Page 101 of Forever Dark
Croft smiled.“After speaking with you and the sheriff yesterday, I upped my security.You did tell me that a killer was attending my revival sermons.But if that’s not enough, there is one other person who coulddefinitelytestify that I never left my bus last night.”
“Who?”
“Sheriff Chase should be able to.”
Silence hit the room hard enough to feel physical.
Selena did not move.
Did not blink.
Did not let her face give anything away.
But in her head, the pieces rearranged themselves into a splinter.
Connor arriving at her position in the trees with two coffees.The split in the trees.The view of the bus.The angle of the fairgrounds.Croft inside, perhaps looking out through one of those dark windows with binoculars, seeing headlights, seeing movement.He could have sent someone to creep up and spy on them to confirm that they were there.That made sense.It would explain why they took the opportunity to flee as soon as she and Connor left.
Elias had not needed Connor to see him on the bus.He only needed to know Connor was there, that the sheriff himself had come to join the surveillance in the middle of the night.Enough to muddy the timeline.Enough to say later, with maddening plausibility, that he had remained inside all along.
Vail was already writing.
Selena could hear the scratch of his pen.
Croft watched her now with quiet patience, the expression of a man allowing truth to dawn in someone he believed slower than himself.
“At some point during the night,” he went on, “Sheriff Chase came out to the grounds.I noticed his vehicle from the window of the bus.I assumed he was checking on Agent Raven, who had chosen to conduct an informal watch from the trees rather than request proper support.”
Vail looked up from the pad.“Interesting.So, you were under observation yet are still being treated as though you fled.The sheriff’s department and the federal government are persecuting you.”
“You didn’t mention seeing Sheriff Chase before,” Selena said.
“You didn’t ask.”
Vail said, “Agent Raven, are you now prepared to concede that your department pursued, stopped, and arrested my client while in possession of information that materially undercut your own theory?”
The room seemed smaller than it had a minute ago.
Selena kept her gaze on Croft.“Seeing us near your camp does not clear you of murder.”
“No,” Croft said softly.“But it is averygood alibi.Is it not?”
Selena pivoted fast, trying to salvage ground before the whole line gave way.
“Who else knew Tara Brennan?”
“I don’t know.And I don’t know her.”
“Who drove the escort vehicles today?Were they some of the employees you’re trying to hide?”
“My attorney advises me not to answer.”
Vail nodded once.“Correct.”
“You obstructed a lawful stop.”
“My client did no such thing.”
“His vehicles boxed us off the road.”
