Together, we both carry my secret.
And I carry her love as my salvation.
God have mercy on her soul.
She is a saint.
To whoever reads this journal, forgive me. Please don’t judge me. I was only looking for that one thing that was lost from my life for so long.
Love.
Every day we’re haunted by my past. I’ve broken the rules, but deserve redemption.
Please tell me that I’m not too lost and broken, and I deserve this second chance.
Joseph Hesser.
Tori turned the page and found it empty. “That was the final entry.”
“That’s horrifying,” he stated. “She knew what he did and still she hid it. They chose to live with the ghost wandering the house.”
“This family is definitely a mess,” Tori said, leaning against him. “But I would have done the same thing that Cherie did. Had I found out you murdered someone, I would have covered for you in a heartbeat.”
Julian closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “I would too. Does that make us horrible people?”
Tori touched his lips with her fingertips. “No, it makes us two people who love each other very much. We trust each other enough to know that neither one of us would take a life so carelessly. If you did it, Julian, I would know it was a matter of life or death, nothing less.”
He held his wife and thought about it.
Yes, he would kill, but only for his wife and family. What Joseph Hesser did was horrible, and he’d never be in that position. It made his heart skip that he had a woman who was loyal.
Wasn’t that what he always prayed for in his life?
“I love you, Tori,” he said softly.
She accepted his kiss. “I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
Wednesday Afternoon
The call came, and they were ready to go. There was nothing that they wanted more than to get the hell out of that house. Everything was incredibly tense, and the Littlemoons didn't want to be in the center of it when it exploded.
Jamie Montgomery was making funeral plans for Fredrick, and Lorelei Hesser was barely holding it together. The staff was walking around, looking at each other like they were all suspects in the murder. Then, you had the guests… they were restless and beginning to feel like they were in the way.
No one could believe that they had all been conned by Beverly and Richard Curry, but now looking back at it, all of it made sense.
The questions.
The odd looks between husband and wife.
Now, there was anger brewing over the betrayal.
Julian and Tori found that funny, since all of the guests were pretty much doing the same thing. The only people who turned out to be genuine were Lawson and Candy West. They were really the individuals they proclaimed to be.
Yeah, this was going to be a trip no one ever forgot.
When Beckett called Julian, offering to let them watch the questioning, they jumped at the chance. In fact, they raced out of the house as if it were on fire to get out of everyone’s way.
Once at the sheriff’s station, they were met by a young deputy, and escorted to the observation room.
“Sheriff Rand told me to get you all something to drink if you needed anything,” he offered.
“No thank you, Deputy Marston,” Tori replied, reading his name tag. This was the man who had been doing all the legwork for the investigation. “We do appreciate you digging through all the journals for us. You’ve been incredibly helpful.”
He grinned and tipped his hat. “It’s my pleasure, ma’am. I love history. Family trees are fascinating to me. I guess you can say I’m a history buff. Just stick your head out and call if you need me. I’ll be around.”
At the click of the door, they focused on the one way mirror and the woman in the interview room.
“I can’t wait to watch this,” Christina said, grinning. “I wish I brought some popcorn. This is better than the movies.”
Yeah, this was going to be interesting.
It wasn’t lost on anyone in the room, who had run an investigation, that Sheriff Rand wanted Bev Curry off balance. She was isolated in an interrogation room, and she looked ready to bolt. He had intentionally separated her from her husband to rattle her cage in hopes something would fall out.
It was a good tactic, because Beverly Curry was looking terrified of what was on the horizon. Maybe the spirits were finally in communication, and they were telling her that she was screwed.
When their door opened, Beckett sauntered in, grinning at the investigators. “The husband is singing like a canary,” he stated.
“He admitted to killing William Macavoy and Fredrick?”
“Nah, he simply told us all their plans while they were there. He also mentioned that they had stolen the family Bible too. Unfortunately, he thinks the ghost took it back.”
They all laughed.
“Well, if by ghost, you mean us, then yes it happened that way.”
He crossed his arms. “I would really like to get my hands on that book,” he said, wistfully. “I could use it in the interrogation.”
“We hid it in the lounge,” stated Tori. “I can go get it if you need it. It won’t take more than thirty minutes.”
Julian had that feeling in his stomach.
“I’ll go with you, Tori,” offered Christina. “I forgot my lemon candy. I feel like tossing my cookies.”
If on cue, all three men took a step back.
Tori started laughing and gave Christina a fist bump for grossing three men out in one shot. “Amateurs,” she stated.
“Should they be going by themselves?” Kane asked, worried about his woman.
Julian stared at Tori. “Do you promise to go and come right back? No sleuthing on your own?”
She stared at him incredulously. “Did you lose your damn mind?”
Julian grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes. Be safe, honey,” he stated, kissing her on the lips.
“We’re going to get a book, in daylight, and with a house full of people. How much trouble can we get into?” Tori asked, heading for the door. “I’ll call if we get in over our head.”
“Victoria Rose, don’t be sarcastic. It’s not attractive on you,” he stated.
When she stuck out her tongue and caught the keys in the air, he couldn’t help by laugh.
“Love you, Jules,” she stated, on her way out.
Christina just blew Kane a kiss and followed. “I love how he didn't say a word,” she said to Tori.
“Yeah, you’re not married yet. Wait. It’ll happen soon enough.” Then, it hit her. “You’re not really going to puke, are you?”
“Yeah, probably,” Christina replied wistfully.
“Great.”
“Hey! I’m not thrilled about it either!”
Tori thought about the possibility that she might be getting her round of morning sickness soon enough.
Funny, she couldn’t wait.
Yeah, she was seriously out of her mind.
Julian and Kane observed the man in the interrogation room as he began the questioning. He was calm, collected, and good at what he did. He appreciated that in a person, since he had once been a cop too.
“Mrs. Curry, can you tell me how the pipe got into your possession?” he asked.
She sighed. “I told you a million times that I don’t know. I didn't kill anyone, and I didn't hide the weapon in my own possessions. That makes me look stupid, and I can promise you, Sheriff, I’m not.”
He didn't doubt that. His suspect was a good business woman. “Maybe you placed it there thinking that you would use that exact line on anyone who questioned you. Are you stupid or crazy like a fox?”
She stared at him. “Do you really believe that I’d kill someone, hide the pipe, and implicate myself as some master plan? Are there people that insane out there?”
Okay, he was taking that as a no.
“Why did you take out Jonathan Hesser?
Did he recognize you or call you out? Is that why you struck him with the pipe?”
“I didn't. I was with my husband the night that he was hurt, and the entire day afterwards. In fact, I was busy recording some of the house for my new book.”
“Then you can show me the time stamped footage?”
“I can’t,” she stated. “The ghost energy erased it.”
Julian snickered from behind the glass. “My bad. I’m an alibi killer.”
Kane offered him a fist bump as they continued listening.
“How about the saddle? You slipped into the barn and tried to sabotage Lorelei Hesser’s gear.”
She leaned forward. “Why the hell would I? I don’t care about the Hesser family. I just care about the ghost.”
“Maybe because the book you’re writing will sell more copies if something bad happens, and you’re there to write about it. Money is a big motivating factor in a lot of things in life.”
“Newsflash, Sheriff. I’m very rich. I don’t need more money. I research ghosts and paranormal experiences because I happen to believe in what I do.”
“Okay, how about this? You knew that when the Hessers found out you lied, were sneaking around under their noses, and filming the place, they were going to be pissed. So, you decided to cut them out of the picture. If they’re gone, you won’t get slapped with a civil suit for misrepresentation.”
“I didn't lie. I’m Beverly Curry. My husband is a doctor, and we paid for this trip out of our personal money, not our business. As far as anyone is concerned, I didn't sign any legal papers that prohibited me from filming, wandering, or working while here.”
Okay, she had him there.
“You snuck around the secret passages and snooped through people’s things.”
“What? The house has secret passages? Damn it! That would have been perfect footage for my records!”
Beckett rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that should be your biggest concern right about now, Mrs. Curry.”
Julian watched her face. Beverly was genuinely confused and disappointed. “She didn't know about the passages,” he whispered to Kane.
“Then who came after me, pushed Christina off the balcony, and hid the bloody jeans?” the man asked.
Julian didn't know, but suddenly, he was feeling the edgy sensation building in his body.
Something wasn’t right.
He could feel it.
* * *
Racing up the stairs to the estate, the two women hurried into the lounge to retrieve the book.
That was their priority.
The house was silent, and Tori was glad. It meant that most of the guests were still holed up in their rooms. It would give them the privacy they needed to get the job done.
“We’ll grab the book, and then the candy,” Tori stated, stationing Christina right inside the door. “Watch for anyone coming toward the door. I can always pretend that I’m just looking for a book to read.”
Christina moved into position, her back to Tori and her eyes locked on the foyer. This was pretty damn cool. She loved playing undercover.
Tori quickly scaled the ladder and with her foot shoved it toward the book. She rode it as far as it would go, and then finally leaned over the side. When the book was in her reach, she pulled at it with her fingers. Gingerly, she tugged it along the shelf, until she could pull it into her arms.
Holding it against her chest, she scurried down the ladder to get out of there. As she turned, she gasped in shock.
There stood Christina with a hand over her mouth and a very long, sharp blade placed against her jugular.
Her eyes were wide, sharing what she was thinking.
They were idiots.
Sometimes, the simplest solution was the answer.
This time, that had been the case.
* * *
Beckett worked back and forth, trying to get anything out of the people in his interrogation rooms. There was only one thing that was blatantly clear.
They weren’t spilling a thing that was useful.
Now, that was either because they were good at keeping it to themselves, or they were innocent. They copped to everything, except trying to harm the Hesser family.
They still couldn’t tie the Currys to any of those assaults or the one on William Macavoy.
It was beyond frustrating.
Then, factor in that they didn't seem to know about the secret passages and that doubled the doubt.
If it wasn’t them, who was it?
As Beckett was walking back toward the observation room, his one deputy rushed toward him.
“We found something!”
That gave him hope. “What is it?”
“We went through another file from the historian’s office, and we think we know what got him killed!”
He took the papers from his deputy and stared at them. It only took a few seconds for recognition to dawn.
“Are we sure?”
The man nodded. “William Macavoy had them in a file marked ‘mistaken identity’. When we pulled them out, we immediately noticed,” the man stated.
Beckett headed into the room. The look on his face must have said it all, because Julian and Kane both jumped up.
“You have something!”
The man handed over the papers, letting them figure it out themselves.
They read the headline, and then they saw it in the pictures below. It wasn’t obvious, unless you knew the person. Once you spoke to them a few times, stared into the eyes, and examined the features, it was right there.
“Oh shit,” muttered Kane.
Julian was awash with the same panic that had overwhelmed him the few times Tori had been in danger. His gut twisted and his heart raced.
“We screwed up from the start!”
Now, Tori and Christina might be the ultimate cost.
* * *
Tori took three steps back as the door clicked shut. Next to close was the final escape route--the secret door behind Christina.
They were trapped with a crazed killer.
“Why did you do it, Jamie?” she asked, holding the book in front of her body. The entire time, she watched the woman just in case.
“It was a mistake that got out of hand. The day that I told William I was a possible heir, I knew it was going to fall apart.”
“He began digging, didn't he?”
Jamie nodded, sticking the blade into her captive’s neck. When she released her mouth, Christina gave a little pain filled yelp.
“I didn't want to hurt him. I really loved him. He was sweet and kind. When I came here, he was always nice to me.”
“But you had to because he was going to tell everyone all about you,” she bluffed, hoping the woman would spill it.
She nodded again. “He started researching and found out about the fire. Once he told you, then I wouldn’t be able to get the book. I needed that Bible and your help!”
Tori took another step. The woman wouldn’t hurt Christina, because she needed the Bible. It was their only bargaining chip.
“What happened, Jamie? You can tell me.”
She sniffled. “When I was young, I was in foster care. This really great family took me in and there was a fire.”
Tori listened, praying that her husband would figure it out and head there. Until she could get a message to him, they were on their own.
“When they died, I didn't want to go back to being a nobody, so I pretended to be their daughter.”
Yeah, Tori didn't see that one coming at all. She really believed the Jamie killed William because of the money. “But you still went into foster care, because you had no family.”
She pushed Christina and herself forward. “Yes, I did, but I also got the inheritance from their deaths. Finally, I had a name that mattered. It was better to be in foster care because my family died, than to be there because no one wanted me. When the doctors at the hospital asked me my name, I said Jamie. We were the same age and size, and when they did the autops
y, they couldn’t tell the difference.”
Christina spoke, “So neither of you had fillings or broken bones?”
“No. It was meant to be, and DNA tests weren’t used back then. I told them what happened, and they believed it. It was a small town, and they really didn't care to search deeper.”
Tori watched her cautiously.
“Then, when I turned eighteen, they gave me a bit fat check and all the family’s personal papers. I started digging to have a better cover. If I was going to be Jamie Montgomery, I needed to know all about her family. Then, I found the letter from Bethany Duvaul and the rest is history.”
Tori’s phone beeped.
“It’s the lab results,” Christina whispered.
The woman began laughing. “I stole those damn jeans and shredded them. When I went back, they were gone. I underestimated you, Tori. I thought that your husband would be the hard one to out think, and I assumed I could seduce him.”
“Yeah, big mistake there, Jamie. My husband is loyal to a fault.”
“Yeah, I could tell from the day in your office. Immediately, you didn't like me, and I was having second thoughts.”
Tori should have listened to her gut instinct. “I still don’t like you.”
Her phone beeped again.
“I want to know how smart you really were,” Jamie stated. “Go ahead but move really slow.”
Pulling out her phone, Tori read the email. “You’re definitely not related to the Hesser family.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s the one part of this that I couldn’t fake my way through. My only hope was that Bible. If I showed the courts my family history, they might not have asked for a DNA test if there were no more Hessers alive.”
“So, you were watching us the whole time,” Tori accused.
“Now you know why I needed to keep you from checking the DNA.”
Lost & Broken (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 2) Page 42