It was cathartic.
In the barn, Tori went about getting Knight ready to go. She was in his stall, running her hands down his flank. As she touched him, she also whispered gently to the horse.
Julian had finished saddling up his brown stallion. He was watching everyone around them. Lorelei was talking to the guests while Leroy was saddling up her horse. He too looked distracted, as he moved through the motions, saying nothing.
Julian’s attention was drawn to Candy West as she bitched and moaned about her ride. It was obvious that she was clueless about stallions since she was riding on a Boulonnais, and they were spectacular horses. In fact, at one time, they nearly went extinct.
“Shhhhhhh,” hissed Lawson West to his wife. She was obviously embarrassing him.
“But I want that pretty black one,” she indicated, pointing at Tori’s horse. “He’s handsome, and I’ll look amazing on him.”
Lawson gave her the look. “You can’t handle him. You’ve only been on a horse maybe four times.”
“He’s fine. I want him!”
Julian was amused, especially when the woman called Lorelei over.
“Can I swap horses with Victoria? I really love that black one, and it would make me happy.”
Lorelei glanced over at Tori’s horse. “No, I don’t think so, Candy. You were matched up with Gryphon the Grey for a reason. He’s easy tempered and used to weight on his back.”
The woman looked mortified. “I don’t weigh more than her!”
Lorelei crossed her arms over her chest until the woman blushed.
Tori was enjoying the conversation as she led her horse out of the stall. Yeah, the woman weighed more, and her ego was most likely the source.
“I’m sorry, but Knight of Darkness is a hard horse to ride. If it makes you feel any better, Gryphon is a purebred too, and he is studded from immaculate stock.”
That offered her some appeasement.
“I just don’t see why she gets that horse.”
Lorelei tried to break it down in terms the woman would understand a little better. “That horse is like a fine race car. It’s well tuned but if you take it too fast around the corners, it will kill you. Now, you’re more a teen driver who just got your learner’s permit. If you wreck my very expensive car, I will be very angry.”
Even Tori found that to be condescending but completely accurate.
Julian wanted to laugh, until he turned his head and found Fredrick standing a little too close to his wife. His eyes narrowed, as his blood pressure shot through the roof. From where he was standing, he could see that the man was crowding her. As he dropped the reigns of his horse and was about to head to Tori’s side, he saw the unspeakable.
The man groped her ass.
There was no way that was possible.
It pulled back memories of the last man who did that to her, only then, they weren’t married. That action then had caused a fist fight. Julian didn't care if he was supposed to be undercover or not. NO ONE put their hands on his wife.
No one!
Before he could take two steps, his wife reacted. First she leg swept the larger man, and then braced her foot on his windpipe. It garnered everyone’s attention, including the one on the ground.
“I don’t care who the hell you think you are, how much money you have, or if you really believe that you’re that entitled in life. If you ever touch my body again, I will knock out your damn teeth and make a necklace out of them to keep as a souvenir!”
Everyone gasped at her threat.
“No one plays grab ass with me, but my husband.”
Julian was at her side, glaring down at the man who looked horrified.
“Are we clear?” she asked, pushing down with her boot against his windpipe.
Suddenly, he went red and started nodding.
Lorelei began laughing. “Victoria, if you ever need a job as a body guard instead of a designer, you give me a call. I would pay big money to watch my cousin get the shit kicked out of him daily.”
Tori released her foot and went into her husband’s arms. She whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry, it was instinct.”
He was so glad that she did it. Screw the case. Tori came first. “You did the right thing,” he murmured.
Fredrick jumped up and stormed away. “Screw this ride. I’m getting the hell out of here!” he snapped angrily.
There was snickering and comments as he wandered away. Everyone was amused by his reaction to having his ass handed to him by a woman.
“As much fun as that was, we should all get riding,” stated Lorelei. “We’re going to begin a tour of the east end of the property that leads up to the winery. There’s an excellent spot where we can race the horses. The ground is sturdy, and it’ll be safe.”
They all mounted up.
Julian leaned over to kiss his wife and pat her on the ass. When she started laughing, he winked and mouthed ‘I love you’.”
Tori did the same as they headed out, side by side.
It appeared the day was going to get better.
In all honesty, Tori didn't give a rat’s ass about the founding of the winery or how many years it took to make the perfect bottle of wine. In fact, she didn't even like wine, so this tasting was going to be miserable. Give her a beer and the couch with her husband any day.
The idle rich had way too much time on their hands. Okay, she could understand the collecting of fine horses, but that’s where her patience ended. The antiques, the wine, and the fancy cars were just not her thing. There were days where she was grateful that the man she married understood that.
Julian was down to earth and so was she.
When she glanced over at him, he was watching her serenely. Whenever they rode together, they shared this kismet that held them together as a couple. She only wished that there was a way to ride more often. It sucked that their horses were two hours away, when they gave them such peace.
Tori blew him a kiss. When he caught it in his hand, holding his closed fist to his heart in a sign of devotion and unity, she nearly melted out of her saddle.
Damn him and his sweetness!
At the bottom of the hill, Lorelei paused until they all caught up. Her horse was agitated.
“I think King Solomon wants to run. Anyone want to race up the hill?” she asked, laughing.
Tori watched her host sitting in the saddle, and it looked wobbly. That was always a bad thing. Before she could say a word, the woman yelled ‘GO’, and they were racing up the hill.
Half way up, there was a horrible scream as Lorelei’s horse went up on its hind legs. Her arms flailed, and she began falling. Everyone watched in horror as the horse stumbled, nearly landing on her before regaining its senses.
Tori saw the woman and horse hit not far in front of her, and she pulled her horse to a stop. Leaping off, she slapped Knight on the rump to get him to move out of the way of the now charging horse. Tori raced the rest of the way up the hill, Julian not far behind her.
When she got to the woman, Lorelei didn't look so good. There was blood running from her nose, a gash on her head, and her arm was bent in the wrong direction.
“Someone call for an ambulance,” she yelled, checking the woman’s cheek with her fingertips.
When the woman’s eyes flickered open, they were filled with such pain.
“How’s my horse?” she slurred.
“Don’t move, Lorelei,” Tori stated, trying to get the woman to remain still. When she moaned in pain and began shaking, she knew they needed to keep her warm.
Julian shouted to the group. “Get your horse blankets!”
Everyone began unsaddling.
Tori held her good hand, and promised her that it was all going to be alright. When the woman looked like she was trying to sleep, she kept patting her on the cheek. “Stay awake,” Tori ordered.
The ambulance could be heard in the distance as could the charging of hooves. They all glanced over to find Fredrick heading right to them on
the bare back of King Solomon.
“What happened?” he yelled, charging toward Lorelei.
“Don’t touch her,” Tori warned as he dismounted. “She could have broken her back. She hit the ground hard.”
Fredrick dropped beside her and touched her cheek. “Come on Lore, you gotta hold on,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.
The ambulance headed straight through the field toward them. Tori released her hand and moved out of the way. When Julian motioned toward her to follow him, she did.
“What did you find?” she whispered, as the man took her to Lorelei’s saddle.
“Look,” he whispered.
They both inspected the girth. It was partially cut, and the rest torn.
“We better call the sheriff,” he muttered.
Tori agreed.
It looked like the person who had tried to end Jonathan’s life had struck again.
And once more, didn't succeed.
Julian glanced around at the group of people. Candy and Lawson West stood there looking horrified as they whispered softly to each other.
Tori focused on Lorelei’s cousin. He had opted to not go on the ride, and that was suspicious. Did he play grab ass just to cause a scene and get away from what was coming?
Was he trying to eliminate the competition?
As they stood there, Leroy White charged up on his horse to gather Lorelei’s shaken steed.
It was funny. He didn't even look twice at the woman on the ground.
After the conversation they had been privy to was he trying to take care of the Hessers?
They were torn by his actions.
“Do you get the feeling that the killer is upping his game and taunting us, Julian?” Tori asked.
He didn't know.
That was probably the worst part. Julian didn't have a clue what the hell was going on around them.
“This is bad,” he muttered, wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist to hold her close.
The killer could be right there.
Tori agreed. “Yeah, we have a really big problem.”
Boy, did they ever.
Chapter Twenty
Sunday Afternoon
When Beckett Rand arrived on the scene, it was mass chaos. The guests from Hesser House were pretty much running amuck, causing chaos. Already, they were beginning to speculate and start wild stories.
Some involved an angry spirit.
Others were that someone was targeting the family.
It wasn’t that they weren’t right, it was just that the last thing that he needed was a bunch of rich folks running around stirring the pot.
As he directed his deputies, he found the Littlemoons leaning against a fence watching it all unfold. If he wasn’t mistaken, there were some looks of amusement going on. In fact, he was sure of it.
Striding up to them, he cocked his head. “Are you entertained?” he asked curiously.
Tori took over. “I’m just glad I’m not in law enforcement anymore. This is one hot mess.”
Julian patted him on the arm. “Yeah, it sucks to be you.”
That made Beckett laugh. “Yeah, thanks for that. I appreciate your vote of confidence.” Glancing over his shoulder, he got serious. “Okay, what happened?”
Tori broke it down. “I was behind her on my horse as she charged the hill. I could tell her saddle was loose, but before I could say anything, she was tumbling down the slope. She’s lucky that she’s not dead. King Solomon could have crushed her.”
“You found something,” he stated, pretty sure that they did. After all, they were guarding the woman’s saddle.
Kneeling, Julian showed him what they suspected. “If you look at the underside of the leather, someone made tiny cuts to it, knowing that it would eventually break.”
Beckett ran his finger over it. “Someone wanted to make sure she broke her neck.”
“Yep.”
He shook his head. “My boss is going to be all over me on this one,” he said, wistfully. “The most well-known family is having ‘accidents’ within days, and I’m going to be raked over the coals.”
“Well, if all you care about is being re-elected as sheriff…” Tori began, alluding to him not caring about solving this, just getting another term.
“Listen,” he said, lowering his voice. “I don’t care if I don’t get re-elected at all. I’m a cop. I love solving things and helping people. If I get booted, I’ll find something else to do. Trust me. Wearing this sheriff’s star isn't all it’s cracked up to be.”
That planted a seed in Julian’s mind.
“Anyway,” Tori said, grinning, “One of our team happened to hear an interesting conversation last night. I’m betting you’ll be fascinated by it.”
“What?” he asked, eyes narrowing.
Julian told him about Leroy White and his phone conversation, and how the man had saddled the horse for Lorelei Hesser.
“Damn! I never got this lucky as a deputy. Your team has to be charmed.”
Julian disagreed. “It’s the fact that everyone on our team was a cop at one time or another. Tori and Christina were Feds and Kane and I were deputies. We don’t just stumble onto a clue.”
Before anyone else could say a word, an irate man in a suit began heading their way.
“Well shit! Brace yourselves. Here comes my ass chewing, and early too,” stated Beckett, pulling off his hat.
“Sheriff!”
He plastered a fake smile on his face. “Yes, Mayor Calderman?”
“What the hell is going on here?” he demanded. “I get a call from Fredrick Hesser-Jameson, telling me that not only has his uncle been attacked, but his cousin had a freak accident. He claims that the sheriff doesn’t seem to care that their family is being stalked.”
“Wait, who told him he was being stalked?” Beckett asked. “He just admitted himself that his cousin falling was a freak accident, did he not?”
The mayor didn't look happy with the man’s comments. “You need to take care of this,” he stated. “Your job is to serve and protect, and that means especially the Hessers. They pay the most taxes in the county, and that keeps your ass in a job!”
“Yeah, because Fredrick is such an upstanding man of moral values,” he muttered.
The mayor drove his finger into Beckett’s chest. “The Hessers got you elected. You should be a little more grateful to them. If not, you’d be riding a desk as a deputy still. Maybe they made a mistake and the council should re-evaluate. If one more thing happens here, I’ll make sure they do.”
Tori stepped in to take some of the pressure off the man. She knew how shitty it was to get dressed down in front of your peers. "Excuse me,” she said, stepping forward. “Mr. Calderman? I do declare that you need to cut this poor man a break. I have never seen a finer example of law in action.”
He stared at her. “Who are you?”
“My name is Victoria Wilshire, of the Hampton Wilshires. I’m a personal friend and guest of Lorelei Hesser. Sheriff Rand has been working tirelessly. I only wish we had someone like him back where I’m from. Maybe we can talk him into relocating to a town where he would be better appreciated?”
Immediately, the man heard money and the possibility of someone taking their most qualified candidate for sheriff. It seemed to calm him down.
“Well, thank you, Mrs. Wilshire. I’m glad he’s been doing a good job.” The man gave the sheriff a warning look and prepared to walk away. “Solve this now!” he stated, this time a little less angrily.
When he was gone, Tori began laughing. “That should buy you some time.”
“The Hamptons? Do I even know you?” Julian asked, astounded by his wife’s lying skills.
She grinned.
“Thanks for that,” Beckett said. “I hope nothing else happens here, or I’ll be fired. I have no doubt about that.”
Julian thought about it. “Well, if you’re in the mood for a career change, I have openings, but you’ll have to move across the coun
try.”
The man appreciated the offer.
Then, it hit him. “I forgot.”
He pulled the paper from his shirt pocket and handed it to them. “My deputy found this among the papers on William Macavoy’s desk.”
Tori opened it and read it. “He was doing research on the family tree and was killed. Then, someone decides to start trying to take out the Hessers.”
“This isn’t looking good for them.”
Tori thought about it. “What if he finished the research and the person is using that as their master list?”
They needed help on this. “Can we give you everyone’s name and you run them?” Julian asked, as Tori took the cue and began typing the email.
“Yeah, I can do that. Do you think someone here has it out for them?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“We were hired to find that book to prove Jamie Montgomery is a blood relative. If she thinks she’s an heir, why couldn’t there be more? After all, Joseph Hesser was notoriously big on mistresses.”
When she finished typing, she asked for his email. Entering it, she hit send.
“Some of the guests decided to have a séance last night. They’re on the top of our crazy list. Beverly and Richard Curry are leading the pack. I just have this gut feeling,” stated Julian. “I’ve done this too long to ignore that sense of warning.”
He got it. “I’ll have to do it later, because I’m going to bring in Leroy White. I’ll dig around in his past as I make him wait in interrogation for a while. We’ll see if he knew that he was saddling up that horse with damaged equipment.”
“It could be a coincidence,” Julian stated warily.
There was a pause, and then they began laughing. Each one of them knew that the likelihood of that wasn’t possible.
“Watch your backs,” Beckett said, picking up the saddle to transport it to his truck.
“Yeah, we will.”
They had no choice, now that someone seemed to be out for blood.
* * *
Kane and Christina had to wait for the housekeeping ladies to finish with Tori and Julian’s room. When they finally left, they couldn’t get access to the room except from the balconies. Kane hated the idea that Christina was going to have to jump the distance, especially since she nearly fell the other day.
Lost & Broken (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 2) Page 30