Chapter 94: Beyond the Luna Ceremony

"Who's Gavin?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "A nobody. Just a temporary staffer. He was hired under Diane's Catering and Events, the same as Paulie. Helped out during the Luna ceremony." She stared into nothingness, trying to recollect the memory. "Now that I think about it, I never saw him leave the peach punch station."

She crossed one leg over the other. "Weird guy. Always creeped me out. Couldn't keep his eyes to himself around the female staff. Honestly surprised no one reported him."

Lyla turned to me, hope and urgency shining in her eyes. I could see the thought forming behind them… thoughts that this could be it.

"Troy," I called.

"On it, Alpha." He was already halfway to the door, moving fast.

I watched him go before looking back at Alice. Her arms were still folded across her chest, but her expression had changed from defensive to wounded.

I still wasn't buying the act. Even if she wasn't guilty, she wasn't exactly innocent either… not after all the stunts she'd pulled with her mouth, her jealousy, and her attitude.

"Let me be very clear, Alice," I said, holding her gaze. "You're walking out of here today because I believe you when you say you didn't poison my wife. But that doesn't mean I've forgiven you."

She stiffened.

"I've turned a blind eye to a lot. The snide comments. The disrespect. The entitlement. But after today, that ends."

Alice looked away, a pained expression on her face.

"If I hear your name even whispered in association with something questionable again… if I catch so much as a hint that you or your cousin are involved in anything shady… anything that even touches my Luna or this pack…" I paused. "I won't be sitting behind this desk when I deal with you."

The room chilled.

Alice took in a deep breath and let it out.

"You may walk out now, but make no mistake, you are being watched. From this point forward, every move you make, every word you speak will be noted."

Her bravado was gone now. She simply nodded.

"Dismissed," I said coldly.

She stood quietly and made her way to the door. I didn't look away until I heard it shut behind her.

Lyla walked over to the bar section and poured us two glasses of scotch.

"I kinda feel bad," she said quietly, handing me one of the glasses.

"Don't," I replied, accepting it.

She leaned against the edge of my desk, swirling the drink in her hand. "Safe to say our plan worked... even if not the way we expected."

"True," I said. "And now she might've just given us our next lead."

Lyla lifted her glass a little, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Cheers to that."

"Cheers to that."

We clinked glasses.

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Troy sauntered into my office in his typical black suit, white shirt, and black tie, wearing an expression tight with irritation.

He gave a respectful nod before going straight to the point.

"Alice was right," he said bluntly. "Gavin might be our guy."

I eased back into my chair. "Spill."

"I've gone over the Luna ceremony footage again. He's in almost every shot around the peach punch station, but he never looks directly at the cameras… not once. It's like he was deliberately avoiding them."

Troy's voice carried a hint of frustration. "He was always shifting or turned away. Either his back was to us, or he was glancing sideways."

I straightened. "You have a visual?"

"Half," he replied. "It's not perfect, but thanks to Alpha Stefan's tech team in London, we managed to run a partial profile scan. Luckily, he had a distinct mole just above his right brow. That detail helped us narrow it down. We cross-referenced it with social records and general event employment databases."

He handed me a file.

"Turns out," he continued, "Gavin Leigh isn't his real name. He used forged documents to get placed under Diane's Catering and Events. The firm didn't run thorough screenings on its temps, too eager to staff the event to care who they hired."

I flipped open the file, going over the contents. The photograph was grainy, but the profile check was clean enough now that we knew what we were looking for.

"Real name is Zair Blackwell," Troy said. "Age thirty-three. Former machinist, construction grunt, delivery man, and briefly a kitchen assistant three years ago. No formal certifications. But get this, Alpha, he's got a record."

Troy flipped the page over for me. "Battery. Breaking and entering. Petty theft. And he served time for assault three years ago."

I looked up at him angrily. "So, we hired a fucking criminal."

Troy shrugged. "Technically, we didn't. Diane's Catering did."

"And who approved their bid?" I asked, seething. "Richard?"

"Yes, Alpha. He's the pack's event planner. Mide's his assistant." Troy replied. "Diane's Catering has been working with us for as long as I can remember. So, I can understand why Richard trusted them."

I closed the file angrily. "Whatever, send them both to me later."

"Yes, Alpha."

I stood and walked over to the window for some air while Troy continued.

"Zair doesn't exist beyond the Luna ceremony," he said. "There's been no record of him working any other events in Aspen. Nothing recent. Not even digital footprint. Stefan's guys dug up one old ID, but the address was a dead end. The guy's practically a ghost."

"Or very skilled at disappearing," I muttered, turning to face him and leaning against the wall.

"Exactly. He rented a basement flat in Aspcreek, paid cash three months to the ceremony."

"Aspcreek?" I repeated, in surprise. "The Luna is from Aspcreek."

"Yes, Alpha."

"You think there's a chance he might know her?"

Troy shrugged. "It could just be coincidental."

When I stayed silent, he continued.  "Landlord says he left a day after the Luna ceremony, without notice. He had no belongings or trace."

I raked a hand through my hair, exhaling tiredly. "This guy didn't just stumble into this job; he was placed."

"I couldn't agree more," Troy ventured calmly. "Someone put him in that position, at that event. And he knew exactly what he was doing."

"Any money trails?" I asked.

"Alpha Stefan's still working on that. We don't have the full trace yet, but there was a large deposit in his account a week before the Luna ceremony. And another after the Luna ceremony, but it's heavily encrypted, so we can't identify the source yet."

Of course it was.

I walked back towards him. "Start with the agency. Diane's Catering. Find out if he was recommended by anybody. Who approved the hire. Everything."

Troy nodded. "Already ahead of you. I'll also have our guys sweep the flat he stayed in, in Aspcreek. Might get lucky."

"He'd be foolish to still be around in Aspen, but if he is…" I said. "I want him found."

Troy headed for the door. "I'll update you the moment we get anything."

After he was gone, I sat on the edge of my desk, thinking.

Some fucker had paid handsomely for that bastard to harm my wife. And for over a year, they'd stayed hidden, thinking we'd never discover it.

But they made one mistake.

They came for what was mine. And they'd die for it.