Page 56 of Redeeming Melodies

"Walk me through it."

"Night guard heard something." Caleb took over, his arm sliding around Liam's shoulders. "By the time he got here, whoever did it was gone. Jimmy was just... lying there."

The scene spread out before us like some fucked up artwork. Blood spatters painted the barn wall in abstract patterns. Jimmy's hat - the one he'd worn every day since I could remember - lay crushed in the dirt. Everything felt wrong, twisted. This was Rolling Hill Ranch, for fuck's sake. Place of second chances and healing. Not violence.

"Security footage?"

"Grainy." Liam's hands shook as he pulled out his phone. "But look at this."

The video quality sucked, but I could make out a figure - tall, built solid. They moved with purpose, like they knew exactly where the cameras were. Not some random act then. Targeted.

"Son of a bitch." The words escaped before I could catch them. Professional distance cracked slightly watching Jimmy fall on the grainy screen, watching someone deliberately hurt a man who'd never done anything but help people.

"Jake." Liam's voice pulled me back. "This is Jimmy. Our Jimmy. Who would-"

"We'll find them." My hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing gently. Touch had always grounded him, even back in high school when I was making his life hell instead of protecting it. "I promise you that."

His eyes met mine, years of history passing between us. From bully and victim to something like friends, bound by shared guilt and redemption. "You really think you can?"

"Watch me." The words carried all the authority of my badge and all the personal vengeance of my heart. "Nobody hurts one of ours and walks away."

Caleb cleared his throat. "Night guard's coming in at noon for a statement. And the feed store across the way might have caught something on their cameras."

Right. Investigation. Focus on the job, not the rage burning in my chest.

"We'll need to canvass the area." I pulled out my notebook, falling into familiar patterns. "Anyone who might have been out late. The bar crowd, night shift workers-"

"Nina was closing last night." Liam straightened slightly, finding purpose in action. "And old man Jenkins sometimes walks his dog at weird hours."

"Good. That's good." I kept writing, kept focusing on facts instead of the way Jimmy's blood stained the ground. "We'll need a timeline. Everyone who saw him yesterday, any unusual interactions-"

"Jake." Caleb's voice cut through my professional facade. "This feels personal."

The words hit like a punch because fuck, he was right. The precision of it, the message left behind - this wasn't random violence. This was a warning.

"Yeah." I met his eyes, saw the same worry reflected there. "Which means whoever did this might try again."

HEAVY HEARTS

The car purred beneath my hands, steady and sure, unlike the chaos we'd left behind in the city. Tommy had claimed the passenger seat like it was his personal victory lane - complete with a victory dance that had me laughing despite everything. Now he was pressed against the window, treating every passing building in Oakwood Grove like it was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen. Kid had more enthusiasm for the ancient water tower than he'd ever shown for all of Vanessa's uptight country club brunches combined.

"Dad! That tree is perfect for climbing! Oh! And look at all the space here - we could practice pit stops in that parking lot!" He bounced in his seat, face lighting up with each new possibility. "Can you teach me how drafting works here? There's so much room!"

I laughed, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Drafting, huh? Remember how I explained it with your toy cars?"

"Yeah! It's like when one car makes a special wind tunnel for the other car to follow in, right?" His face scrunched up adorably as he tried to remember. "Like when ducks fly in a V shape!"

"Pretty close, champ. You know how when you ride your bike behind a bigger kid, it feels easier?" I watched his eyes lightup with understanding in the rearview mirror. "That's because they're breaking through the air first, leaving a smooth path for you."

"Like when I hide behind you when it's super windy!" Tommy grinned, proud of making the connection. "Is that why you always knew exactly when to pass Martinez? Because you were using his air?"

"Smart kid." I grinned back, heart warming at his interest. "That's exactly it. You wait in their draft until just the right moment, then use that extra speed to slingshot past."

"Can we try it sometime? Maybe with bikes since Mom says I'm too young for real racing?" His voice carried that mix of hope and hesitation that always hit me right in the gut.

"We can do better than that." The words came easy now, no need to check schedules or clear it with handlers. "Got a simulator being delivered to the new house. We can practice all the racing moves you want."

"Really?" His whole face lit up. "Can we start with Daytona? That's where you did that thing with the three-wide pass in the rain and everyone said it was impossible but you?—"

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