Chapter 192: Chapter 192 Interrogation Evidence
Jace Monroe’s POV
We arrived at the Alpha Council’s secure compound after the raid on the ranch where Howard was supposedly hiding.Unfortunately, we didn’t find him there. From what we learned, he and his mate had been at the location, but they’d left about two hours before we arrived.
I was exhausted, but I couldn’t stop now.I still needed to interrogate those pathetic criminals we’d apprehended in Maplewood. After that, I would return to my pack territory.
I sat down across from Magnus’s desk as he handed me a hot cup of coffee, which I took gratefully. My body was tired but my wolf stayed alert.
"Magnus, don’t you think it’s weird that Howard left right before we got there?" I asked.
"I don’t like it either," Magnus growled as he sat down with his coffee. "I think he still has someone feeding him information at Thorne Enterprises.Someone his accomplices might not even know about."
"Makes sense. Are you going to alert Alpha Draven about this?"
"Definitely.This case is a complex web of deception – multiple crimes committed against Storm Valley Pack over years, and no one noticed." Magnus shook his head.
"Yeah! Honestly, I can’t tell if Howard is driven by greed, hatred, or envy."
"I think by all three, Monroe," Magnus’s voice rumbled. "The desire for power drives many wolves to dark places."
"The way those two women treated the pup is unforgivable," I said, recalling how we found the boy chained by his small ankle to a table. "He was bound, dirty, hungry, and crying. My wolf wanted to tear their throats out right there."
"Do you think they’ll cooperate with the investigation?"
"I doubt it. They’re both mentally unstable. And this Ella is completely out of touch with reality." I described the tantrum she threw during transport because she didn’t get special treatment.
"I just hate that after these interrogations I have to go back to my regular duties. I’d really like to see this case through to the end," I admitted, genuinely disappointed about not staying until Howard was caught.
Magnus studied me with his sharp eyes. "Monroe, you have enough experience for a specialized role with the Alpha Council’s investigation unit. Why are you still working as a freelance detective in Storm Valley?"
"You know, I’m not even sure myself," I said honestly. "Storm Valley is my home pack. I guess I stayed out of loyalty to Alpha Draven. Being close to packmates. But lately, my wolf has been restless. The territory feels too small and I want more fieldwork, like today’s operation. After this case, I think when I get back to Harbor Bay, I’ll talk to Alpha Draven about my options. It might be time for a change."
"You could join us here," Magnus said,leaning forward."The Council lost an investigator last month, and the position is still open. I like how you work in the field—you follow your instincts but don’t let your wolf take control. You’d be valuable to our team. I’m not as young as I used to be for chasing rogues across territories, so we could help each other."
"That would be fantastic, Magnus. Our wolves do work well together. But surely the Council already has someone in mind for the position? The specialized unit for pack protection is very competitive," I said, though I was already excited about the possibility.
Magnus smiled and asked for a minute. He picked up his phone and called the Alpha Council’s Secretary. He explained the case, how I had tracked down the kidnapped child and how my help in searching the ranch was crucial. He listened carefully, a smile spreading across his face before ending the call.
"The Secretary is an old packmate of mine from before I joined the Council. He thinks he can help bring you on board," Magnus explained with a satisfied smile.
"That would be great! Who knows what we could accomplish. Thanks for the support!" After thanking Magnus, we began the interrogations.
The first to be questioned was Howard’s daughter, Ella. As the fugitive’s daughter, maybe we could get some useful information from her. She was brought into the room with silver-lined handcuffs that would prevent her from shifting.
"Ella..." Magnus began, "...you understand you’ve gotten yourself into serious trouble with the Alpha Council, don’t you?"
"I don’t know why," she whined,"I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just at that horrible place with the boy because Daddy sent me there. Besides, it was just a little prank. Of course, I wasn’t going to keep the pup."
"You understand that kidnapping an Alpha’s pup is a serious offense against pack law?" I asked, unable to believe her delusion. "The punishment from the Council is severe. Besides, you used the boy to try forcing Alpha Draven to reject his mate." I looked at Magnus questioningly. "I’m not even sure if this falls under coercion, extortion, or direct challenge to an Alpha’s authority."
"Draven is mine!" The unhinged woman shouted, eyes flashing wildly. "If it weren’t for that nobody Caroline getting between us, we would already be mated and sharing his Alpha power."
"So you thought kidnapping a little boy would make Alpha Draven claim you?" Magnus asked.
"He was going to choose me if you hadn’t interfered. By now I would have even returned the brat," she stated, as if discussing returning a borrowed book.
"Why did you chain the boy?" I demanded.
"Because I wasn’t going to chase after him, and Linda told me to tie him to the table leg," she responded as if it were perfectly normal.
"Ella, where is your father?" Magnus asked
"Daddy must be contacting the Council Elders to get me out of here. Soon he’ll arrive and will make you pay for treating me like this." She lifted her cuffed wrists.
"I think you’re mistaken. Your father is a fugitive from the Alpha Council," Magnus stated flatly.
"A fugitive? You’re crazy!" She replied with a hysterical laugh.
"He’s wanted for numerous crimes, including the kidnapping of Caroline Bennett, who has already been found and returned to her mate. But your parents fled," Magnus informed her. "And apparently left their little princess behind."
"Daddy wouldn’t do that," Ella said in horror.
"Oh, not only would he, but he did," I said coldly.
Ella burst into tears, her cries growing louder until they were almost howls. She sobbed with her mouth wide open, tears pouring down her face. The sound hurt our sensitive ears. She kept crying for half an hour straight while Magnus and I had to watch. I started wondering if she’d pass out from crying so much. We tried to keep questioning her, but every question just made her sob harder.
Eventually, she admitted that kidnapping Liam was Linda’s idea. Linda had told her it was just a harmless prank and they wouldn’t hurt the boy. Her testimony was useless.
After Ella was taken back to her cell, Linda was brought in for questioning. She was much more calculating than Ella. Linda stayed cold and refused to answer any of our questions. But when we asked why she kept the boy chained in such bad conditions, I saw a brief gleam in her eyes and a hint of a smile, as if the memory pleased her.
At the end of the interrogation, Magnus asked a question that finally broke through her cold act.
"Linda,Howard fled with his mate.It would help your situation a lot if you told us where to find him."
"That imbecile ran away and left me here? And he escaped with that pathetic excuse for a mate?"Linda’s anger was obvious.Her face showed real shock. She clearly had no idea her lover had run off and left her.
"That’s what it looks like," Magnus observed her reaction carefully. "Well, it appears you can’t help us with that. Do you wish to add anything to your statement?" Given Linda’s refusal, Magnus continued. "Alright. Your mate is outside requesting to see you."
"What is that fool doing here? I don’t want to see him! I requested a formal separation last week," Linda spat.
"Very well. Take her back to the holding cell," Magnus signaled to the guard at the corner of the room.
Next we interrogated Marcus.A truly pathetic excuse for a wolf. He didn’t know much, but said he’d met Howard about three years ago and sometimes did "small jobs" for him. He admitted to setting up the farm where they took Liam. He wouldn’t say what kind of work he did for Howard, but kept calling Caroline nasty names and calling Liam illegitimate. My wolf wanted to rip his throat out for disrespecting an Alpha’s mate and child. About Linda, he said he met her when he got to the farm a few days before and they’d become "friendly" - sleeping together since then.
"I don’t have a good impression of these ’tasks’ that Marcus performed for Howard," I commented to Magnus while we waited for one of the guards who had been holding Caroline to be brought in.
"Neither do I.We’ll need to investigate that further," Magnus agreed.
The interrogations of the two security guards, Dennis and Daniel, were just as useless as the others. They answered our questions, but they were clearly just pawns doing the dirty work. They said they needed jobs but couldn’t find real work because they were rogues. They ended up at Thorne Enterprises because their cousin knew Linda, who got them the jobs on the condition they’d help her when needed. They said the kidnappings were planned ahead of time and Howard had promised them good money, but they were told to hold Caroline until they got new orders. Howard kept calling her his "insurance policy." They said all communication was through burner phones that were destroyed after each use.
After finishing the interrogations, it was time to go home. I checked my phone that had been buzzing and saw five missed calls from the Alpha Council Secretary. I called him back right away and learned there was an opening in the Council’s elite investigation unit near Harbor Bay, and I’d be transferred there if I wanted it. He gave me all the details and asked if I was interested. I said yes enthusiastically, and he told me to report Monday. I thanked him and smiled at Magnus.
"The Secretary really values your recommendation," I said. I told Magnus about my transfer and thanked him for his help. After saying goodbye, I headed with my team to the airfield where Ryan had left a private jet for us.
Before leaving, I decided to mind-link Ryan to thank him and share my news. I told him about my transfer to the Council and said I’d like to meet when I got back. I also asked about the small woman I’d seen at Thorne Enterprises reception. He told me her name was Nina and that she was friends with Caroline. At least I had a name now. Once I got settled in my new job, I’d have time to learn more about the woman who had caught my attention.