Haven of Nightmares (Littlemoon Investigations Book 5) (23 page)

He could do that.

Tori glanced over at Mattie. “Are you going to be up for this? I don’t want to leave you here.”

Nyx cut her off. “Actually, she’s safer here, plus I could use some help.”

Tori lifted a brow. “She’s safe?”

“Trey is all over her. He’s playing watchdog. I can hear him in my head.”

“Trey is the ghost in the radio, right?” Detective Rose stated.

It kicked on.

“I. Am. The. Soldier.”

There was his answer.

“What. No. Comment?”

“Uh…No?”

Tori was amused. The detective was a good sport, and here was proof.

“You know I look like an idiot talking to an inanimate object, right?”

Tori laughed. “You get used to it.” Then she focused on Nyx. “What do you need her for? I promised to keep her safe, and I don’t like taking chances.”

“While I was channeling the angry woman, who we think is Roman’s mother, she kept screaming
‘the letter’
over and over again. Since the attacks are worse in that bedroom, I want to dig around in there.”

Tori got it, but still…

“Where was the intruder, Beau? The detective and I will head there, and you’re on babe duty.”

“I always get the best jobs,” he teased. “It was down the hill about one third of a mile from here. You’ll find some shrubs with red berries.”

The detective stood. “Let’s get going. Who knows what we’re going to find?”

Tori pointed at her brother. “You call me if anything happens, and don’t leave Mattie alone or let her stand under anything big!”

He got it and saluted. “On it, Tor.”

She pointed at the detective. “Come on. We’ll take a little stroll across the fields of hell.”

He laughed. “Well, that sounds like a fun time.”

Yeah, didn’t she know it?

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

Knocking on the door, Julian and Roman waited for Elbert Barber to answer. When they heard him heading their way, they both backed up.

Who knew what was coming at them.

When the man opened the door, he looked like he’d just gotten up.

“Hey! Roman! I didn’t expect you this early. I was making some coffee. Come on in!” he said, letting him into the house.

“How are you?” he asked, following his employee inside to have a talk.

“Not bad. Mary left for work already, so we can relax and talk in the kitchen. Would you two like a drink?”

They both declined.

“We need to have a little discussion about the school, and then we’ll be out of your hair,” he stated.

“Sure thing! Fire away!”

They took a seat.

“This is Julian Littlemoon, and I hired him to handle the situation that has been going on at Remington the last ten years.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I saw you on the TV with your wife. You lead such an exciting life,” the man stated.

Yeah, Julian knew he didn’t know the half of it.

“We try to just stay under the wire. We like anonymity, as you can imagine.”

“I bet.”

“Were you at the school this morning?” Roman asked, hoping he was going to say yes.

“No, I wasn’t. I left there around four last night. Today is my day off, so I watched a game on the TV and slept in for a change.”

Great.

They had an intruder.

This was getting worse and worse for Roman.

“I need to ask you some questions about when my father had the quad constructed.”

“Yeah! I saw you ripping it up yesterday, and heard on the news last night that you found some bodies.”

“Yeah, one of them was my sister.”

“Oh, Roman, I’m so sorry. I’m just glad your father isn’t here to see this. That man loved this school. I would find him in his office late at night helping students and trying to keep his enrollments up.”

“Yeah, he loved it here.”

“I’m sorry about your sister and Devora. I know how important they were to you.”

“Yes, they were.”

Julian jumped in. “Who’s idea was it to put in the quad?” he asked, getting the man back on track.

“Clifford Remington all the way. Your mom, Betty, she wasn’t happy. There were other things to spend the money on, but he wanted to make the students happy. He was all about his ‘kids’.”

He recalled.

“Who did the construction?” Julian asked.

“I did most of it. I was going to pour one big pad, but he changed his mind at the last moment and wanted individual squares. It was something about the grass peeking through that gave it a romantic feel. He thought it was very Romeo and Juliet.”

Roman lifted a brow.

Had he heard him right?

“That’s a horrible story about a thirteen year old having sex with an older guy and then committing suicide. That’s far from romantic. It’s just wrong.”

Elbert laughed. “You know your dad.”

Yeah, he did.

“He wanted squares, and I gave him squares.” He paused, and glanced over at Julian. “You want to know if I shoved those victims under the concrete, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t. The day I came and placed that last square, it was three days after the girls went missing. As a matter of fact, it was ten years ago today. The police had finished searching the place, and they even looked over the quad. I don’t know how they got under there.”

Julian did.

They were moved at the last minute. That was the only way it could have been done. Someone had to have been lurking around the campus watching.

Crap!

Watchers were dangerous.

Not only had the killer taken the women, he buried them before the tiles went in the next day. Someone knew his way around the place. That meant they were very familiar with the school. This wasn’t going to be some outsider who picked a dumping ground.

It was faculty or a student.

“I appreciate your help,” Roman stated. “Thank you for staying on all these years, even when you could have run for your life.”

“It’s no problem, Roman. I love my job. If you need anything, just let me know.”

The men stood before heading out the door. Outside, already, the media hounds were there, snapping pictures and asking questions.

“Where to?” Roman asked, getting in.

“We’re going to get that coffee and get some free help on this case. I have an idea.”

Roman was confused.

“Uh, okay.”

Julian headed toward the local coffee shop, and knew that someone would follow. The media wasn’t only a pain in his ass, they were an excellent source of information.

If you played them right.

And he was a pro at that.

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

He was getting nervous.

The Littlemoons were on the case, and they were running free all over the school grounds.

He hoped they wouldn’t figure anything out, but the odds weren’t in his favor.

His heart pounded, and he wanted to be sick.

As his wife glided around the kitchen, he watched the media on the TV. This was bad.

He could tell.

If only he could get closer.

He wanted to find out what they all knew, so he could see if he needed to start making his plan to escape.

He wanted to stay because he was happy, but what if he was going to spend life in jail.

He looked around.

He didn’t want to lose his happiness. A part of him knew he was to blame. That little piece of him wished he’d never used that spell.

Then there was the cold hard facts that without it, he wouldn’t have the life he had.

He would be empty.

Alone.

And nothing.

So, he swallowed his fear as he tried to figure out a way to get back on that campus, during the daylight, so he could check on the rest of the women.

There had to be a way.

He just had to think…

Chapter Thirteen

Remington Academy

She followed her brother’s instructions, and since she’d been a soldier, it wasn’t hard to find where they had recently hid. In fact, she could see the grass that they’d disturbed when they ducked behind the shrubs.

“Over here,” she said, motioning toward the detective. The glint of his badge caught her eye, and for that one moment, she missed carrying one.

The thrill of the hunt had always been her favorite part of the FBI, and there were days she longed for it.

Yes, she loved her career, and what they were building together, but she had loved being a Fed too. Tori made a mental note to call her best friend just to talk. She missed Elizabeth, especially now that they had moved across the country.

“Hey! Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, sorry. I zoned for a moment there.”

“Ghosts?” he whispered.

She laughed. “Yeah, of Tori’s past.”

He didn’t get it, and he was beginning to think that this was more the norm rather than the aberration.

As Tori tracked, trying to do what Julian did, Hart was curious. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Is it going to make me want to punch you in the face and break out all those really straight white teeth?”

He laughed. “Uh, no.”

“Then ask.”

“Why did you leave the FBI? You were working with Elizabeth Blackhawk, and you were fighting the good fight.”

She glanced back at him. “You’re really intuitive. I was just thinking about her.”

Yeah, he did that a lot.

“And?”

“I was burning out from PTSD. I met Julian, he saved me, and then I was given this gift. I think I was given this skill because my mind was so fractured from being a soldier.”

He knew where she was heading with that.

“I get it. My dad was a soldier. He has a few moments where he says or does things that catch you off guard. They happen at the oddest times. When he’s calm and quiet, you know it’s coming.”

Yeah, that’s how it was with her too.

When her mind was silent, she slipped more often than not. With all the crazy going on in her skull, she didn’t have time to relapse.

“Well, I came down this path, and here I am. I’m still fighting the good fight, Hart. I’m just doing it in my own way.”

He could see that.

“One more question?”

“Sure,” she said, heading for a thicket of trees.

“What’s Elizabeth Blackhawk like? She’s hot.”

Tori started laughing. “She’s badass, and she’d kick your ass for calling her that. She’s also the best damn investigator I’ve ever met. I think she has a gift, much like yours, but she calls it her gut.”

He went to say something, only she stopped him. “Crap, I hear music.”

He looked around. “I don’t. What kind of music?” he asked, searching for a radio or something that would be playing the tune.

Yep. She was about to check out. This better be damn important, or Bethany was in trouble. Tori was going to put her trust in the cop at her side.

“I’m going to black out for a few minutes, don’t let me fall, please!”

With that, she was pulled under.

And Hart was left more confused than ever.

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

Remington Hall

Main Building

At first, Mattie was afraid to go back into the room. Then, when Nyx took her hand in hers, there was a strength built between them. She wasn’t going to run.

She wasn’t going to cry.

Mattie wasn’t going to let some dead woman rule her life.

It was her time to own her choices, and it began now—with this first step.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Beau asked, looking around. He was trying to keep his eyes on everything and the women at the same time.

“We’re good,” Nyx stated. “Mattie is stronger than that woman, aren’t you?”

She nodded.

“Okay, let’s get this done,” he stated.

Inside the room, Mattie chose to focus on the scent of Roman’s lingering cologne. It both grounded and broke her heart.

“I miss him,” she said.

Nyx hugged her. “I know.”

She fought the tears. “Where should we look?”

Nyx whistled, and the radio on the bed stand came to life. This was Trey’s preferred method of communication, and frankly, it kept him out of her head.

“Is she around?” Nyx asked.

“No. She. Is. Gone. For. Now.”

“Great! Let’s get moving.”

As they rushed around the room, Nyx took it all in. “If you were a woman, Beau, where would you keep your secret things?”

He laughed. “A footlocker just like my sister does?”

Nyx shook her head and laughed. “Try again—a girl, not a soldier.”

“How about that over there?” Mattie suggested, pointing toward the only dresser drawer that had a lock on it. All the others were open and a mess.

“It’s a skeleton keyhole,” Beau said, heading toward the closet. “I need a hanger.”

When he came back, he was bending it to a different shape. “Let me at it,” he stated.

The women watched as he shoved it in the hole and used it to pop the lock.

Pulling out the drawer, there were some things in there.

A journal.

A letter in an envelope.

A VHS tape.

Well, it looked like the mystery was getting deeper. “Should we go through it here?” Mattie asked, picking up the book and the letter.

“No, let’s get out of here. I feel like I’m being watched.”

Trey spoke up, “
You. Are. Go!”

They grabbed the video cassette and headed out. Nyx could hear the screams of the woman in her head. “Trey!” she called, hoping that he could buy them time.

At this point, he was their last chance at staying safe.

As they raced down the stairs, past the fallen chandelier, and outside, they finally stopped when the coast
‘felt’
clear.

“Let’s sit in the open, and have ourselves a little read. We can watch the video later. We need to find a VCR—if they make them anymore.” Beau offered.

The women were good with that.

This was going to be interesting.

Hopefully, they would find some answers.

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

Coffee Shop

Julian recognized him when he approached. His name was Richard Wellbury, and he was Roman’s biggest competition when he had been a reporter. Maybe that was an understatement.

The man had dogged him, always trying to get a peep into Roman’s private life. It was as if his biggest joy was to remind the man that he had a somewhat shady past and wasn’t worthy to be a sleazy, media grubbing vulture.

Oh, and to do a story on him.

As he pulled out his chair, Roman tensed. “Hey, Dick. How nice to see you again.”

There was nothing but animosity in his voice.

The man laughed. “Yeah, well, call me what you want, but I’m not all over the news for being a killer, so maybe you’re not the best person to be judging people.”

Julian had to put his hand on Roman’s arm when the man stood up. “Play nice, gentlemen, we have people watching us. Plus, we’re all here on jobs. I suggest we don’t all end up in the paper for something we’ll regret.”

Roman sat.

“So, it’s not like you to take a coffee break in the middle of the day, Mr. Littlemoon, what are you doing?”

“Waiting for you.”

The man laughed. “Really.”

“Like I said, we were waiting for you. We would like to make a deal with you.”

Roman hated this.

Richard Wellbury was an asshole, and he’d rather make a deal with the devil.

First, he was losing Mattie, and now he was selling his soul to this bastard.

How could today get any worse?

“What kind of deal?” he asked, sipping his own coffee. “It’s not like you to play with the media.” Then he looked at Roman. “Well, until you hired this hack.”

Roman began counting backward in his head. The man wanted him to bite, and he wouldn’t.

“We’re here working the Remington case, as you know, and we need some information.”

He started laughing. “Uh, that doesn’t come free. In fact, in this case, it’s very pricy.”

Julian was well aware.

“How about we give you the exclusive when we solve this, but you have to leave out our names.”

The man thought about it. “It needs to be your next two cases.”

Julian wanted to punch him in the face.

“Don’t do it, Julian. You can’t trust him. He’s going to do exactly the opposite of what he promises.”

The man pointed at Remington. “People in houses of horrors, shouldn’t throw stones,” he stated.

Roman closed his mouth.

“You working for them with this big secret in your past makes them look bad. If he was smart, they’d dump you and find a better employee.”

Roman was well aware.

He hated the position he was putting everyone in because of his past. Add that to the list of why he was leaving.

Julian would make up his own mind about Roman, and he didn’t need the reporter stirring the pot.

“It’s a deal,” Julian offered, shaking his hand. “If you screw us over, I’ll make you pay, and by pay, I’ll let my wife use that body of yours as a punching bag.”

“That’s oddly hot. The little lady can put her hands all over me any day.”

This time, Roman had to stop Julian when he stood up. It was clear what the man was thinking.

Julian really wanted to hurt him.

Roman was giving him that
‘told you so’
look.

“What do you need?”

“We can’t go digging around the past of the victims, not without drawing the media’s scrutiny. Can you get us some dirt on the victims, maybe who they hung out with, or anything to give us a lead?”

He made notes.

“I can, and will. You’ll have this case solved, and I want the world to know you needed my help.”

Julian wanted to toss his cookies. “If asked, in an interview, I won’t deny how helpful you’ve been.”

He grinned. “Deal. By the way, I would have done this for free just to watch Roman Remington squirm like the worm he is. You should learn to negotiate better.”

The man walked away.

“I knew I should have just let my wife beat him into a bloody pulp,” Julian stated.

“Is today about testing my control?” Roman asked.

Julian grinned. “You aren’t the only one. My wife is going to kick my ass when she finds out I made a deal with that leech.”

Well, that cheered Roman up.

A little.

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

When Tori came to, she was standing in the exact same spot she had checked out, only there stood Bethany, and she was wearing some sexy little number.

That was new.

Normally, she manifested in something more from the era in which she lived, and died.

“You called?” Tori asked.

“I figured you’d want a little help with finding the bodies. I assumed you didn’t plan on wandering around the woods all afternoon searching.”

Tori was confused. “I wasn’t looking for bodies. I was tracking the stranger who was here this morning.”

“Well, right now, you’re standing on a grave. There are three victims beneath your feet.”

Tori stared down at the ground and immediately stepped back.

She didn’t expect to wander around and find more of the dead, but who was she to question it? Since the ground wasn’t disturbed, and the grass was still growing, she doubted it was going to be the newly abducted girls.