The sheriff emerged out of the police vehicle in the front in a rush, his boots crunching on the gravel as he barked, "Lan! What are you doing? Why aren't you with your family or out there searching for your niece?"
Lan stiffened, his posture suddenly rigid as he stammered, "Sir, I was planning to head there after I secured the evidence and suspect—"
The sheriff cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. "Ms. Banks called me and explained what's going on. This is clearly a misunderstanding. Unhand the boy." He turned to Dan, his eyes narrowing with authority. "Dan, you'll bring your nephew to my office first thing tomorrow morning, right?"
Dan, still stunned, nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I will. Thank you, Sheriff. Thank you."
The tension visibly lifted from Dan's shoulders, and the rest of the family's faces brightened with relief as Officer Lan released his grip on Ace. Lan's expression betrayed a flash of regret—he hated putting his friend and their family through such pain, but as a senior deputy, he had no authority to deviate from protocol. He sighed quietly, a resigned look on his face.
The sheriff wasted no time, already moving toward the scene. "Now that that's settled, take me to the location of the incident. Have the officers secured the area? Are they searching the immediate vicinity? Who is leading the search party?" he asked as he and Lan strode toward the scene.
Before they could get far, a sharp, clipped voice interrupted them. A woman in a tight suit and wavy bob-cut approached, her heels clicking briskly against the pavement.
Ace watched her approach with narrowed eyes, a flicker of curiosity but his sight was obstructed by his family who had surrounded him. "Who is this Ms. Banks?" he asked, glancing at his family. He didn't bother reassuring them that he hadn't done anything wrong—he knew they trusted him. But the mystery of how Brooke's handbag ended up in their duffle bag lingered, heavy and unresolved. The bag itself was a freebie from the Rural Revival, given to anyone who participated in the silent auction. Yet now, it seemed to have turned his family's world upside down.
"Our Mandy, aka Madison Banks. That's her professional name—so clients take her seriously. I guess she owes the sheriff a big favor now," Dan said, a hint of pride in his tone as he spoke about his little sister-in-law.
Listening to him, Ace's lips curved into an unconscious smile. It was comforting to know his aunt cared too much about him to leave him to fend for himself, no matter how dire the circumstances. However, his expression soon shifted as he heard his mother turn to Pam and ask with a questioning look. "How did that handbag get into our duffle bag? Pam, didn't you check it when they handed it to you?"
Pam hesitated, fidgeting with the strap of her wrist watch as guilt flickered across her face. "I did... but not that thoroughly," she admitted, glancing away. "I didn't want to disturb how the Rural Revival staff had so neatly packed everything into the duffle bag. I'm sorry—I should have been more careful." Her shoulders slumped as she looked at Mary, her voice tinged with regret. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean for my oversight to cause all this trouble."
Dan let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it. Come on—let's go find the Rural Revival staff and figure out what the hell is going on," he said, already turning on his heel and striding back toward the gymnasium.
"Let us make this quick," Alwin muttered as he followed Dan, his jaw tight with urgency. "We need to join the search party as soon as possible."
Dan nodded briskly in agreement, his pace quickening. Both men were caught between two pressing responsibilities, the weight of their choices etched into their expressions. Lola had people searching for her, so they decided to first address the crisis within their own family before joining the search for her.
The Landers ignored the judgmental eyes of the crowd, their faces set with determination, as they pushed their way toward a member of Rural Revival. The person they found was responsible for organizing the gala dinner. From their conversation, they learned that most of the event staff were volunteers—and due to the storm, many of those volunteers had bailed early. Unfortunately, the staff member who handed Pam the duffle bag was one of those volunteers.
When they pressed for her contact information, the Rural Revival representative shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I can't release that information without following the proper channels," she explained firmly. "That process could take weeks."
Mary's face paled as panic set in. She gripped the back of a nearby chair to steady herself, her voice trembling. "What do we do now?" she asked, her mind racing with dread. Just the thought of her son going to jail made her legs weak. Only she knew the silent ordeal she had endured while watching the officer drag her son toward his duty vehicle.
At the same time, her heart held immense gratitude for Mandy, who had intervened and saved her son from facing prison—whether innocent or not. Today, Mary's trust in Mandy had grown tenfold. If she were to catch Mandy sneaking out of Ace's room in the middle of the night again, she wouldn't bat an eye. The woman had earned her unwavering trust.
Ace placed a reassuring hand on his mother's shoulder, his tone calm and steady. "Don't worry, Mom. The cops will figure this out and get everything straightened out. Besides," he added, his lips twitching into a faint smile, "god forbid it even goes to court, and if I get convicted, considering my age and squeaky clean record, the worst they'll do is fine me or make me do some community service. So take it easy, okay?"
Mary nodded weakly, though her grip on the chair remained firm. Ace turned to his father and uncle, his eyes determined. "Let's go join the search party."
Dan looked at him and shook his head. "Yes, we will—but not you." He reached into his pocket, pulled out his car keys, and handed them to Pam. "Pam, take the Navigator and take the kids home. Don't wait up for us. Al and I will hitch a ride."
Pam took the keys hesitantly, her brows furrowing. "You guys do that. I'll find Ronda and check up on her," she said.