Page 20 of Only One More Lie

Duke welcomed the break.

After packing up their equipment, the team headed there with their overnight bags.

This particular cabin was located toward the back of the property. It featured three bedrooms, which worked out perfectly. Ranger and Simmy could stay together. Andi and Mariella would be in the second room. And Duke and Matthew would take the third.

Duke and Matthew weren’t exactly kindred spirits, but they would make it work.

Duke took a better look at the cabin. The place had already been decorated for Christmas with a large tree in the corner and a garland on the railing. In other circumstances, he might enjoy himself here.

“Why don’t we all unpack and then regroup?” Mariella suggested. “Plus, dinner is in thirty minutes. I don’t know about you all, but I’m starving.”

That sounded like a plan to him.

But it was crazy to think it was already dinnertime. The window of daylight they’d had for the day had now disappeared into the eerie glow of the sunless sky around them.

It didn’t matter how long Duke had lived in Alaska, he never got used to the winter in Fairbanks. At the shortest, on the winter equinox, the area had less than four hours of daylight.

But even when the sun sank, its light wasn’t totally gone. Instead, it lingered low on the horizon in a civil twilight.

As he deposited his bag in his bedroom, he paused.

A footprint marred the floor—a large one, probably from someone wearing a boot. It was near the window, heading away from the exterior and inside the cabin.

Normally, he might not think anything about a footprint. Maybe the cleaning staff had left it.

But this footprint almost looked fresh.

He surveyed the room but saw nothing of concern. Yet something about the print bothered him.

He kneeled down and touched the edge of the shoe mark.

That was when he realized the sediment left behind was still damp.

Someonehadbeen in here recently.

Duke supposed it could have been someone in maintenance or housekeeping.

But he’d keep his eyes wide open just in case it wasn’t.

In the meantime, he tried to put the footprint out of his mind as he continued looking around.

Matthew set his bags on the floor on the opposite side of the room.

Then he paused. Duke could tell he had something on his mind.

Matthew pushed his plastic framed glasses up higher on his nose as he turned to Duke. “Look, I’ve been waiting for a goodopportunity to talk to you one on one. I wanted to tell you that I’m really sorry about what happened on our last case.”

Duke’s gut tightened. He knew what Matthew was referring to.

Matthew had dated a girl who turned out to be working for one of their enemies. She’d been sent to get information, and Matthew had trusted her entirely too much—despite numerous warnings from the team.

His decisions had almost gotten the murder club killed. He’d been blinded by love and tricked by a beautiful woman. He wasn’t the first man in history to do so. He wouldn’t be the last either.

However, ever since then, Matthew hadn’t quite been acting like himself. He’d been more aloof and withdrawn.

“You don’t have to apologize.” Duke paused beside one of the two sets of bunkbeds in the room.

“But I do. I was stupid.” Matthew shook his head, his eyes downcast. “I just wanted to find what the rest of you guys have. A partner. I’m the odd man out here. Sometimes the loneliness gets to me.”