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Heather nodded, her eyes scanning the room, taking in every detail. "There has to be more, something current or at least recent. This can't be it."
Together, we began to search the room more thoroughly. I pulled out a camera from my jacket and started taking pictures of the board, the documents, anything that seemed like it might be relevant. Heather rifled through drawers and cabinets, her movements methodical and precise.
As we worked, the gravity of what we were uncovering began to weigh on me. This wasn’t just a hunch anymore; it was tangible, it was real. The implications of what this room represented could be far-reaching, not just for Heather but for the entire community. And as much as I wanted to shield her from it, to protect her from the backlash that might come, I knew that was no longer an option. We were in this together, digging through the shadows of her aunt's life, hoping to find enough light to lead us through.
As Heather pulled open another drawer, her hand paused, and she looked over at me, her expression a mix of hope and fear. "Let’s see what else we can find," she said, her voice steady but her eyes betraying the storm inside.
The musty air of the hidden room clung to my clothes as Heather and I dug deeper into the secrets it held. My mind was racing, every new document, every scrawled note pulling the threads of suspicion tighter around the legacy Heather’s aunt had left behind.
"Shit, Danny, look at this," Heather murmured, pulling a small, leather-bound notebook from a locked drawer I had pried open. Her fingers hesitated on the cover before she flipped it open. The pages were filled with dense, looping handwriting, dates, amounts, initials—entries that made my detective's instincts twitch.
I leaned over her shoulder, peering at the page. "This could be a ledger, maybe payments or shipments. We need to cross-reference these initials with known suspects or any contacts we’ve pulled from other parts of the investigation."
Heather nodded, her face pale under the flickering light bulb that hung from the ceiling. "I can’t fucking believe Dina was wrapped up in this... Was she managing this whole operation? Or was she being used?" Her voice cracked, the strain of loyalty and disillusionment evident.
Taking the notebook from her, I flipped through it carefully. "We don't know yet, Heather. Let’s not jump to conclusions. She could have been keeping records for protection or maybe as leverage."
"Yeah, or maybe she was in over her head," Heather snapped back, her emotions flaring as she paced the small room. She stopped and took a deep breath, her hands running through her hair. "Sorry, I... this is just a lot."
I understood her turmoil. "It’s okay to be upset. It’s a lot to take in. But we’re going to get to the bottom of this. Let’s keep looking."
We continued our search. I made notes on my phone, photographing documents and labeling everything. Heather found more files, some containing receipts and emails printed out and stuffed into manila envelopes.
"Here’s something," I called out, holding up a series of photos that showed different parts of the ranch. In several, there were vehicles that didn’t belong to the ranch—vehicles I recognized from surveillance footage near known drug drop sites.
Heather came over, took the photos, and studied them. "I've never seen these cars here before, not since I've been back anyway." Her voice was hollow, the reality setting in that her return to the ranch had likely disrupted more than just old family memories.
As the afternoon wore into evening, our pile of 'evidence' grew. Heather sat back on her heels. "What now?" she asked, looking up at me with weary eyes.
"We take this to the station. I’ll get a team on it, analyze everything, see what connections we can make to the wider investigation." I stood, stretching my back, feeling the toll of the day. "I can have a unit come and secure the room, too."
Heather stood slowly, her gaze lingering on the open door of the hidden room. "And what about me?" she asked. "What if people find out what we found here? That it might involve Dina?"
"You’re a victim in this as much as anyone, caught up in something you had no knowledge of." I stepped closer, my tone earnest. "You’ve got my protection, Heather. I won’t let anything happen to you."
She nodded, a fragile smile flickering on her lips. "Thanks, Danny."
Chapter Twenty
Heather
Iwatched Danny's car pull away, a mix of emotions swirling within me. Why can't anything ever be simple? I thought, sighing deeply.
"Everything okay?" Tyler's voice cut through my reverie.
"Yeah, it's all good," I replied, mustering a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Danny was just lending a hand with something." I wasn't ready to dive into the complexities of what we had unearthed today, not with Tyler, not yet.
"He seems to be around a lot lately." Tyler's tone wasn't accusatory, but there was a hint of something else—maybe jealousy? He stepped closer, his presence familiar and comforting in a way that suddenly felt too intimate.
"He has experience with some ranch stuff. It was just... ranch stuff," I stammered, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.
Tyler nodded, though his eyes still held questions. He reached out, pulling me into a hug. His body was warm against mine, his strength reassuring. Yet, as I returned the embrace, a pang of guilt washed over me. Why do I feel like I'm betraying someone?
"Thanks, Tyler," I murmured as we stepped back. "For everything. You're always here when I need you."
"Always," he confirmed with a smile and walked away, leaving me to my tangled thoughts.
I headed inside, my mind racing. Deciding to take a hot bath to unwind, I filled the tub, the steam fogging up the bathroom mirrors as I undressed.
