Truth Is Found (4 page)

“I’ll handle it after this case. I don’t want to leave right now, but we can’t back out. The owner of the vineyard wasn’t willing to compromise. I offered the retainer back, but they heard we were the best.”

The team knew he wouldn’t do that to them on purpose. Leaving Justin there in charge was a risk.

“While we’re gone, I need everyone to keep an eye on him. If he looks like he’s going south, someone call me.”

They all nodded.

“If he starts drinking…”

No one needed to hear the rest.

They were already aware that Justin and booze were a bad combo. It intensified the anger, making him dangerous. That was a road that they didn't plan on heading down.

Not now.

Not ever.

As of yet, he was okay.

Christina rubbed her hand over her belly. “You said that this vineyard got a referral. Have we run everyone? I know how you like to be prepared. I can do it if you like.”

Julian closed up his file. “Daniel Nelms said it was a woman named Nyx Nightingale. I did a quick search on her, but she didn't pop. She’s never called us or had contact with our office either. When I did the basic criminal background check, she was clean. I’m really at a loss.”

Christina began typing again, her fingers flying over the tablet’s keys.

Tori thought about it. “Maybe she saw us on the news. God knows we’ve been plastered on every TV and in every paper. Chester Lamont was on the news talking about us solving the murder of his brother.”

Yeah, they saw that.

“Apparently, he told them all the gruesome details, and it sensationalized the whole thing.”

Julian was still pissed about that. They asked, no, begged him to keep the details out of the press. Only, he wanted attention to recoup some of his money. Since he couldn’t keep the gold, he had to make the bucks somehow.

It was on their backs.

When you found gold, dealt with a pirate mystery, and a slew of deaths, something was bound to get attention.

“The
‘Killing House Crimes’
was one to never forget,” Beckett muttered. The only good thing about it was that he found a fiancée.

Never mind that Claire nearly died at the hands of a nutjob. He was still trying to forget that detail.

It wasn’t easy.

“Well, maybe she saw us online and recommended the team,” Kane offered.

Christina started laughing.

It started low and got wilder.

As they all watched her, she couldn’t help herself. When the boss man got wind of what she found, he was going to go nuts.

“You said you ran her, right?” she asked, between fits of giggles.

Julian nodded. “Yeah, I did.”

“What did you run her through?”

He shrugged. “DMV and arrest records. Why?”

Julian didn't like the way his employee was amused by this. He knew Christina, and she was entertained by the oddest things. Generally, if she found it funny…

It wasn’t.

Well, not to him.

She’d worked under Elizabeth Blackhawk in the FBI. They were a strange bunch, and the oddest things tickled their fancy. By odd, he meant dangerous.

Skinned corpses.

Shooting killers.

It was always a questionable mess.

“Did you Google her?” Christina asked, calming down. She was borderline ready to pee her pants, thanks to the baby bouncing on her bladder. Once her boss saw what she’d dug up, she might just do that too.

“No. I figured a visual and then the police records were sufficient.”

“Did you run a search with her name and businesses?”

He crossed his arms. “Why the hell would I do that? Christina, just tell me what you found. I don’t have the patience for this today.”

Kane kicked her under the table.

Work was tense enough.

They didn't need Julian following Justin off the calm trail and into the bedlam too.

Tori was pretty sure she got what Christina was alluding to, so she took over. She’d worked as a Fed, and when you ran someone, you had to do a deep search. If, by some chance, you didn't and Elizabeth Blackhawk found out, you were eating boot leather--after she jammed it into your colon.

“I think I understand what’s amusing Christina.”

“Well, I don’t get what’s funny,” he stated.

Christina sent the picture of the woman to the wall. It was her driver’s license. They all studied it on the screen.

Still, Julian didn't find anything amusing.

“Wow!” muttered Beau, checking the woman out. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had black hair cut sharply to frame her face. It set off her really deep aqua eyes. They seemed to stare right through him.

Immediately, his heart began racing.

Maybe he’d been out of the dating scene for a while, but this woman drove up the heat index in the room for him.

Tori glanced over at her brother and noticed he was flushed.

She rolled her eyes.

“Down boy. Get the hormones in check.”

Beau couldn’t help it.

There was this feeling brewing in the pit of his stomach. It hadn’t been there for a long time. This stranger stirred it up in him, and he couldn’t help his reaction.

She was enthralling.

“Please tell me she’s going to be someone we run into on this case,” Beau stated, garnering glances from everyone at the table.

Even Julian lifted a brow.

This was new. Normally, Beau was pretty quiet.

“I’d pretty much bet she’s going to be all over this one,” Christina stated.

When Julian gave her the look, she wrapped the surprise up. She didn't want to push him too far.

“Here,” Christina said, clicking on some of the keys on her tablet. It immediately began opening a link. She was getting excited to drop this one on Julian.

It was funnier than hell.

She watched it open.

“What they heck? ‘
Shopping for Fate’
?” Julian muttered, reading the name.

When he didn't get it, it was time to point out the details. Christina grinned wickedly as she enlarged the font beneath the store name. “That’s one hell of a business name, huh? Wait until you get a load of this.”

      ‘Psychic readings by Nyx Nightingale.’

You could tell when the boss man saw it.

Julian started choking on his coffee. Everyone else in the room began laughing. Here, he was trying to avoid anything woo-woo and psychic, and instead he’d fallen back down that rabbit hole.

“Son of a bitch! You have to be kidding me!” he blurted.

There was no way they’d been screwed again. The harder he tried, the worse it was. Fate was jacking with him. There was no other way to explain it.

What was it with his team?

Could they not avoid the crazy and weird?

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Tori offered. She could hear Bethany humming in her ear, trying to get her attention, but she shut her down. “So? A psychic recommended us. It could be nothing more than a coincidence.”

Julian closed his eyes, knowing that was total bullshit.

“This is going to be bad.”

No one questioned him.

Fate was a mean, nasty bitch.

CHAPTER Two

Two Hours Later

All the way to the winery, Julian was in a cranky mood. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck playing with the dead again. While they had no proof that that was going to be the case, he’d learned that psychics brought trouble--
the kind they wanted nothing to do with--
ever
!

Look at his wife.

She was an unwilling medium to a hundred and seventeen year old dead girl. They just couldn’t seem to get the ghosts to leave them alone. With the last case, Tori had to play with six dead victims who needed their help.

It wore her down and put her life in danger.

That was the breaking point for him.

How could he not be stirred up?

What good husband wouldn’t be?

Now Julian had to worry that they were going to have a repeat performance of the incident.

It wasn’t that the whole ‘ghost’ thing creeped him out. As a Native, he’d learned to respect the dead. His ancestors were all around them, and he knew it. What was really stuck in his craw was that they had no control of the situation. Julian liked driving the bus.

Now, he had no say.

Plus, truth be told, he was concerned for Tori.

After all, he’d nearly lost her.

And his child.

No, this made him edgy, and he couldn’t help but be freaked out. What made it worse was that his wife didn't seem to care in the least.

At one point, something like this would have stirred her up, and she would have rallied against it.

Now she was accepting it without batting an eyelash.

That irritated him. Julian wanted his sensible, concerned wife back. She was safe, and he liked that best.

Instead, they were in the car together, and she was reading the file, minding her own business as the tree-lined road blew by. It was like she’d forgotten the whole ‘psychic’ thing.

Well, he hadn’t.

Obviously, he was the only sane one in the bunch. Even Beau had been calm when they pulled out of the agency parking lot.

It just wasn’t right.

The calmer they were, the more irrational he was becoming. He couldn’t help it. Their lives had been turned upside down, and he was waiting for the second shoe to drop.

Julian Littlemoon was no fool.

He knew it was coming.

Paranoia by proxy was what he was calling it. They were way too laid back for all of their own good, and he knew it.

“Tori.”

She started laughing. 

“This isn't funny.”

“Julian, it kind of is if you think about it. Maybe we should stop fighting so hard to avoid these kinds of cases. Let’s face it, we seem to excel at them. Do you think it’s a fluke that I’ve been given the gift of Bethany? Maybe the universe is trying to tell you something.”

He snorted. “Yeah, that the joke is on me.”

“What about Beckett? He fell into our laps too. If we didn't meet him, then Claire wouldn’t be getting married and happy. Fate had something big planned, and we’re going to have to accept it at some point.”

He glanced over. “So, you’re okay with all of this craziness. You don’t care that your head is being haunted by some dead crazy?”

The radio station flipped by itself, and Julian jumped. Immediately, he turned it off.

“She can hear you, Julian. She’s in the car.”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about. You used to be so….” He didn't want to insult his wife, but before this, she was the sanest person he knew.

Well, minus the PTSD.

“I used to be a mess, Jules, and we both know it.”

She waited for him to say anything. When he didn't, she continued, “I had nightmares and couldn’t sleep. I used to dream about a dead man and the sandbox. Since Bethany, I don’t. So, maybe this is my new normal. Those dreams were pretty bad, babe. If this is what I have to do to keep that away, then I’m fine with it. I’ve adjusted.”

He sighed.

The last thing he wanted was his wife suffering, and he recalled all those sleepless nights of her having horrible dreams where she’d wake drenched in sweat and screaming.

Tori was right. She had been suffering.

“No dreams, huh?”

She shook her head.

Okay, she had a very valid point. The nightmares were terrifying, and she wasn’t having them. Maybe this was a blessing--in some sick, twisted way.

“I seem to have better control now. Bethany can’t pull me under as easily as she used to, so that’s a good thing. I’m getting stronger. My gift is growing.”

He noticed she didn't call it a curse anymore, so how could he?

“Okay, I’m glad to hear that.”

“I still hear the music, but now I get to choose to go under. I’m rolling with it, and if it helps our business, I say why the hell not?”

He couldn’t argue there.

“We’ve all worked damn hard to get here, and we’ve sacrificed a lot. Maybe this is what’s due to us.”

Julian continued to drive.

When he reached over, he found his wife’s hand.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I need you to be honest with me.”

Tori touched his cheek with her free fingers. “I always am, Jules. You know that.”

He did.

“Are you really okay with all of this? You don’t mind if people start hearing that these are the kinds of cases we handle? You don’t think the media will have a free for all with it?”

She never looked away from her handsome husband. His skin was a delicious tan, and his hair kissed the top of his capable shoulders.

Tori was lucky.

Most importantly, he had one hell of a heart.

“What can we do to stop it? Eventually, it’ll get out.”

“There will be ramifications.”

She was aware. “They’ll tear us to shreds, make us a mockery, and enjoy every second of it.”

He waited for her to finish.

“But let’s look at the facts. All these cases we’ve handled so far, they needed us. Who else was going to find a dead woman hidden in a wall? Who else was going to play treasure hunt and find the bodies of six poor victims?”

He hated that she was right.

“We have a skillset that no one else has, and if these people are out there, they need us, Jules. We started this business to be our own bosses, pick and choose the cases we wanted, and to help people. The dead were people once too.”

When the radio turned on again, he pointed at it. “Bethany, knock it off! You know I freaking hate when you do that!”

Tori began laughing. “I love you, Jules. That’s why. One minute you’re all freaked out, and the next you’re scolding her like she’s alive.”

Julian glanced over at his wife. She was carrying his child, and he couldn’t help but remember that the reason that was happening was the dead woman tagging along.

His wife was right.

They had to help the lost ones who no one remembered anymore. Maybe it was their calling.

“Well?” she asked.

“Okay. I get it. We’ll take the cases when they come in. I’m done fighting against them. You’re absolutely right. I was more than happy to accept Vivian’s help when she came to us with her dreams.”

“We both were.”

“I was eager to use Beckett when we found out about his ability to read items. I can’t stick my nose up in the air at any of this and still use you three.”

It took everything he had to include her in that. Julian liked to believe his wife was ‘normal’. Like it or not, she wasn’t.

She leaned over to kiss him softly on the cheek. His cologne wafted up and gave her a sense of peace. “You know that Bethany isn't the only reason I’m getting better, right? It’s you too, Jules. You have your own gifts. It’s the Native in you.”

He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “You’re my gift, Tori.”

She grinned. “I guess we’re both lucky then.”

Tori ignored the buzzing in her head. She knew Bethany wanted to talk to her, but this wasn’t the time. Julian didn't need her going under while he was trying to get all this off his chest. It would have to wait.

“About this case,” he began.

She glanced over at him. “What specifically?”

“Just promise me that you’ll be safe. I don’t think I can handle anymore, especially you getting hurt.”

Tori gave his hand a squeeze. “Babe, I have my protection in place. I’m going to be safe.”

“Yeah, yeah, well, she needs to do her job better than the last few cases. They were a hot freaking mess.”

“Jules, I was talking about you. Bethany isn’t my partner. You are,” she reassured. “It began with us, and it’ll always be us out here doing the job. We find the lost, just like we found each other. This is our legacy to leave for Veronica. She’s going to be so proud of us too. Her mom and dad made a difference. Isn’t that what we always wanted for any children we had?”

He grinned wickedly. “Thanks for that, Daphne.”

Tori was amused. “Keep your eyes on the road, Fred. We can’t wreck the Mystery Machine.”

Julian loved his wife. More importantly, he was glad to get out of the office. While she was away from Justin, things seemed to be back to normal. That made him very happy. He didn't want his pregnant wife stressed to the max. She had enough to worry about on a normal day.

Tori’s phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket to read the incoming message. “That’s Beau. He’s in place. He just arrived at the winery, and he’s heading in.”

Julian glanced over at the tone in her voice. “You sound worried.”

She shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

“He was a Ranger. I think he can handle a little undercover work for the team. Daniel Nelms said he was going to place him with some of the booze waiters. He’ll be fine. I promise.”

Tori knew he was right.

She trusted his judgment.

“Who else knows he’s one of us?” she asked, needing to know.

“I asked Mr. Nelms to keep it to himself. His family doesn’t even know.”

Before his wife could say anything more, Julian reassured her, “I ran him. He’s totally clean, Tori. Beau is going to be perfectly fine. We have him at the local hotel to crash at night, so when we’re working during the evenings, he can get some sleep.”

She wasn’t happy he wasn’t with them, but she understood. He had to stay undercover, and this was the best way to do it. Her priority was his safety.

After all, she just had him back in her life.

If anything happened to him on her watch, she’d never forgive herself. Look at Justin and Vivian.

Tori hated that she’d been driving.

“What do we know about the Nelms?” Tori asked, needing to stop thinking about her brother’s safety. She wanted to focus on something else.

“Daniel Nelms seems to be a straight shooter. He dumped his entire savings into this winery. His wife wasn’t happy at first, but they began making a profit, and she stopped being unhappy.”

Julian had that tone in his voice. He really hated gold diggers, and this sounded like they had one on their hands. He’d been burned by a woman before, and trust was a big issue for him.

Tori glanced over. “Uh oh. What’s her deal?”

Julian wasn’t shocked that Tori noticed it. “She’s the much younger second wife, and step mother to his children.”

Still, she waited for it.

Tori knew her husband.

“And?”

“I came across her picture. She’s interesting to say the least. I printed out the photo that they put in the paper when they were engaged. You may want to check it out,” he stated.

Tori opened the folder. “Wow.”

Julian started laughing. “I know, right?”

She glanced over. “I know what I’m thinking, and I pray you’re not dwelling on her breasts, Jules.”

He grinned. “I was thinking more that she’s an Amazon. We’re not giants, but she certainly is. I couldn’t help but also notice that she looks like a model.”

Tori lifted a brow. “Yeah, I bet.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

She was well aware. Mrs. Nelms was really attractive, and her bald husband…really rich.

Yep.

Gold digger.

“Think of it as David and Goliath,” she stated. “We may be small, but we are vicious when provoked.”

Julian didn't doubt that his feisty wife could take the woman down. Mrs. Nelms was mostly silicon and plastic. She’d had more work on her than a classic car.

He got off the exit to the winery.

“Anyway,” he stated, “she married him a few years ago, and they went into this venture. The winery used to be an old monastery--thus the name.”

Tori flipped through the file. Darkwood Monastery wines had quite the reputation. In its first year, they won wine awards across the country. Then it started going downhill. The owners believed they were being sabotaged.