Stefan looked back at me, pupils dilating a bit and then steadying. Whether I liked it or not—and the jury was still out on that one—we had a bond, and the silence that stretched between us was filled with unsaid things. “Yes.”

For the remainder of the day, Cody and I drove around Pemkowet with Cooper on his vintage motorcycle as our wingman, interviewing Cavannaughs and the descendants of Cavannaughs.

Although it would have delighted me to no end if Stacey Brooks had turned out to be a grave robber, alas, it wasn’t so. Cooper confirmed that her mother wasn’t, either. And in fact, neither were any of the other seven members of the community who were direct descendants of Andrew Cavannaugh.

“Sorry to waste your time,” I said to Cooper, while Cody was on the phone reporting to the chief.

Cooper shrugged, hands deep in the pockets of his jeans. “It was a lead worth following. And I’ll tell you what, none of them may have been lying when they said they didn’t do it, but they were nervous.”

I remembered how jittery Amanda had been in her office, fidgeting with stuff on her desk. “About what?”

“Can’t say. I can’t read thoughts, just emotions. But at a guess, I’d suspect none of them were sure that one of the others hadn’t done it.”

“But none of them did,” I said.

“Right.”

“Do you think they know more than they’re saying?” I asked.

Pulling one hand from his pockets, Cooper cocked a thumb at himself. “Again, not a mind reader, me. But . . . no. More like fear and uncertainty.”

“Huh.” I wondered if we should cast a wider net, maybe interview husbands and wives instead of just blood relatives. I glanced over at Cody, who was listening and nodding into the phone. It was getting late and the fading sunlight glinted on his stubble; he needed to shave again. I shivered a little at the memory of his chin rasping against my shoulder.

Cooper followed my gaze. “There’s no future for the likes of you with a wolf, missy.”

I eyed him. “You could tell me what he’s feeling, couldn’t you?”

“I could, but I won’t,” he said with another eloquent shrug. “Myself, I’m Team Stefan all the way.”

“Ha ha,” I said. “That might actually be funny if your boss had indicated he was interested in me that way.”

Cooper’s pupils contracted. “You think he hasn’t?”