friends like Aiden as well.”
“Maybe the same friends,” she mused. “This doesn’t explain why they covered up a murder for her. What were they getting out of their relationship with her that disposing of a body is a fair exchange? And she didn’t doubt that they would. That night, she was calm and cool. The three of them came with me ready and willing to kill Logan, and Leighton said her friends would clean it up like it was a given. Almost like they’d done it before.”
My fists balled. “It’s frustrating that we still don’t know enough to answer that. Six months and all I’ve confirmed is what we already know: Aiden has an ulterior motive behind everything he’s doing. What that motive is, we still have no clue.”
Val rubbed my forearm. “We haven’t gone through everything. There may be something here. Did you read the notes he kept on Sawyer Burn?”
“The first thing I looked at after I realized what this was. Aiden has the same details on him that he does on the other guys. They go up to the night he disappeared, but there’s nothing on where he was taken, why, or by whom. It’s not even mentioned. The final entry is a note on his improved running times.”
She blew out a breath. “It’d be too much to ask that he offer up the incriminating evidence. All right, send me all of this, please.” Val got to her feet. “The only way to go from here is to confront him with his stalker profiles. I can’t wait to see him try to talk his way out of this.”
“What? Val, no.” I darted up and intercepted her at the door. “You can’t tell him we got into his file.”
“Why not?”
“Because of what you just said. Those files are disturbing but we don’t have anything we can take to the police. There’s no proof he’s blackmailing anyone. We can’t even argue that he’s protecting dangerous people because he reports the worst things he finds. All Aiden has to say is he’s overzealous about ensuring the Sams remain up to standards and the cops will wave him out of the door.”
“Then he can try giving that explanation to me. I’ll watch his face as he spins bull about the president needing to know how many calories our brothers and sisters eat. He can fool everyone else but he can’t fool me.”
Val made to sidestep me. I moved in sync with her.
“More reason why you can’t say anything.” I gripped her shoulders, drawing her into my worried gaze. “Aiden went to extreme lengths to hide those records. He might be able to offer an innocent explanation to everyone else, but he knows you’re onto him. Ezra connected him to Sawyer’s disappearance. He overheard him say other people were involved, and now we’ve found this file. Whoever they are, they have no problem with making people disappear, and if they find out you know too much, they’ll decide you’re next.” I pulled her to my chest. “I’m not letting that happen.”
She rested her head on my chest. “Okay, then what do we do?”
I couldn’t temper my relief at her agreement. I prepared myself to put in hours of convincing. I said as much. “I thought you’d fight me harder on this.”
“I can fully admit that we have no idea what we’re dealing with. We don’t know who, why, or how far this goes. Jade Ortega was off living her life free of the Sallys, but when Leighton died, she was quick on the scene to keep the house in line. I’ve never seen anyone more satisfied with themselves than she was the night of the charity dinner. She threw my accusations in my face and slammed home that I wasn’t seeing the bigger picture.
“The fact is we’re dealing with someone or someones who are clever, resourceful, and a few steps ahead. How do we catch up?”
“Tonight we’ll comb through the entire file. There could be something we missed. From now on—and I know I’ve said this before—keep your distance from Aiden Connelly.”
“Maverick—”
“Hear me out,” I asked.
It took her a sec, but she nodded.
“You’ve watched him for two years and he hasn’t given up a clue to who he’s working with,” I said. “We haven’t even found them in his hidden file and I’m not counting on a second look turning up their names. He’s too careful. Aiden isn’t going to offer up a way in. But you know who might, Teagan and