Lost & Broken (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 2) Read online

  To that day, she didn't understand it.

  That one incident had been a defining moment in her life, making her truly despise quitters of any kind.

  When Tori paused beside him, he glanced down at the book. “What did you find?”

  “I found a passage, and I don’t know what to think about it,” she said.

  “Read it to me,” he said, leaning back on the bed.

  ‘Today, I found out that my wife is with child. I know that there should be some deep profound happiness, but I find that there is none. I wish that everything was different. I will care for the child, since it’s my obligation, but I feel no attachment. Maybe it’s because of the mother. Had it been someone else, say, the one who owns my heart, there may have been joy. Now, there is only emptiness. How horrible am I to pray she leaves and takes the child with her, so I may be at peace?

  I need no answer.

  I already know the truth.’

  J.H.

  “That’s really sad, and I can’t help but think the guy is an asshole,” stated Julian. “I can only wish that my wife was having our child. I don’t understand any of that.”

  Tori looked at the dates. “What I meant wasn’t related to the man’s feelings, because he is obviously a jerk. What I was referring to were the dates.” Tori pointed with her finger. “Now, think back to when Jamie hired us. We read the note that Bethany left for her son, and it was dated. They weren’t that far apart. She would have been pregnant at the time that this was written.”

  Julian got it. “He didn't know!”

  She shook her head. “I’m assuming that she was the ‘one who owns his heart’, and he didn't realize that she was having his other child.”

  That only threw more confusion into it. “So, if he didn't know, then who killed her? I doubt that he’d be upset that the woman he was in love with was pregnant, so killing her wouldn’t be something spur of the moment.”

  Tori pondered it. “Maybe his wife took matters into her own hands. The stories say she wasn’t happy. If you were cheating on me, I’d kill your mistress too.”

  Julian wasn’t sure if she was kidding, but he figured he’d reassure her. “I’d never cheat. I’ve been on the receiving end of that pain.”

  Tori patted his cheek.

  “You need to keep reading that journal. It’s been giving us some good insight.”

  She happened to agree. As her phone began ringing, she glanced at the screen. “It’s the sheriff.”

  “Great,” muttered Julian. That’s exactly who he wanted calling his wife on a Sunday morning.

  “Hello?”

  Beckett rushed through the conversation. “I managed to get the housekeeper to come in for an interview. If you really want to be here to watch, and I do mean only watch, you have to get here in less than an hour. She’s due in at ten, and I need to get you into the observation room.”

  Tori was more than willing. She wanted to see what the woman had to say. “We’ll be there. Thank you, Sheriff.”

  He didn't even reply. There was simply the audible click that told her that the conversation was over.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, trying to keep his cool.

  Tori told him everything, including all of their conversation from the previous night. After sex, she didn't have time to catch him up to speed.

  “I don’t know if I should be happy that the sheriff is so enamored with my wife that he invited us to watch, or incredibly pissed off.”

  Tori kissed him lightly on his lips. “Go with the first choice, because the second one makes me sound like a possession, and that’s certainly going to get you hurt.”

  Julian started laughing. “Point taken.”

  Just then, there was a knock on the door. Julian headed toward it and opened it a crack. When he saw Kane’s worried face, he opened it quickly. “What happened?”

  “I need your help. Christina’s been horribly sick. This pregnancy thing is kicking the shit out of her. What do I do?” he asked, handing them each a coffee.

  Tori wished that she could offer some sage advice, but that was a boat that she didn't have passage on, and at this rate, might never. “I’m clueless,” she admitted.

  Julian was no help either. “I can call my sister, but other than that, I don’t really know. I’m used to kids, but my sister never really called me up to tell me if she was puking.”

  Then, Tori had it. “You should have her call Elizabeth. When we were working the stripper homicides, she was sick as a dog. She’s the only person I know who has had three pregnancies, and they’ve all been different. Try her.”

  Kane was more than willing to do anything at this point. He’d serenade the woman if that’s what would buy him some insight on how to help Christina.

  Tori was going to cut them some slack. “Why don’t you and Christina stick inside today? We’re heading to the sheriff’s station. You still have journals right?”

  The man nodded. “We’ve gone through three of them, but all we found was that Joseph Hesser was paying money to Bethany Duvaul’s family.”

  That was a fascinating little fact, and Tori squirrelled it away until later. “If you need more journals, head up to the attic.”

  “Stop by the room when you’re back.”

  As the man left, they were both feeling bad for him. This had to be killing Christina. She was generally so peppy and happy.

  “Let’s head to the station and watch some interrogations,” Julian offered, taking his wife’s hand.

  “Yeah, try not sounding so excited,” she stated sarcastically.

  Yeah, he would try.

  Back in his room, the woman he loved was lying prone on the bed. She was pale and looked like hell. Something in him broke, and he was desperate to get her some sort of relief.

  “Chrissy baby, are you awake?” he asked, touching the bed.

  When it moved, she moaned. “Please don’t shake the mattress. I’ll be sick.”

  Kane backed up. “I think you should call Elizabeth. She may have a clue how to help you,” he stated.

  Christina needed to call her and resign anyway, so she might as well get it over with. Glancing at her watch, she knew it was early there, but she was desperate.

  On the third ring, a sleepy voice answered the phone. “Director Blackhawk.”

  “Boss, I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m dying and need to talk,” she blurted, putting the phone on speaker.

  Kane stood there prone. The emotion in her voice was heartbreaking.

  Immediately, Elizabeth was wide awake. “What’s wrong, Christina?”

  She told her the entire story and waited for some advice. “I don’t think I can do this. I’m not strong enough. You’re super woman and can pull this off multiple times, but I’m not. What if I screw this up and fail?”

  Elizabeth suspected that this was more than just a queasy stomach. “Okay, you can do this, you will do this, and you really have no choice at this point. The bun is already in the oven, and now you have to follow through.”

  Just the authoritativeness in her voice gave Christina hope that she was right. “Please tell me that this sickness ends.”

  She wasn’t going to bring the woman down further. “It will end and when it does, you get the feeding stage. Kane will be forced to find all kinds of weird foods for you. I like pickles and peanut butter, but keep that our secret. You know how the tech team is.”

  At the words, Christina almost gagged.

  “Sorry, darlin’,” she offered. “I want you to go take a cool shower, not hot. It’ll help. Then, let me talk to the man who got you into this situation.”

  Kane couldn’t help but swallow. He’d run into the woman on the ‘Skinwalker’ case, and she’d been tough.

  “He’s here,” she said, trying to sit up. “Elizabeth, I’m not coming back,” she said quickly.

  “Hell, you think FBI West needs two pregnant women? Please! You stay there with that handsome Native of yours and be happy. We’ll muddle
along and try to figure it out.”

  She truly loved the woman. Elizabeth was making her resignation easy. “Thank you for that.”

  “You're welcome. Now, go shower. Kane, are you there?”

  When he picked up the phone, he waited for Christina to make it to the bathroom. When the door closed, he took it off speaker phone. “I’m here.”

  “Okay, you need to get her anything sour that you can get your hands on, like candy, lollipops, and lemons. I liked green apples, but that’s just me. There’s something about the sour that kills a little of the pukiness.”

  “Thank God you know that,” he stated, pulling out his own phone and making a list. “I don’t know how to manage this.”

  “You’re going to be fine. Just keep her drinking. Try some grapefruit juice. When I was pregnant with my first child, Ethan’s grandfather told me to drink it. It seemed to work.”

  He could kiss the woman. “I owe you my life.”

  She laughed. “Knock it off. Just make sure you invite us to the wedding. That’s payment enough.”

  That he would do.

  “Do you think I should send her home so she can rest?” he asked, thinking that a case might be a bad idea at this time.

  That made her laugh outrageously. “Yeah, go ahead and try that. You might survive if you can outrun her.”

  He didn't know if she was kidding or dead serious.

  “Thank you, Elizabeth. I appreciate you being kind to her. She was really struggling with leaving the FBI. You made it easier on her.”

  “Anything for a friend. Now, go take care of her and your baby. Oh, and congratulations, Kane.”

  He grinned. Suddenly, everything seemed a little more doable. Heading for the door, he locked it behind him. He was going right to the kitchen to raid the place of every lemon, grapefruit, and sour item.

  Now, it was about helping his girl get better.

  She had a baby to grow.

  * * *

  At the sheriff’s station, Tori and Julian were rushed into the observation room right before the woman was expected to arrive. The sheriff had been pleasant, but seemed a little frazzled. Then again, they really couldn’t blame him. His hands were tied, since he had a dead man and one in a coma. The leads were beginning to show up, and now it was a matter of working them.

  When the housekeeper was escorted in, they both noticed that she looked stressed out, and that was to be expected.

  After all, she was hiding a secret and wasn’t aware that they all knew the truth. For now, there would be the subtle police dance, where Sheriff Rand began working the details out of her, one at a time.

  When he walked in, he was all smiles and easiness. Tori could see that the man was good at this part of his job. Already, he was trying to build a connection to the woman with easy repartee. She had used that technique many times before.

  “I’m sorry that we had to pull you down here during the busiest time at the estate, Ms. Wheaton.”

  “It’s okay. I just don’t know what I could possibly tell you about what happened.”

  He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Oh, it’s just standard procedure. I have to cross all my T’s and dot all my I’s. I hope you understand.”

  She nodded.

  The friendly conversation continued for a little while. Tori saw the subtle cue of where the tempo and tone was about to change. When Beckett took off his cowboy hat, the game was on.

  “So, how long have you worked for the Hessers?” he asked, clicking his pen erratically. It was distracting the woman in front of him and keeping her off balance.

  “Thirty years,” she offered, smoothing a piece of her hair back.

  “How old are you, ma’am?” he asked, scribbling notes on the paper in front of him.

  She began laughing. “It’s not nice to ask a lady her age, Sheriff. Certainly your momma taught you that.”

  He crossed his arms, and the smile slowly disappeared. “Actually, my mom died when I was young, so she didn't. Since you don’t like that question, I’ll give you my next one.”

  The tone in his voice shifted.

  “How long were you having a sexual relationship with Jonathan Hesser?”

  The woman looked like she was slapped.

  “What?”

  “Well, you didn't like the easy questions, so I opted to go with the hard ones. You probably should have just told me your age,” he stated. “Now, how long were you having sex with Jonathan Hesser?”

  “He was my boss, and I wasn’t…”

  Beckett held up his hand. “You know, I may look like some hick sheriff, but I’m pretty astute. I can tell when someone’s lying. The simple fact that you placed a red rose on the blood stain, and said you loved him, gave it away.”

  Now, she looked scared.

  “I can see lighting a candle or a bunch of flowers if he died, but a red rose and those words mean something.”

  “How did you know? We were very careful.”

  He grinned ferally. “The Hessers aren’t the only people with a long reach, Ms. Wheaton. Now, answer the damn question.”

  She swallowed. “Years.”

  “That’s a long time to be having secret rendezvous with someone. What was it, three days a week?”

  Now, she looked downright sick.

  Tori watched the woman’s face. She genuinely didn't see this coming, and that was perfect. As was the sheriff’s questioning. He was nailing it.

  “Yes, it was three days a week.”

  “Man! I hope I’m up to sex three times a week when I’m Jonathan’s age. Was he taking enhancements?”

  The rage slid across her features. “Don’t talk about him like that! He’s a good man!”

  Oh good. There was emotional attachment and anger. That was only going to make his job that much easier.

  “I beg your pardon, ma’am. Then, I’m to assume that you carried on this secret relationship all these years and never expected more? You say that you love him, but never once did he offer up marriage?”

  “I gave him twenty five years of my life, and he loves me. I know he does!”

  Tori touched Julian’s arm. “How long did you say his wife was deceased?”

  He thought back to the conversation with Jonathan. “He told us that his wife had been gone twenty years.”

  She pointed at the glass. “Well, if she was giving him twenty five years of her life, that doesn’t add up.”

  “Oh, it adds up alright,” stated Julian. “He wasn’t exactly being faithful. His speech about him finding his soul mate was total bullshit.”

  “So, yet another Hesser who couldn’t keep it in his pants when it came to his wife. It has to be genetic,” Tori said disgustedly.

  Julian ran his hand up and down her back to reassure her. Not all men were like that, and he was a prime example. Their mating was for life. Like the dove, he had no intention of looking for another true love.

  He found his.

  “So, why did you try to kill him?” Beckett asked, leaning forward.

  The woman now looked horrified at the words.

  “I would never hurt Johnny. I love him. We’ve been together for decades, and I wouldn’t harm him.”

  Beckett shrugged. “That’s great on paper, but I need something a little more substantial. How about you throw out an alibi and someone who can corroborate it?”

  Again, there was anger.

  “How can I do that? You already know that we met three times a week. He was on his way to meet me. I was hiding at our secret spot. When he didn't show, I headed back to my quarters.”

  “When he didn't arrive, you weren’t concerned?”

  The woman sat up straight in her chair.

  “No, because the derby is coming up and his horses were his life,” she threw out bitterly.

  No one missed it.

  There was definite anger.

  “Well, then I guess we have a big problem, Ms. Wheaton. You’re secret lover was conked on the head, is likely never co
ming out of that coma, and you don’t have an alibi.”

  Sharla crossed her arms defiantly even as the tears filled her eyes.

  “I guess I could ask around the house. Maybe they would know.”

  The look of panic on her face was very telling.

  “You can’t! No one knew about us! I’ll be fired!”

  The sheriff dropped his hat back on his head. “My problem isn’t your tenure at the Hesser House. My issue is who tried to kill the man who was poised to inherit the lion’s share of the family fortune. So, you can see the conundrum here.”

  The woman began weeping. She dropped her face into her hands and sobbed hysterically.

  Beckett grabbed his folders and headed for the door. “I’ll give you a few moments to gather your composure, then I’ll be back.” With that, he was out the door, closing it with a click.

  It didn't take long for him to join them in the observation room. When he entered, he was back to his normal pleasant self. “Well, did I do you proud?” he asked, grinning.

  Tori had to give him some credit. It was a good interview and it clarified what they wanted to know. “Yeah, you certainly did.”

  “What do you both think?” he asked, wanting to hear their opinions of it all. In the back of his head, he was building his own theory.

  “I think the family is genetically predisposed to be assholes when it comes to their marriage vows,” said Tori.

  Julian explained what they figured out about Jonathan, and his wife, still being alive when he began playing with the hired help, much like his ancestors.

  “Well, I’m not surprised,” stated Beckett. “Look at Fredrick. He’s into mass fornication too.”

  Tori had one thing on her mind. “How do we relate this to William Macavoy?”

  Both men contemplated that.

  “Well, is it possible that he was digging around and discovered that the housekeeper was doing more than fluffing the Hesser pillows? Maybe in his research he figured it out and brought it up.”

  “And Jonathan killed him?” Tori finished for him. “I don’t know. The man may have been a cheating bastard, but he didn't seem violent.”