Haven of Nightmares (Littlemoon Investigations Book 5) (44 page)

“Gene was here. I had a drink. I never woke up.”

Roman stared at the detective. His mother hadn’t mixed anti-depressants with booze.

This explained why she was so angry.

“We’ll get him for this, Mom, but you have to let go of this anger. I forgave you. I need you to forgive her.”

Tori turned and faced Mattie. “You’re not Devora. She’s here. I forgive her. Please take care of my son. I love you, Roman.”

His eyes filled with tears. “Mom, I love you too. I’m so sorry that you died alone.”

She moved toward him and kissed him on the forehead. Then, Tori closed her eyes.

Julian was glad it was over.

Tori was still alive.

When Tori pulled away from Roman, she smiled at him. “Hello, Ro-Ro.”

He tensed.

“Devora?”

She laughed, and it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. No one thought for a moment it was going to be good.

He stepped back, taking Mattie with him. When his arms circled her waist, she laughed even more.

“You finally got him. That’s surprising.”

Mattie pushed herself in front of Roman. “And you got what you deserved. You caused a mess, Devora. You destroyed a lot of lives.”

Tori moved toward her, channeling the dead twin. “We need to finish this.”

Mattie knew she couldn’t punch her sister, but damn! She wanted to in the worst way.

She braced for her sister’s cruelty. Mattie was ready for anything she had to say.

“Tilly, I’m sorry.”

That caught her off guard.

“What?”

“I hurt you, and I want to leave this place. I did a horrible thing, and you’re right. I paid for it with my life. I was stupid. I’m glad you and Roman are happy. He deserves it.”

Detective Rose knew this was the perfect time to tie up a few loose ends. He couldn’t put it in his report, but curiosity was killing him.

“Why did you die?” he asked.

She turned to face him. “I saw her sneaking around. I came out of Cliff’s office, and she was creeping around the place.”

“Who?” he asked.

“Tara.”

“Did she kill you?”

Devora laughed. “No. Love killed me. Jealousy killed me. Tara hated Felicity. She stole what she wanted.”

They needed more.

She focused on Mattie. “I don’t look like you anymore,” she offered. “I look horrible. Set me free. I want to be set free.”

“We will.”

Tori hugged Mattie as Devora used her body to convey that last emotion. Then she kissed Roman on the cheek. “I’m sorry. You deserve her. She was yours from the beginning.”

Tori staggered, and Hart braced her.

“This vessel is weak. I have to go. Dig us up, anoint us, and send us home.”

Tori’s legs gave out, and her husband swept her off her feet. She was out cold. The way she lay limp in his arms scared him.

“She needs to get warm and rest. Dig them up, and douse them with some holy water,” he said, moving closer to Roman. “It’s in my pocket. Bethany and Trey don’t like it, so that’s probably going to clean them off of whatever nastiness is on them.”

“But who killed them?” Mattie asked.

“We know Tara Burns is in the center of it. We start there.” With that, Julian walked away, carrying his precious cargo.

The three watched. “Let’s dig them up. Then I’ll call the techs. They need to be set free, and so do the six in the morgue. I’ll handle them later.”

“Detective Rose,” began Roman.

“Then I’m reopening your mother’s case. I’ll need your permission to exhume her body. We may not catch him, but I’ll make sure the police try.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Tori Littlemoon pulled this off. You make sure she’s okay, and I’ll handle the rest.”

With that, they prepared to dig up the girls.

They were going home.

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

Killer’s House

He needed her. There had to be a way to get out from under the weight of this. As they disappeared out of the building, he couldn’t follow.

He needed her advice.

She’d always helped him before.

When he got home, he looked for her. “Tara! I need you!”

He felt the chill as she came down the stairs. She didn’t look happy. In fact, there was anger in her eyes.

“Did you do it right?”

He nodded.

“They are still here, and I’m in trouble.”

She shook her head. “That’s not good, lover.”

“Tell me what to do.”

She laughed and headed back up the stairs. “You made this mess, and you need to fix it.”

“Tara!”

“I’m going to bed.”

As he paced, he hated the Remingtons. They were horrible people, and he couldn’t stand them. He did everything for Tara, and now he was all alone.

It wasn’t right.

Someone had to pay.

Well, that would be easy. It all started with a Remington, and it had to end that way too.

It was decided.

It was time for him to suffer, and he knew how.

Oh, Roman hadn’t seen woman troubles yet.

But he would...

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

One Hour Later

He didn’t leave her side.

He couldn’t.

When they got back to the guest room, Julian cleaned her off and dressed her while she was out cold. He wanted to throttle her and hug her at the same time.

The only thing that kept him calm was the baby. Every time he pushed on Veronica, she squirmed around.

He knew she was okay. As long as their child was still moving, there was life.

He focused on that.

When there was a knock to his door, Julian invited them inside the room. As Roman and Mattie entered, he wanted to be home in the worst way.

“Are they out of the ground?” he asked.

“Yeah, their throats were slit, and there are herbs all over them. Hart believes it’s the same person.”

“Good. That means we’re one step closer to ending this and going home.”

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t know,” he answered. “I wish I knew. She hasn’t woken up yet.”

“This had to be hard on you.”

Julian nodded. “It is. I can’t watch her do this to herself and for what? We’re no closer. We knew Tara Burns was part of this, we didn’t get to speak to Elbert Barber, and the dead are still the dead.”

“Can I be honest?” Roman asked. “I know I haven’t worked for you long, but there’s something that I need to say to you.”

“I guess.”

“I can tell you what this was all for. I got to say goodbye, Julian. When I got the call my mother killed herself, it tore a piece of me away. Tori just gave that back to me. She found out the truth, and that was priceless. Yes, my mother is still dead, but she told me she loved me. What wouldn’t you give to hear that from someone you’ve lost?”

He thought about his father.

He’d give anything.

“Tori sacrificed for us. That’s the bravest thing in the world. She loves you, but she’s a soldier, Julian. It’s a different war. Before, it was for our country. Now, it’s for the people who are lost. You can’t fault her for doing what she was born to do. She was born to protect and defend.”

He stared at him.

He never thought about it that way.

“She’s still a soldier, but the war is closer to home. Take it easy on her.”

“I can’t lose my one miracle in life.”

“She’s your miracle too. In fact, she’s all of our miracles. Look at the ripple effects of this life. She went to war, she came back broken, you fixed her, and this life began. Because of her, and you, we’re all here. I’m marrying Mattie as soon as this is over, and that’s because of you two. You brought us together. This miracle encompasses all of us, not just you.”

He touched her chilly cheek.

“You may only have one baby in your lifetime, but you have a family that’s growing. With each employee you add to this team, one more link in the chain is forged. They’re strong and they will wrap around all of us to bind us. Tori is fighting a battle, Julian, and it’s a damn good fight. She needs all of us, and she needs you.”

He felt horrible.

“I heard what you called her. She’s not selfish, Julian. She’s giving everything up to save people. Don’t make her fight this one alone. We’re a team. That’s what gives us strength.”

“Thank you, Roman.”

He curled against his wife and willed her to be okay.

“Do you want something to eat?” he asked.

“No, I’ll be fine.”

Roman took Mattie’s hand and headed toward the door.

“Roman?”

He turned around. “Yeah?”

“I knew I was right about you. The day I met you, I knew that you belonged. Welcome home. We’re proud to be your family.”

Tears filled his eyes. “Thank you for that, Jules.”

With that, he and Mattie walked out, leaving Julian to face his demons alone.

Yes, he’d created them, and now came the time he maned up and fixed them.

This was his battle too, and he couldn’t let Tori fight it alone.

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

Three Hours Later

When the phone rang, he glanced at his watch. It was almost eleven at night, and he knew it had to be someone from their team. Answering, he found his brother on the other line.

“Yo.”

“I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Justin asked.

Julian told him everything. He needed to get it off his chest, and his twin was always the one he vented to—especially when it came to wife issues.

“Are you trying to make your life hell?” Justin asked. “Cut her a damn break.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Tori is carrying a lot, and we need to support her. She’s part of us now, and you need to calm down and stop being a dick.”

“She didn’t tell me about the baby.”

“I wouldn’t have either, and frankly, you didn’t need to know. You follow her around carrying pillows for her back, cookies in your pocket, and you won’t let her drive anymore since that accident. You have to be driving her insane. Cut the woman a break.”

“I let her drive.”

Yeah, to interview suspects.

Alone.

Without backup.

Okay, that was probably a bad example.

“Give her a chance to be her. Tori is changing. She’s not having nightmares, and she’s channeling the dead. This is her calling. You can’t stop it, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Learn from my screw-ups. I nearly lost Viv. Don’t lose Tori in all of this.”

He was right.

“I won’t. I’ll fix this. What did you need?” he asked.

“Tori needed background on two people. I managed to dig it up.”

“Who? Tara?”

“No, we’re still searching for her. This was on Gene Gentry and Marshal Paul.”

“What did you find?”

He laughed. “Oh, a shitload. I went through some IRS records and shell companies. I found Marshal Paul. Want to guess who is related to him?”

“Who?”

“Holly Gentry is his daughter. She’s married to none other than Gene. The plot thickens.”

“You’re kidding me!”

“Nope. Gene Gentry is the son-in-law.”

He told Justin about Roman’s mother and how she said she didn’t commit suicide.