Abbie's accidental discovery of Stephan's jacket had led to a misunderstanding, yet the identity of his visitor remained unclear. Stephan chuckled humorlessly, his gaze cold. "So, you've gone in circles for nothing?"
His subordinate, embarrassed, replied, "My apologies, Mr. Russell. The lack of cameras at Pristine Hall hinders the investigation. However, Ms. Finch was with Laurence that night. He stated he left the next morning, after she fell asleep. I checked the time; he left roughly half an hour before we found Ms. Finch, eliminating her as a suspect." Despite this, Stephan's expression remained unchanged. He had crossed a line, and that troubled him most.
His subordinate cautiously suggested, "Mr. Russell, should we meet with Ms. Finch? We could confront her directly, or have her face Laurence to ascertain the truth."
Stephan's gaze remained fixed on the distant lights. "That's not the main point," he said evenly. "I need to confirm another suspicion."
"A suspicion, sir? What is it?" his subordinate asked, his mind racing. Then, understanding dawned.
Stephan seemed to be speaking to himself, muttering as he looked at the lights, "I'll ask her myself." The answer was out there. But Felicia was adept at maintaining distance.
His tall, lean figure vanished into the shadows, leaving a single order: "Stay here. No need to follow me."
Meanwhile, the mountain search party had grown considerably. Alverton locals, intimately familiar with the terrain, joined the effort, along with the vice principal's organized student pairs, bringing the total to nearly thirty.
Felicia felt reassured by the large search party. The pressure, however, was now on Shawn. If he had Lucas, he must have hidden him. Inaction would soon lead to discovery.
Felicia noticed Shawn wiping his brow, attempting to maintain composure. Once most of the group dispersed, he slapped his forehead, exclaiming, "I just remembered! Lucas was heading toward the back mountain this afternoon. Maybe we should check there?"
His delayed mention of this, clearly a ploy to lure Felicia into a trap, was obvious.
Felicia played along. "Lead the way."