Midnight Of No Return (Midnight Blue Beach Book 2)

by Olivia Jaymes

  Just like that, the little man was out of the door without another word. Josh watched as his van disappeared at the end of the driveway before turning back to Willow. She needed him. Clearly trembling by what he’d found, she was simply sitting on the barstool staring at the window.

  “Honey, are you okay? Let’s talk about it.”

  She turned to him then, her gaze stricken. But there was more, she was scared. “How can I not trust anyone? I’ll never look at another human being the same. I’ve always talked to strangers, Josh. I’ve gone out of my way to help old women cross the damn street but now how do I know if they want something from me? And for the love of God, what do they want? They’re the ones with the secrets, not me.”

  It wasn’t the best time to bring it up but it had to be done. She was already upset and shaking like a Chihuahua so unless she fainted or puked it couldn’t get much worse.

  Josh slid the file folder closer to Willow. “Maybe it’s time to see what propaganda Archer Caldwell wants us to know. Let’s see what wild goose chase he wants to send us on.”

  Sucking in a breath, Willow bravely nodded.

  “How bad could it be? At one point I thought Alex was a murderer. But first, I’m going to fix us a drink. I don’t care that it’s the middle of the day.”

  Was there anything worse than a killer for a husband? They were about to find out.

  Willow set two highball glasses and a bottle of Jameson’s on the kitchen table where Josh had settled. He’d lifted his eyebrow when he saw she was serious about the drink but he didn’t say a word.

  “When you find out that creepy people are listening and watching your life like a twisted Truman Show, I think you deserve a drink. Or three.”

  “I think you’re right,” he agreed. Calm as usual. She was freaking out but then she was the one they’d seen naked. Not that several citizens hadn’t seen her unclothed before she met Alex. They had and she wasn’t ashamed of what she’d done. But she’d done it willingly. Frankly, this was something entirely different.

  “I feel violated,” she blurted. “Like I need to scrub myself fifty times in the shower.”

  Josh opened the bottle and poured each of them a generous shot. “You aren’t the one who is dirty, honey. They are. They’re the ones who should be ashamed of themselves. You’re innocent.”

  That made her laugh and soon hysterical giggles had given her the hiccups. She had to get a glass of water from the sink and gulp it until they went away.

  “I never realized I was so damn funny. Want to share?”

  She flopped back into the chair, a smile still on her face. “It’s been years since anyone has described me as innocent. I’m not sure I even remember that time in my life. So thanks for the laugh, I needed it.”

  “You’re welcome.” Josh was watching her closely, probably waiting for her to faint or cry. She was long past that. “You know, we can do this another time. We don’t have to look at this now. You could lie down for a while or we could take the dogs for a walk.”

  Both of those ideas sounded infinitely better than what they were about to do but sometimes a woman had to buckle down and do things that weren’t pleasant. Today was one of those rotten, lousy days. Better to get it all over with and then move on to better things.

  “Let’s do this and then take the dogs for a walk. Or better yet, since it’s so hot, let’s take them into the pool. They love to swim.”

  And it would distract her.

  Josh’s hand was splayed on top of the file. “Do you want to do the honors? This file belongs to you.”

  “And Bailey and Peyton. But let’s not kid ourselves that it’s real. It’s probably a bunch of falsehoods created by Evandria.”

  She flipped open the folder. There were three stapled sections. One for each husband, she presumed. Alex was on top and she set that aside, picking up Frank’s and handing it to Josh.

  “I’ll work on Alex while you read through this.”

  At first, Alex’s file was fairly boring. He was recruited at eighteen and agreed to work in the Environmental Unit, promoting responsible use of natural resources.

  Since when had Alex given a furry rat’s ass about the environment? She didn’t think he even knew there was an Earth Day once a year. He didn’t even like to be outdoors. He had a massive garage full of gas guzzling cars that emitted carbon monoxide and she knew that wasn’t healthy. This had to be a cover on Evandria’s part. Whatever he’d actually volunteered for, they didn’t want her to know.

  His unit director was one Bernard Baldwin, a man Willow had met many times. CEO of an oil company, he threw lavish parties on his private island. And this was who Evandria put in charge of the environment? No conflict of interest there.

  Alex had paid his dues each year without fail.

  He’d also been called in front of Evandria’s disciplinary board a over a dozen times for alcohol and drug abuse plus “conduct in conflict with the organization’s values.” Whatever that meant. Willow was pretty certain it meant all the whoring Alex had done. He liked them young, big-boobed, and to disappear before morning. He wasn’t the cuddle and make them breakfast type.

  He’d tried to keep that part of his life out of Willow’s face but every now and then it bled over and she’d see just how far her knight in shining armor had fallen. He’d beg for forgiveness and for some stupid reason she’d give it. He’d seemed so helpless at those moments, like a scared child. She’d seen the fear in his eyes and it was more than just about her leaving. He’d lived his entire life terrified of something. Maybe growing up? Being an adult? Commitment? Evandria? She didn’t know the answer but it had tortured him for years, unrelenting until the day he died.

  Turning the page, she found a long list of fines he’d incurred. Alex wasn’t much of a rule follower so that wasn’t a surprise. The next page detailed his assets and she was surprised to see a trust she hadn’t known existed. All assets within had been left to Evandria on his death. They were welcome to it. He’d left her filthy rich, a state which hadn’t gone unnoticed in the community. They hadn’t much liked how she’d come about her money. Too bad she didn’t care what they thought.

  The last few pages were medical reports of some sort and her heart skipped a beat as she quickly scanned the forms, thinking Alex might have been ill. That would be a very legitimate reason to act out.

  Her trembling fingers skated along the page and flipped to the next form, and then the third. Acid rose in her throat and it was only by sheer will that she didn’t lose what little she had in her stomach. She must have made a sound because Josh had abandoned his own pile of papers and was looking at her.

  “Did you find something?”

  Swallowing hard, she pressed her palms to the cool oak of the table. She’d known she would find out things about Alex but she’d never imagined something like this. She pushed the forms closer to Josh and sat back in her chair as he read through them, his expression changing from curious to anger. She just might see Josh pissed off.

  “I have to tell you I didn’t like your late husband before this but now I really think he’s scum.” Josh flipped the pages shut. “I take it you knew nothing of this.”

  She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry so she did a little of both. “Are you asking whether I knew that Alex had a half-brother the family didn’t acknowledge? The answer would be a resounding no. I had no idea. His father was a real piece of work though so I can’t say that I’m shocked.”

  Josh gulped down his whiskey and she did the same, feeling the burn all the way to her belly. “These forms look legit. There are lab tests that prove paternity. I wonder if this guy ever received any money from the father?”

  She refilled their glasses. “From what I’ve seen with that family, I doubt it. Poor kid. Alex shouldn’t have inherited everything. Now I have what’s his. I should share some of this with this kid.”

  Josh held up his hands. “Now hold on. First of all, he’s not a kid anymore. He’s around your a
ge so he’s a grown adult who for whatever reason never went after Alex’s dad for money. Hell, Willow, he might not even know who his real father is. This paternity test was done at birth, honey. He might have no idea. Secondly, remember Archer Caldwell. He wants you to go down this rabbit hole. We don’t even know if any of this is true. Smoke and mirrors. Don’t be fooled. This guy might not even really exist.”

  She massaged her temples and nodded. “You’re right. Caldwell wants us to head in another direction. It’s been years so I guess this can wait until later. Nothing is going to change between now and then.”

  She hoped.

  “Anything interesting in Frank’s file?”

  Josh shook his head. “Not really. Frank was recruited to the Financial Division and his director was Nigel Holmwood, but we knew that. Bailey is looking for him. Nothing disciplinary. He paid his dues every year and left part of his estate to Evandria. This part is kind of interesting. Frank’s family built their fortune bootlegging, a little fact they’ve spent the last hundred years or so covering up. Their story is they made their money in cattle and lumber.”

  “That’s it?” Willow asked. “Just some bootlegging? Did they work with Capone or something?”

  Josh tossed the papers aside and reached for Greg’s set. “It doesn’t say so but I doubt it. If they had that kind of dirt, I think they’d put it in the file. Assuming any of this is real, of course.”

  Josh scanned Greg’s papers. “Political division. His director was Darius Cameron. Why does that name sound familiar?”

  “You don’t follow politics, do you?”

  Making a face of disgust, Josh shook his head. “Honestly it makes my blood pressure go up. So much stupidity and not a lick of common sense.”

  That was true. “Darius Cameron used to be a senator and then the Secretary of State. I think he’s one of those television news commentators now. They bring them on during conflicts or scandals.”

  Josh whistled. “Guy Eckley wasn’t kidding when he said that Evandria had infiltrated the government and the financial markets. Its members are some heavy hitters.”

  “What else is there?”

  Josh turned the page. “Greg has a long list of disciplinary actions. Gambling, women, and alcohol. Wow, this list is long. I can’t believe he didn’t get kicked out.”

  Willow shrugged. “If they kicked out every horndog and boozer they might not have too many members left. Is that all?”

  Checking the last page, Josh stiffened next to Willow. He’d gone quiet. Too quiet. In the time he was taking to answer her question, he could have read the page several times.

  “Josh?” Willow prompted. “What are you seeing?”

  “It’s probably all a lie.”

  Hopefully all of this was but there might be a grain of truth in these files. “What did Greg do?”

  Josh pushed the stack of papers toward Willow, but kept his hand on it so she couldn’t pick it up and look. “Before you look, you need to know that this is something we are going to have to look into. We have to know what to tell Peyton.”

  Archer Caldwell wasn’t stupid. Not by a long shot. He had them running in circles, chasing their tails.

  “Let me see it.”

  He removed his hand and sat back while she turned to the last page.

  Wife.

  Kids.

  Willow’s heart hurt for Peyton. They’d all known what their husbands were but this was the kind of secret that could rip someone’s world to shreds.

  “He had another wife,” Willow said shakily. “And two kids. Jesus, how are we going to tell Peyton this? He was an asshole and she knew that but this is a whole different league of jerk. He not only had secrets, he had a secret life.”

  If it was even true.

  “Damn you, Caldwell,” Willow bit out between clenched teeth. “Damn you to hell if you’re lying to us. There won’t be a safe place in the world for you to hide from me.”

  Chapter Seven

  Willow had been dreading this call all day. She’d put it off as long as she could but when Bailey and Chase called her and Josh, there was no delaying any longer.

  “They found listening devices and cameras in all of our homes,” Willow said, sitting next to Josh on the patio as they spoke to their friends. “They’re clean for now but we need to be careful as to who or what we let into our house. Packages, friends, really anything could potentially bring them back in.”

  “Are you as creeped out as I am?” Bailey asked, a shudder in her voice. “I lead the most boring life on the planet. Why would they care about what I do?”

  “I’ve been asking myself that very question all day.”

  Josh leaned forward to speak into the phone. “I believe Evandria is all about having information. They collect it all, the trivial and the critical. Having it is the asset.”

  “Still creepy,” Bailey said. “I’ll have to tell Peyton when she wakes up. There’s a good chance that might be tonight or tomorrow. She was moving her hands and legs today and muttering in her sleep. The doctor said that’s a sign that it will be any time now.”

  A weight that Willow hadn’t even known she’d been carrying around seemed to fall from her shoulders. “That’s the most amazing news. I can’t wait to talk to her.”

  Josh elbowed Willow gently and she nodded. She knew what he was trying to tell her.

  “There’s something else we’ll have to tell her as well.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I told you what was in Frank and Alex’s files but I didn’t say what was in Greg’s.”

  A sigh on the other end of the phone. “She knew about the affairs. She knew he was a womanizer who drank and gambled too much.”

  This entire situation sucked.

  “He had another wife. Another family.”

  Silence.

  Then rustling in the background.

  “Willow, are you there?” Chase asked. He must have taken the phone from Bailey or maybe she’d given it to him.

  “I’m here. Is Bailey okay?”

  “She’s fine,” Chase assured her. “She just needed to sit down for a minute. I think I need to ask for a clarification. You’re saying that Greg, Peyton’s husband, had another wife?”

  “Yes, and two children.”

  “Children? You’re sure?” pressed Chase.

  Josh held out his hand for the phone and Willow gave it to him gratefully.

  “Chase? It’s Josh. No, we’re not sure of anything in those files. I wouldn’t put it past Archer Caldwell to fabricate all this crap to send us on a wild goose chase. It’s clear to me that they don’t want us digging around. That’s why they’ve invited us for the weekend. They want to keep an eye on us.”

  “This is a bunch of shit,” Chase ground out. “The files have important information. If they’re true. But we don’t know if they’re true unless we investigate. He’s got us over a goddamn barrel.”

  “He does,” Josh agreed. “Listen, we’re going to continue here as if these files don’t exist. This weekend when we’re at The Retreat I’m going to try and get some real information about the men. These people were their friends supposedly. Someone must know something.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” Chase said. “We can’t let them divert our attention from where it needs to be.”

  “Exactly. Before we let you go, I wanted to ask you about Nigel Holmwood. Any leads on his whereabouts yet?”

  “None. He’s not answering his calls, his emails, and even his assistant isn’t answering the phone. Unless we hop a jet to London, I’m afraid we’ve hit a dead end on that.”

  Another one.

  “Do you think your friend Daniel Ford can get you in to talk to Darius Cameron? He was Greg’s division director.”

  “Darius Cameron? The former Secretary of State? Are you joking?”

  Josh grinned at Willow. “Apparently I’m not. I didn’t recall Cameron’s name until Willow reminded me. If we can’t get to him, then that’s
okay. He may not even know Greg. This file could be all fantasy.”

  For Peyton’s sake, Willow hoped it was.

  “I’ll see what I can do.” Chase sounded dubious. “We’ll look him up. He retired from the public eye a few years ago.”

  “Thanks. Call us if Peyton wakes up.”

  “Will do.”

  Josh hung up and handed the phone back to Willow.

  “How about that swim? After that call, I think we need to relax a little.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. I’ll change into my suit.”

  Josh gently captured her wrist before she could escape upstairs. “Then we’ll need to sit down and decide where we go from here. The list is long and we need to prioritize.”

  Willow wrinkled her nose. “Remind me to kick Archer Caldwell right in the balls next time we see him.”

  Josh laughed, his blue eyes alight with mirth. “I’ll make a note of that.”

  “I’m serious. That man just made our lives exponentially more difficult and he did it on purpose. He’s not trying to help us, I know that for sure.”

  But he knew what he was doing. Willow wanted to know if the information in that file was the truth. That’s what he’d been counting on.

  Josh dove in the deep end and swam to the other side where Willow was sitting on the pool steps with a dog on each side. She didn’t actually do much “swimming”, instead floating around, throwing a small football for the dogs to retrieve, then retiring to sit in the waist-high water while he swam laps.

  The physical exertion was something he’d sorely needed, not just his body but his mind as well. He was thinking and then over-thinking, making himself crazy. This was simpler, more straightforward. Move. Kick. Glide through the water. It was basic and his brain could quiet down and take a rest.

  “You’re making me tired,” Willow said, sipping at her water bottle. “I thought you wanted to talk.”

  “After we swam. Looks like I’m done, and the dogs are finished. What about you?”

  “I’m not a strong swimmer. I can dog paddle but that’s about it.”