Free Hidden in the Shadows by T. L. Haddix Page A

time. If the man hadn’t killed himself, I think she would have.”
    “Castration would have been a better punishment,” Beth muttered as she glanced at the letter.
    With an instinctive wince, Ethan cleared his throat. “Be that as it may, given that the man killed himself after he received the letter, we could be looking at some criminal charges pertaining to his death for the extortionist.”
    “If not criminal, then I’d say civil, anyhow,” Wyatt remarked. “I guess that makes it my turn to confess all.” He passed a piece of paper to Stacy, then leaned his elbows on the table. “That’s a copy of Vestra’s letter. Again, the allegations are true, and I think that she’s going to pay, despite my protests.”
    “Accepting stolen goods? I didn’t think Vestra ran that kind of shop,” Stacy said, her face reflecting her surprise.
    “She doesn’t usually. This happened a few years ago, an employee who acted without her knowledge. Beth, what was your impression of Raven’s intentions? Think he’s going to pay?”
    “He’s very upset, and I can’t blame him. He has a lot to lose if we can’t stop this person. I think he’ll pay, and I’m not sure I’d blame him if he did.”
    “We all have a lot to lose. I guess I can understand Raven’s fear, though. Of all these notes, he probably has the most to lose if he’s outed, so to speak. That being said, I’m not paying, and I’m not going to kill myself, either.”
    Stacy pushed Vestra’s letter across the table to Beth and Ethan, then accepted Wyatt’s. Her face went blank with shock, and her eyes flew to the sheriff. He nodded, and she passed the letter to Maria without speaking.
    Maria's heart sank as she read the words, and she looked up at him, stunned. “Is this true?”
    “I’m afraid it probably is.”
    The room was quiet as the letter was passed across the table, and when Beth read the letter, she gasped with dismay. “Oh, Wyatt, no!”
    “I’ve suspected it for years, since just after she died. I just can’t figure out how someone else knows about it. Until last night, I’d never told another soul about my suspicions.”
    “That’s right. You weren’t home when she passed. Wasn’t her sister with her?” Beth asked.
    The sheriff’s mouth tightened. “Marsha was, and that’s the first place I’m starting my questioning. As soon as we’re finished here, I’ll be heading to her house.”
    Stacy’s voice was subdued when she spoke. “I think that’s one of the first questions we need to answer. How did the extortionist find out about all these secrets? And how do we plan on dealing with the fallout?” She crossed her arms and faced Wyatt. “If you aren’t planning on paying, even if we do catch this person, your secret is bound to come out. There’s no way we can stop it.”
    “I know. If we use any of those letters for prosecution, assuming we catch the person or persons doing this, then the secrets inside them will be exposed.”
    As the implications sank in, the mood in the room grew darker. Wyatt finally broke the silence. “Look, we aren’t down and out just yet. I have an appointment this afternoon with my attorney to go over my options. Even if it isn’t good news, we’ll deal with it somehow. Maybe if we work our butts off, we can figure this thing out before it blows up in our faces.”
    “That’s all well and good, but do you have any idea of how to do that?” Stacy asked.
    “We start at the beginning.” Gathering the four letters, Wyatt placed them in a row. “The wording is consistent in each letter. We have two business owners with wildly divergent clientele, a preacher, and a cop. That’s a pretty eclectic mix of targets. What do we all have in common?”
    Beth stood and gestured to the large white board that hung on one wall. “Do you mind if I make some lists?”
    The sheriff waved a hand toward the board. “Feel free.”
    “Though Ethan teases me about my lists, they work.” She shot