Beckett, while getting more comfortable with his gift, was still wary about slipping into some catatonic state where Claire couldn’t reach him.
It scared him shitless, and it must have shown.
“You can stay out here if you want,” she offered. “I can do this room alone.”
There was no way that was happening. Beckett had to swallow the fear and face the facts. Claire was not going to do the grunt work for their team because he was a nervous wreck.
He was a man.
It was time to own it.
“No, I’m going in with you. I can do this, Claire. I need to know you believe in me.”
She went up on her toes to leave a kiss on his lips. “I have nothing but faith in the man I love,” she promised. “I swear.”
It was what he needed.
She held out her hand, offering him a way to anchor himself to her. This was a precious gift. Already, Claire knew him better than his ex-wife ever had.
It was miraculous.
Inside, they came face to face with an old fireplace. It was constructed from brick and looked about as old as the house. As they moved closer, Beckett ran his leather gloved hand over the bricks. While he could pick up something, it wasn’t too strong.
“It’s here,” he stated, resting his hand over the section of bricks. “I can feel it.”
That was good enough for Claire. Moving closer, she checked out the mortar between the bricks. In one section, it was off in color. From far away, you’d never notice, but this close, it was a dead giveaway.
“We need a hammer.”
Beckett stopped her right there. “Whoa! Stop. If we bust up this fireplace, your brother is going to lose his nut. That’s not happening, Claire. We need to wait. While he won’t fire you, he will shit can me.”
She couldn’t wait.
Curiosity was killing her.
“What if I promised to be gentle, I didn't make a mess, and we figured out a way to replace it? I can just chip away at the grout, and then we can repair it later.”
She stared at him with calm eyes.
It sucked him right in.
Beckett was screwed.
“Damn it!”
She started laughing as she pulled him from the room. They found a hammer in the basement, since the sheriff had taken the other tools with the last body.
“I’m going to get fired,” he muttered, knowing that this was going to be a mess.
“Don’t be silly. My brother won’t fire my boyfriend.”
It was said so matter-of-factly, that it caught him off guard. While he didn't mind the use of the term, he suddenly wanted far more.
Boyfriend just wouldn’t do.
And he knew it.
As she started wielding the hammer, he had to stop her. “Give it to me. You’re going to take the entire fireplace down. Then Julian is going to have a stroke. I’ll do this.”
“But your hands,” she warned.
He wiggled his gloved fingers. “It’s irritating, not painful,” he offered. “Don’t worry, Claire. I have this under control.” With that, he began chipping away at the old stone.
It didn't take long.
Before Claire knew it, he had one full brick free.
“You’re pretty handy,” she offered. “That took some crazy mad skills.”
He laughed. “Gee, thanks.”
When he slid the brick from the inside of the fireplace, she pointed her flashlight in the hole. Inside, there was definitely something there.
“I’ll reach in,” offered Beckett.
Holding his breath, he went for it. Worst case scenario, Claire would have to pull him back from the brink. He had to have faith in her and the gloves that covered his hands.
When he touched the box, visions didn't explode around him like he expected. Instead, it was relatively calm.
Yes, there was a hum, but it wasn’t anything to be nervous about.
“Are you okay?” she asked, staring at him.
As he pulled out the metal box, he nodded. “Yes, baby, I’m good.”
When the small letter sized box was on the floor between them, Claire tried to open it. “I think we know what that skeleton key opens.” Pulling it from her pocket, she stuck it in the lock on the box. With a little force, the rusty lock snicked open.
She got excited.
As she lifted the lid, Beckett peered inside. “It’s letters.”
Claire reached in and lifted one out. “They’re addressed to Captain Vicente Perla and not sealed.”
Beckett began pondering it. “We learned about Christabel. Maybe that’s the sea captain who gave her family passage?”
Claire wanted to read it in the worst way, but she knew Julian should see them first.
Yeah, and Beckett should give his impression too.
Slowly, he pulled off his one glove. “I’ll take it,” he offered, knowing that had to be done.
He was up.
“We can wait.”
He shook his head. “Let’s get this over with. I trust you to have me if it goes bad.”
Claire handed him the very old envelope. Immediately, his body went completely still. Beckett had slipped into the trance.
It all exploded around him--blood, rats, and babies crying. It was as if his body began rocking. Then it occurred to him that he was on a ship.
The smells assaulted him, bringing bile to his throat. He wanted to vomit with the stench, but held on, keeping the foul brew in check.
Just as he was going to slip further into it, Claire was there, staring him in the eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asked, holding the paper in one hand as her palm rested on his cheek.
“Yes. It was a boat, and let’s just say hygiene was questionable, if none.”
“Any killing?” she asked, dropping the letter into the box.
“No, but there was blood.”
“We need to let Julian know what we’ve found. He’s going to want to see this.”
Beckett slipped his glove back on before taking the box in his hand. “Works for me, Claire,” he stated, waiting as she contacted their boss.
* * *
Town
It had been a non-productive hour, unless you counted terrifying the young deputy as a success. After scaring him shitless, they got the entire story out of him.
The sheriff had wanted them tailed.
While that didn't bother them in the least, since they’d both used those same tactics daily, Julian was irritated that they sent a boy to do a man’s work.
Really?
The kid couldn’t be a day over twenty four. The man-child worked in a sheriff’s department that likely never saw a case bigger than a car theft. What did that say about their reputation as trackers and private investigators?
Obviously, this was like getting the finger from the sheriff. Send your shittiest employee to show how much faith she had in them.
Well, that made Julian want to work harder at showing her up. After sending the boy back to his boss, they headed toward the historian’s office.
That was a bust.
It seemed that Jeffery Lamont had all the information back at the house. He’d copied everything that had anything to do with ‘The Killing House’.
It was a dead end.
That only left one last stop.
They were heading to the psychics to ask some important questions.
It should be interesting.
As they approached the shop, they could see that both the brother and sister were indeed inside.
This was like killing two birds with one stone.
Entering, neither Elianna Dawkins, nor her brother, Andy, looked excited to see them.
Good.
That meant they likely had something to hide. As private investigators, this was their favorite part.
“What can I do for you?” she asked, moving toward them.
Tori didn't plan on pulling any punches. “You can tell us why you lied to us and said that you
never met Jeffery Lamont. It seems that a reliable witness saw you all over him. By all over, I mean your lips in places they shouldn’t be if he was a stranger.”
She tensed.
Julian loved watching his wife work. She was feisty and that turned him on. Working under Elizabeth Blackhawk had made Tori bad ass to the core.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Tori stared at her. “Liar, liar, your very snug jeans are on fire. I guess we can pass this on to the sheriff. She’ll find it interesting, since she’s working this case too. If you’d rather deal with the law, so be it.”
Elianna went to speak, but her brother interjected.
“Leave her alone.”
Julian focused on him. “Shut it.”
Tori continued, “Come on, Ms. Dawkins. Spill it. The game is up, and we found out. Now come clean, so we can find Jeffery Lamont. His family wants him back.”
She was careful not to say dead. They didn't want to show their hand.
Not yet.
If this woman and her brother had anything to do with it, they didn't want to risk them running, or worse yet, trying to hurt another member of their team.
“Yes, I had a relationship with him. We were having sex. I wouldn’t say dating, because he made it crystal clear that he wasn’t interested in anything more. He was focused on the house and turning it into a lucrative business.”
That was interesting.
“And?”
She continued, “He first came in here to hire me. He wanted me to do a walk-through of the place, trying to find something.”
Tori needed to know, “Did he tell you what it was?”
She shook her head. “He only said it was a scavenger hunt of sorts. I was given the first object, and he wanted to see where it led.”
“The book?” Julian asked.
She nodded.
“I wasn’t able to locate anything. All that it led to was sleeping together. That’s about it.”
Tori heard the buzzing, and it was making it hard to think. Then, she heard Bethany’s laughter, much like in the street.
Only one thought came through.
‘Fraud.’
“So, when you couldn’t produce, what happened?” Tori asked.
“I explained to him that my gift didn't work like that. I communed with the dead, not a book.”
Tori lifted a brow. “The dead, huh. So you can call them up at a whim?”
“Yes, I can. For me to do my job, there would have to be dead present, and I didn't feel anything there.”
Julian relaxed. The news of them finding a body had obviously not spread. Not telling anyone about the dismembered victim was probably a damn good idea.
Tori knew immediately that the woman was full of shit. That house was chock full of ghosts, and in fact, there was one floating around now. Tori kept catching Bethany in her peripheral. “So, there are no spirits there?”
The woman nodded. “You don’t understand how it works. I hear them in my head, and that house had nothing to say to me. So, when I told him, he was done with me getting paid.”
“Yeah! He broke a contract!” stated Andy Dawkins. “We could sue him!”
Julian again focused on the man. “You need to stop talking. You’re up to your eyeballs in debt. Making a fuss about this is going to make you look guilty, if you and your sister already aren’t.”
He was offended. “You can’t dig in my records! You’re not cops.”
Tori took a shot at one hell of a bluff. “We interviewed some of your loan sharks. You’re late.”
He looked nervous.
So did his sister.
“I’m glad he took off. He wasn’t any good for her,” stated Andy. He began pacing back and forth, his brown eyes burning with irritation. His sister had the same look in hers.
Finally, Elianna took his hand in hers, taking a united stand against the two investigators.
It said it all.
“You two should leave.”
Julian wasn’t going to go so easily. “I hear you give a ghost tour. Was that part of the contract?”
She didn't speak.
Tori added, “You were going to bring people there and make money on ‘The Killing House’, weren’t you?”
Still she was silent.
“Nothing to say?” Tori asked. “Oh wait, that’s right. You didn't hear any spirits there.”
Oh, if she only knew the truth. ‘The Killing House’ was a medium’s playpen.
Tori heard Bethany’s laughter.
“I run a reputable tour. As a medium, I sometimes pick up spirits and can offer information to the people on the tour. When I take them out, I make no guarantees.”
Julian saw the signup sheet on the counter. It had a few people already listed for the next tour the following night. It gave him an idea. They were going to make this pair very nervous. People who were scared did stupid things.
They were going to rattle their cages.
Pulling out his wallet, he tossed some money on the counter before adding their name to the list.
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve got,” stated Tori, waiting for her husband at the door. “See you tomorrow night.”
With that, they headed out.
On the sidewalk, she told him about Bethany making a visit. “She isn't buying it, and neither am I.”
“I’m willing to bet one of my horses that they do research on the people who come in. You know, chat them up, and then Google them. If they find anything, they bring it up.”
“Yep, she’s fishing for information beforehand. Now, we just have to see if they have anything to do with this treasure hunt. They knew about it, and he’s in debt.”
“It bumps them up the suspect list. If Jeffery told them about the treasure, they might kill for it.”
“Yeah, it does,” Tori replied.
As they began their walk back to the car, the text came in.
“It looks like we have our next part of the adventure,” stated Julian. “They found the next artifact and cracked the roses riddle.”
Tori was glad. There was something about all this that was starting to make her feel off balance.
Even she was beginning to want to go home.
* * *
When Beau Christensen landed, he bid farewell to Justin Littlemoon and headed back to his hotel. He knew his mother would be there, waiting for him.
When he arrived, he was surprised to see someone there with her. In fact, he was horrified to see that they had a camera and video recorder.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
Shelby got up from her chair. “Excuse me. This is my son, Beau. He’s Victoria Littlemoon’s brother.”
His stomach dropped.
Those few words were enough to make his entire life flip upside down.
Why would his mother be there telling someone about his sister? He was genuinely confused, hoping it wasn’t what he suspected.
The sleazy looking reporter had him on guard as he eyed him up like he was a tasty tidbit of gossip.
Inside the bedroom, Shelby shut the door and kept her voice low. “What did she say? Did you find her? Where is she?”
All of those questions made him incredibly nervous. He prepared for the worst.
“Tori doesn’t want anything to do with us.”
He opted not to tell her the entire truth. Had she been alone, he would have, but Beau had that sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Did you try hard enough?”
He swallowed. “Mom, I can’t make her talk to you and me. If she doesn’t want us in her life, that’s her business. I think we should head back home and let this go.”
At this point, Beau wanted to make sure his sister was safe. His instinct were screaming. This felt all wrong. In fact, his mother had this wicked glint in her eyes.
“I have a way to ensure you’re taken care of when I’m gone, and a way to pay for my medical bills.”
Beau had been right.
“Mom, what are you doing? Please tell me that you’re not scheming to do something shifty.”
The woman shrugged, running her hands through her gray peppered red hair. “I figured since the media was so into the Littlemoons, I could sell my story to someone and make us some money. It’ll set you up, baby, for when I’m gone. You know I promised to always take care of you. If your sister won’t help us, I will.”
Yeah, he had a problem.
If his mother did this, Tori wouldn’t ever believe that he hadn’t been involved.
Shit!
Shit!
Shit!
“Don’t do this, Mom. Send them away before it’s too late. I don’t want the money, and you don’t need it. You have to stop before someone gets hurt.”
He was thinking about his sister. This was going to make her life hell. Beau just got her back. For the first time in his life, he had a sibling, and this was the last thing that he wanted to do.
Hurting Tori was going to hurt him.
“I already told him about Lawrence and what he did. The truth will come out. We’re getting paid, so it doesn’t matter.”
He didn't want any part of this because it mattered to him. His mother was not the woman she used to be. Dying had made her more vicious.
“Mom…”
“Why don’t you let him interview you? It might make you more money. We can play the ‘lost sibling’ bond angle.”
He wanted to get out of there. “I can’t. I have plans.”
With that, he grabbed his bag and headed out. Beau couldn’t let his sister walk into this unsuspectingly. Outside, he pulled out his phone and made the call. Justin had given him his number in case there was a problem.
If this wasn’t one, he didn't know what was. Beau was struggling not to panic.
“Hey, what’s up?” came the voice over the phone.
“I hate to bother you, but is there any way you can meet me? Something has come up. I have a big problem.”
There was a pause. “Yeah, head to the office. I’m just working on payroll. I can see you.”
His voice said it all. “Thanks, Justin. This is bad. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Unthinkable Games (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 3) Page 28