Haven of Nightmares (Littlemoon Investigations Book 5) (35 page)

“We have paper. Let it rip.”

“We need you to find Chase Weber. He’s a doctor. Start the search here in town and spread out.”

“Got it.”

“Then Blake Lyons is next up on our list. He is a rich kid with a chip on his shoulder. Daddy lost it all, so he’s likely one of us mere mortals when it comes to working for a living. The IRS database is your best bet for him.”

“No problem. We’ll start there.”

“Work on a man by the name of Gene Gentry too. He worked here for a while, and I’m betting you’ll have an address in the IRS database too.”

There was typing. It appeared that Vivian was already starting the search.

“I think that’s it.”

“Wait,” Roman stated. There was one name he needed added to that list. “When we were searching my sister’s room, we found a notebook with a note. There was also a picture.”

“Of who?” Julian asked.

“It was of my sister, her best friend, Tara Burns, and Felicity Sepp. She knew the other victim.”

That was suspicious.

“Really?”

Mattie confirmed it. “They were lovers—not Rylee and Felicity, but Rylee and Tara. We think that Roman’s sister was going to break it off.”

The alarms began going off for Tori.

“If we can find Tara, maybe we can ask her how they knew each other, and if she knew Marlene, Ola, and Rivka. They would have had to be underclassmen at the time my sister disappeared. She was a Freshman.”

“We’ll find her,” stated Justin. “Is there anyone else?”

“Not yet. As soon as we find someone, you’ll be the first to know.”

“I’ll call you later, Jules. Keep out of trouble, bro.”

With that, Justin hung up.

“What now?” asked Mattie. “I’m going with Roman to the interview.”

Tori thought about it. “We’re heading out to do some interviews. You need to head there alone. We’ll drop Roman off. Like Detective Rose stated, you need to look like you’re not a couple. Follow us, and maybe grab a coffee first.”

She could do that.

“We have to interview Alexis O’Connell. She’s going to be someone who might give us an inside look into what happened here and at the high school.”

“What do you expect to get from her?”

“At this point, anything will be helpful. We’re running out of time.”

Tori knew her husband wasn’t going to be happy. “We need to have a séance.”

“No.”

“Jules, we need to find those last three women, plus, if I can find Elbert, I can ask him who did this.”

He hated this part.

The radio clicked on.

“We. Will. Protect. Her.”

Tori could hear music.

She glanced at her watch. “Bethany, it better be fast, and if it’s about you two having sex, I’m going to be pissed.”

Laughter emanated from the radio.

“You’re checking out?” Julian asked.

“It appears so. At least I’m already sitting.”

Gee.

That really wasn’t a silver lining for him. Any time she checked out, he wasn’t thrilled.

“Be right back.”

Julian watched her close her eyes, but then they opened again. She looked like she was in a trance, much like Nyx usually did when she channeled.

Julian had to admit.

It was a little creepy.

She was watching him.

“Uh, Tor?”

She didn’t answer. As he moved around, pacing, she tracked him.

“Is it just me, or is that freaking scary?” Roman asked. “It’s like she’s possessed.”

Julian was well aware.

“Trey?”

He didn’t answer.

“Are you here?”

Still there was nothing.

That meant one thing. He was in her head or wherever the hell they met up.

“This is going to give me one huge ulcer,” he stated, running his hands through his hair. Julian never thought he’d say this, but he really wished she’d close her eyes and go back to blacking out.

It was less frightening.

And that said a lot.

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

Detective Everhart Rose hated doing notifies. Now that it was done, he was going to head back into work to try to get prepped for his interview.

As soon as he walked in, he knew the shit was going to hit the fan. There stood the captain, and he didn’t look happy. The dirty look, which was plastered across his face, was directed right at him.

Someone was going into the noose, and he got that feeling it was going to be him. Since his gut was rarely wrong, Hart knew how bad it was going to be.

“This is a shit mess!” barked his boss.

Everyone in the room quieted down.

One of the things Hart hated was when his boss would jump on one of them in front of everyone. It was partially why he did his job impeccably.

No one liked this public dressing down.

“Captain, I know,” he said, dropping down into his seat to get comfortable before the ass chewing.

“The media is on my phone, I have Jeff Wright calling every radio station in town, and you know what he’s telling him?”

“What?”

“That we have a cover-up going on, and you know where his daughter is.”

“Sir, I don’t. I’m in the same boat as everyone else. If I had a clue where to find her and the other two girls, I’d be able to get her into autopsy.”

“You know she’s dead?”

“Let’s just say that it’s not looking like we’re going to find her for a happy reunion,” he stated. “It’s past forty eight hours. That’s an indicator that they’re dead.”

He was blunt.

Hart wasn’t one to sugar coat things—especially for this dick wad of a boss.

“Well, get out of that boat, swim to the shores of reality, and find his daughter. While you’re at it, bring in Roman Remington. He came back town, and they found six victims. Now his caretaker is dead? He has to be involved. No one’s luck is that shitty.”

Hart saw this one coming.

This was his big fear.

“He’s coming in about an hour for an official interview. I just spoke to him.”

“Is he bringing in a lawyer?”

“Not to my knowledge, but I’m also interviewing one of the family members who lost someone. It’s Devora Boyd’s sister, and she lives here in town. They found her sister a couple days ago.”

“Good. He’s coming without a lawyer, so string him up to take this one. He has to be the killer. We don’t believe in coincidences, and this man has to have something to do with it. Let’s be realistic. If it looks like shit, smells like it, then it’s not going to be a fuzzy kitten.”

“Sir, I don’t have proof he did it.”

The man leaned forward. “Get some and let the man be judged by the public. This will pull some of the heat off our department. Cops are having a rough time, and someone has to be burned in effigy here. I don’t want it to be this division or me. Got it?”

“What if he’s not lying and can prove it?”

“Then you, son, are going to be looking for a new job. Lock this one up, throw away the key, and call it a day. I want this case closed by tonight. When I see you tomorrow, I want a report in your hand or your resignation.”

Hart knew this was coming.

“Sir, my record…”

“Means jack shit if we all go down for an ass chewing by the media. If they start screaming cover-up, then someone has to carry the responsibility. That someone is you. Find that man’s daughter, get the killer, and let’s call this a case.”

He stormed away.

Hart stared at his desk.

The heat was flushing his face. The mere fact that everything else he did that was decent and right was being washed away by one case pissed him off.

It wasn’t right.

He’d worked damn hard to get his job. He’d struggled day and night to be the cop he was today.

Now he might lose it.

The whole thing sucked.

Pulling out his pad and paper, he started making notes. He hoped Roman Remington didn’t mind a little heat. He was bringing a damn inferno into that interrogation room.

His job depended on it.

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

Tori looked around, and she was in the same room but with her brother and Bethany nearby.

“Okay, what did you need? I don’t have time to play games.”

“Well, first, a thank you for alerting you to the dead man would be nice,” Bethany said, sitting on the arm of the couch beside Trey.

Tori rolled her eyes. “Bethany, if that’s why you brought me here, I’m going to be pissed. At the moment, we’re a little under the gun. Roman is in trouble.”

Bethany’s smirk softened. “I know, and that’s why we called you here. Channeling later is a bad idea. That black darkness is coming back. Betty Remington’s ghost isn’t going to stay away for long.”

“Where did she go?”

“No clue. The first six girls took her. When a ghost gangs up on you, there’s not much you can do.”

She stared at her.

“If you get in between Betty Remington’s manifestation of anger and the three girls still missing, plus you try to channel a newly passed spirit, you’re going to have issues.”

Trey looked concerned.

“Like?”

“You can burn out like Nyx, or lose the baby. We’ve had this conversation before. There is a lot to risk. Let us find the bodies and do the heavy lifting.”

Trey spoke up, “Don’t do it, sprout.”

“You know this is your one shot at having kids,” Bethany reminded her. “I can’t make a miracle twice.”

Now Trey really looked concerned.

Apparently, this was news to him.

“I appreciate your worry, but I can’t leave all these ghosts here in pain. We have to set them free. You find them for me, and you let me do the work. I need you both to have my back.”

“Tori, we do,” stated Trey.

She stood. “You find them, and we’re going to go do our interviews. I wish someone could be with Roman today.”

Bethany kissed Trey on the cheek. “You can go. I’ll take care of the ghosts here.”

“Are you sure, sexy? I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re my sweet pea.”

“Oh, Trey, you’re so amazing. I promise to make sure I’m safe, and later we can…”

Tori stared back and forth between them. “Really? I’m standing right here. Do you think you can have this conversation privately? Oh, and PS... I don’t need to hear your sexcapades either. Can’t you block me from that?”

Trey grinned. “Oops. Sorry about that. We got carried away. Next time, we’ll keep it quiet.”

“Thank you. Now, Trey, you babysit Roman, and, Bethany, you find me the three dead girls and Elbert Barber. Tonight, we’ll do a séance and figure out what the hell is going on here.”

“I go on the record…”

Tori didn’t stick around. She willed herself back to her body. When she floated into herself, she was looking straight ahead.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Everyone was staring at her.

“What?”

Julian told her.

“Sorry. I can’t control that. It’s like being possessed. It’s pretty much like Nyx said it was.”

“This is going to kill me. I’m sure of it,” he stated. “It was bad enough when you’d randomly pass out, but now you go all possessed. It’s just wrong, Tori.”

She could see this was seriously getting to him. His magnanimous mood was over.

He was on the edge.

Tori had no choice but to push on. “The séance is tonight, so let’s get our day jobs done.”

“After my interview, I’m going to find Harrison Weber. He might know where to find his brother, and we can cut back on a little work for the team. Who knows how long it’s going to take Justin to dig up the information?”

They were good with that.

“Check the gym owned by Benzian Hansen.”

“Thanks. I will.”

“Be safe,” Mattie said, grabbing her purse. “I’ll have your back, Roman. You can believe in me.”

He was well aware. There was no doubt in his mind that she would.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”