bottle and made a mental note to collect it later. “Take a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

“Hey, sis?” Jacob called out with a touch of humor. She slid her thumb underneath the strap of her backpack to give herself something to grip. Her brother was enjoying the disruption a bit too much for her liking. “Welcome to Alaska.”

3

Sylvie Deering

June 2025

Tuesday — 1:14 pm

Sylvie had to lower the visor as she sat in the passenger seat of the SUV. Although the sun was obscured by thick clouds, a slight glare still reflected off the screen of her electronic tablet. She couldn’t help but groan in frustration. A headache had surfaced after re-reading the statements about Lusa Kalluk’s disappearance for what felt like the hundredth time. The annoying brightness on the display didn’t help, either.

“Maybe we should have pushed harder,” Bit said from the driver’s seat. He was going a little too fast for her liking, which was why she had opted to read through some of the documents that had been uploaded to the firm’s software program. If she weren’t peering out the windshield, she wouldn’t worry about any oncoming traffic. “Then again, I didn’t like the look of the fisherman’s front lawn. Do you think he booby-trapped his porch?”

Given Mekhi Hale’s irritable demeanor, she wouldn’t bet against such a reaction towards intruders. Not that they had tried to enter the man’s home. All they had accomplished was parking in the driveway, where they had been met with the barrel of a shotgun.

Sylvie had managed to hold her credentials up through the window, which succeeded in getting Mekhi to lower his weapon long enough to hear why they wanted to speak with him. Unfortunately, the moment she mentioned Jacob Walsh, Mekhi ordered them off his property, stating that if he had known the guy had murdered people, he would never have given him part-time work.

“Maybe,” Sylvie answered honestly. “We can always try to talk with him tomorrow. Maybe he’ll have a change of heart overnight.”

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