Chapter 9 Somber Parade

August

Bliss stretched her arms high over her head and yawned. She’d just finished her third television interview of the day at Town Hall. All three reporters were from out of town, but they’d been carefully vetted by the Heart Lake Police Department before entering the conference room. The mayor had given her permission to use it as often as needed for two reasons. First, everyone who entered the building had to pass through a metal detector. Secondly, the mayor considered it in the town’s best interest to keep the ongoing search for a Hildebrand-Hawling heir in the press.

“How did it go?” Mayor Heavenly Hawling stepped into the room, looking ten shades of elegant in a sunset orange pantsuit and matching heels. Her hair was piled high in an elegant twist atop her head. A former Remington before her marriage to a local rancher, she was giving the town her level best as their first female mayor. And her level best included a wardrobe to die for. It didn’t hurt that her cousin, Chanel, owned Modello’s, the most exclusive clothing boutique in town.

Bliss drew a soul-cleansing breath before answering. “I’m following your advice and doing everything I can to chase away the darkness in our town with the light.” It was a sound strategy. Her documentary-type interviews about DNA extraction processes and titillating updates to the ongoing hunt for a Hildebrand-Hawling heir were allowing the Heart Lake PD to work quietly behind the scenes to build a case against George Brand. Though they knew his true identity now, they’d yet to uncover any concrete evidence linking him to either the hit-and-run accident or the bombings at the medical center. They’d also been unable to determine why he was trying so hard to let the clock run out before anyone claimed the Hildebrand-Hawling inheritance.

“Our town.” Looking delighted by Bliss’s unintended slip of the lip, Heavenly exclaimed, “I really like the sound of that! And everything you said leading up to it. Please assure me this means you’re here to stay.”

“That’s a very good question.” Bliss stalled by reaching for the cup of coffee she’d left on the conference table.

“I know.” Heavenly chuckled as she moved further into the room. “That’s why I asked it.” She didn’t press the matter, though. Instead, she headed for the beverage bar to pour herself a cup of coffee. “Have you had a chance to take a look at those old letters I left with you?”

“I have.” Bliss was still making sense of what she’d read in the letters the mayor had found in some hidden drawer in Town Hall. Every last one of them dated back to the founding families more than a hundred years earlier.

“And?” Heavenly walked her way, sipping on her coffee.

“You really expect me to believe that a century of feuding between our two families was nothing more than a hoax?” Bliss shook her head. It was a hoax that had spawned one of the greatest rodeo rivalries in history between their two families. According to the letters, it was initially intended to draw attention away from the asylum fugitive they were harboring on the nearby Comanche reservation, a certain Iris Hildebrand who’d eventually married Deputy Jesse Hawling. Both big founding families had been in on the secret, along with their Comanche neighbors. However, their developing rodeo rivalry ended up bringing so many tourist dollars into their town that no one had lifted a finger to keep it from spiraling into a genuine feud. So much ugliness had come out of it during subsequent generations. So much pain and hurt.

A century later, Bliss had experienced the pain firsthand. Throughout all four years of attending Heart Lake High, she’d been ridiculed and bullied for the sole offense of being a Hawling in a Remington-infested student body.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Heavenly wrinkled her nose at Bliss over the top of her coffee cup.

“It’s sad, actually.” Bliss took a seat at the conference table, feeling a lot older and a lot wiser than her new friend.

“How so?” Heavenly claimed the chair adjacent to hers at the head of the table.

“Our families have been arch enemies for decades,” Bliss spat.

The mayor raised her chin. “But we’ve always had each other’s backs when it mattered the most.”

“Easy for you to say!” Bliss’s hand tightened around the cardboard cup she was holding, denting it inward. “You were born a Remington.”

“When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror, Bliss?” Heavenly leaned her way. “I mean, really looked at yourself?”

“This morning.” Bliss shrugged, not sure what the mayor was getting at.

“Look again.” Heavenly tapped her orange lacquered fingernails on the table. “Look so long and so hard that you see what I see, my friend. A strong, beautiful woman who didn’t let anything stand in her way during her journey to success. You let the bad propel you toward the good, the dark toward the light. I don’t know a woman in town who wouldn’t give anything to be in your shoes.”

Bliss stifled a shiver. Though Heavenly had no idea what chord she’d struck, what she said was true. More true than she would ever know. If anyone laid eyes on the sealed document currently resting in Bliss’s briefcase, man or woman, they would likely want to trade places with her. If only it was that simple, though!

“I may have been born a Remington, but I married a Hawling,” Heavenly continued in a quieter voice. “You, on the other hand, were born a Hawling, and you’ll soon be married to a Remington.”

Bliss made a choking sound. Her hand flew to her throat as she attempted to turn the sound into a cough.

Heavenly chuckled. “You should see your face right now.”

Bliss coughed again. “You’re the cruelest mayor I’ve ever known.” She was kidding, of course.

Heavenly playfully swatted the air between them. “Exactly how many mayors have you known?”

“You’re the first,” Bliss admitted, trying not to smile, “and the cruelest.”

“I really, really, really love the fact that we’ve become friends,” the mayor sighed happily.

“Why?” Bliss made a face at her. “So you have another Hawling to torment?”

“Now who’s being cruel?” Heavenly sat back in her chair, looking like there was something else she wanted to say, but wasn’t sure how to say it.

“What’s on your mind?” Bliss leaned forward, clasping her hands on the table.

The mayor’s lips tightened. “Maybe it’s wrong of me to say this, but I received an official summons this morning that I’m not the least bit happy about. It’s from that stinking attorney’s office in New York. The one Summer Midraven’s husband used to work for.” The same one waiting for a positive blood test before disbursing the Hildebrand-Hawling fortune.

“Oh?” Bliss didn’t have the foggiest idea where their conversation was going.

Heavenly tapped her fingernails on the table again. “As much as it doesn’t feel right, I’m not sure we have any legal grounds to fight it.”

“Fight what?” Bliss was still very much in the dark as to what they were discussing.

“Apparently, it was in the fine print, so to speak, of Iris Hildebrand-Hawling’s father’s last will and testament.” Heavenly made a snarling sound. “Boy, isn’t that a mouthful?”

Bliss waited for her to continue.

“It was one of his final wishes that his only child be laid to rest in the Hildebrand family mausoleum in New York. And considering all the press the Hildebrand-Hawling unclaimed fortune has been receiving nationwide, the town of Heart Lake will look pathetically uncharitable if we refuse such an emotionally charged request.”

“But,” Bliss prompted when she fell silent.

“It just doesn’t feel right,” Heavenly’s voice grew more agitated. “Jesse Hawling was one of our founding fathers. So was his bride. They belong to us now.”

Joy bubbled inside of Bliss.

“What?” Heavenly gritted her teeth. “I’m already well aware I’m being selfish, uncharitable, and every other nasty adjective you can think of calling your mayor right now.”

Bliss’s eyes grew watery. “I’m sitting here listening to a Remington, whom I just a few minutes ago accused of being a little too Remington, falling apart over letting go of the mummified remains of a Hawling. You are, without a doubt, the kindest, most compassionate mayor who’s ever held the office in Heart Lake.”

“And the cruelest, apparently.” Heavenly broke into a watery smile.

“You kind of have to be,” Bliss pointed out. “I’m sure it hasn’t been easy ruling a kingdom of feuding Remingtons and Hawlings.”

“You can say that again.” Heavenly looked a little less sad. “I think my next decree as mayor is going to be an official truce between our families.”

“Oh, wow! You’ll have my unwavering support for it.” Such a decree had been a long time coming. Bliss wasn’t sure how well it would be received by the citizens of Heart Lake as a whole, but she wholeheartedly approved. Gil would, too.

“I also want to commission a monument to be mounted in Town Square, commemorating all the Remington and Hawling cowboys who settled this town, competed like foaming maniacs against each other in rodeos for decades, then came together again to rebuild the south after the tornadoes.” Heavenly pinched her nose between her thumb and forefinger. “Right after I agree to let a bunch of snobby New Yorkers come carry off our beloved Jesse and Iris.”

“When?” Bliss wasn’t any more thrilled about it than Heavenly was. After extracting DNA from the two bodies, she’d gotten rather attached to them herself. There was another, much bigger reason she was reluctant to see them leave Heart Lake —one that made her inwardly vow on the spot to be present for their departure. If for no other reason than to pay her final respects.

“Three days from now.” Heavenly sounded glum. “They’re asking us to provide a police escort to expedite their passage out of town.”

So soon? Bliss moved her hands to her lap, clenching them tightly together. “Have you informed them where the bodies are being kept?”

“Not yet.” Heavenly’s lips flatlined. “After what happened at the medical center, Luke has advised me to protect their location right up until their parade out of town.”

“What time?”

“At sunset, of all the ridiculous hours!” Heavenly rolled her eyes. “They think it’ll be more secure to move the bodies under the cover of darkness.”

Bliss could see the sense in that. “I’ll be there,” she promised.

“I was counting on it.” Heavenly’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “So will I. Under protest, of course.”

Three days later

Gil could tell something was on Bliss’s mind. She looked distracted as she hurried down the porch steps with her briefcase strapped to her shoulder and two cups of coffee in hand. As she’d gotten in the habit of doing lately, she was dressed for television. Today, she had on a red V-neck sheath that hugged her slender frame and nearly had his eyes popping out of his head.

“How many interviews do you have lined up for today?” He took one of the coffee cups from her as he assisted her into the white Chevy Silverado that the owners of Lonestar Security had so generously lent him. Though it looked like any other full-sized pickup rolling through town with a cowpoke behind the wheel, it possessed a few key upgrades. The kind not visible to the naked eye. The kind that would hopefully keep the woman of his dreams safer than his own vehicle had.

“Only two this time.” She gave the beige leather seat a bounce of appreciation. “This is really nice, sheriff.” Her silver-blue gaze lost its distracted look as a twinkle of mirth took over. “And it looks nothing like a tank.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” He leaned inside the cab to deposit his coffee cup in the holder nearest the driver’s seat. “To the average onlooker, for instance, it might appear that I’m just chunking my coffee into a cup holder.” On his way out of the cab, he bent his head over hers to claim his first kiss of the day.

She gripped the open collar of his white dress shirt to hold him there a little longer. “A girl could get used to this kind of deception.” Her voice was breathless with promise against his lips.

“You drive me crazy.” He reached up to cover her hand with his.

“You started it,” she taunted, touching her lips to his again.

She wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t imagine how different their lives might’ve turned out if he hadn’t accepted his best friend’s dare to plant one on her back in high school.

When he finally moved around the truck to take his place behind the wheel, he sent up a silent prayer of gratitude for the bullet proof glass surrounding them, the reinforced paneling on all four sides, and tires that could run flat if they had to. No way was he going to depend solely on armored steel for their protection, though. He intended to keep a Divine shield in front of them at all times, too.

“You wanna squeeze in a dinner date before the big event this evening?” From the shuttered look his question drew, he deduced that the exodus of Iris and Jesse Hawling’s remains was what had her in such a funk.

“What do you have in mind this time?” She looked like she was forcing a smile as she turned her head his way. “A rooftop rendezvous in coordinating Batman and Batwoman costumes?”

“Salty!” He snickered, knowing she was referring to their picnic date last night. He’d driven her all the way to a cavern in the foothills on the rez. Though the efforts he’d taken to ensure her safety were a little over the top, the view had been breathtaking.

“Yes, Gil. The answer is yes.” She blew him a kiss.

He raised his eyebrows at her. “To being salty?”

“Gimme back my kiss!” She pretended to snatch it out of the air.

“Never.” He caught her hand and laced his fingers through it, resting it on the console between them. “Not so long as I live and breathe.”

She caught her breath and sank her teeth into her lower lip.

“Talk to me, babe.” He gently squeezed her hand.

“I’m afraid, Gil.” Her voice had a ragged edge to it.

“Why?” Dread made his heart thump a little harder in his chest. Dread that he might be moving too fast with her and demanding too much too soon.

“Do two people even have a right to be this happy?” The question burst shrilly from her.

“Absolutely!” His voice came out harsher than he intended as his thoughts swung back to what Dave had confided in him. Though he and Bliss had not yet spoken about it, his insides got all twisted up every time he thought about his late wife and her hateful friends “roughing Bliss up,” as Dave had put it.

“Thanks.” She gave him a tremulous smile. “I needed to hear that.”

The sense that something was wrong increased in his gut, so much so that he ended up escorting Bliss all the way inside to the conference room at Town Hall.

To his surprise, Ava was there, puttering around the coffee dispenser. “Hey, brat!” The sight of her gave him an idea. He angled his head at her to follow him out of the room.

She made a face at him and impishly took her time, serving a fresh round of coffee to her idol first.

His heart warmed as she headed his way with another cup of coffee in hand. “Aw, you didn’t have to.” Though he had his half full one still waiting in the truck, he reached for it.

“Huh uh uh!” She held it away from him and pretended to take a sip. Then she started laughing. “Just kidding. It’s for you, Unc.”

Unc. It was a far cry from what everyone else called him. Sheriff. Officer. Sir. What he liked the most about it was that it was so uniquely Ava. Their own special thing. It felt like they were finally bonding.

“Thanks.” Though she was no longer a kid, he put an arm around her as he accepted it, pulling her in for a kiss on the temple. While he had her there, he led her part way down the hall and out of earshot. “Any chance you know if Bliss has taken the blood test yet?”

“No.” Ava stiffened beneath his arm. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.” She tipped her head up to his so quickly that she bumped her forehead on his chin. “Wouldn’t it be awesome, though? I mean, really! To have known her before she became stinking filthy rich and famous.” Her whole face lit with animation. “Not that she’s not already famous, but…”

“Yeah, I hear you.” He squeezed her tighter before letting her go. “Will you let me know if you find out?”

“Sure thing, Unc!” She eyed him thoughtfully. “It’s not about the money, is it? You’re worried about her.”

“Yeah, but you let me do the worrying, you hear?”

The fact that she didn’t have the usual bounce in her step on her way back to the conference room told him she was ignoring his advice yet again.

Just for kicks, Gil spent the rest of the afternoon setting up his rooftop dinner date with Bliss. Though Dave was never going to let him live it down, he agreed to let Gil borrow the courtyard area at the top of the three-story building that housed his law office. He owned the building and rented out sections of it to other businesses. This evening, however, he promised it would be vacant after hours. He even lent Gil a key to his private office.

Gil met him there right after lunch. “Can’t believe you’re actually lending me the key to the Bat cave,” he mocked, tossing the key in the air and catching it before stuffing it inside his pocket.

Dave shrugged unconcernedly, leaning back in his swivel chair. “If you can’t trust the sheriff, you can’t trust anybody.”

It was a sobering reminder that they were constantly looking over their shoulders these days.

Gil waggled his eyebrows at his friend. “Don’t suppose you have a spare Batman cape lying around?”

“The fact that I do is not up for discussion.” Dave held his gaze. “Why?”

“Can I borrow it?”

Barking out a laugh, Dave pointed at the closet in the corner. “Under one condition only. No questions, bro.”

Gil guffawed. “Then I’m not telling you what I need it for.”

“I have a few guesses.” Dave shook his head at him. “All of them start with Bliss.”

Gil was still guffawing when he stepped into the elevator to head back to the borrowed Chevy. Before taking off, he dialed one of Bliss’s favorite restaurants and ordered takeout, a grilled chicken salad for her and a steak for himself. The last item on his list was a trip to the florist, where he custom ordered a rose and candle centerpiece on the fly. He had to wait nearly an hour for it to be assembled. If it was anywhere but Heart Lake, they probably wouldn’t have prepared it the same day. He gave them an extra generous tip for their willingness to do so.

All the effort he’d put into setting up the perfect dinner date for Bliss was worth it the moment he stepped out onto the rooftop courtyard with her.

“Oh, Gil!” Her hands flew to her lips. “This is amazing.” She spun toward him and promptly burst out laughing.

While she was taking her first peek around, he’d whipped out the Batman cape and tossed it around his shoulders.

“My hero!” She launched herself joyfully into his embrace.

Yeah, it was corny, but he’d sensed she’d needed cheering up. As he kissed her, he wished like crazy that he possessed super powers to back it up. Fortunately, he served a super God, who could more than make up the difference for his shortcomings as an ordinary human.

He kept the Batman cape on while he said grace over their meal and started eating. Every time Bliss looked at him, she chuckled or shook her head. She never stopped smiling, though.

Score.Gil inwardly congratulated himself for following her teasing suggestion from earlier to a T.

She made it through about half of her grilled chicken salad before pushing her bowl back. “That was delicious. Thank you, Batman!” She chuckled again.

“Welcome, babe.” He reached for her hand, knowing he needed to get her back to Town Hall soon. “Maybe some of the hype about the fortune will die down after tonight’s exodus.”

“One can only hope.” Her smile faded as she slid her hand from beneath his. “Something tells me things won’t fully get back to normal, though, until after the deadline is reached in our search for an heir.”

“How many Hawlings would you guesstimate are left to test?” He was fishing to see if she’d volunteer whether she’d personally participated in the blood draw.

“It’s hard to tell since so many Hawlings have different last names these days. And there was no census taken on how many have moved out of town over the years.” Her expression grew pensive. “My best guesstimate is that we’re at the eighty to eighty-five percent mark.”

“Have most of our locals been tested, then?” He hated pressing her for information, but it was too important of a matter to let go.

Something flickered in her eyes, but she met his gaze squarely. “Again, it’s hard to tell, but I can truthfully say this. Everyone I know who wants the blood test has had it done.”

It wasn’t an answer. Not really. But it was impossible to tell if she was purposely dodging the question.

Bliss studied him for a moment. “Who even needs that kind of money?”

He sat back in his chair, shrugging. “Like a lot of things, I don’t think needs come into play in situations like these as much as wants.”

“I know, right?” Looking troubled, she rested her elbows on the table and dropped her chin into her hands. “There’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Gil. It just took me a while to work up the courage.”

“Oh?” His shoulders tensed as he waited for her to answer his most burning question at long last.

The look in her eyes grew distant. “Not too long ago, you asked me what the cost of my success was.” She lowered her hands and twisted them in her lap. “It was…you.”

“Me?” His heart sank at the realization that she was taking the conversation in an entirely different direction than he’d hoped for.

“Yes, you. That’s the biggest issue I’ve had with all the buzz about money and fortunes.”

Then again, maybe they weren’t straying too far from the beaten path after all. His interest piqued.

“Think about it, Gil.” Her tone grew morose. “There’s no amount of money in the world that can make up for the years we lost. Or undo the time we spent apart. Or bring back the…things we might’ve built together.”

Things? Was she referring to a family? He knew family was important to her, though she didn’t have much of one left. Family was important to him, too. It was one of his biggest disappointments that he and Mary had been unable to have children of their own. They’d never gotten tested, so he didn’t know the reason.

She reached for the hand she’d let go of earlier. Her fingers were cool against his. “I ended up pouring all of my grief over what might’ve been into the only thing I had, Gil. My career. I never saw this happening.” She placed her other hand over his. “Us happening. And there’s no price tag you can put on what we have.”

“You’re right.” As he raised her hands to his lips, he decided that now wasn’t the time to keep crowding her for information about the blood test she may or may not have taken.

They carried their plates and glasses down to Dave’s employee lounge to clean up after their dinner. As a joke, Gil draped the Batman cape around Dave’s office chair and left the rose and candle centerpiece on his desk. Rummaging through his friend’s top desk drawer, he fished out a pen and notepad to write a quick note.

Feel free to recycle the flowers for dinner with What’s Her J.

Dave had let slip that the pretty receptionist in the ER had caught his eye during Gil’s stay at the medical center. When Gil had pressed him for more information, however, Dave couldn’t recall her name. He’d said it was Jane, Jill, Julie, or something like that.

Bliss was quiet on the drive back to Town Hall. She eyed the black hearse parked out front, but didn’t say anything. To avoid the crowd of people gathered at the front of the building, Gil drove her around back to the Authorized Personnel Only entrance. The employee parking lot was jammed full. He grabbed one of the last two spots. A white catering van was parked nearby. Though he was surprised that the mayor felt the need to bring in outside refreshments for tonight’s somber event, he knew she was pretty uptight about giving the appearance of cooperating with the Hildebrand family’s wishes concerning Iris’s final resting place.

Media vans were crawling the area. Security guards seemed to be everywhere at once, checking license plates and personal IDs. Gil and Bliss got separated inside by yet more reporters clamoring to ask her a few impromptu questions about tonight’s proceedings. He kept an eye on her from a distance.

Luke appeared at his side. He had his badge on this evening, since he was still serving as acting sheriff. He bent his head closer to Gil’s. “Got a second, sir? We may have a situation.”

Another glance in Bliss’s direction proved she was still thronged by reporters. It looked like she was going to be busy for a while. Inwardly vowing to be back shortly, Gil followed Luke outside to the front of the building where Heavenly was being thronged by a separate bevy of reporters.

Luke hung back, speaking in undertones. “There’s a group giving the mayor a pretty hard time about letting Jesse Hawling’s body be transported back east. It’s starting to feel like a powder keg. One spark, and this whole parade could turn into chaos.”

Hoping that wasn’t the case, Gil watched as Heavenly graciously accepted the microphone one of her aides was handing her. “Good evening, and thank you for being here. We’re so grateful to everyone who has come out to honor two members of one of our founding families as they are carried to their final resting place.”

Gil frowned at the realization that they were beginning early. He glanced over his shoulder at the front entrance, wanting to head back inside to fetch Bliss. She wouldn’t want to miss this.

However, the mayor’s words were met with murmurs of dissension from pockets of people throughout the crowd. Gil made the tough decision to remain outside, keeping an eye on things. He shot Bliss a quick text instead.

Getting started early out here.

“After much, much, much debate,” Heavenly continued in the same calm voice, “and no small number of tears on my part, the city council has made the difficult decision to lay Iris and Jesse Hawling to rest…together. They made tremendous sacrifices the day they chose each other as husband and wife. They lived together. They loved together. They built a town together. And they died together. Let’s have a moment of silence to honor their vital contribution to the town we are privileged to call our home.”

Reminding everyone gathered that this was their home proved to be the white flag that was needed. Heads nodded, and heads bowed out of respect to the mayor’s request and the dearly departed founding couple.

The Heart Lake High marching band took their places on both sides of the walkway in their red uniforms and played the opening line of Amazing Grace. The huddle of reporters silenced their questions and lifted their cameras higher.

Gil scanned their ranks for Bliss, figuring he’d find her in the latest huddle of reporters who’d stepped outside. However, he didn’t see her. He took a step toward the front doors of Town Hall, but they swung open before he reached them.

He stepped out of the way while two black caskets were rolled out of the building. The hired funeral parlor detail from New York rolled them solemnly between the two perfect rows of marching band students to the awaiting hearse. The ceremony was concluded with a final verse of Amazing Grace and the somber clicking shut of the back door to the hearse.

Heavenly lifted the microphone to graciously thank everyone again for being in attendance. Two Heart Lake police cruisers led the procession away from Town Hall with flashing lights, but no sirens.

It was over.

Luke’s shoulders relaxed. He was still standing beside Gil. “Guess I raised a false alarm, sir.”

“Not even,” Gil assured. “You were right to keep an eye on things.” It was possible his and Luke’s appearance out front had been what had kept the rabble-rousers in check.

They nodded at each other and parted ways. Gil set off to hunt for Bliss, whom he hadn’t laid eyes on since their arrival at Town Hall. He was more than a little surprised that she hadn’t come to stand by him and Luke outside. However, she was the biggest VIP present this evening, second only to the two caskets that had been driven away.

Not finding her anywhere outside, he figured she must have slipped back inside, where she was likely being cornered by reporters again. However, he didn’t see her in the entry area nor in the massive lobby beyond the check in line. Flashing his badge to a pair of security guards, he made his way toward the conference room.

It was empty.

Alarm shot through him. He reached up to rub the back of his neck as he spun away from the conference room and nearly smacked into one of the Town Hall college interns. She was about Ava’s age.

“Oh! Hi, sheriff.” She looked upset. “Do you, um, know if the white cargo van that came to the back by mistake made it to the front in time for the funeral procession?”

He frowned at her. “What van?” There’d been no white van out front.

“I just assumed it was a catering van at first, because it didn’t have any side or back windows,” she babbled. “The guy driving it asked where he was supposed to set up, so I told him to hold on while I went inside and checked.” She looked ready to break into a sweat. “I honestly didn’t know anyone had ordered food. It, um…wasn’t on the itinerary or anything. As soon as the mayor’s aide verified there was no catering delivery scheduled, I went back outside to tell the guy there’d been some mistake. That’s when I realized he wasn’t a caterer after all. He was part of the funeral procession. He told me no problem, that he’d already figured out he was in the wrong spot. He and the guy that was with him rolled a black casket out of the building, loaded it in the back of the van, and drove around front.”

Or pretended to. Gil knew for a fact that no white van had been part of the funeral procession. Feeling sick, he reached for his cell phone and dialed Luke. “I can’t find Bliss. We need all hands on deck to search for her.”

He described the dress she had on and the last time he’d seen her, along with the white van that had been transporting yet another black casket. “Go ahead and put out an APB for the van. Cargo sized. Solid white. No side or back windows.” Granted, it wasn’t standard procedure to commence a manhunt for an adult who’d been missing for less than thirty minutes, but this wasn’t a standard situation. Two attempts had already been made on Bliss’s life.

Within seconds, he could hear the security guards radioing back and forth to spread the word about the missing archeologist.

I should’ve never let her out of my sight. Gil raced through the building, helping the Lonestar Security team check every room, closet, and crevice. The verdict was decided in minutes. Dr. Bliss Hawling was no longer in the building.

She couldn’t be reached on her cell phone, either. Nor was there any sign of the white van.

Ava waylaid him in the front parking lot with her car keys in hand. “Sorry, I’m late.” She rolled her eyes. “Dr. Hawling is going to have my hide. Have you seen her?”

He shook his head. “She’s missing,” he informed his niece gruffly.

“Missing!” Ava peered more closely at him in the gathering shadows. “Missing, as in she took a bathroom break? Or missing, as in…missing?” Her question ended in a hoarse squeak.

“Missing,” Gil repeated in a lifeless voice, wondering how in tarnation something so horrific had happened right beneath his nose. It made no sense. They’d been so careful with security this evening.

As minutes dragged into an hour, Gil’s alarm increased to full-blown horror. Where is she? He kept hitting the redial button for her on his phone, and it kept going to voicemail.

On a sickening hunch, the mayor called the personal cell phone number for the attorney in New York. The information he gave her was devastating. He knew nothing about any funeral detail from New York. In short, he’d never requested the return of the bodies.

“What have I done?” Heavenly wailed to Gil.

He didn’t have an answer. His entire world was falling apart.

He numbly retreated with her to the conference room. The mayor’s top aide was present, along with several city council members, the Lonestar Security team, Luke, and Ava.

Heavenly turned to them, white-faced and teary-eyed. “If you want my resignation tonight, you have it.”

Luke stepped forward with a steely expression. “We can point fingers later. This is officially a missing persons case, and everyone present understands how important the first twenty-four hours are after someone goes missing. We need to act. Now.”

Ava, who’d been sobbing rather noisily against her uncle’s shoulder, stumbled a few steps away from him. She leaned forward on the conference table with both hands. “There’s something you should know,” she quavered. “If I end up in jail over this, then so be it.”

Gil scrubbed a hand over the lower half of his face, terrified that he already knew what she was about to say.

She sniffled loudly before continuing. “I was snooping through Dr. Hawling’s briefcase earlier, because…you know...” She glanced helplessly around at her uncle. “I’ve been dying to know if she’s the heiress.”

Her words were met with profound silence.

Ava’s shoulders trembled as she fought to hold in her sobs. “The answer is yes. She’s the Hildebrand-Hawling heiress. The real deal.” Fat tears rolled unchecked down her face. “I don’t know why she didn’t tell anyone, but blood tests don’t lie. It was the same sheet of paper we print out and give everyone who comes through the blood draw line.” She sniffled damply. “Except this one had Dr. Hawling’s name on it.”

Her knees gave out.

Gil lunged forward to catch her.