Oracle Seeing (The Phoenix Files Book 2)

by Kelley, Morgan

  He was saving Lucian Monroe for last.

  It wasn’t because he hated him more or less, but because he was a quitter. When the case had gone to trial, he’d promised that the man who committed the crime would pay, and he’d lied.

  The man got away.

  Yes, he’d nearly died when his car blew up, but still…he had power.

  He had prestige.

  He could have had someone push to find justice.

  So, he would be last because he started all of this. Because of him, they all had to die. When it was his time, he planned to make sure that he faced him and saw what pain would do.

  He wanted Lucian Monroe to know how hate had twisted him. While he might look fine on the outside, inside, he loathed what had been done to the girl.

  Yeah, payback was nearly there.

  They’d never suspect him.

  He walked among them, smiling, acting like it was all fine, and it wasn’t.

  Nothing was ever the same again.

  After what had happened to her…it changed everything, and he’d never forget it.

  For as long as he lived.

  * * * O R A C L E * * *

  Nate and Luke tore Wendy’s place apart. They were looking for anything that would implicate the woman, and they’d found the mother lode.

  She made J. Edgar Hoover look like a recreational file creator. Wendy had a dossier on everyone—including Bishop and Lucian.

  The woman was a stalker.

  That was crystal clear.

  She had times and dates written down, where they had gone, and what they had eaten. Well, mostly that was all about Bishop.

  Lucian had one major thing in his file.

  It was a date and initials. There were two letters, written in blood red ink. It was as if Wendy had been leaving herself a clue, but for what?

  That appeared to be the big question.

  Neither of them got it, but they figured it might mean something to Lucian, so they’d ask.

  Among the other files, there were ones for Arron Abrahms and his nightlife. It went into details about how he liked to frequent the beds of call girls, hookers, and even some city officials on the side.

  She had pictures of him getting blowjobs in his car, and even him propositioning women he was trying to pick up on the street.

  Dirty didn’t describe the man.

  He was kinky and not afraid to buy his sex.

  It looked like Wendy had plenty of time to dig into the man’s life, even when she was sleeping with him for information. She’d been a busy girl.

  That led them to Dale Plunkett’s file. He, on the other hand, was just plain dirty. His bank account was padded with enough fluff to prove that he was taking some major kickbacks.

  But from who?

  That was the million dollar question that needed some answers. Unfortunately, Wendy had left those details out. Still, with what she had, it left enough to the imagination. Someone, meaning Dale, was playing fast and loose with his clients lives.

  If you were wealthy enough and could pay, you got his full services, which seemed to include buying jurors.

  Great.

  This was going to put Ravenswood on the map, and not in a good way. They hoped Silas Reed and the sheriff were ready for that.

  There was one hell of a shit storm coming at them. This was going to take years to clean up.

  Then it got worse.

  Earl Thorpe’s file was horrifying.

  In fact, he might have been the worst human being on the face of the earth. What Nate and Luke found made them sick.

  Earl Thorpe had an ugly streak. On the outside, he played mild mannered attorney, but according to Wendy, and her digging for information, he was plain evil.

  Vindictive.

  Nasty.

  Cruel.

  He had been Lucian’s co-council on the last case the man had worked before nearly being blown to kingdom come. That was common knowledge.

  What wasn’t so common?

  It seemed that Wendy had the dirt on him.

  Earl Thorpe had been involved in the hit on Lucian. It was hard to believe, but she had all the paperwork. She had bank statements to offshore accounts, and she had pictures of him lurking around town to meet people.

  Honestly, it made sense. When Lucian went down, the case unraveled. In fact, it had fallen apart within days.

  Neither Fed was looking forward to telling him that a man he’d worked with side by side, was actually responsible for nearly ending his life.

  Well, shit.

  Lucian had said he wanted to find the person behind it, but they didn’t think he meant this person. It was going to be a blow to him.

  Nate and Luke were beginning to see why Wendy had to die. Her death wasn’t all so shocking now that they knew she’d been investigating things that would definitely get her killed.

  She’d dug into the mess, and that was likely why she was at the morgue on a slab.

  Sadly, Wendy knew too much. Maybe she wasn’t part of what they really thought had been going on, but instead, she was just the nosy reporter who had gotten in the way.

  This wasn’t going to make their job easier.

  It was now harder.

  The woman was building enough blackmail against the city and all the people in it.

  The two men flipped through the files in her office, searching for anyone else who might be on the killer’s hit list.

  Then they found it.

  It was sitting on the desk.

  There was a file for Miles Killion. When they opened it, Wendy had made notes, trying to find something dirty on the cop, only…she couldn’t.

  He was clean.

  Miles Killion’s arrest record had piqued her interest. She wondered how he got all his leads. It had become an obsession.

  Still…

  That wasn’t what had their attention.

  What wasn’t so spotless was the blood covered note attached to the inside cover.

  ‘Four of Seven.’

  Well, shit!

  This sucked. The sheriff’s father had been the original victim, over two years ago.

  This killer had been plotting these deaths a long time. Now that they had confirmation that Miles had been the first victim, in the growing list, they knew they had to do one thing.

  Start at the beginning.

  It was going to be the only way...

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Saturday

  Mid-morning

  It took a while to escape the clutches of the media. They were rapidly firing questions at the couple. The entire time, Bishop wouldn’t let go of his hand.

  She held it, refusing to set him free. Lucian wasn’t sure if it was because she was offering support, or worried he’d hop on his bike and hightail it the hell out of there.

  Well, newsflash.

  He wasn’t leaving.

  Lucian was sticking around. Life was finally going in the right direction for him, and he wasn’t bailing on Bishop.

  Hell no.

  All he could hope was she’d have that trust she’d brought up earlier.

  He was placing his in her hands.

  As soon as they got to her office, Silas pulled her away to talk official business. So, he had been left to sit in her office and wait.

  It made him incredibly nervous over what was coming. Lucian couldn’t help but suspect that Silas was, at that moment, trying to talk Bishop out of his life.

  Could he blame the man?

  If he were in the same position, he’d be telling Bishop to run too.

  From his seat, he could see on the camera screen in her office. He hadn’t meant to watch, but he couldn’t help it.

  From Silas’s body language, and Bishop’s, it was clear that she was telling the man off.

  Far and few could do that in Ravenswood. It was a testament to how much Silas loved her. He was tolerating it—much like a grandfather would.

  Lucian wanted to be angry with him, but he could see the l
ove between them. Even though she was angrily waving her arms around, emphasizing why she wasn’t leaving Lucian, the older man still stared at her with nothing but love.

  When he hugged her, holding Bishop against his body, it seemed to signal the end of the battle.

  Lucian wasn’t sure who had won.

  He could only hope.

  When he heard her coming, Lucian was incredibly nervous. There was something brewing, and he could feel it in his gut.

  The second she entered her office, he stood, waiting for the verdict.

  Was he staying?

  Or was he going?

  “Sorry it took me so long,” she offered, closing her door.

  “Are you getting ready to tell me that you’ve changed your mind?” he asked. “Did Silas talk some sense into you?”

  Bishop could hear the fear in his voice. She hated that he actually believed that he would be ditched.

  It wasn’t happening.

  They were in this together, and that’s what she had told Silas—repeatedly.

  Oh, he’d tried to convince her to run, only that wasn’t her thing. Bishop was raised by a tough man and with badass brothers. They didn’t bail when it got hard.

  They stood their ground.

  “He tried, but apparently, I’m stupid in love with you. So, as you can imagine, I told him to pound sand.”

  He relaxed.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For?”

  “I feel like I’m going to be the one thing that takes you and your career down.”

  She wasn’t worried. “If I have to choose between you and this, Lucian, you’re going to come up on top each and every time. You’re my future. I love you.”

  His heart skipped.

  “Baby, I love you so much.”

  She came around the desk and sat in his lap. As she nuzzled his cheek, she thought about the amazing scent of his cologne. She wanted to spend all day right there.

  “If you’re wondering, I didn’t kill Wendy.”

  She really hated that woman’s name. It was so wrong of her to think that she’d gotten what she’d deserved, especially as sheriff, but she was only human.

  “I know. We were busy making love. Your mouth was all over me,” she said, grinning. “I know because I’m getting wet just thinking about it.”

  He let her words wash over him. Bishop wasn’t freaking out, so that had to mean everything was going to be fine. He trusted the cool, calm confidence.

  “I just wish there was a way I could prove it,” he offered. “I hate having this between us. I never want anyone to be able to plant that seed of doubt.”

  She stroked his scarred cheek. “Lucian.”

  “The idea that someone could use me to hurt you makes me insane, Bishop. I want you to always look at me and be proud of your partner—not curious if I’ve ever been shady.”

  She knew the kind of man he was inside and out. That was never even a possibility.

  Still, if he needed this to be resolved, she had a way.

  “Maybe I can help relax you a little.”

  Immediately, his mind went to sex. Unfortunately, when she reached, it was for her desk phone.

  Damn!

  What a letdown.

  Lucian waited patiently as she hit the number three. It dialed right to the morgue.

  “Bish, what’s shaking?” asked Roxy, as her voice came over the speaker on the phone.

  “By any chance, and I know you’re backed up, but do you have a confirmed TOD on Wendy Lockwood?”

  He stared at her.

  Why didn’t he think of that?

  Oh, he knew. He was too busy tied up in knots. This was why he loved her. While he was raging like a wild storm, she was cool, calm, and collected.

  “Yeah, that is the one thing that I can give you. Anything else and you’re going to have to wait until I can reconstruct her. She’s one hot mess. Someone used her face as a punching bag. Whoever beat the hell out of her was one sick bastard. It makes me want to ask where Lucian was at the time.”

  He tensed and gave her the look.

  ‘See?’ he mouthed.

  She got his point.

  “I’m working on his alibi. What’s the official time of death? Help a girl out.”

  There were papers flipping. “Body temp has her death at around two in the morning. It’s going to be give or take thirty minutes, since her organs were all over the place.”

  “Great.”

  She could feel Lucian relax. At that time, he was naked, in bed, and making love to Bishop.

  He was officially in the clear. He really did have an alibi, and it was the woman in his lap.

  “Does that help?” Roxy asked.

  “Yeah, it does.”

  “Hey, you’re okay, right? That bastard didn’t hurt you after I dropped you off, did he?” she asked.

  “The bastard is right here, Doctor,” Lucian offered, making sure the woman knew he was listening.

  “Oh, well, that’s awkward.”

  Bishop laughed.

  She loved them both. One was her sister from another mister, and a man she’d die for in a heartbeat.

  “When will you have more?” Bishop asked.

  “You can head down anytime for the details on Earl Thorpe. He’s done. As for Wendy, you’ll need to give me some time. Lab reports are coming in from the FBI lab as we speak.”

  “I’ll be down in a little while.”

  “Leave the B. A. S. T. A. R. D there.”

  “I can spell, too, Doctor.”

  Bishop started laughing. It was clear the kind of relationship her best friend and fiancé were going to have.

  It amused her.

  Life was going to be interesting—to say the least.

  “Do you need coffee?” Bishop asked, knowing that her friend was trying to bridge the gap. One of the best things about Roxy was she loved with all her heart—if you could get past the barbed wire, napalm, and armed guards, protecting her heart.

  “Hell, yes, I do. Maybe you can buy a girl a cup. My hands are in a body, and I don’t have time to make any.”

  “On it, Roxy. I’ll hook my bestie up.”

  “See you in a bit.”

  When she disconnected the call, Lucian was curious. “She really doesn’t like me, does she?”

  This was a minefield.

  There was that trust between her and Roxy, but she didn’t want a relationship with Lucian that had secrets between them. He was going to be her husband. She’d have to trust him with her heart, and Roxy’s.

  So, she opted to spill it.

  “She doesn’t trust men. If you want her to do that, you have to prove that you’re not some asshole.”

  “Who hurt her?” he asked. Lucian wasn’t a stranger when it came to abused women. He’d worked as the city’s DA, and there had been plenty of cases where they had the same damaged woman at the center.

  He’d bet his money that Roxy was just like them.

  She sighed.

  “You wanted trust, Bishop. I need it too.”

  He was right.

  “The only reason I’m going to tell you this is because I do trust you, and we’re going to get married. I won’t have secrets from my husband.”

  He was so glad that’s how she felt. He didn’t want them between them either.

  “I’ll never betray you or Roxy. I can see there’s a bond between you. Let me help you protect her.”

  She knew he would.

  Lucian was a damn good man.

  “Roxy was sexually abused by her father for a long time. She told her mother, who didn’t believe her, and finally, Silas got wind of it.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “No clue. When I say Silas handled it, I mean Silas handled it. They don’t talk about it. I don’t bring it up. All I know is that Roxy can’t handle relationships because of it. She’s blocked off her heart, promising to live her life in control.”

  He nuzzled her cheek. “I’ll protect her t
oo.”

  She loved him.

  “I know you will, Lucian. You’re a good man. I’m going to head down to see her. Do you want to go?”

  “Pass. I had enough of Wendy when she was alive. I don’t want to see her like that. I’d prefer to remember the pretty, vicious backstabbing bitch she was.”

  Bishop laughed. “Spoken like a true ex.”

  “I have some work I can do here,” he offered. “If you let me use your computer, I can pull up my files remotely, and I can start going over the events of that day.”

  She knew what day he was talking about, and that was probably a good start. Lucian appeared to be motivated to start living again.

  “My computer is your computer. Just don’t be watching any porn.”

  “Without you? Never.”

  She stared at him, and then began laughing. “It’s going to be an interesting life with you.”

  He hoped so.

  “Do you need any files on the case?” she asked. “My father might have some in archive.”

  “Lawrence Stall.”

  She made a note to pick them up later.

  “Bad guy, huh?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, you can say that. We had him on a drive by shooting. He took out half a city block in his wake. There were a couple witnesses, and they were going to testify. Then after I was nearly blown up, it all went to hell in a handbasket.”

  “How did he get away?” she asked.

  “Witnesses began dropping like flies. No one would touch the case after what happened to me. Earl Thorpe, my co-council, couldn’t hold it together. This is the one case I regret not winning. There were so many people hurt by Lawrence Stall. I wish I could have finished it.”

  She kissed him on the cheek. “Did they ever figure out if he had anything to do with your injuries?”

  He shook his head. “As far as I know, they didn’t have enough to go after him. He was as slippery as an eel. There were rumors that Lawrence Stall was working for the local thugs, but again, how do you prove that?”

  She got it.

  Being in law enforcement, it got frustrating at times.

  “Hang in there, babe,” she offered, heading toward her door. When she glanced back, his fingers were touching his cheek.