"The quiet resilience of roots unseen

outlasts the storms that try to break them."

Korsak nodded, and together they walked into the interrogation room where Evelyn was already seated, her hands folded tightly in front of her.

Jane closed the door behind her and took a seat across from Evelyn, her gaze sharp. "Alright, Evelyn. You said you'd talk, so let's start with the truth. How do you fit into all of this?"

Evelyn's eyes darted between Jane and Korsak, her guarded demeanor slipping just slightly. "I don't know what you think I'm involved in, but I'm telling you, I don't know anything about Derrick's murder."

Jane leaned forward, her voice calm but firm. "You were getting money from the same offshore account tied to Derrick and Travis. Your son knows Travis from college. And now Rebecca's someone linked to Derrick and Travis was murdered also. I'm not buying that you don't know anything."

Evelyn swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly. "I… I didn't kill anyone. I swear. I have no idea who Rebecca is; I swear I have never met her."

Korsak crossed his arms. "Maybe not, but you know more than you're letting on. Start talking, Evelyn. You might not get another chance to set the record straight."

Evelyn sat at the table, her hands clasped tightly together as she avoided Jane's sharp gaze. "I joined the dating site because I was lonely," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "I've been divorced for years, and my son Daniel went to live with his father when he was in middle school. We didn't stay very close after that."

Jane leaned forward slightly, her pen poised above her notebook. "That's how you met Travis, on a dating site?"

Evelyn nodded. "I didn't know he was Travis. I only knew him online when we were dating as Thomas. Please believe me, I never knew the guy I met as Derrick's roommate was Thomas; I had dated him only shortly. He was charming—polite and attentive. He made me feel like I mattered. Things were going great, and for the first time in a long while, I felt…happy. We only communicated over the dating website and then through text messages."

Korsak, standing by the wall with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. "So what happened? Why did things end?"

Evelyn sighed, her expression clouding with unease. "One evening, we were messaging, and he asked for pictures of my family, and I sent him pictures of Daniel and me. Some pictures were taken when Daniel was in college. I guess he recognized Daniel from college."

Jane's pen froze mid-air. "He knew Daniel?"

"He did," Evelyn confirmed. "He started freaking out, asking how I could be Daniel's mother. I tried to explain that Daniel and I were somewhat estranged after the divorce and that he lived with his father for years, but Thomas, or Travis, I guess, couldn't seem to get past it. He accused me of lying to him and of keeping secrets. It was… bizarre."

"And that's why the relationship ended?" Korsak asked.

"Yes," Evelyn replied. "He became so cold and distant. Eventually, he just stopped calling and messaging. I didn't chase after him. I figured it wasn't meant to be."

Jane tapped her pen on the table, her gaze sharp. "What about the money he sent you? Were you asking for help?"

Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise. "No! I never asked him for anything. He never sent me any money."

Jane exchanged a look with Korsak, her mind working overtime. "There most certainly is money sent from his accounts to yours."

Evelyn hesitated. "What are you talking about? The only money that has been coming into my account outside of my normal paychecks is from my son to help cover the bills while he is living with me."

Korsak frowned. "You had no idea that money from those accounts was linked to Travis and Derrick."

"No," Evelyn admitted, her voice tinged with regret.

Evelyn shifted in her seat, her hands fidgeting nervously. "After Thomas and I ended things, I decided to give the dating site another try. I thought, maybe this time, I'd find someone who could see me for me without any complications."

"And that's when you met Derrick?" Jane asked, her voice even.

"Yes," Evelyn said with a small nod. "He was so kind and thoughtful. We didn't see each other all the time, but when we did, it was nice. I could tell him about my day, my worries, and my joys. I hadn't felt that comfortable with anyone in a long time. It was nice when he finally wanted to meet me in person and not just talk on the phone or through text."

Korsak leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "You didn't think it was strange that another younger man was interested in you?"

Evelyn lifted her chin slightly. "Everyone has their preferences, Detective. I didn't question it. I thought we had a genuine connection. Besides, Derrick was so wonderful and always comforting."

Jane tapped her pen against her notebook. "So, everything was smooth sailing with Derrick; when did that change?"

Evelyn winced at the memory. "Derrick and I were at a restaurant one evening, just having dinner. Out of nowhere, Derrick said things needed to end."

Jane narrowed her eyes. "And what happened then?"

"He was confused," Evelyn replied. "He made a reference that he needed to end the relationship because of another conflict but never really gave me any real reasons."

"And how did things end that night?" Korsak asked.

"Derrick paid the bill, and we parted ways that evening," Evelyn said, her voice growing softer. "He still continued to text every now and then, and we stayed in contact, but things were never the exact same as before. It felt like Derrick was holding back, and he never really explained why distance came between us."

Jane exchanged a glance with Korsak, her mind racing. "Evelyn, do you think Travis was jealous? That maybe he wasn't as over you as you thought?"

Evelyn hesitated. "I don't know. He never acted possessive or controlling when we were talking, and we only talked for a short while, but seeing me with Derrick clearly set him off. It was like he couldn't handle the idea of me moving on. After that day he walked in the apartment and saw me and Derrick together; it was the end of Derrick and me. Now I can see that. If I had known Travis was Thomas, then I guess I would have had a lot fewer questions at the time. "

Jane tapped her pen against the edge of the table, her gaze fixed on Evelyn. "Let's talk about your son, Daniel. You mentioned he moved back in with you recently?"

Evelyn nodded hesitantly. "About a year ago. He called me out of the blue. Said he was going through a rough patch and needed a place to stay. I hadn't heard from him much in years—he's been living with his father since middle school—but he's my son. We have kept in touch sporadically throughout the years. I couldn't turn him away."

Korsak leaned forward, his voice calm but probing. "What kind of rough patch are we talking about?"

Evelyn sighed. "He didn't give me details. Just said things hadn't worked out for him. He's been trying to find work, but nothing steady has come up."

Jane scribbled a note. "And how does he fit into this? Did he ever meet Derrick?"

"I don't think so," Evelyn said quickly. "I never introduced them. Daniel keeps to himself most of the time."

Korsak tilted his head. "Does he know about your dating life? Travis? Derrick?"

"I suppose I mentioned I was seeing someone, but I didn't go into details. He never asked."

Jane shifted the topic. "Evelyn, do you have any weapons in your home? Specifically from the 1700s?"

Evelyn blinked in surprise. "Yes, actually. My father was a collector of Revolutionary War artifacts. He left me his collection when he passed."

"And what does that collection include?" Korsak asked.

"Well, there's an old rifle mounted on the wall," Evelyn said, her brow furrowing as she tried to recall. "Most of the smaller items are boxed up in the office. Bayonets, medals, things like that. I haven't gone through it all in years."

Jane's pen froze on the page. "Bayonets?"

"I think so," Evelyn said uncertainly. "There might be one or two in the collection."

Korsak straightened. "We're going to need to take a look at that collection. Do we have your permission to check it out?"

Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "If it helps clear this up, yes. Take whatever you need to."

Korsak pulled out his phone, stepping to the side to call in a patrol unit. As he made the arrangements, Jane turned her attention back to Evelyn.

"Evelyn," Jane said carefully, "is there anything else you're not telling us? About Travis, Derrick, or Daniel?"

Evelyn's hands twisted nervously. "No, Detective. I've told you everything I know. I just want this nightmare to be over."

Korsak returned to the table. "The unit's on its way to secure the house. You'll need to stay here for now, Evelyn, while we sort this out."

Evelyn nodded, her shoulders slumping as an officer entered to escort her to a waiting area.

Jane exchanged a look with Korsak. "A bayonet from a Revolutionary War collection. What are the odds?"

Korsak sighed. "Let's hope we find something that ties all these loose threads together."

Frost and Korsak pulled up to Evelyn's house, the patrol unit already stationed outside. As they approached the front door, Daniel appeared in the doorway, his arms crossed and his face a mask of irritation.

"What now?" Daniel asked sharply. "You've already grilled my mom for hours. What more do you want?"

"We're here to look into the Revolutionary War collection in the house," Korsak said evenly, his hands resting on his belt. "It might help us clear some things up."

Daniel scoffed, shaking his head. "You're wasting your time. My mom's collection is just old junk. What does that have to do with anything?"

Frost raised an eyebrow. "Old junk or not, we need to see it. We have her permission."

Daniel hesitated, his jaw tightening. After a tense moment, he stepped aside. "Fine. But don't take too long."

Frost and Korsak exchanged a glance as they stepped inside, following Daniel toward the office where Evelyn had said most of the collection was stored. The room was cluttered with boxes, dusty picture frames, and an assortment of old artifacts.

"Everything's in here," Daniel said curtly, motioning to the boxes. "Knock yourselves out."

As Frost and Korsak began carefully opening the boxes and examining the items, Daniel lingered in the doorway, growing visibly more agitated.

"Look, this is ridiculous," Daniel snapped. "I don't know what you're hoping to find, but this has nothing to do with me or my mom."

"We'll be the judge of that," Korsak said without looking up, his tone calm but firm.

Daniel muttered something under his breath and suddenly turned on his heel. "I'm done with this," he said, grabbing his jacket from a nearby chair. "You have fun digging through my mom's stuff."

Frost looked up. "Where are you going?"

"None of your business," Daniel shot back before storming out the front door.

Korsak sighed as they heard the sound of a car engine revving outside. "That guy's definitely hiding something."

"No kidding," Frost said, pulling out his phone. "I'll let Jane know he just took off."

As Frost sent the update to Jane, Korsak carefully removed a bayonet from one of the boxes. It was tarnished but still intact, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim light.

"Think this could be it?" Korsak asked, holding the weapon up for Frost to see.

"Maybe," Frost replied, grabbing another bayonet from a different box. "Let's bag them all and take them to the lab. Maura will know if one of these matches."

After thoroughly searching the office, they gathered the weapons and a few other artifacts of interest, carefully packaging them for transport.

"We'll leave the rest for now," Korsak said as they carried the items to their car. "But I've got a feeling we're getting closer to figuring this out."

"Yeah," Frost agreed, his expression thoughtful. "Let's just hope Maura finds something solid."

Back at the station, Jane leaned over Nina's desk, her eyes fixed on the screen as Nina pulled up more records. The glow of the monitor illuminated the focused determination on both of their faces.

"I can't shake the feeling that Evelyn just got caught in the crossfire of whatever Daniel and Travis have going on," Jane said, crossing her arms. "She seems genuine, and everything she's told us matches what we've found so far."

Nina nodded, scrolling through a series of transactions tied to Daniel's accounts. "It's starting to look like Daniel and Travis were running some kind of scheme, and Evelyn just happened to be a convenient connection for them."

Jane raised an eyebrow. "What kind of scheme?"

"Still piecing it together," Nina replied, pulling up more financials. "But from what I can see, Daniel hasn't had a legitimate job in years. Looks like he's been living off those funds transferred from the offshore account."

"And Travis?" Jane asked, leaning closer.

"Similar pattern," Nina said, switching to Travis's financial data. "Frequent deposits, quick withdrawals, and transfers to offshore accounts. These guys are moving money around like pros."

Jane sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "So, they're conning people. Probably using the dating profiles to target vulnerable women—and maybe some men—for money."

Nina hesitated, then clicked on another window. "It gets weirder. I found a few records of Daniel renting storage units over the years. He's got one right now on the other side of town."

Jane's eyes narrowed. "Storage units? What's he keeping there?"

"No idea," Nina said, glancing at her. "But it's worth checking out."

Jane nodded. "Definitely. Let's get a warrant for that."

Nina typed a quick note and turned to Jane. "Do you think Evelyn has any clue what her son's been up to?"

"I doubt it," Jane said. "She seems like she's trying to reconnect with him, but he's taking advantage of her generosity. Travis, on the other hand…he's a whole different animal."

Nina leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. "So, what's their connection? How did these two end up working together?"

Jane shook her head. "That's what we need to figure out. But for now, let's focus on what we can prove. If we find anything in that storage unit, it could be the break we need."

Frost and Korsak entered the precinct, carrying the carefully bagged bayonets. They headed straight to the crime lab, where a tech met them at the door to receive the evidence.

As they walked back toward the bullpen, Korsak pulled out his phone. "BOLO's been issued for Daniel. Patrol units are watching Evelyn's house just in case he decides to come back."

Jane, standing by her desk, looked up as they approached. "Good. At least we're keeping tabs on him. But let's face it, we're not going to get much more done tonight."

Frost leaned against the desk, looking over at Jane. "Doesn't feel like we're any closer to figuring out their endgame, does it?"

Jane shook her head. "No, but I've got a feeling that storage unit Nina found might give us something. We'll hit it first thing in the morning."

Korsak glanced at Jane with a knowing look. "You heading out?"

Jane exhaled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Yeah. I'm not missing bedtime with Beni tonight. Whatever this mess is, it'll still be here in the morning."

Frost smirked. "Guess Maura has you on a curfew now?"

Jane shot him a playful glare. "Don't push it, Frost."

As Jane grabbed her jacket and bag, Korsak gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Go home. We'll pick this up tomorrow."

Jane nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Thanks, Korsak. Call me if anything changes."