Page 16 of The Night Ride
“Great.In the meantime, I’ll comb through the list of your employees and start digging around their financials, see if any of them have made any large purchases or are in significant debt.Here’s my card.Anything comes up, contact me.We’ll catch them but you need to be patient and let us do our job.”
“Okay, thank you, Detective.”I took his card and slid it into the file I had compiled for this matter.Then I walked him and his partner to the door.
Unlocking the door, it was the Detective who spoke first as we joined the motley group on the sidewalk.
Detective Garrison approached Wyatt with a huge grin and an outstretched hand.“Chief Petty Officer Cooper as I live and breath, didn’t think I’d ever catch you around these parts.”The two shook hands.
Wyatt wore a friendly smile.“Good to see you Seaman Harrison.Didn’t expect to run into you at Beth’s place.”Wyatt glanced my way with concern swimming in his eyes and then back at the detective.“Everything all right?”
The detective shot me a brief look before he responded to Wyatt.“I’ll let you discuss that with Miss Ryder.Will you be in town long?Would love to meet you for a beer.”
“Might be here a few days.Not sure if I’ll have the time for a beer.Give me your number and I can let you know.”
Detective Harrison pulled out another card and scribbled on the back, then handed it to Wyatt.“That’s my cell.Let me know if you wind up having some free time before you head out.I’ve gotta head back to the station.Miss Ryder, I’ll be in touch.”He nodded then strolled to his black unmarked police vehicle with his partner two steps behind him.
“Beth, mind telling us what that was all about?”Wyatt’s somber gaze landed on me.
Glancing at my brother’s friends I knew they weren’t going to let it go.It wasn’t in their makeup to walk away from a problem.I sighed internally.It was better to rip the bandage off and tell them.Otherwise, they’d badger me until I confess.This way we’d get it over quickly and I could figure out why they were on my doorstep.“Why don’t you come inside?I’ll tell you what I can.And then you guys can tell me why you’re here and not back in Norfolk.”
Even though I knew it must be regarding my brother.My heart squeezed at the tidal waves of grief.His loss was a can of worms chock full of grief I wasn’t remotely prepared to deal with today or any day.But life wasn’t asking me what I wanted.The dust hadn’t settled on my brother’s suicide before life knocked me sideways again.
They followed me inside the bakery.I locked the door to ensure we weren’t disturbed.It was amazing how many people would pull into the parking lot and come to the door like we were open for business.They’d try the handle a few times.Rattling it, as if that would magically make the door open.And then look at the times listed on the door with our hours of operation before they realized we were closed and head back to their vehicle.
We stood in a circle near the front counter.I crossed my arms, needing the comfort and security as I stared at the men my brother had always said were his brothers from other mothers.I ignored Aiden and the way my body zapped to life at his nearness, as much as humanly possible, and addressed Wyatt.“Not that I’m not glad to see you, but why are you guys here?”
“We have something for you from your brother,” Wyatt said with his hands in his jean pockets.His inky hair had started graying at the temples.But it was his amber, lionlike eyes that always gave me pause.They were friendly now.But I’d seen them turn downright frosty, and appear like a predator stalking their prey.
I sucked in a breath.I didn’t want anything from my brother.I just wanted him back, alive and larger than life.But unless they were bringing me a spell only I could enact to resurrect Evan, it was merely a fantasy brought about by grief.
Inhaling a steadying breath, I would survive his death as hard as it seemed.It wasn’t the first loss in the family.But it’s just my sister, Nora, and I left.She chose to stay on the family homestead in Northern California and ran a campground of all things.I would literally die if I had to camp all the time.Me and the outdoors were unmixy things.I was an avowed indoor girl with no plans to change that status—ever.
“Thanks, but you really didn’t have to come all this way.”
“Your brother requested that we make the trip,” Aiden said, his deep, gravelly voice acted like a caress down my spine.
With a deep breath for courage, I finally looked at him.He was the only man I’d ever fallen in love with.I fell for him when I was fifteen and he was twenty-five.It had been total unrequited love, which was the worst kind to feel.
But with a single, steely-blue stare, he still made me weak-kneed, even after I had done everything in my power to fall out of love with him.
And I hated it.Loathed that he had such power over me when he had never felt anything for me but a mild interest to get into my pants.At his comment, I scowled and snapped my fingers.“And just like that you came?”
“Beth, of course we did.Evan was one of our best friends and our commanding officer.He asked us to as his final order,” Lucas said, his chestnut hair plastered to his head from wearing his motorcycle helmet all day.
These men and their chain of command would drive me to drink.But I respected the hell out of their loyalty to one another.“I see.Well, thank you for making the trip, even though you didn’t have to.”
“Yes, we did.What’s going on Beth?Why were the police here?”Aiden asked stony faced.
With a sigh, I confessed, “Because someone is stealing from my business.”
Their expressions turned cold until you looked in their eyes.They’d be all too happy to deal out punishment to the perpetrator.
“Any idea who?”Wyatt asked thoughtfully.I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind over how to help me.
Frustrated beyond measure, I shook my head.“Nope.Not a clue.I’d begun noticing the funds missing the last two months and thought I was making accounting errors.So I hired a forensic accountant to review my books and got the report today.Someone is stealing.I really believed I could trust everyone who worked for me.”
“How much they take?”Lucas asked with a dark scowl.
“Over the past year, a little over twenty thousand.I’m going to have the forensic accountant examine last year’s books too, see if there’s any more fund missing that I didn’t see originally like the detective suggested.”
