Lethal Homecoming (Tanner Hollow #1)

by Lynette Eason

  “And Rick cared that much about what other people thought?” Nolan asked.

  “Very much so. He was always so conscientious about it. In public, he was the doting, loving husband and father. In private …” She shuddered.

  “I see,” Nolan said. “So, with the prenup in place, why do his children think they’re going to get anything?”

  “I don’t know—because their father married a rich widow, I suppose.”

  “He must have led them to believe they would get something in the event of his death.”

  She gave a slow nod. “Yes, he must have. How odd.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Not really. Once I saw his true character and his spendthrift habits, I started holding back. Of course that made him angry.” She rubbed her eyes. “That was the time he hit you and pushed you into the wall. I refused to give him money.”

  “And when you sent me away.”

  “Yes. He told me every time I refused him what he wanted, he’d take it out on you.”

  Callie gasped. “I didn’t know.”

  “I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t admit that I’d allowed this to happen, that I’d brought that monster into the family.”

  Callie held on to her anger. Her mother was to blame. Sort of. Yes, the affair was wrong and she’d paid dearly for her actions, but Rick had been clever. A manipulator.

  “And,” her mother continued, “what his children don’t know—and what Rick didn’t know before he married me—is that Blake arranged for Callie and Megan to be taken care of no matter what.”

  Callie frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

  “That you and Megan don’t have to worry about Blake’s money going to Rick’s kids.”

  “Okay,” Callie said slowly. “Because of the prenup, I get that. That’s good, but that doesn’t explain why someone is trying to kill me.”

  “What if one of Rick’s children knows about the will and thinks that by getting Callie out of the picture, he—or she—would have easier access to the money?” Nolan asked.

  “I don’t really see how they could know anything about our finances unless Rick told them.” She shrugged. “And I don’t see that happening. He never talked to them. At least not that I knew of.”

  But he could have without her knowing about it. That was the thought that made Callie uneasy.

  “Who gets Callie’s share of the inheritance if she’s gone?” Nolan asked.

  “I do. And if something happened to Megan, I’d get hers, too. But I’m not trying to kill Callie.” She paused. “And no one’s tried to hurt Megan.”

  “So, it’s just me. Like it’s always been just me.” Unwanted and unlovable.

  8

  Nolan could almost see Callie’s brain spinning. Hurt rolled off of her in waves. She’d been the one Rick had abused, she’d been the one who’d had to leave her mother and the only home she’d ever known. And now she was the only one who was a target of a killer.

  Jason stepped into the room and Nolan realized how long he’d kept his brother waiting outside. Time to wrap up. Besides, his head was killing him. “I’ve got enough for now. I’ll get this in to my supervisor and take it from there. I’ll also see if we can get someone to watch the house 24/7 until this is resolved.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Callie said.

  Nolan and Jason finally made it to the car once they’d made sure sufficient safety measures were in place. Jason paused as he opened the door. “You still got it bad for her, don’t you?”

  “What?”

  “Callie? You’re still in love with her.”

  Nolan sighed. “Yeah.”

  His brother blinked. “Wow. Didn’t think you’d actually admit it.”

  “Why bother denying it? It’s true.”

  “So what are you going to do about it?”

  “Nothing. Right now. Except keep her safe.”

  “So what now?”

  Nolan pulled his phone from the clip on his belt. “I still haven’t heard from Clyde Durham.”

  “The partner?”

  “Yeah, the one the secretary overheard arguing with Rick two days before he died.”

  “Where does he live? We could run by there and see if he’s home.”

  Nolan sat for a moment, then nodded. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of the secretary again and she refuses to return my calls. I think paying a visit to Clyde is a good idea. Let’s do it.”

  Within seconds, Nolan had the guy’s home address from the police software. He took the next right and within ten minutes was parked on the curb of the lawyer’s large home.

  Jason let out a low whistle. “Nice.”

  “Very.”

  “These guys don’t just practice here in Tanner Hollow, do they?”

  Nolan laughed. “No, they just live out here where there’s lots of acreage and elbow room.”

  “And it’s pretty private. Might make it a little harder to track them down if someone wanted to find them.”

  “True.”

  They stepped out of the car and Nolan led the way up the brick front steps to the large oak door. He pressed the bell and waited.

  Nothing.

  “Guess he’s not here,” Jason said.

  “Guess not.”

  “Who else lives here? Anyone?”

  “Not that I was able to find out. I know Mr. Durham’s divorced. He and his ex-wife have three children. They’re grown and gone, and his wife moved back to San Diego shortly after the divorce was final.” He grasped the knob and gave it a twist. Locked. “Garage door is shut.”

  “Yeah, all three of them.”

  “Let’s check the back.”

  Together, they walked around the side of the house. The sunporch sprawled along the back. Nolan approached the door then stopped. “Uh oh.”

  “What?”

  “Look.”

  Jason peered around him and flinched. “Ugh.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is that him?”

  Nolan pulled his phone from the clip on his belt. “Guess we’re going to have to find out.” While he placed the call to dispatch, requesting help, he couldn’t help but wonder who had put a bullet in the forehead of the dead man in the sunroom.

  The day of the funeral arrived swiftly. Nolan stood at the back of the church next to the front door, watching each person who came through it.

  Rick’s casket sat on display in the front of the church. The man’s death had been officially ruled a murder due to the overwhelming evidence. Clyde Durham, the dead man in the sunroom, had also been been murdered and positively identified by his son. Nolan had heard this morning that a fingerprint had been pulled from the bullet, but no match had come up when they’d run it through AFIS.

  Worried about the secretary, Lisa Cleveland, he’d had an officer go by her house, but she hadn’t been there. And she wasn’t answering her phone. He had a bad feeling about that and had requested everything be done to track her down. So far, no word yet.

  Nolan’s mind spun through the other information he knew. The argument had occurred, Rick had left the office and gone home. He’d died two days later because someone had cut his brakes. Durham could have cut the brake line that night, but witnesses put him at the hospital with his sister all night. She’d had chest pains and he’d gone to her house and picked her up. The sister’s neighbor confirmed this as did the sister.

  Nolan knew alibis could be fabricated, but now that Durham was dead, this case had just taken a turn for the confusing. Of course Durham could have hired someone to do his dirty work, but did it matter now? Yes. It did. He wanted to know who’d killed both men. And had the same person done both murders? And he wanted to know where Lisa Cleveland was. Nolan sighed and rubbed a hand over his weary eyes.

  As soon as the funeral was over, they’d head back to the house for the reading of the will. The lawyer had offered to wait, but everyone clearly wanted it all over and done with.

  “We have jobs to get
back to,” Richard had stated. “Putting it off isn’t going to help anyone. Least of all those of us who need to travel.”

  So Callie’s mother had agreed.

  Priorities. Nolan gave a mental roll of his eyes and shook his head. Whatever. He’d be there and he’d have other officers stationed around the house and grounds to make sure no more attempts were made on Callie or her family.

  And that the contents of the will didn’t incite a riot. If it did, he’d be there for damage control.

  Rick’s children all sat at the front of the church behind Callie, her mother, Megan, and Brian. Rick had specified no graveside attendance, just the church service. Nolan had to wonder why, then figured it was none of his business.

  He stood at the back of the sanctuary and watched the service, his eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. His gaze landed for a moment on the other officers but couldn’t keep from sliding back to Callie. She had her blond hair plaited in a French braid down her back. Wispy tendrils escaped, softening the look. There’d been no more attempts on her life, but Nolan wasn’t fooled into thinking the would-be murderer had simply dropped out of sight.

  No. He was here. Somewhere.

  The music played softly, people got up to speak, painting Rick as a stand-up guy, a charitable man who was always doing good things for others.

  Callie dropped her head, then rose and walked toward the exit.

  She was going to be sick. She couldn’t sit there another minute and listen to people praise the man who’d stolen her family—and her self-esteem.

  With all eyes on her, she slipped out the back of the church and gulped in the cold air while bracing herself against another wave of nausea.

  “Callie?”

  She sucked in another breath and turned at Nolan’s voice. “I know. I was horribly rude to get up and walk out, but I couldn’t listen to another glowing word.”

  “No. It’s okay.”

  She tried to find some guilt about the fact and, much to her surprise, found none. “Yes, you’re right. It is okay. Do you know Mom told me that Rick had planned his funeral several years ago? That he handpicked each person to speak, the music, everything. I see why now. He was afraid if Mom did it, there wouldn’t be much of a funeral.”

  “What did he do to you?”

  “He beat me. Several times. And basically shattered my self-worth.”

  Nolan flinched. “But you don’t believe anything negative he ever said about you now, right?”

  “Not when I’m consciously thinking about it. But sometimes his words still haunt me. I second-guess myself even when I know the right decision to make. Sometimes I feel like I’m not good enough for much of anything then I realize where that’s coming from and I pray against it. Every day.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and she stiffened. But she decided not to fight it. She burrowed into his embrace and relished the feel of it. Of him. She drew in a breath and his familiar scent washed over her. How she’d missed him!

  And then people were filing out of the church. She wondered if God felt like he needed the place cleaned now. “How can people actually get up and lie like that? I mean stand in a church pulpit and lie?”

  “Maybe they knew a different man than you did.”

  “No, they saw what he wanted them to see. He was very good at deception.”

  “He obviously had your mother fooled.”

  “Yes, he did. In the beginning anyway.”

  Nolan took her hand. “Come on, let’s get back to the house.”

  “I don’t even want to be there,” she said. “But I’ll go for my mother and Megan. And if those vultures try one thing, you cannot hold me responsible for what I’ll do.”

  “I think you’re going to have to be the cool-headed one in this situation, Callie.”

  She sighed. “Probably.”

  He lifted her chin. “I’ll be there for you, I promise.”

  Tears wanted to flow at his gentleness, however, now wasn’t the time. He would be beside her, lending his strength to get her and her family through it. Tomorrow it would all be over.

  At least this part.

  Then she wanted to know if someone had murdered her biological father. And she wouldn’t rest until she found out.

  9

  Back at the house, Nolan ushered everyone in. He noted the security, glad his boss was willing to grant the manpower for this. He had a feeling they were going to need it. One by one they filed into the living area. Don Grayson, the lawyer hired by Rick, stepped quickly to the small table near the fireplace and set his briefcase on it. Richard and Shelley, Megan, Brian, Callie, and finally their mother took seats facing the lawyer.

  Nolan shook his head. Richard sat on the edge of one of the wingback chairs and rubbed his palms on his thighs. Shelley lounged in hers. James chose to stand next to the mantel, hands shoved in the front pockets of his black slacks. “This is so stupid,” the man muttered under his breath.

  Nolan raised a brow at him.

  He shrugged. “Well, it is. It’s like some scene from one of those old eighties movies or something. The family gathers in the den for the reading of the will.” He snorted. “Ridiculous.”

  “Rick requested this,” Callie’s mother said. “I’m simply honoring that request.”

  “Why? He wouldn’t have done it for you.”

  Her mother flinched and drew in a deep breath. “Be that as it may, I’m doing it. Now be quiet or leave.”

  James snapped his mouth shut and turned his glare to the lawyer.

  Callie’s mother nodded to Grayson and he pulled a manila folder from his leather briefcase. “Well, this shouldn’t take long.” He cleared his throat. “As you know, Rick signed a prenup before he and Sharon married—”

  “What?” Richard jumped to his feet. “I didn’t know that.” He turned to his siblings. “Did you two know that?”

  Shelley frowned and straightened, her faux nonchalant pose gone. “No. I didn’t.”

  “Me either,” James said. “So what does that mean?”

  “It means you don’t get a dime.” Megan laughed.

  Richard lunged at her and Nolan stepped between them. He placed a hand on the agitated man’s chest and gave him a light shove. “Don’t do it.”

  Richard gave a low growl, but backed off. Nolan turned in time to see Brian place a hand on Megan’s arm and shoot her a frown. She rolled her eyes and settled back against the couch. Callie simply waited.

  Mr. Grayson cleared his throat again. “Shall I continue?”

  “Of course,” Callie said.

  “So the prenup excludes any of Mrs. Goodlette’s money that is in her accounts. The only money Rick had access to was what was in the accounts in his name. And now, he left explicit instruction for me to read this as is, so I will … apologize … in advance. I asked him not to do this, but he insisted.”

  Nolan’s pulse hummed. This wasn’t going to be good.

  “To each of my brats—”

  Shelley gasped. “How rude.”

  “—I leave them the sum of one thousand dollars each—”

  “What!”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “—To be paid over a one-year period in equal monthly installments.”

  Richard and James spoke over one another. Shelley simply rose and smiled. “Well, I guess that teaches us.” She walked out of the room without a backward glance.

  The brothers fell silent and stared at one another, matching expressions of fury on their faces.

  “Please continue, Don,” Callie’s mother said, her eyes hard, voice flat.

  Callie nearly fell out of her chair. She looked at her mother. “Did you know he was going to do that?”

  “No.”

  “To Megan, I leave the rest of my assets. Megan, you might be a brat at times, but at least I kind of liked you. I can’t stand the other three. Use the safe-deposit key and that will give you access to everything. Sharon’s name is on the box. She can access it a
nd give you the contents.”

  Richard and James bolted to their feet. Once again, they raised their voices at the lawyer.

  “Hold it down!” Nolan stepped in between the men and the lawyer once again. “Shut up or I’ll throw you out!”

  The brothers gaped, then stepped back and took their seats once more, still muttering, their faces pale. Richard looked the most outraged. Fury glittered in his brown eyes. James shook his head, his anger dissipating as quickly as it had erupted. “I’m leaving. I’ll be gone within the hour.” He looked at Callie’s mother. “I … thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for all you’ve done for me over the past several years. I wish …” He sighed and shook his head. “I appreciate it.”

  “Of course, James.” Surprise coated her words. “You’re very welcome.”

  He nodded, then without another word or a backward glance, he walked down the hall toward his room.

  “He knew,” Callie whispered. Her gaze snagged her mother’s frantic one. “He knew.” Her mother shook her head, eyes pleading.

  Megan raised a brow at her mother. “Knew what?”

  “Nothing.” She waved a hand. “Keep going.”

  Mr. Grayson shrugged. “There’s nothing else. That’s it.”

  “That’s it?” Megan said. “What do you mean that’s it? What about Callie? Why would he leave everything to me and nothing to Callie? I’m not even his child.”

  Callie pressed her fingers to her lips to keep from blurting out the truth. Her stepfather had known Megan was his. But Megan didn’t know who her biological father was, and Callie wouldn’t spill her mother’s secret.

  Mr. Grayson held up a hand. “Could you debate the whys of that later? I’d like to finish this up.”

  “Yes, please,” Callie said. Had her mother not filled her in on the events that took place the night Megan was conceived, Callie might wonder the same thing. But Rick knew Megan was his—and had chosen her over his older children. How had he known?

  The lawyer finished up, gathered his briefcase, and shook her mother’s hand. “Let me know if you need anything else.”