His expression changed.
“If Vernon knew about my father…”
He stopped.
A sound came from the tunnel.
Stone.
Then voices.
Miles extinguished the lantern.
Evelyn’s heart stopped.
Men.
At least two.
Maybe three.
Miles whispered:
“Behind the ore cart.”
They moved.
Footsteps approached.
Lantern glow entered the chamber.
Silas Reed appeared first.
Behind him:
Vernon Carter.
Evelyn nearly made a sound.
Miles’s hand covered hers, not her mouth.
A reminder.
Stay.
Vernon looked older underground.
Smaller.
Silas carried a rifle.
A third man followed.
Evelyn recognized him as Deputy Mason.
Corruption went deeper.
Silas looked toward the opened cavity.
“Damn.”
Vernon saw the box missing.
“They found it.”
“Where are they?”
“Still inside.”
Deputy Mason raised his lantern.
“We block the exit.”
Evelyn’s blood chilled.
Silas answered:
“No.”
“We finish it.”
Vernon said quietly:
“She’s my niece.”
Silas looked at him.
“You remembered that late.”
Vernon flinched.
For one absurd moment, Evelyn wondered whether guilt might save her.
Then Vernon said:
“The Bennett man first.”
“We can say the tunnel collapsed.”
“My niece can sign the transfer afterward.”
There it was.
Not love.
Not enough.
Never enough.
Miles’s face hardened beside her.
Evelyn whispered:
“Do not.”
He knew what she meant.
Do not attack.
Not yet.
Silas stepped deeper.
The third man searched the side passage.
Vernon stayed near the entrance.
Then he noticed footprints.
Two sets.
He followed them with his eyes.
Toward the ore cart.
“Silas.”
Too late.
Miles stood.
Fast.
The reaction was immediate.
All three men froze.
Vernon’s face emptied.
Silas whispered:
“You…”
Miles stepped into lantern light.
No chair.
No weakness.
Nothing.
“Evening.”
Deputy Mason reached for his revolver.
Miles already had his.
“Don’t.”
Silas stared.
“You can walk.”
Miles smiled without humor.
“Disappointing, isn’t it?”
Vernon backed up.
His eyes found Evelyn as she stepped from hiding.
“Evelyn.”
She held her father’s ledger against her chest.
His expression changed.
“Listen to me.”
“No.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand this.”
She held up the book.
Vernon’s eyes fixed on it.
Fear.
Real fear.
“Henry was reckless.”
Evelyn almost stopped breathing.
He said her father’s name as if discussing weather.
“He would have gotten all of us killed.”
“So you killed him first?”
“No.”