Michael nodded. “Right next to the dead body. I made an anonymous call to the police.”
“Not before you took some of the money though, right?”
“What was the dead guy going to do with it? He couldn’t spend it,” Michael said.
“How much was there?” Nathan asked.
“I don’t know how much, but it was a pile of it that was painted. I didn’t stick around in case the killer decided to return and finish him off with that knife sticking out of his heart.”
“Knife?” Nathan asked. “There wasn’t a murder weapon left behind.”
Michael wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I saw it with my own two eyes. It was one of those hunting knives, like in the window over at Carver’s Outdoor store.”
“That should be easy for you to check if you call the medical examiner. He can probably tell you exactly how Herbert died and they’ll be happy to hear that you got your evidence back and added to it.”
Nathan took my arm and led me to the other side of the room. “And exactly how am I supposed to explain that I caught the guy and then let him go?”
“You could say you found it. That’s not lying. We did find it.”
Nathan pointed at Michael. “Don’t leave town. I’ll have some more questions tomorrow for you.”
Michael crossed the room to Mary and picked her up, kissing her head. “I wouldn’t leave my family.”
“Come on, take me home,” I said, guiding Nathan to the stairs. I glanced back one last time. My heart ached to help these people. In that moment, nothing else mattered.
Nathan
Chapter 19
“You could have gotten hurt going into a basement when you had no idea what was down there,” Nathan called into the bathroom where Cassie was getting ready for bed.
His heart had jumped out of his chest when she disappeared into the darkness. Any number of things could have happened to her.
“There were hungry kids down there. What did you expect me to do?” she asked.
Nathan rested his hands behind his head and let out a hefty sigh. “Be more vigilant, and start thinking about your own safety.”
Cassie stepped out of the bathroom and turned off the light. She was wearing a pair of boy shorts and a tank top that left little to the imagination, and he hardened instantly. Sleeping with her in the horse stall seemed like months ago, and he was hungry for more.
“I can take care of myself, Nathan, or did you forget that I track criminals for a living?”
Nathan reached for her as she climbed onto the bed. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a heated kiss.
She moaned against his lips as she leaned over him. She broke the kiss, determination and fire flickering in her eyes. “I’m going to help those people.”
“I believe you,” he whispered.
She gave a hard nod before she kissed him again. Nathan rolled until he had her beneath him. He took his time, devouring her and showing her new heights until she lay in a heap of boneless bliss, sound asleep in his arms.
****
The sun was streaming through the windows into the room. The warmth of the rays woke Nathan from a sound sleep. He glanced to the bed next to him to find Cassie already gone. Scrubbing his hand down his face, he tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. After tugging on some jeans, he walked to the window to find his dad and Cassie standing around the new oil rig.
A smile formed at the corner of his mouth. Cassie was clapping and jumping up and down and had thrown her arms around Nathan’s dad’s neck. “I guess they struck black gold.”
“It’s a gusher too,” Mildred said from the doorway as she stepped in and placed some clean clothes on the dresser. “Your Cassie sure is talented, but not as smart as I’d thought.”
Nathan’s brows dipped as he turned to Mildred. “Oh, she’s plenty smart. She just has her own agenda, but what makes you say that?”
“She could be a millionaire. Heck knows your daddy was trying to give her part of the find.”
“She deserves it,” Nathan offered. “Dad wouldn’t have known to drill there if it wasn’t for her.”
“I agree,” Mildred said. “That’s why I don’t understand it. Cassie wasn’t interested in money in her bank account. She said she already has enough.”
“If she didn’t want money, what did she agree to?”
Mildred shrugged. “That’s between her and your daddy. Now wash up. Cassie told me you’re taking her to town later.”
“Oh, did she now?” Nathan asked, putting away the clean clothes.
“Something about a map and the property appraiser’s office.”
Nathan’s smile grew. “Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? They have maps of the entire town. If there’s any more heist money, she’ll find it.”
“That’s what she said,” Mildred said as she left the room after grabbing a hamper full of towels from the closet. “I’ll go heat up your breakfast.”
Mildred disappeared while Nathan brushed his teeth and got ready for the day. After jogging down the stairs, he ate and headed out onto the porch where Clayton was sitting.
“About time you woke up,” Clayton said. “She’s been waiting on you all morning, but judging by her squeals out there, I’d say they struck gold.”
“Probably made her a millionaire.”
“She’s already one. Her entire family is,” Clayton said, chuckling as he rose from his seat. “She’s like the rest of her sisters. She’s got the looks, the heart, and the bank account. And that one isn’t naïve either. She’s a keeper, Special Agent Murray.”
That she was. Nathan’s stomach clenched at the memory of almost losing her and the way she’d walked right into what could have been a disastrous situation the previous night. It was like she didn’t have a care for her own safety.
Clayton left, claiming he’d be back. He’d promised Amanda a ride into town like she was royalty. He’d lost in a hand of poker.
“Why so glum?” Cassie asked as she jogged over to the porch.
“Looks like you and dad are business partners,” Nathan said, gesturing to his father in the field with a couple of guys working the equipment.
“He tried to give me half, but I didn’t want it. I wanted something else. He told me I was a fool for not taking it all.”
“What was it you wanted?” Nathan asked.
“You’ll see.” She gave him a wide smile, and her eyes twinkled with mischief. “You ready to go? I thought we could run by the appraiser’s office and, later this evening, maybe we can take those people some more food and supplies.”
Nathan kissed her temple and took her hand, leading her to the car. “You have a heart of gold.”
“Helping people makes me feel good,” she said beneath her breath, almost as if she were ashamed of it.
Chapter 20
Nathan’s dad tried to convince me that I’d gotten the short end of the stick from the new oil find, but he’d been wrong. When I told him why I wanted what I asked for, I think he finally understood, even if he still thought I deserved more. I didn’t.
Nathan parked outside the property appraiser, and within minutes and a couple flashes of his badge, we were settled in a conference room with a plot map of the entire territory, which had streets and addresses for each home.
He stood out of the way while I did my thing using my crystal. I narrowed it down by going over each section, looking for the strongest vibration and arc swing until I was happy. I hunkered over the section and took a deep calming breath, letting the crystal guide me as I asked the questions in my head.
It landed with a thud on the tabletop, Nathan and I leaned over the map looking for the address.
“528 Sycamore Road. You know anyone that lives there?”
Nathan shook his head. “Not yet, but I will.”
We left the property office.
“Can we stop and get some food for those people?”
“If we show up at the library, workers mi
ght be suspicious why we’re there and putting food in their shelter. We might get them in trouble.”
I sat back in my seat with a huff. “We have to do something.”
He let out a hefty sigh and did a U-turn back in the direction of the fast food places. He ordered for everyone in the basement before we stopped and picked up several boxes of donuts. “What are those for?”
“Aida Mae runs the library. She loves me. I’m going to park around back and take the donuts in while you quickly unload the food. You have to be quick, though, so no one sees you.”
Nathan’s plan worked like a charm. I startled the people in the shelter for a second when I opened the doors, but that startle quickly turned into relief while Michael and the pastor helped me carry the food. I checked on Mary, and her fever had almost disappeared.
I was waiting in the truck when Nathan returned. “Worked like a charm.”
“Looks like it,” I said, leaning over to wipe the powdered sugar from his face.
“Everyone still okay down there?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “I just wish they didn’t have to live in a dark hole and hide from the world, but I get it.”
Nathan started the truck and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I promise I’ll tell Mildred, and she’ll help when we leave. She cooks enough for an army. I’m sure she’ll take care of everything, and I’ll look into whatever company is coming in here trying to buy up the land. They’ll be all right. We’ll make sure of it.”
Mildred wouldn’t need to take care of them, not when my plans were taking shape, not that Nathan needed to know. I wasn’t a hundred percent certain that he’d agree with what I had up my sleeve.
We turned down Sycamore Road and passed the address once before circling around and parking a few houses away. Our attempt to look inconspicuous died. A knock on my window made me jump, and my heart raced.
A little old lady with a German shepherd on a leash stood outside the window.
“Crap,” Nathan whispered beneath his breath while I rolled the window down.
“Nathan Murray, I thought that was you.”
“Mrs. Beatrice, it’s good to see you.”
“It’s been a long time since you used to cut my grass,” she said. “Is this your girlfriend that I’ve heard about?”
“Yes, Mrs. Beatrice, meet Cassie.”
“It’s a pleasure, dear.” She farther into the truck. “I’m head of the neighborhood watch, Nathan, so I check out suspicious people. What are you two doing sitting out here?”
“Nathan is just showing me around town. I told him I might move here, and he’s explaining the subdivisions where the good places to live are, in the event I decide to start house hunting.”
“Oh, dear, you’d love it here. My neighborhood is kind of quiet. Not much happens around these parts. We’ve already scared off the troublemakers.”
Nathan shook his head. “I hope you went about it legally, Mrs. B.”
A sly smile slid onto the woman’s face. “It’s not illegal to get a suntan, is it? I was wearing a little slip of a bathing suit.”
Laughter erupted from my lips, and my hand flew to cover it.
“No, Mrs. B, I guess it’s not. I’m sure you’ll see Cassie and me again on the street when it turns a little darker. So, just know that we aren’t out making trouble.”
“Okay, dear. I’m on duty tonight, and I live right there, just in case you’ve been gone so long that you forgot.” She pointed to the house up the block. “I’ll make sure that we don’t call the law on you.”
“That would be appreciated, Mrs. B.”
“Anytime, dear.” She whistled as she walked off.
I rolled up my window. “She’s a character.”
“She was one of my eighth-grade teachers.” Nathan chuckled. “Whoever lives there is probably working. How about we come back when we have a little bit more cover. Otherwise, everyone on the road is going to come out and talk to us, and we’ll lose the element of surprise.”
“Wouldn’t a simple phone call into the FBI give you the name of who lives there?”
“Sure. But then when I called how I lost the evidence; I was told I was off the case. If I call this in, they’ll know I didn’t follow orders and I’ll probably be in worse trouble.”
“Aren’t you dying to look around? A portion of that money is around there somewhere. Why didn’t you just ask Mrs. Beatrice who lives there? It sounds like that woman would know everyone and everything that happens on these streets.”
“I didn’t want to tip our hand and give the residents time to pack up and run. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet. For all we know, the thieves could have buried it on the property and are coming back to it in a few years when it’s not as hot. We don’t even know if the homeowners know that it’s on the property.”
“True. It would be rude to bust through the door and have to witness two old people getting busy.”
“Blinding, not rude, Cassie.” Nathan chuckled and started the truck.
We knew where it was now, so the waiting was going to be the hardest part. I pulled out my phone and did a search for the address and paid the extra fees for the owner leaving the FBI out of the equation.
“Gentry Holmes mean anything to you?”
“He’s the developer that built all of these houses. I doubt he’s living in one.”
“He’s coming up as the owner,” I said and turned my phone to show him.
“A couple hours of waiting isn’t going to kill us,” he teased. “We can run some errands and check on how Amanda’s getting things set up in the stall for the competition. She always gets nervous.”
“Okay.”
Nathan drove down the street. I couldn’t help but look back. My stomach was twisting in knots, too, and not from the competition. A sliver of apprehension mixed with worry slid down my spine. Even though I knew I’d be safe with Nathan. I couldn’t help but worry that we’d run smack-dab into the person who’d pulled the trigger and killed his mother.
If it were my mother, I wouldn’t be able to stop from taking matters into my own hands, and something told me that there was no way that Nathan would listen to reason. There wasn’t a reason strong enough not to take revenge.
I’d keep my fingers crossed that we’d find some old folks living there and the money just being stashed somewhere nearby or in the floorboards.
When we arrived at the competition site, everything and everyone was bustling. “They’re busy.”
“With the competitions tomorrow, it’s no wonder. They’re running out of time to double and triple check things. I would introduce you around, but they might get annoyed that we’re getting in their way.”
I chuckled, and we headed to the stall where Nathan and I had given in to our simmering sexual tension. Heat climbed into my cheeks as I stared down into the space. Nathan rested his arms across the stall door and rubbed Obi-Wan’s nose.
Nathan leaned in to whisper into my ear. “Are you thinking the same thing I’m thinking?”
I licked my lips as I met his gaze. “I don’t think Obi-Wan would like it if we tried to share his stall.”
Amanda, Marty, and Pete, one of the roughnecks, were headed in our direction. Amanda stopped in front of us and opened the stall doors. Pete took Obi-Wan by the reins and led him outside.
“What are you two doing here?” Amanda asked.
Marty lifted his thumb over his shoulder. “Amanda, I’m just going to go…I’ll see if you’re around later.”
Amanda’s cheeks tinted a pretty pink color that I’m not even sure Nathan recognized. It was so obvious those two had a thing for each other.
“We were checking out an address, but no one was home, so we came to see you,” Nathan answered. “How are you holding up?”
“Pete is taking Obi-Wan for a trip around the course to break him in. I was just double-checking I have my saddle and the supplies I need.”
“Well, we’ll just get out of your way,�
� I said, slipping my palm into the crook of Nathan’s elbow.
“I missed the competition in New Orleans, but I could stick around if you want me to give you some tips,” Nathan offered.
Amanda’s checks tinted more as she glanced in the direction Marty had gone. I followed her gaze and spotted him inside one of the stalls, sticking his head out to see if we were still there.
“Come on, Nathan, you’re probably rattling her nerves more than you know. We can see her at dinner.”
“Actually, I’m eating out with friends and then we’re going dancing, but we can have breakfast together.”
Nathan pulled me to a stop. “You shouldn’t go out the night before. You need your rest.”
“Okay, dad,” I teased. “This isn’t her first rodeo. She’s got this under control.”
“Cassie’s right. I do,” Amanda said, making a shooing motion with her hands.
I led Nathan away, even though he stopped twice and I had to pull to keep him walking. He was finally settled in the truck, and we were now halfway back to his house,
“You like Marty, right?” I asked.
“Sure, he’s a good kid. Nothing like how John was growing up. Marty is more of a nerd. He’s the type of kid that’s going to figure out how to make his horse go faster by studying aerodynamics and statistics and crap.”
I grinned. “So, he’s a smart one.”
“You can say that again.”
“That’s good.”
“Why the sudden interest in Marty?” Nathan asked.
“Because I’m pretty sure he’s dating your sister and they’re seriously into each other.”
Nathan glanced in my direction, and his mouth was parted. “You got all that out of seeing the kid twice?”
“Something like that. Just call it woman’s intuition.”
“I’m going to kill the kid,” he said.
“No, you’re not,” I teased.
“I’m going to arrest him on suspicion of something,” Nathan growled.
“Having a crush on your sister isn’t illegal.” I chuckled.
Pay Dirt (Bennett Dynasty Book 2) Page 9