Page 106 of Veil of Silence

“You said you found the results. What did you mean by that?” Austin finally asked.

“Christian must have grabbed the envelope from the mailbox before anyone knew he’d done it. He hid the results beneath his mattress. I know I shouldn’t have snooped, but I did.”

“Do you have the report with you?”

“If I took it, then he’d know that I knew. Instead, I photographed it and put everything back exactly as I found it.”

Austin checked the rearview mirror again. A white pickup had been behind them since they left Fog Lake, but it remained several car lengths back.

Not the gray SUV.

The pickup turned into a gas station, leaving the highway empty behind them. Austin’s shoulders loosened another fraction, though his hands remained tight around the wheel.

If the report was genuine, the young man living with Nora’s family had known exactly what the DNA would reveal—and had hidden the proof.

Austin needed to see it.

More importantly, he needed both hands free when he did.

Chapter

Forty-Two

Austin spotted a gravel pull-off ahead and slowed before pulling off the road.

Nora glanced over at him. “What are you doing?”

“Trying not to read a DNA report while driving sixty miles an hour.”

He shifted into Park, and rain peppered the roof as he took the phone from her.

The photograph showed a laboratory report. He enlarged the image and skimmed past the sample numbers, genetic markers, and probability tables until he reached the conclusion.

The tested individuals were excluded from having the stated biological relationship.

Austin read the words twice.

“This says he isn’t related to your family.” Austin handed back the phone.

“I know.”

Christian had let the Loveless family believe their son had returned.

Why had he done that? What was his goal?

Whatever it was, Austin didn’t like it. The guy was an imposter.

Austin shifted toward Nora. “We need to go back.”

“No,” she responded quickly. “Not until we know how to handle this.”

“He’s in the house with your parents. Do I need to remind you that he may have pushed you down the stairs last night?” His gut roiled as he said the words.

He’d lied, and he was dangerous.

“I don’t know that Christian caused me to fall.”

“But you think he might have.”