Small-Town Secrets

by Linda Randall Wisdom

  “We’ve got each other, Mom. Lacey doesn’t have anyone. Her parents are never there for her,” he replied.

  Bree hugged him. “My David the protector,” she murmured. “Make sure Cody takes care of Eartha Katt’s litter box.”

  He nodded. He waved to Cole and loped back to his truck, while Lacey got in the passenger side. Cody looked out the window from the small bench seat behind David and waved.

  “Is this what it’s like when all the kids have left home?” Cole asked, coming up to Bree and settling his arm around her shoulders.

  “I think so,” she muttered with a sigh. “Except I’m not happy seeing them go.”

  He turned his head to press a kiss against her temple. “They’ll be back soon.” He squeezed her shoulders as they walked back to the house.

  Once inside, Bree turned to Cole and gripped his arms.

  “I need you so much,” she said fiercely.

  He easily read the hot request in her eyes.

  His name was a bare whisper in the air as he pulled her almost roughly to him. Their mouths fused as they made their way blindly back to her bedroom and fell onto the tumbled sheets.

  His touch was fierce as he moved over her body. She gasped, gripping his shoulders as the tremors moved through her body with the force of a major earthquake. Before she could recover, he grasped her hips and lifted her up against him. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he entered her in one swift thrust. His tongue swirled around hers in a demand for a response.

  There were no soft loving words between them. No gentle touches because it wasn’t what they needed. This time, they acted on pure raw need they both needed so badly.

  Bree felt as if she was flying and Cole was right there with her. She dipped her head, nipping his shoulder. He muttered something, she couldn’t understand the words, but she knew the emotion because it was the same as hers. His mouth covered hers as she felt herself fly into millions of pieces and a scream rise up in her throat.

  Cole’s chest rose and fell as he rolled on his back. Bree settled against him as if it was something she did every night. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

  A sigh of regret fell from her lips as she reluctantly moved off the bed and walked into the bathroom. Cole lay in bed listening to the sound of the shower running. It seemed only a few minutes before Bree walked back into the bedroom.

  She went into the closet and opened the lock box and took out her weapon and holster, laying them on the bed. Her next step was to pull her clothing out of the closet.

  Cole noted the tan pants and navy polo shirt.

  “Are we going for the official look?” he asked, sitting on the bed and watching her dress.

  “Definitely.” She slid her weapon into her holster. She brushed her hair and fluffed the wisp of bangs. Her detective’s shield was hooked onto her waistband. “I’m going to stop at the veterinary clinic to check on Jinx, then I’m going in to the station. I’m filling out an official report about last night. I’m filling in everything from the beginning,” she said grimly.

  “I almost pity the guy once you catch up with him.”

  “I’m going to find proof once and for all,” she said.

  “Be careful.” Cole stood up and walked over to her. He held on to her arms. “If this bastard has any idea…” He didn’t say more.

  “Don’t worry,” she assured him. She laid her hand against his cheek. “I’m very good at what I do,” she said without any hint of ego, just a statement of fact. “Whatever it takes, I will get this person. The gloves are off now. My partner was assaulted. My children have been terrorized and, in a sense, my home was invaded. I’m not going to allow that to go unpunished. I will personally arrest whoever is behind all this.”

  “Boy, this guy doesn’t know what he’s up against, does he?” He smiled. He picked up his keys and tossed them up in the air. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Bree found Jinx a little sluggish from his long nap, but happy to see his human partner. The dog wagged his tail and greeted her with a soft whine and a paw on her arm.

  “He’s doing fine,” the veterinarian told her. “He was given a heavy-duty sedative, but nothing dangerous. I took another blood sample about an hour ago and everything looks good. No reason why he can’t leave now.”

  “Thanks.” She scratched behind the German shepherd’s ears. “I’ll feel better having him with me.” She slipped his harness over his head. His badge settled against his chest. The dog immediately straightened up. He knew it was time to go to work.

  When Bree walked into the station with Jinx by her side, she was aware of eyes watching her with open curiosity.

  “We thought you’d be staying out for a few days, ma’am,” Randy greeted her.

  “I only needed a day to get the kinks out,” she replied, heading for her desk. Jinx stretched out beside her chair. “Besides, I need to file a report. Someone got onto my property last night and shot Jinx with a tranquilizer dart. Is the sheriff in?”

  The deputy looked surprised by her stark announcement, then by her casually voiced question.

  “He had to drive out to his sister’s,” he replied. “He said he’d be back later today. What do you mean, someone broke into your place? Did you call it in?”

  “Not broke into my place literally.” She switched on her computer. “Just stood on the boundary and shot a tranquilizer dart into Jinx. They also left a couple dead squirrels in my youngest son’s tree house. Unfortunately, he was the one to find them.”

  “What kind of sick son of a bitch would do that?” Frank asked, coming up to her desk. “You don’t do that kind of stuff to a kid.” His ruddy features turned a dark red color.

  “The kind of son of a bitch who didn’t mind scaring the wits out of a six-year-old boy.” She logged on to her computer. “And I bet it was the same son of a bitch who ran me off the road.”

  Frank looked intrigued. “You think the two are related?” he asked.

  She nodded. “They’re related.” She looked up, her green eyes glittering like gemstones. “Do you have any ideas?”

  “Ideas?” He looked confused, then comprehension hit. “You think me?” He looked as shocked as if she’d just struck him. “Now wait a minute! Okay, I didn’t want you here. Hell, the sheriff kept promising me a promotion to detective. I thought I’d get the job. I was mad when I didn’t. But I don’t hurt dogs and I don’t scare kids.” His face grew even redder.

  Bree held up a hand in hopes of calming him down. “I didn’t think you had anything to do with it.” She glanced at the computer screen as she brought up the accident report that had to do with her. “Wait a minute, why does this say a small pickup truck ran me off the road?” she muttered, leaning in to read the typed words. “It was a dark-colored dually. Some kind of distinctive sound in the engine.”

  Frank looked confused. “A dark dually? I was told it was a small pickup.”

  “Someone got it wrong,” she muttered, still scanning the report, then bringing up other reports. One stopped her cold. “Leo was in an accident?”

  Randy hovered near her desk. “Yeah, some kid was speeding and sideswiped him. Luckily, he’s got that big truck, so the kid had more damage to his car than Leo did. Poor old guy was pretty shook up. Nice truck, too,” he added. “But I told him he should see my brother about the problem he had with the engine.”

  Bree grew very still. “What problem with the engine?” she asked in a deliberately casual voice.

  Randy shrugged. “Like a hitch in the engine and a soft whine.”

  Her senses started singing. “It’s amazing that Leo would want to drive something so large. I don’t remember seeing it in the parking lot.”

  “Leo always walks to work. He said he likes being out in the fresh air. The sheriff asked that one of us take the old man home when he was finished working. Said he shouldn’t walk late at night even if it’s pretty safe around here. Leo said he liked the truck bec
ause he could haul stuff around. He uses it a lot when they’re needing things for the senior center,” Randy replied. “The sheriff offers to do most of the heavy lifting, though. Well, we all take turns over there, but he sure does more than his share.”

  Bree’s mind started spinning like a computer. She could feel the pieces slowly but surely starting to fall together.

  “Uh-oh.” Randy glanced at the clock. “Time for me to get out there.” He offered Bree a shy smile, which she warmly returned.

  After making the necessary corrections in the accident report, she shut down her computer and stood up. She motioned to Jinx to follow her, and headed for the front desk.

  “Are there any vehicles available for me to use?” she asked Irene.

  The receptionist opened her desk drawer, pawed through several key rings and chose one. “The blue Blazer out back,” she said, handing her the keys.

  Bree nodded.

  “You look pretty good for someone who ran into a tree,” Irene commented, looking curious and watchful.

  Bree smiled, not willing to give away anything. “You should see the tree,” she said lightly, as she headed for the door.

  “Did someone really leave dead squirrels in your son’s tree house and your little boy found them?” The secretary’s question stopped her.

  Bree turned around. “Yes, someone did just that last night. Probably right after shooting a tranquilizer dart at Jinx.”

  Irene shook her head. “I’ve lived here all my life. It was always this small quiet town. There once was a time you didn’t even have to worry about locking your doors when you left home. Back then, the worst thing that happened was kids soaping windows on Halloween. Seems no one’s safe anymore. It’s not right.”

  “No, it’s not,” Bree agreed.

  She drove over to the newspaper office. Cole was seated at his desk, talking on the telephone, when she and Jinx entered.

  He took one look at her face, muttered that he’d call back, and hung up.

  She settled in the chair across from him and used a hand cue for Jinx to sit.

  “Guess who’s been driving a dually?”

  Chapter 16

  “Leo?” Cole kept shaking his head. “He’s not the one.”

  “No, he’s not,” Bree agreed. “But the sheriff has used his truck in the past, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has an extra key for it. I need to get out there and see the truck.”

  “Can I go along?”

  “If you behave.”

  “That’s my middle name.” He rose from his seat.

  Cole directed Bree to the other side of town. All the homes looked postwar housing—small and boxy, with detached garages. Instead of grass, a majority of them boasted gravel front yards or cactus gardens.

  “Easier to keep up,” Cole explained as he pointed to the second house from the corner.

  A dark dually pickup truck sat in the driveway.

  They climbed out of the truck and walked up the driveway. Bree stopped to check the front end. She lightly touched the crunched metal.

  “We have no idea if this was from his accident or mine,” she murmured.

  “You’re positive it’s the same truck?” Cole asked.

  “Pretty sure.”

  “Detective Fitzpatrick?”

  They turned and looked toward the now open door. Leo stood on the cement stoop. “Is there a problem?” He looked nervous.

  Bree offered him a reassuring smile. “I just heard about your accident, Leo. Are you all right?”

  He shifted from one foot to the other. “The kid had it worse than me. But you didn’t mean to come out here and ask about me, did you?”

  “No, I didn’t,” she said gently. “Leo, how often does the sheriff borrow your truck?”

  He exhaled a deep breath. “I knew you’d be able to do something. Come on in.” He turned around and stepped inside, not looking back to see if they followed.

  Bree noticed the house was spotless. Leo was in the kitchen pouring iced tea into three glasses. He carefully set them on the table and gestured for Bree and Cole to be seated.

  “Does the sheriff borrow your truck, Leo?” Bree asked softly.

  The elderly man nodded, wrapping his hands around his glass. “He’s called me up sometimes and asked if he could use the truck. That he had things to haul.”

  “But you didn’t think that was the case, did you?” she carefully probed.

  Leo looked up. His eyes were damp. “I always felt he was doing something wrong, but I couldn’t ever prove it. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was when you had your accident.”

  “Was your truck gone that night, Leo?” Cole asked.

  He nodded slowly. “I think he’s done other things, too.”

  “Such as some of the people who died?” Bree asked.

  Leo took a deep breath. “It started a long time ago. Ten years, to be exact. A man named Richard Goodwin discovered he had bone cancer. He wasn’t as worried about his death sentence than he was about leaving Marilyn, his wife, with nothing. That’s when Roy and Mike had a talk with him. They suggested he take out a life insurance policy.”

  “No one would insure him with that kind of death sentence hanging over his head,” Bree pointed out.

  “They would if his cancer wasn’t mentioned. All he needed was a good bill of health from a doctor.” Leo stared down at the tabletop. “Mike would perform the physical and state that Richard was in excellent health. There was also a double indemnity clause in the policy.”

  “Roy set up these accidents?” Cole guessed. His skin had a green tinge. “And Mike Warren helped him?”

  “Nothing was ever said,” Leo explained. “But everyone knew they’d help you. You didn’t have to suffer for a long time and you knew your spouse would be taken care of from the insurance. I guess you could say it was one of those untold secrets that gets around quietly. Something no one dares speak of out loud. They have it down to a fine art now. Mike has the opportunity to find out who would require their special services.” His lips twisted. “He plays the part of the sincere, caring doctor. He lets them know he can help them with their family’s financial future. The insurance policy is written up, and after a decent length of time, when the subject feels ready, the accident or ‘death by natural causes’ is planned.” His eyes glittered with tears. “He used drugs to make some of them look like a heart attack.”

  “Is that what happened with Anna, Leo?” Cole asked.

  Bree reached out and touched the man’s hand. “Leo, help us,” she pleaded. “What they’re doing is very wrong. We have to stop them. Can you help us? Is there anything else you can tell us?”

  He nodded. “Joshua thinks they killed Renee.”

  Bree and Cole exchanged a look.

  “Oh, Renee had cancer, but the pain was manageable,” Leo continued. “Then the sheriff went to Joshua. He asked if Renee was getting worse. Joshua told them all they were doing was lining their own greedy pockets. He told them to stop. And if they didn’t, he’d say something.”

  “So they thought he was about to say something, and Renee’s death was a warning,” she guessed.

  “How did all this remain unspoken for so long?” Cole asked. “Some of you knew I was suspicious about these deaths. Why wasn’t something said to me?”

  “Because you would have ended up with the same fate as your uncle Charlie,” Leo told him. “Roy once slipped and said something that had me thinking he’d killed Charlie. I knew you had the talent to ferret out this atrocity. I could only hope it wouldn’t kill you in the process. But then Bree arrived and you caught her up in your fact-finding. I didn’t know they would try to hurt you,” he said, turning to her. “I feel like that was my fault.”

  Cole’s features seemed to have turned to stone.

  “Leo, are you now willing to make a statement to the district attorney’s office?” Bree asked. “We need to close up their shop fast.”

  He nodded. “I’m ready to do whatever is necessary.
I’ve felt that some of the people who died shouldn’t have, but there was never any proof.”

  “Why do you think Roy never tried to kill you if he thought you knew something?” Cole asked.

  Leo smiled sadly. “He knows I keep a journal. I don’t think he wanted to take a chance.” He sighed heavily. “I guess I didn’t want to believe Roy thought money was more important than people’s lives. He used to be a good man. I don’t know what turned him. He shouldn’t have done what he did.”

  “You’re right, he shouldn’t have,” Cole murmured.

  Bree stood up. “Let’s get started then,” she said briskly. She looked at Cole. “Now it ends.”

  He stood up and pushed his chair back. “Yes, now it ends.”

  “This is official business. You cannot go with me,” Bree argued, walking out to her borrowed Blazer with Jinx at her side.

  “There is no way you’re doing this without me,” Cole said stubbornly, walking on the other side of her. “I want to see that son of a bitch’s face when you arrest him.”

  She whirled on him. “I spent the last hour arguing and practically promising to give up my pension so I could be the one to arrest Holloway. Officers are already on their way to bring in Dr. Warren. I am not having a civilian screwing up my arrest.”

  “Civilian? You wouldn’t have come this far if it hadn’t been for me,” he asserted, climbing into the passenger seat.

  “Becker, you are a real pain in the ass,” she groused, sliding behind the wheel.

  He grasped her chin and turned her toward him for a quick hard kiss. “Yeah, but you love me anyway.”

  She didn’t need to say a word. Her fulminating glance said it all. But she didn’t throw him out of the vehicle, either.

  Bree drove to the sheriff’s station. She considered it appropriate that he would meet his downfall in the place where so many revered him.

  As if he knew she’d toss him out on a second’s notice, Cole remained quiet during the ride.

  Bree hated any type of murder. Senseless killings and those for monetary gain she hated the most. She had no idea what she would face when she walked into the station. Just because Joshua didn’t think any of the deputies were in on the scam didn’t mean it wasn’t so. She gave the command for Jinx to guard her. She couldn’t have wished for better backup. Cole walked behind them, watchful of their surroundings.