Lost & Broken (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 2) Read online

  Julian agreed with her there.

  “I’m wary about what could happen,” Julian admitted. “My first responsibility is to keep the team safe.”

  Yeah, he hadn’t been doing a really great job of that so far.

  “You should be worried,” Tori said grinning. “That’s the sign of a good leader. The ones, who don’t give a shit, viewing their people as collateral damage, shouldn’t be in charge. That’s just my perspective, and I’ve served under a few different men. You’re the best.”

  Her faith in him astounded Julian.

  There was nothing but gratitude at her kind words of reassurance. His big fear was failing and letting them crash and burn.

  As they pulled up to the sheriff’s station, Julian waited until his wife was at his side. He securely held her hand in his, not only to offer her protection, but because he didn't like the way that the man was checking out his wife the last two times they encountered each other.

  Julian may not be a big man like Kane, but he would fight to the death for his woman. When Tori squeezed his hand soothingly, he relaxed a little. One of the things he appreciated about his wife was that she always seemed to know when he was feeling off balance. Maybe it was because of her past and ability to read people, or because she was just astute as the woman who owned his heart.

  Once inside the building, they were met with a receptionist who immediately directed them to the man’s door. When they knocked, Beckett Rand glanced up from the report which he was reading. When he recognized them, he pulled off his reading glasses and offered them a seat.

  Julian closed the door behind him, and it set the tempo of the conversation. What they needed to discuss had to be kept quiet, and since they knew that the Snyders were prone to follow them, they were being extra cautious.

  “What can you tell us about Jonathan Hesser?” Tori asked, sliding her chair closer to Julian’s. When she rested her hand on his leg, the tension in his body dissipated.

  “He took one hell of a crack to the skull,” Beckett said, tapping the report.

  “So, someone was trying to end his life,” Julian added, waiting for the man to confirm what they already believed.

  “Oh, yeah. That sure as hell wasn’t a love tap. The man was clocked fairly hard. The hospital said that if he was found an hour later, he would have died. Already, the swelling on his brain may have done some damage.”

  Tori wanted to examine the ME’s findings for William Macavoy. She had some questions which needed answering. “May I read the autopsy report for your town historian?” she asked.

  He looked skeptical. “It’s in ME speak and hard to read. I’m used to it, so would you like me to translate?”

  Tori laughed. “Sheriff, I worked for the FBI. I can read that report with my eyes closed.”

  Julian grinned at the absurdity of that statement. “She probably can. Don’t doubt her crazy mad skills.”

  The man handed her the report. “Have at it then. Now, I don’t have to fake my way through the big words.”

  Tori scanned the contents, running her fingers across the details as she memorized them. “He didn't have any drugs in his system, and he was completely healthy.”

  “Yep.”

  It pissed her off that the sweet old man would have lived a longer life had it not been for that bookshelf and some asshole.

  Beckett Rand continued on, regarding their other potential victim, “Maybe it’s for the best. I look at Jonathan Hesser and wonder if I’d want to live like that. Maybe William got the lucky break, considering.”

  Julian didn't know if he would call either scenario, ‘lucky’. “It’s not how I would want to leave the world.”

  Beckett agreed there. If he had to go, he hoped it would be fast and without too much suffering. Then again, most law enforcement officers, and soldiers, had the same wish while serving.

  “There was clotting, so the doctors at the hospital think that it happened the previous night. He lost a good deal of blood.”

  Tori put down the ME report and thought about it. “Did anyone know what he was doing the night before?”

  “Yeah, we questioned all the staff. His stable manager, Leroy White, stated that the man liked to take a ride at night. He would saddle up and head out.”

  “In the dark?” Tori found that odd.

  “Yeah, apparently.”

  “Every night?” she asked, again a little surprised by that information.

  “No. He preferred Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Why?”

  She just had that feeling that something was off, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “Did Leroy find the horse saddled up?”

  Beckett had to flip through the pages of the report until he found what she was requesting. “No, the horse wasn’t ready for the ride yet. The attacker must have got to him beforehand.”

  Julian was watching his wife curiously. She was onto something. He could see it on her face. “What are you thinking, honey?” he asked, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face.

  “This feels wrong to me,” she admitted.

  Julian knew that Tori would figure it out. This was her kind of mystery.

  “What did you find at the scene?” she inquired. “That man loved those horses. He wouldn’t take one out at night unless there was a damn good reason. Those pastures are rocky and a horse could break a leg. He wouldn’t risk one of them just for a simple ride. We’re not talking two thousand dollar horses here. Knight of Darkness is an expensive stallion. He’s worth six figures.”

  Beckett Rand looked appalled at that.

  Julian started to see what she was saying. “You think that he was meeting someone, and it was a set thing!” He began getting excited at that prospect.

  Tori did. “Three days a week seems pretty set to me, and it must have been vital. I know I wouldn’t risk one of our horses, Jules, let alone ones which cost ten times that.”

  Beckett flipped through the pictures that were in the file. The crime scene team had taken snapshots of the blood and any possible evidence.

  When he didn't see anything substantial, he handed her the photos. “Have at it. I don’t see anything, but I’m not familiar with horses.”

  Tori scanned them, and thought back to the tack room. “Look,” she said, pointing to the blanket on the ground. “That’s not a horse blanket.”

  Julian stared down at the checkered material. “It looks like something that you would use on a picnic. It’s not thick enough to sit under a saddle, plus it’s too big in size.”

  Tori spoke, “I think he was meeting someone. I think it was a common thing.”

  Her husband wasn’t sure. “He told us that he didn't ever plan on remarrying,” Julian stated.

  Beckett saw where this was heading. “Do you think he was hooking up out in the dark with some lady friend?”

  Tori did. “I’m sorry, but he’s not that old, he’s in excellent shape, and I’m betting that he was getting a little lovin’ from somewhere. Just because he’s not into marriage, doesn’t mean he isn’t into sex.”

  Julian wasn’t going to argue. When Jonathan told them he married his one true love, he bought that, but after his wife had been dead all these years, the chances were that he would still have needs.

  Besides, look at the Hesser family. Joseph Hesser couldn’t keep it in his pants and neither could Fredrick. Why would he be any different?

  “Why the secrecy? After his mother dies, he’s head of the family. He could do pretty much whatever he wanted now and later,” Beckett said.

  This was one of the oldest motives for hurting someone. “He’s top of the food chain when it comes to inheritance,” stated Tori. “Jonathan Hesser is going to inherit the largest chunk of the estate. Maybe someone didn't like that idea.”

  Beckett never considered that angle before. “So, someone was trying to off the competition,” he said.

  Tori finished for him. “It may not be related to us searching for the book. What if the person who did this
didn't know we were there working? If this had been planned, then we’re just working another case that’s coincidentally crossing paths.”

  Julian mulled it over and wasn’t sure “All of this centers on the family. William Macavoy was killed because he knew something about the history, and Jonathan Hesser was a victim because he was next in line to inherit. Maybe they are connected, but we just don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle to see how.”

  “Money is a big motivator,” stated Tori.

  Beckett pulled out his other file to help give them some perspective. “I interviewed Timmy McLeary, and for the record, he doesn’t have an alibi. I know you’re thinking that this may all be family related, but he’s still a viable suspect in this too. He said he was back in his quarters, but no one can verify. I questioned every jockey there, and no one saw him.”

  “At least we have an angle,” Julian said. “We need to figure out if Jonathan Hesser was having a relationship with someone. If he was, then that’s motive for that person or the family. If they felt threatened that there might be another player in the inheritance game, someone could get testy.”

  Tori agreed. “It wouldn’t be the first time a family imploded because of money. Greed is a big factor in committing homicide, as is love.”

  This was getting even messier.

  Before they arrived, they had a suspect and now they had a slew of them. It seemed that it was getting more important to figure out who all the players were, and fast. They told the sheriff about the DNA evidence going missing.

  “So someone stole your bloody jeans? Why?”

  Tori wasn’t surprised that it happened. “What if there was something mixed in with the blood? What if he got a shot in at his assailant? That person would know it, and they would want to get their hands on the evidence.”

  “Now what?” he asked.

  They told him about Christina trying to get another sample. If it worked, they were set.

  “It must be nice having people really high up in the FBI,” the man stated. “How does one manage that?”

  Julian grinned. “Family friends.”

  “I want to watch everyone at this party tonight,” stated Tori.

  Beckett leaned back in his chair. “Oh yeah. Tonight’s the annual shindig. The Hessers invite a wide variety of people who they believe can be an asset to their lives.”

  Julian needed to know. “Were you invited?”

  “Yep. Let’s just say that the Hessers are trying to get me to be their close buddy. I’m always dealing with their mayhem and madness.”

  That had both of their attention. “Care to explain?”

  He started laughing. “Where to even begin? How about we start with Fredrick Hesser-Jameson? He’s a letch and likes the ladies. I’ve had numerous reports filed against him for assault.”

  Julian wasn’t exactly surprised by that. “Yeah, he’s an asshole,” he stated. Didn't he know that for a fact?

  “After the women file their reports, they each seem to change their minds all of the sudden.”

  Tori knew what was happening. “You think he’s buying them off?”

  “Yep. Pretty much. If it’s not him, then someone else in the Hesser clan is doing the dirty work. I don’t think they want their ‘good’ name run through the mud.”

  “Anything else on the family or the Hesser letch that we should know about?” Julian asked. He wanted to be well aware of the man and his potential issues on the horizon. If he came too close to Tori, his ass was going to be beat down.

  “There’s Lorelei Hesser. She’s got a wicked mean streak a mile long,” he drawled. “Her last boyfriend filed a restraining order against her. Apparently, he said something that she didn't find flattering and beat the hell out of him.”

  “Why isn’t she in jail?” Tori asked, pretty sure she already had the answer to that question.

  “Oh, I would love to incarcerate both of them, but unfortunately, they’re slippery. She pleaded no contest, he dropped the charges, and they went their separate ways, saying it was a mutual thing. Since he wouldn’t show us the marks that she allegedly left, we couldn’t file separately. Now they seem to pop up together every now and then, and they’re amicable. It’s an odd relationship all around.”

  Tori was appalled. She didn't know how the woman could put her hands on someone she loved and not feel horrible. After what happened the other night between her and Julian, she was feeling deeply wounded.

  “Anything else?”

  “Nothing on Jonathan Hesser, other than what the jockey stated about him being belligerent. He’s pretty much a straight arrow as long as you don’t piss him off. His mother, Patrice Hesser, well, she’s in the hospice. She can’t even get out of bed or feed herself.”

  “I hate dealing with the idly rich,” Tori stated. “They think that they’re above the law.”

  “Well, in this case, they are. The judges love them. In fact, there will be a few there tonight. It’s why I opted not to go. I hate letting them think that I’m up for sale.”

  Julian liked him a little more, now that he knew the man before them had morals.

  “You should attend. Then, you can get an inside view, especially since we have more information,” Tori suggested.

  “Yeah, I just may do that.”

  Before she could answer, her phone began ringing. Glancing at the screen, Tori knew that she needed to answer it. “Hello, Lyzee! How’s tricks?” she asked, putting the call on speaker.

  Elizabeth Blackhawk missed her friend. “I’m ass deep in so much bullshit that it’s not funny. I’m sorry that I couldn’t take your call last night. I have a killer who’s acting the fool up in here. Get this--I have mummies missing pieces.”

  Tori started laughing. Man, she missed her friend and some of the wild cases they had in the FBI. Granted, theirs was a little loopy too. “Hey, you knew it was bound to happen eventually. Cannibals, mummies, and who knows what else.”

  She hissed, “Don’t jinx me!”

  Yeah, like that would cause the crazies to flock to Elizabeth. She just had a way with nutjobs. “How’s the pregnancy going?” she asked, her heart sinking a little bit, as she placed the phone on speaker.

  “I’m okay. Apparently, Ethan’s children don’t make me sick as a dog, like Callen’s. Who would have thought that someone’s DNA could screw with you that much?”

  There were protests in the background, and then her melodious laughter.

  Apparently, Callen was by her side, and objecting to her declaration.

  “I got your message and ran the names you gave me. Remember, off the record, I can tell you that your Stephen Snyder and wife Katy are up and up. That’s their real identity.”

  Tori knew that couldn’t be it, or Elizabeth would have simply sent a text. “Spill it, Tex. What do you have on them?”

  She laughed. “I’m losing my edge. I need to reinvent myself.”

  Tori heard Ethan shout from the background next.

  “Try a gentler, kinder you,” he said, and then gasped when his wife punched him.

  She found that funny as hell, and so did Julian.

  “Ah, there’s our feisty Fed,” Jules added.

  “I wouldn’t get all giggly down there in Kentucky. You’ve got some competition,” Elizabeth said, ignoring her husband.

  “What does that mean?” Julian asked.

  “Well, what I’m trying to tell you is that it looks like the Snyders and you have something in common.”

  At first he didn't get it. “Oh shit, are you saying that they’re private investigators too?”

  Elizabeth snorted. “Darlin’, I’m not saying jack shit. You can assume whatever you want, since this call never happened. But let’s just say that I wouldn’t bet a month of Sunday’s against that statement.”

  Julian and Tori stated at each other.

  Well hell!

  This was a twist that they didn't see coming at all. No wonder they were watching them.

  “This is messy
,” Julian stated. “Our cover’s blown here. I’m betting they recognized us from day one, and that’s why they’ve been riding Tori and studying me.”

  Elizabeth continued, “Well, I’m about to unofficially make it worse. They’re not the kind of PI’s that you want to be friends with. They don’t exactly handle the kinds of cases your company does. What you have is a real pair of ambulance chasing, money hounds.”

  Yep, it just got worse.

  Where Julian wouldn’t take a case to get rich, the Snyder pair obviously didn't have his scruples.

  “I’d Google their name and go from there, darlin’. In fact, I suggest you do just that to cover your Native ass, Jules.”

  There was more comments from the men in Elizabeth’s life, once she began discussing another man’s behind. She simply laughed at them. She knew that Ethan and Callen weren’t really upset. Julian and Tori were their family, and they had an incredibly close bond.

  “Okay. Now, I’m officially worried,” Julian said.

  So was Tori, but she was grateful that their friends went out on a limb here for them, giving the team a heads up. This was going to make their lives a lot easier in the long run.

  It was always better to know your enemy.

  Now, they had a clue and could attack this head on.

  “They had a gun, so I’m not shocked,” Tori finally said.

  Elizabeth didn't want to see her friends get hurt. “You watch your back,” she stated. “Oh, and the lab contacted me for approval on the testing. I don’t know what you’re up to, but if Christina thinks that it’s necessary, have at it. Tell her that I miss her. There’s been no one to ogle Ethan and Callen. I haven’t had as much fun, since everyone else is scared shitless of me, especially in my current state.”

  “You should call her. You both have something in common,” Tori said, dropping the hint. Girlfriend code stated she had to have her best friend’s back.

  Elizabeth got it, and knew that was her warning that Christina probably wasn’t coming back. If she was pregnant, then that ship had sailed. “You two are lucky to have her. She’s missed a great deal. I’m on my fourth head tech already, and they’re all subpar. Don’t tell her I said that, she’ll get lab ego. Trust me, that’s a bitch to get back under control. Our team is a mess here. Doctor Leonard is all starry eyed now that he’s hitched, I’m down a head tech, and our anthro is cranky as sin.”