Page 1 of Ghost

CHAPTER ONE

Detective Ray Sommers

Marshall, Texas, hadn’tchanged much over the past decade, at least not physically. Thediner sat in the same spot, the high school and football fieldremained much the same as when Ray had lived there, and the mainthoroughfare still typified small-town America with its flags,flowers, shiny storefronts, and welcoming sidewalks. Itscreamed:Here’s a place where you couldraise a family in peace and safety—at leastfrom all outward appearances.

Stopping here was little more than aquick visit on his way to a four-day law enforcement conference inLas Vegas. This was his way of keeping a promise to an old Marinebuddy without being forced to linger too long.

He’d promised his friend, SheriffElias Cooper, he’d come back for a visit one day. They’d servedtogether in the Marines before returning to civilian life—as ifanyone who knew better considered being a sheriff or homicidedetective a civilian.

Being a cop was as fraught with dangeras being in the military. A while back, the pair of them had beenon the hunt for Fletcher’s missing brother, Kyle. Fletcher was oneof the members of a semiretired team of Navy SEALs that lived on acompound on Fire Lake. In the course of the investigation, they’dshut down a human trafficking ring in Seattle in which Fletcher andKyle’s parents were involved.

So here he was, back in the town he’dgrown up in. The town that had expected him to take over as sheriffsomeday as his father had, and his grandfather before him. Due to atwist of fate and a few better offers, that reality had neverhappened. Instead, he became a cop in Seattle.

As he drove through town, old memoriescrept in. The street he grew up on to the left, the park he used toplay basketball in, the corner store that sold the best candy, theskate park where he broke his first bone, and the bench where hegot his heart broken.

It was all here in this town, and itwas choking him. He felt imaginary hands circling his neck, growingtighter by the moment. He pulled at his shirt collar for relief,but finding none, he sped up.

Those fingers loosened once he made itoutside the town limits, and his breathing evened out. A townshouldn’t have such a visceral effect on him after so many yearsthat he’d spent thousands of miles away.

He took a calming breath and turneddown the side road that led to his friend Brick’s lake house. He’dbe meeting Elias and his partner, Fletcher, at their cottage on theproperty.

It’d been a couple years since thecase they’d investigated together had been closed, and Ray had runout of excuses for not visiting his old friend. Being so close tohis hometown had him planning his escape before he’d even turnedonto the road to Fire Lake.

He knew the area well and didn’trequire directions, but in his day, Sophia Matthews had owned thelake house. Her older brother, who was Brick’s grandfather, hadmoved away years before Ray was born and his father had taken overas sheriff. All of it seemed like a lifetime ago. A past he’dpreferred to stay that way.

To say he was shocked when he pulledonto the driveway leading to the old lake house would be anunderstatement. What lay before him wasn’t the same place he’d leftbehind years ago. The house looked shiny and new, and the cottagesdotting the property between the large oak trees reminded him ofone of those idyllic scenes from a movie. Almost tooperfect.

“Shit. Times have changedaround here,” he mumbled as he threw his truck intopark.

When he got out, he spotted boatsmoored to a large dock, and he recognized Spencer, whom he’d met onKyle’s case, fishing off to the side while a smaller man sat in alawn chair reading a book. Doors opened on the lake house, andBrick, Elias, and Fletcher walked out onto the backdeck.

“You finally made it,”Elias shouted as he waved at Ray. “Thought you might’ve gottenlost.”

“Yeah, well, some of ushave busy caseloads and can’t hop on a plane whenever they want,”Ray zinged back as he changed directions and headed theirway.

“Don’t give me that shit.You forget who you’re talking to,” Elias said as he held out hishand for Ray to shake when he reached the top step. “How the hellare you, buddy?” he asked, bringing him in and slapping him on theback.

“Good, good,” Ray said.“You know. Same story, different day is all. How has small-townlife been treating you?”

“Beats the hell out ofliving in the rat race.” Elias laughed. “You couldn’t pay me enoughto move to the city.”

“Good to see you again,Ray,” Fletcher said as he shook Ray’s hand.

“You keepin’ this guy onthe straight and narrow?” Ray asked with a nod towardElias.

“Hell, we wouldn’t be hereif he was straight,” Fletcher joked, making Ray laugh along withthe others.

“So true. How are you,Brick?” Ray asked, shaking the team leader’s offered hand. Brickled the team of semiretired Navy SEALs who lived and worked asprivate security out here on Fire Lake.

“Keeping busy. You know howthings go.” Brick smiled.

“Yeah, I do. I hear thosemissions have you guys pretty tied up lately.” Elias had mentioneda bit about Fletcher being away with his military team, but hadnever gotten into specifics. Ray was aware that being semiretiredstill meant the government came calling now and then.

“Come on in. We’ll grab abeer and get you caught up,” Brick said with a welcoming backslap.

“Sounds great.” He coulduse a beer or two.

Ray followed them into the lake house,taking in how nice the place was given a bunch of men were livingthere. There wasn’t a coat lying across the back of a chair or anarea rug askew.

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