Chapter 29

Steven glanced at his notes. "Not much, yet. He was in the system— his wife had filed a domestic violence case before their divorce. There were also some reports of a drunken brawl. He was in his late 40s when he disappeared. Worked odd jobs, mostly under the table. According to the missing person report, he was a bit of a drifter, no steady employment or fixed address."

Fred frowned, his detective instincts kicking into high gear. A drifter, missing for Six years, now turning up as a body in the marsh.

"Any known connections? Friends, associates, places he frequented?" Fred asked, his mind already racing with possibilities.

"Not much to go on," Steven admitted. "But I’m working on it. I’ll dig into his background and see if there’s anything that might give us a lead. I’ll also look into his sister’s current whereabouts, see if she’s still in the area, and what she knows. If there are any other family contacts, I’ll track them down too."

Fred nodded, appreciating Steven’s thoroughness. "Good. Start with the sister, but don’t stop there. I want to know everyone he was close to, anyone he might have had dealings with before he went missing. Also, check for any similar cases in the area—people going missing, bodies turning up in strange places. We might be looking at a pattern here."

Steven jotted down the instructions, his pen moving quickly across the page. "I’ll get on it right away. Anything else?"

Fred leant back in his chair, his gaze thoughtful. "Yes. Keep this quiet for now. We don’t want to spook anyone who might be involved. And make sure you keep me updated on everything you find."

Steven nodded and turned to leave, but Fred stopped him with one last question. "Steven, one more thing—do we know how Kray ended up in the marsh? Cause of death?"

Steven hesitated, a shadow crossing his face. "Not yet, but the initial autopsy suggests foul play. The body was too decomposed for a clear determination, but there were signs that he didn’t just wander out there and die. Someone put him there, and they didn’t want him to be found."

Fred’s jaw tightened. This was no ordinary missing person case—it was a murder, plain and simple. And someone had gone to great lengths to cover it up.

"Thanks, Steven," Fred said, his voice grim. "Keep me posted."

Fred Monroe wasn’t the type to back down from a challenge. And whoever was responsible for Ronald Kray’s death was about to find that out the hard way.

***

The fun fair was in full swing, with bright lights flashing, music blaring from every corner, and the smell of popcorn and cotton candy filling the air. Helen was exhausted, but Kylian was having the time of his life. The four-year-old had insisted on going on almost every ride, from the spinning teacups to the mini roller coaster, and had consumed what seemed like a mountain of candy. Helen was pretty sure he was operating on pure sugar and adrenaline at this point.

"Alright, buddy," Helen said, trying to keep up with his boundless energy. "How about we take a little break? You must be tired after all that fun."

Kylian shook his head vigorously, his face sticky from the cotton candy he’d just devoured. "No, Auntie Em! I’m not tired! I want to go on the Ferris wheel!"

Helen groaned internally. The thought of one more ride made her want to collapse on the nearest bench. Desperate for a moment of peace, she quickly came up with a plan.

"How about some ice cream?" she suggested, her voice hopeful. "We can sit down, and you can have a big, yummy ice cream cone."

Kylian’s eyes lit up, and for a moment, she thought she had him. "Okay!" he agreed cheerfully. "But I want chocolate!"

"Deal!" Helen said, sighing with relief. "Now, you wait right here, and I’ll go get your ice cream."

She pointed to a nearby bench and made sure Kylian sat down before hurrying off to the ice cream stand. The line was a bit longer than she’d hoped, but she figured she’d be quick enough. Little did she know that four-year-olds have the attention spans of gnats, especially when there were giant mascots walking around.

As she waited, Kylian spotted a group of colourful mascots—big, fluffy animals dancing and waving to the kids. His eyes widened with excitement. He completely forgot about the ice cream and bolted from the bench, running after the mascots without a second thought.

Carlisle, who had decided to check out the fun fair on a whim, was strolling along when he spotted a little boy standing alone, looking around with wide eyes. His protective instincts kicked in immediately. He approached the boy, kneeling down to his level.

"Hey there, little man," Carlisle said kindly. "Are you lost?"

Carlisle felt a strange sense of familiarity as he looked at the little boy standing before him, but he quickly brushed it aside. After all, there were plenty of blue-eyed, four-year-olds running around. Still, something about the boy nags at the back of his mind.

"What’s your name, little guy?" Carlisle asked, crouching down to be at eye level with the boy.

"Kylian!" the boy exclaimed with a wide grin. He seemed entirely unbothered by the fact that he was alone, his energy uncontainable as he fidgeted in place. "I was with my Aunt Helen, but she went to get ice cream, and then I saw the big bear and the bunny, and I wanted to say hi, but then they walked away, and now I can’t find her!"

Carlisle couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s enthusiastic rambling. Kylian talked nonstop, bouncing from one topic to another with the boundless energy only a child could possess. Carlisle found himself thoroughly amused, charmed even, by the boy’s innocent excitement.

As Kylian chattered on about the rides he’d been on, the candy he’d eaten, and how much he loved the fun fair, Carlisle was suddenly hit by a gust of scent. It was a familiar yet intoxicating aroma that sent his wolf into a frenzy.

Mate! His wolf growled.

Carlisle stood frozen in place, his heart pounding in his chest as his gaze followed the source of the scent. His breath caught when he saw her—a beautiful woman with straight black hair clutching a rapidly melting ice cream cone in one hand. Her eyes were wide with concern as they locked onto Kylian, who immediately lit up upon seeing her.

"Aunt Helen!" Kylian shouted, running over to her and nearly tackling her legs with a hug.

Carlisle remained rooted to the spot, unable to tear his eyes away from her. His wolf stirred restlessly. This woman—this stunning woman—was his mate.