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I grabbed a pencil to flip the sheet, careful not to touch the paper The notes spanned several weeks Most tracked the domestic details of his life with Fiona Chickens fed Ground cleared for a garden A shelter improved for their donkey, Fred Christophe loved art, and he noted that he’d brought to Colorado a book of faht, discussing the paintings, i the fantasy worlds That, apparently, had inspired her

Fiona is painting, read one of Christophe’s entries She isn’t very good yet, but she is trying very diligently I told her we must visit Paris and see the wonders there

His love for her was obvious, his enthusiasm for Elk Valley clear I could have happily spent hours reading through his notes But I had an assignot sucked in any further

I sat down in a squeaky and threadbare chair, pulled open the bottom desk drawer There were folders of research, article drafts, published articles, copies of Taran’s curriculum vitae printed on thick stock

I reached in and felt the back of the drawer for anything that ht have been taped or secured there--I’d watched ation shows There weren’t any secret packets, but I did find a folder that had slipped down behind the others

I pulled it out Threats, ritten in his tidy script across the tab, and so they were There were nasty e parents, an accusation--unfounded, according to Taran’s notes--that he’d plagiarized a twenty-year-old unpublished conference paper Many of the papers were yelloith age But there was one at the very back that was still white, still crisp

I pulled it out,as I realized what I’d found It was an e-o

Taran:

I know you don’t want to talk about the Trust any we have built just because of her That is how this valley fell apart in the first place and we cannot go back to that Do the right thing here or what happens after will be your fault

--Rowan

I wasn’t sure what the "trust" was, but I read a thinly veiled threat from Rowan over it I put away the folder, carried the paper into the hallway, found Ethan, Gabriel, and To?" I asked

"Nessa doesn’t think they took anything else out of her office She wanted a few ," I said, and handed To about?"

Tom frowned, handed the paper to Ethan "Probably the land trust"

"What land trust?" Ethan asked

"From what I understand, Taran’s plot--the property on which the house and guesthouse sit--is held in a revocable trust in Taran’s name"

"If Nessa and Taran are married," I said, "why is it in Taran’s name?"

"The land has always been in the McKenzies’ naot to it That’s one of the reasons for tension in the valley The shifters have the land; the vampires have the money"