Missing the Stars: Chandler County

by Melissa Sinclair

  “Why do I feel a but coming?” Cole’s voice was tight. Jessie inched forward on her chair, her eyes following Coop as he paced around the dining room.

  “Race the Stars was snug as can be in his stall when I went to bed, but when I went out to the barn this morning, I discovered he was no longer there, and when I tried getting ahold of JD, he wasn’t answering his calls.”

  “That means Race the Stars went missing some time since last night?” Cole asked.

  “Since eight o’clock, to be precise. That’s when I went through the barn and checked on everyone. I had a horse birth a filly earlier in the day; I wanted to make sure mother and baby were doing fine.”

  “Any chance JD came and took him somewhere to train him? It could be why he isn’t answering his calls.” Her voice sounded hopeful, yet skeptical to her own ears.

  “I don’t think so. Race the Stars seems to have vanished. The trailer we use to transport him is still here. So it would mean that he was transported in some other way.”

  “It wasn’t that long ago that another horse favored to win was stolen for ransom.”

  “Right, Prince Bourbonville. Peyton Crown went missing as well, but Prince and Peyton were taken separately. I don’t think this is the same thing. First off, it can’t be the same people because they were caught and held responsible. Another reason it doesn’t fit is I’ve heard nothing to suggest someone wants money to return Race the Stars, not to mention JD isn’t a good candidate for ransom. I mean, the farm is doing well. I board horses as well, and that more than helps with costs. While JD is a great guy and hard worker, he’s a jockey. I pay him well, and I never got the impression money was important to him.”

  “Money isn’t important to him. To us. Mainly because we both have more than enough money already,” Jessie told them.

  “Ah, yes, trust funds?”

  “I see you’ve done your research.”

  “Another reason that this isn’t a simple case of ransom—if that were the case, they either would have taken the horse and killed JD…” Cole paused when he heard the sharp intake of breath from Jessie. “…paid him to procure the horse or taken him for access to his trust fund—which would be the smarter move considering the size of your trust funds. With two of those scenarios, we would know where he is because contact would have been made by now. Is Race the Stars insured?” Cole was now pacing, and Jessie was getting dizzy again from the effort of watching the two men roam the room like caged lions.

  “Of course. He’s far too valuable to not be insured. I can assure you that I’m not scamming for insurance though. I don’t need the money.” There was no hiding the offended tone.

  “That wasn’t what I was getting at.”

  “Then what were you getting at?”

  “No ransom request is suspicious at best. It would be really hard to sell a horse like yours on the black market, but it could be done. I’m wondering if the horse was taken to sell, with the person taking it realizing you have the horse insured and thinking you would get paid for the loss.”

  “I only get paid if I can produce a horse. There’s no clause for missing racehorses. Only dead ones.”

  “You think JD took the horse to sell it? But why would he do that?”

  “Maybe he owes someone money?” Cole suggested.

  “Like you said, we have trust funds. No way he wouldn’t ask our grandmother or me for money if that were the case.”

  “What if it’s a lot of money?” Cole asked.

  “I could pay as much as your horse is worth.”

  “Race the Stars is an expensive horse,” Coop said gently.

  “And I am a wealthy woman and he is a wealthy man. Trust me when I say I could pay the ransom.”

  “But would you give him the money?” Coop asked.

  “What’s that mean?” she snapped.

  “Nothing. I just got the impression from JD that he hadn’t come into his trust fund fully yet.”

  “He hasn’t. He will in four years. My grandmother and I have control, but he gets a healthy stipend annually.”

  Both men seemed to mull that over and then continued to talk as if she wasn’t in the room.

  “If he wins the derby he’ll be worth even more. Stud fees alone would be unreal. Why not wait until after the race? There would be a bigger payday.”

  “Maybe the person has hopes of racing him? I don’t know.” Cole rubbed his face. “It would be pretty hard to race him without you recognizing him though. He has pretty distinctive markings. It doesn’t make sense to grab him now unless he needed the money desperately. Does your brother have any gambling issues?”

  “No.” Her voice trailed off.

  What would make JD desperate enough to help steal an expensive horse? He wouldn’t. There was no way he would betray Coop; she could tell her brother had finally found something he enjoyed enough to settle down for. The love he felt for Race the Stars was clear in all the conversations they’d ever had. There was only one thing she could think of that could have happened to the horse. JD hid him. A cold sweat broke out over her skin when she thought about the only possible reason JD would have had for hiding the horse. What was worse was she couldn’t tell these two men everything without putting their lives in danger.

  6

  Harrison Black called Cole the human lie detector, for the simple reason that he could tell immediately when someone was lying or holding back pertinent information. Even over the phone, he’d been able to tell Coop was holding back. He just hadn’t guessed the right reason for the lie. Right now, even though she was pretty damn good, he could tell Jessie was holding back something important. It was the way her voice trailed off and the distant look that crossed her face. There was no doubt in his mind the woman had important information to share. The question was what was she holding back and how long would it take for her to trust him enough to tell him? The first question was impossible to know the answer to. The second question would be simpler; it came down to whether or not he could convince her he was there to help and not hinder her search for her brother. Which should be easy enough do to because it was true.

  “I thought we agreed to be honest with one another.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement delivered with an icy bravado he didn’t really feel.

  He had decided to play the tough guy, but he understood her need to protect her family. Cole suspected JD was more than just a brother. Jessie felt responsible for him for some reason, and this was why she was so protective of him. He was also someone who would do anything for Coop, and right now that meant that he needed to find Race the Stars. Unfortunately, he might have to take down her brother, and he didn’t like that at all. The problem was, he couldn’t figure out why it bothered him so much.

  Could it be he was interested in the spitfire of a woman? He’d just met her, which meant he didn’t know her, but he couldn’t say he disliked her. There was something about her that was attractive to him, it would be a lie if he didn’t admit it to himself, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t have time in his life for a woman, especially a woman who lived a strict, scheduled life like she did. Cole was anything but that; he was someone who rushed into gunfights without a second thought because his job called for it and he was damn good at it.

  “What makes you think I’m not being honest?” She crossed her arms and tipped her chin up in a belligerent way.

  “Honey, if there is one thing you—and my brother, for that matter—need to know about me, it’s that you can’t lie or try to pull one over on me.”

  “Is that a challenge?” she asked, eyebrow cocked up.

  “Not at all. It’s a fact. It can’t be done.” They had made their way into the living room again, and he leaned against the mantle of the fireplace and stared at the way here jaw was stubbornly set. “So, why don’t you save us all some time and tell me what caused your body language to scream to me you’re hiding something?”

  “You should probably just tell him what you know. He’s right, I can
’t pull one over on him. Never could. Even on the phone, he knew I wasn’t being honest.” Coop’s voice was annoying, but in a brotherly way. “It’s the sole reason I told him what I did. If I could have hidden my plan to get him home, I would have.”

  Chewing on her bottom lip, she seemed to mull over her options, and he knew the moment she realized she didn’t have much choice but to trust him. Who else was going to help her find her missing brother? Especially at a discounted rate of the family discount?

  “It’s nothing. My brother tends to be a bit wild—reckless, you could say. But he doesn’t have any vices like gambling, drinking, or drugs.”

  “That’s probably true. At least in the time I’ve known him, he hasn’t, and I’ve known him for the better part of two years.”

  “But?” He didn’t spare a glance at his brother, and his eyes drilled into hers as she met him straight on. He had to give her a lot of credit for not withering under his scrutiny. The girl had some brass ones.

  “There is one thing he has a weakness for.”

  “Which would be?” He swore it was like pulling teeth to get her to just say what needed to be said.

  “Our parents.”

  For the first time, he saw her seem to retreat into herself. Even when she nearly fainted outside, which if he was being honest had gut punched him, she had still seemed infallible. It wasn’t only the brother who had a weakness for the parents. Jessie was firmly in the same column. Cole could understand having a weakness when it came to family; in this respect, they were very similar.

  “Why would your parents be a weakness for him?”

  “Our parents died when he was twelve and I was sixteen. But they hadn’t been in the picture for a while before their death. They were constantly off working and I helped my grandmother raise him until he was eighteen.” And he suspected it was why she was so protective of him, but there was something more, something she was holding back. “In many ways, he’s similar to our parents.”

  “How so?”

  “They liked to take unnecessary risks as well.” Yet the daughter didn’t. It made sense now why she was so sensible. It was her rebelling against her parents.

  “I’m still not following you completely on this one.”

  “Our parents were more interested in their jobs than raising us.”

  He didn’t think that statement was entirely accurate, but he let it slide.

  “What kind of jobs did they have?”

  “They worked for the federal government.”

  Cole noticed that she seemed to pause and choose her words carefully as if she was only willing to tell him so much, but she had met her match in holding out for information. He stood patiently waiting, his eyes boring holes into hers until she spoke again.

  “They were special agents with the FBI. They were killed in the line of duty.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Coop said when Cole hesitated.

  “It was a long time ago, but, thank you.”

  “Were they able to bring their killers to justice?” he asked.

  “No.” The response was blunt and to the point. It also was very obvious that she wasn’t willing to talk about the events that led to the death of her parents.

  “I’m very sorry to hear that. Do they know who was responsible?”

  “Yes.” Another short answer with no follow up. The woman was definitely not willing to discuss this subject, which meant there was more to be known on the matter.

  “Your grandmother raised you after they died?”

  “We’d been living with our grandmother before they died. She retained custody. I did my best to be the good influence JD needed. Apparently, I didn’t do a good enough job.”

  “I think you might be wrong on that account.” His voice was barely a whisper of sound, but he knew she heard him. “For what it’s worth, my gut instinct is screaming at me that JD is in danger. It won’t take much to find out if anyone has put feelers out for interested parties to buy a hot racehorse. I called my firm, and they’re on it—so far they haven’t seen any activity, and I don’t think they’ll find anything, because I don’t think JD is trying to sell Race the Stars.”

  “Of course, he isn’t. There's an obvious answer to the location of the horse.”

  “Which is?” Coop asked. “Because I have been trying to figure it out all day and have come up with nothing other than, regretfully, that JD has something to do with it.”

  “Yes, JD has something to do with it, but not in the manner you’re thinking.”

  “Meaning?” Cole thought they were finally getting somewhere.

  “Meaning, I think that he hid Race the Stars to protect the horse.” She held up a hand when both men opened their mouths to speak. “Bear with me a moment. I talk to JD frequently. He loves that horse; he would never—and I mean never—sell him, but he would protect him if he thought someone would use the horse to get to him.”

  “Which means what for us?” Coop was pacing again.

  “It means that we have to think of where he would have hidden the horse to protect it, then we have to protect it. The bigger question is, where is he? Is he also hiding?” The wheels were turning in Cole’s head, but those wheels came to a grinding halt when Jessie spoke.

  “No. He’s not hiding. Someone has him; it’s the only logical reason he hasn’t answered my phone calls.”

  The thought seemed to drain her, and she wandered over to the couch and slumped down, her head in her hands. The rock he’d felt lodged in his throat from the moment he took Coop’s phone call seemed to double in size as he forced himself to ask the next question. He was certain he already knew that she would evade answering him.

  “Why would someone take him? What’s he mixed up in?”

  “He’s not mixed up in anything. JD is a risk-taker, but he’s as straight as they come. He would never do anything that would put his life in jeopardy.”

  “Does his disappearance have anything to do with the case that got your parents killed?”

  “If I had to guess, I would say yes.” Cole was frustrated but tried to be patient.

  “Jessie. I need you to work with us here. If we’re going to find your brother, we need to know what you know.”

  “I don’t know anything that can help us locate him, but I do know we need to find him because time is ticking.”

  “You have to know the details of your parents’ deaths—at least tell us the case that your parents were on when they got killed.”

  “They were undercover, so there isn’t much I can tell you. That’s why we were living with our grandmother. They’d been undercover for a while, and they had promised us after this case they would be home more often.” She sat up and looked him in the eye. “They were trying to infiltrate a major drug network and happened into a bad situation. All I really know is that they were killed, along with two civilians.” Cole’s eyes snapped to Coop’s, and he saw that Coop had picked up on the same thing he had.

  “When did you say they were killed again?” Coop asked.

  “Fourteen years ago.”

  “Where?” Cole asked, the word ground out between clenched teeth. His jaw was closed so tight he worried he would chip a tooth.

  “Outside of Chicago.” She blinked at him, clearly sizing up his reaction.

  “A suburb of Chicago, fourteen years ago?” His jaw was ticking, and his hands felt clammy. He didn’t want to hear the answer, but he needed to all the same.

  “Yes.” Her answer was apprehensive as if she could sense the tension in him but couldn’t ascertain how to approach it.

  Cole pushed off from the fireplace and stormed out the front door; once on the porch, he took in deep laborious breaths of air. He hadn’t felt the anger he felt right then since a hot summer day fourteen years ago, the day his parents had been gunned down. After a minute, Coop followed him onto the porch. Cole knew he had given him a minute to be alone on purpose, just like he knew Coop had needed a minute to assimilate what they’d just hea
rd. Cole had always been the more serious brother—the one who internalized everything. Coop had always worn his emotions on his sleeves. Quietly his brother walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Cole’s muscles shuddered at the contact. Every inch of him was locked and loaded and pissed off.

  “Shit, man. What the hell are the chances?” Coop’s voice sounded miserable, but Cole couldn’t bring himself to look at his brother.

  “I’d say they’re apparently pretty damn good, given the fact we both just heard the same thing.”

  “Cole, I think this is our chance to right this after all these years. I know why you left and I know you weren’t going to come back here until you solved their murders. Maybe this is fate’s way of helping us get you there.”

  “Please tell me you didn’t know. Tell me you didn’t hire JD because of who his parents are.”

  “What? Are you freaking kidding me? How would I have known? That’s seriously insulting, man. I always knew you took on all the guilt blaming yourself for everything, but I didn’t know your ego was so big you would think I would plan this. I hope you realize how screwed up that logic is. You know, they were my parents, too.”

  Coop hopped off the porch, and in a few long strides he was in his car and tearing out of the driveway—to where Cole had no idea. He only knew he had messed up. Again. But right then he didn’t care. Right then he was righteous in his anger, and he would worry about his brother later. After another lungful of air scented with flowers, he headed back through the screen door and crashed right into Jessie. Her arms flailing like a windmill, she tried, unsuccessfully, to maintain her balance. At the last second, Cole grabbed her and pulled her into his chest.

  “Ooof!” Air escaped her lungs as she crashed into him. Heart hammering, he held her much longer than necessary, until finally, she pulled herself out of his arms. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I came to see if you were okay. After you both stormed out of here I was concerned, then I heard the car and wanted to see which one of you spit gravel when you tore out of here. For a second, I thought you’d left me behind.” She tried to chuckle, but it fell flat. She’d been worried he was leaving her there? Alone. He was pissed, but not at her.