For the first time since I arrived, she looked afraid.
“Dad…”
“What?”
“There was someone else there.”
My heart started racing.
“Who?”
She hesitated.
Then she whispered:
“Ryan’s son, Noah.”
I froze.
“Noah was at the lake?”
She nodded.
“He was standing inside the cabin window.”
“And?”
“He saw everything.”
I leaned forward.
“Why didn’t he tell the police?”
Lily’s face changed.
A mixture of fear and confusion.
“Because Uncle Ryan told him not to.”
I felt every hair on my arms rise.
“What exactly did he say?”
Lily looked at me.
And the words she spoke next changed everything.
“He told Noah… if he wanted to protect his family, he needed to keep his mouth shut.”
I stood up.
Because suddenly this wasn’t a misunderstanding.
It wasn’t a scared girl remembering things incorrectly.
Someone had a reason to hide the truth.
And I was about to find out why.
