I tried to keep my voice level. “After what they’d done to me, I had no trust toward my own kind. I felt safest alone...in a place that I knew.”
Not an exact lie. Not the truth either.
The cops made a note. The woman looked up first. “An open investigation is ongoing. We’ll continue combing the valley for answers and will schedule more interviews with you as and when we find more evidence. For now, though, we have passed your file onto the proper departments to ensure you’ll be given the documentation you need to begin a new life. We’re also pursuing leads and going through missing children reports from when you were taken to see if we can reunite you with the family you were stolen from.”
Gemma interrupted. “And if he was a foster kid?”
“There should still be mention of him going missing.”
“But if he was placed into the foster system, then why would his biological family care if he’s alive and well?”
“He might’ve been adopted. He might’ve been loved.”
Gemma looked at me over her shoulder. “He is loved. He has a family.” She glowered at the cops. “I’m his family.”
The female officer nodded. “I meant no disrespect.”
“It’s fine,” I said quietly, my mind locked on what she said previously. They were combing over the valley? Would they have cadaver dogs? Diggers? How soon before they found the graveyard?
“Ms. Ashford?” the policewoman focused on Gem. “You said you were stuck in the valley for a while due to a climbing expedition? Our officers found your car. The battery does indeed seem to be dead, but we can arrange to have it hauled if you have your keys handy.”
Gem flicked me a look before shaking her head. “I’m so sorry, but I lost my keys.”
“Spare set?”
She shook her head again. “I always meant to get another key cut when I bought it secondhand but never got around to it.”
“Ah, well, that’s going to be tricky.” The bald guy smiled. “But if we can be of any assistance in that area, please just let us know.”
“It was rather convenient that you stumbled upon the same house that Mr. Sands was occupying.” The woman cop suddenly sniffed, her eyes narrowed on Gem. “Considering the size of the national park, some might say it was serendipitous.”
My hackles rose.
Gemma tensed beneath my hand. “It was.”
“And very convenient that you were there to help him when he fell off the cliff,” the woman added.
“What are you getting at?” I barked.
The woman arched her eyebrow. “Not getting at anything. Just stating the facts.”
“Yeah, well, don’t twist the facts to try to prove something that isn’t true.”
“What isn’t true, Mr. Sands?” the guy cop asked calmly.
I was probably walking into a trap, but I couldn’t help myself. “You’re insinuating that Gemma knew how to find me. That perhaps she has connections to the men and women who originally trapped me.” I pointed a finger in their face, my anger turning red hot. “Nothing is further from the truth. It was fate that brought Gemma to my door. Fate that she found me...before it was too late.”
“What do you mean by that?” The man cocked his head. “Too late?”
I flinched. How could I confess that I was reaching my limit and favoring suicide more and more? How could I look a policeman in the eyes and admit I was weak after everything I’d survived?
Gem suddenly stood, coming to my side behind the chair. Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she arched her chin. “I found Kas exactly as we said in the hospital. I went searching for a climb. I found his house instead. We got to know each other. An accident caused his concussion, ensuring I couldn’t leave to get help. I chose to stay. We fell in love. End of story.”
“And the fire? Was that an accident, too?” the woman asked softly.
“You know it was. We made a statement as such.”
“Arson forensics state they found multiple lines of accelerant. An alcohol or gasoline type product helped start the blaze.”
Fuck, how many of them were still in my valley? It made my skin crawl to think of police trampling everything. Crushing my grass, scaring the wildlife, possibly digging in places that they shouldn’t go digging.
“The guests who’d visit always enjoyed drinking,” I whispered coldly. “Over the years, the carpet would’ve held multiple spills.”
Gemma ran a hand through her hair, twitchy and tense. “If there’s nothing else, we really are late for our appointment.”
“Just one more thing.” The woman cop stood, her eyes scanning her notepad. “The doctors who treated you for smoke inhalation also mentioned that you, Mr. Sands, were diagnosed with a severe concussion and PTSD.”
“What the hell? What happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?” Gem snapped.
“When it’s a matter of public safety, we can gain access to certain facts, Ms. Ashford.”