by Rebecca Deel
“In other words, Chris has the skill and training to shoot your father.”
“Hollister is skilled with a handgun and a rifle. He could have used either one.”
“Chris and Isaac attended the University of Alabama and were roommates. They were in the Army for four years before applying at PSI.” Zoe frowned. “Why didn’t they apply to Fortress to be operatives?”
“You have to be invited to apply. PSI is the bodyguard training school. We train operatives as well, but anyone can apply to attend the school for the bodyguard education. If Maddox likes what he sees and receives trainer recommendation, the trainees might be invited to apply to Fortress. Most of them go on to work for other companies as bodyguards and private security.”
“Would Brent consider hiring them as operatives later if they didn’t distinguish themselves in training?”
He shook his head.
They continued scanning Chris’s background information. Zane had ferreted out an incredible amount of information.
She frowned and glanced at him. “Does Fortress have a file on me?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“How much trouble I’ll be in if I tell you the truth.”
Guess that answered her question. “Do they investigate the women the operatives date?”
“Not all of them.” His cheeks turned an interesting shade of red.
“Should I ask more questions or let it drop?”
“I’ll owe you a huge steak dinner and the most expensive floral arrangement ever created if you’ll let this go. I don’t want to dig myself a deeper hole, please.”
Zoe grinned. “You get a pass. For now. I’ll assume I’m one of the privileged few since I have a file. Based on the questions you’ve asked me over the past few days, you haven’t read the file.”
He slid her a glance. “I preferred to learn about you the old-fashioned way.”
“Definite brownie points for you on that score, Simon.” Did the existence of the file mean Simon was as crazy about her as she was about him? Being this invested in a relationship alone would be heartbreaking.
“Let’s get back to Hollister.”
“We finished reading the background information Fortress provided. What’s next?”
“Scan the Net for new information.” He typed Chris’s name into a browser.
Several hits filled the screen. Except for the most recent activity connected to his name, the information was the same as what they’d already seen.
Zoe leaned closer to the screen. “Is that what I think it is?”
“It’s a hotel reservation for a room in Black Canyon, Texas.”
“How close is that to Hanover?”
His hand clenched. “Twenty miles from town.”
A ball of ice formed in her stomach. The date on the hotel reservation was for last night. Based on the information on the screen, Chris had checked in. He’d been in the area when Simon’s father had been gunned down. Was he the shooter?
Trent stood. “Conference table,” he ordered.
As Bravo arranged themselves around the table, Simon seated Zoe in the chair beside his.
Trent motioned to Matt. “What did you learn about Hollister and his financial situation?”
“Same situation as Lyons. He has an unknown source of income. The windfall is the same amount.”
Cade frowned. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend. How is he getting the money?”
“Actually, he does have a girlfriend.”
The men turned to stare at Zoe.
“Who?” Simon asked.
“Wendy Oberman.”
Matt’s eyebrows rose. “Doesn’t she work at the beauty salon with Maeve?”
She nodded. “She and Chris started dating soon after he arrived at PSI.”
“How do you know about them?” Simon asked.
“Wendy has a fondness for my cinnamon rolls. She likes to stroll in each morning and brag about Chris and how well he is doing. I never knew if she was telling the truth or not about that.” She had bragged about bagging Chris in record time while Zoe hadn’t dated anyone in months. There had been a good reason for that, one Zoe didn’t share with her customer. No other man in Otter Creek held a candle to Simon Murray.
“Have Zane look into Wendy Oberman’s accounts,” Trent said. “Find out if she opened a second account in the past three months. Anything else?”
“Just a gut feeling someone flipped him after the background checks were completed prior to his arrival in Otter Creek.”
“Check his social media accounts,” Liam said. “He probably bragged about his admittance to PSI and made himself a target.”
“Maybe Wendy would talk to one of us since Hollister is MIA.” Matt looked at Simon. “Anyone except you. If Hollister groused about your treatment of him, she’d have heard the complaints. I doubt Wendy would talk to you.”
“One of us calling her out of the blue would raise her suspicions.” Cade turned to Zoe. “Think she’d talk to you?”
Zoe nodded. “She and Macy were friends. I’ll offer my condolences.”
“Excellent. See if anything about Hollister or his behavior worried her.” Trent nodded at Simon. “Anything new on your end?”
“He registered at a hotel in Black Canyon, Texas, twenty miles outside of Hanover.”
Bravo’s leader blew out a breath. “When did he arrive?”
“Last night. He was in the area when Dad was shot, Trent.”
“Circumstantial,” Cade murmured.
“Suspicious,” Simon countered. “He’s from Tuscaloosa, not Texas, and he’s in the middle of training at PSI. What reason could he have for being in that neck of the woods at the time that my father was shot? And by the way, he and Lyons were competitive shooters and served in the Army. Hollister has the means, motive, and opportunity.”
“Still no proof of his guilt.”
“We’ll find him and get the truth from him,” Liam said.
Trent pointed at Cade.
“My findings confirmed Simon’s info. Hollister checked into the hotel last night. A scan of security feeds confirms his identity. He arrived with two bags. One looks like a rifle case, the other a duffel bag. Hollister left early this morning, rifle case over his shoulder. He hasn’t returned to the hotel from what I’ve seen. He hasn’t checked out.”
“Doesn’t mean he’s still in the area. Nothing new on Lyons’ background,” Trent said. “He grew up down the street from Hollister. They’ve been close friends since they were kids. Liam?”
“Zip on the money trail. Hopefully, Trace’s wife, Bridget will find out where the money originated from, but that’s a task beyond my computer abilities to track.”
“All right. We have a few threads to tug and see what unravels. Right now, it’s time to change gears. Simon, we’ll work in shifts to guard your father while he’s in the hospital. When he’s released, where is the best place for him to recuperate?”
“Home. My folks own a cattle ranch. They have 500 acres and 20 ranch hands. The area immediately surrounding the ranch is flat, making it easy to see anyone who approaches during daylight hours.”
“Lighting around the house?”
“Excellent. The security system is top of the line from Fortress. Motion sensors, cameras, the works.”
“Five hundred acres is impossible to secure,” Liam said.
“I can’t ship him to Ft. Knox and he’ll refuse to go anywhere but the ranch. Dad won’t be able to work for a while, but he can oversee activities and give directions from inside the house.” A smile curved his mouth. “Dad rocks at directing operations from behind the scenes.”
“We’ll have to be vigilant at night. Will the hands patrol the grounds once the sun sets?”
“They love Dad and will do everything possible to help.”
“When you have the chance, talk to the foreman. Do your siblings or their families live at the ranch?”
Simon shook his head.
&nb
sp; “What do you want to do about their security? Maddox will approve bodyguards for them.”
“Tracy is the mayor of Hanover. She has her own security detail assigned to her. They’re all experienced cops. Cassie is a district attorney. She’s been assigned security until Dad’s shooter is behind bars. That leaves James and B.J. I doubt either will accept protection.”
“We need satellite images of the house and surrounding acreage.” Trent turned to Zoe. “While we study the maps and images, talk to Wendy. Let’s find out what she knows about Hollister.”
Zoe walked to the back of the jet. She didn’t want Wendy to know she was with Simon and the others. If the hairdresser suspected, she wouldn’t feel free to talk.
She glanced through the doorway near the rear of the jet, expecting a restroom. Her eyebrows rose. A bedroom. Zoe turned on the light and closed the door.
Sliding her phone from her pocket, Zoe called Wendy, hoping the other woman would have time to talk to her. The shop wouldn’t close for another hour and the last hour of the day was the busiest.
A moment later, a female voice answered, “This is Wendy.”
Thank goodness. Maybe she could help Simon and the others. “Wendy, this is Zoe.”
A gasp. “How are you?”
“I’ve been better.”
“Me, too.”
“Are you okay?”
“How can I be? Someone murdered Macy.” Her voice thickened. “Why would anyone do that? Macy was a good person. She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”
“You’re right. She didn’t. I’ve been thinking about that and Isaac’s death.”
“Hard not to. You should be careful.”
“Why?”
“You were a few feet away when Macy was attacked. It could have been you.”
A truth she wasn’t likely to forget. “I know.”
“People around town are saying that Simon showing up so fast when Macy was attacked was really convenient.”
Zoe frowned. “What are you saying, Wendy?”
“Be careful. What if they’re right? What if Simon killed Macy?”
Fury bubbled in her blood. “No way.”
“You’re kind of biased, you know.”
Definitely. “How is Chris handling Isaac’s death?”
A soft snort. “I wouldn’t know.”
“You haven’t seen him?”
“Not for two days.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“All my calls go to voice mail. He ain’t answering texts, either.”
“Did you go to PSI?”
“Sure. Got tired of him ducking my calls. I went yesterday afternoon after he stood me up for our date. He was gone, Zoe. Poof! Like he’d never been there at all. It’s not like him to disappear like that. I talked to his friends and they don’t know where he is, either.”
“Maybe he needs time alone to process the loss of his best friend and Macy.”
“Or maybe he got into it with Simon and paid the price for it.”
“Simon was with me during the time the police estimate Isaac was killed.”
“I just know what I know.” Wendy’s tone came across as defensive.
“Is it possible Chris ran?”
“Why would he do that? He ain’t afraid of nobody, including your boyfriend.”
“Simon isn’t on a crime spree although someone is. Maybe Chris knew something and that’s why he ran.”
“Are you accusing him of killing Isaac and Macy?”
“Of course not. But it’s possible he was afraid for his life.” Zoe doubted that was the truth, but the scenario was a possibility, no matter how slim the chance.
“Maybe. I don’t know if it means anything, but Chris and Isaac had dinner with a friend a couple weeks ago. Both of them were upset after that dinner and started talking a lot of trash.”
Zoe frowned. “About what?”
“Your man and Liam and their friends.”
“What did they say?”
“Stuff about how they were responsible for the incarceration of a good man. They were careful, you know? They didn’t say much. I just overheard a few remarks.”
Right. In other words, Wendy eavesdropped on their conversation. “Did they mention the name of the friend they met for dinner?”
“Why should I tell you? You’ll just blab it to your boyfriend.”
“Wendy, this man upset Chris and Isaac. Isaac’s dead and Chris is missing. This man might be dangerous. You said Chris doesn’t ignore you or your calls. Something is wrong. Don’t you want to help him?”
A soft sigh. “I might be making a huge mistake here, but I guess I can apologize to Chris and get him to forgive me if I’m wrong.”
“You aren’t wrong to help him, Wendy. What was the name Chris and Isaac mentioned?”
“Well, I didn’t get a first name, but the last name is Barone.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Simon glanced over his shoulder again for the tenth time in the past five minutes to see if Zoe had finished the phone call with Wendy. Still nothing. He waited a few more minutes. When she didn’t return to the main cabin, he pushed back from the table and, ignoring smirks and knowing glances from his teammates, walked toward the bedroom to find out what was keeping her.
While his teammates studied the satellite images of his family’s ranch and debated the best positioning of the hands, he walked into the room in time to hear Zoe tell Wendy to be careful.
Her voice and body language put him on alert. “Shift the call to speaker,” he murmured.
A second later, Wendy’s voice came through the speaker. “I don’t understand. Why should I be worried?”
Simon walked into the room and laid his hand on Zoe’s shoulder as she answered Wendy’s question.
“Taking precautions seems like a smart move. Have you noticed anyone hanging around the shop or your house the past few days?”
A soft gasp. “How did you know a man’s been watching me?”
Not good. “Wendy, it’s Simon. How long ago did you notice someone watching you?”
“The day before Macy was killed. I didn’t know I was on speaker, Zoe.” Her tone made clear her displeasure.
“You weren’t until a few seconds ago.” Simon sat beside Zoe. “What does this man look like?”
“Brown hair, maybe six feet. He looks strong.”
“Did you see distinguishing characteristics or the color of his eyes?”
“Are you crazy? I avoided him as much as I could.”
“Did you call the police and report him?”
“Chris told me to call him if anybody bothered or scared me. I’ve been trying to reach him for two days. Now, he’s missing.”
“Do you have vacation days available?”
“I’m scheduled to take a week off at the end of the month.”
“Ask Maeve if you can take them starting tomorrow. Do you have a place you can go that’s populated but not a location someone would automatically look for you?”
“You’re scaring me, Simon.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive. You could be a target, Wendy.”
“What should I do?”
“As soon as you finish work today, get in your car and drive to your destination. Don’t go home to pack. Do you have cash on you?”
“A little. I have debit and credit cards with me.”
“Don’t use them. As soon as you leave work, drive to PSI. I’ll have one of the instructors meet you with cash to tide you over. You can settle up with him when you return to town.”
“I’m going into hiding?” Wendy’s voice rose to a squeak. “But I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“If the man concludes that you know too much, you become a liability.”
“I’m afraid to go off by myself. What if the man who killed Macy and Isaac comes after me, too? I don’t have a gun or anything. How can I defend myself against a killer?”
“Go to PSI. I’ll make a few calls. When you leave Maeve’s s
alon, act as though you’re driving to PSI to find Chris. Lock your doors as soon as you get in the car. Don’t stop for anything or anyone until you reach PSI’s front gates.”
“All right. But what do I tell Maeve? I can’t afford to lose my job.”
“Let me talk to her. I’ll explain everything.”
After a few thumps and muffled conversations, Maeve’s voice came through the speaker. “Simon, Wendy said you needed to talk to me. What’s going on?”
Well aware Maeve was an incorrigible gossip, he told the salon owner as little as possible while still conveying the urgency of his request. He’d heard enough of Wendy’s conversation with Zoe to know the hairdresser was in danger from the person who killed Macy and Isaac. Whether the killer was Hollister was another question. For her sake, Simon hoped not. The woman would be devastated to learn the man she’d been dating was responsible for two deaths and wanted to make her the third. “It’s safer for Wendy, you, and your customers if you send her on vacation early. I know this puts you in a lurch, but I believe this is best for her.”
“I trust your judgment. I’ll figure out the scheduling. One of the other girls is begging for extra hours to pay for a home remodeling project with that cute Mason Kincaid. I’ll ask her to fill in.”
“Thanks, Maeve. You’re the best.”
Laughter spilled from the speaker. “You’re a sweet talker, Simon. I’d better get back to work.”
Simon handed the phone to Zoe and pulled out his own. He called Josh. “I need a favor.”
“Name it.”
“Wendy Oberman will arrive at PSI in an hour. Someone’s been following her for the past few days. She’s afraid.”
“She has good reason to be.”
“I convinced her to go on vacation and skip the trip home to pack. She needs cash. Wendy’s afraid to leave town by herself. What do you think about sending Rayne Weatherly with her?” Rayne was a refugee of the Chicago PD and was on the fast track to becoming an operative. She’d distinguished herself in every class and worked harder than most of their trainees. Maddox was keeping tabs on her progress.
“She’s a perfect choice of bodyguard for Wendy. Does Wendy have a place to go?”