CHAPTER EIGHT
– MURRAY –
“You’re fucking shitting me,” I roar. “No way. Tell me all of it is a damn joke. Did that fucker really say he doesn’t want Seamus back, and wants to hire Nolan?
The fucking nerve. Then to offer to buy your share in the company if you don’t like it.
Motherfucker. Burk’s bones aren’t even in the ground and he’s taking over the company. ”
Seamus and Jaxie are both still standing near the door. They just shared some of the details as to why they were called into a meeting at the office with Royce.
Ballard is pacing the room and starts to ramble, “Royce is behind all of it. The sneaky fox stealing the eggs right from under the fuckin’ hen.
We need to prove Burk’s will isn’t valid.
But how? How the hell are we going to do that without explaining why we know it’s bogus because he was already dead by then? ”
Seamus clears his throat. “We could take the information I found to Orson. The fact that Burk’s will was notarized by Tim Hagan, husband of Jolene Hagan, you know.
..Burk’s daughter...raises suspicions. Not to mention, a notary cannot have a direct financial or beneficial interest in the transaction or be named in the document that they notarize.
It creates a conflict of interest and can make the document invalid.
So, we’ll keep a lid on this little detail and save it as a last resort while we dig into other shit.
Mostly because Tim Hagan died in a tragic hit and run when he left his office two weeks ago. ”
“Oh, that’s not impartial at all. Not to mention, him dying is not a coincidence. Did they find the one involved in the hit and run?” Elodie questions.
Seamus shakes his head. “Nope. My bet would be Nolan. He has to be involved. Royce was in his office, or at least he was logged into the system when it happened, and I checked the security tapes. The timestamp on the camera feed in the parking lot shows he couldn’t have done it himself.”
“Doesn’t mean he’s not involved,” Ballard grits.
I still can’t believe what I’m hearing. To think the company we’ve all worked for, trusted our employers...turns out...they have deadly secrets and vicious intentions.
“Want to know what else I found out?” Seamus glances at me, and then Ballard.
“I’m afraid to ask,” I mutter.
Seamus places his hands on his hips and starts to explain. “Remember when I told you guys about Royce’s financial situation? How he sold his cabin to his daughter? Well, I discovered his daughter, Helena Elden, is Jolene Hagan’s half-sister.”
Shock silences all of us.
My mind is still processing this information when Elodie snaps, “What in the ‘stick your dick into your friend’s chick’ is this fucked-up soap opera?
Seriously? Burk has a woman with a baby showing up on his doorstep that breaks up his marriage.
That day his wife turns to his best friend, who knocks her up.
” She turns to Jaxie. “No offense, I like you being born and all, and the marriage was in shambles when your dad had the one-night stand. So, basically, he’s not a homewrecker, but he could have consoled her without sticking his. ..yeah, you get the idea.”
Jaxie wrinkles her nose and bobs her head.
Elodie continues. “The woman with the baby then what...? Burk asks Royce to handle it? Royce steps up to handle it...by knocking up that woman? Fertile bunch of idiots who can’t keep it in their pants. What happened to bros before hoes?”
Jaxie snorts a laugh and slaps a hand over her mouth.
“It’s as funny as it’s tragic and idiotic,” Seamus grumbles.
I glide a hand over my beard and think about what Seamus said earlier.
“You’re right. You and Jaxie should bring these details to Orson.
It’s normal to have these kinds of doubts, especially when he called a meeting to push you out.
Dammit, if he’s planned all of this? Royce could be capable of fuck knows what else.
At least Orson can investigate the legal way, because this shit is getting too huge and complicated, it can’t be kept under wraps. ”
“Agreed,” Ballard states.
Seamus glances at Jaxie. “I’ll give Orson a call and head into town. We’ve made a copy of the file Dax had hidden in his office. It’s time to hand it over and explain the details, along with our concerns and suspicions.”
“Are we sure Orson isn’t working with Royce? I mean, Stalwart Ridge Security worked with the sheriff lots of times. Who knows if they’re tight buddies and will back one another up.” Ballard winces. “It could make things more dangerous for all of us.”
“Oh, great, as if we weren’t already in a shitty mess. Now you’re doubting if we can trust the law?” Elodie’s voice is slightly raised and Hank trots toward her to lean his head against her leg.
Seamus calmly addresses Elodie. “Orson has always been a no-nonsense, honest man. I’m sure we don’t need to be paranoid, but it’s also good to proceed with caution. It’s why Jaxie and I will go and keep you three out of it.”
“Two,” Ballard corrects. “Not three. I’m just working at Stalwart Ridge Security.
Jaxie is tied to it through her father and inheriting his share.
Elodie because it’s safe to say Nolan killed her horse to get Jaxie out of the cabin so they could search for the file there when they couldn’t find it at Dax’s home office.
Murray is protecting her, Orson knows it too.
So, it means I’m still impartial. Weird, though.
Royce would have called me with a new assignment by now. ”
“Which means he doesn’t trust you either,” I instantly reply. “He called you into the office before Jaxie moved into her father’s cabin. He wanted you to check on her when he gave you the sign. Since then he’s been keeping his distance.”
“Agreed. It’s safe to say Royce doesn’t trust you anymore and knows you’re on our side.” Seamus takes out his satellite phone. “I’m going to give Orson a call right now to get the ball rolling.”
Ballard mutters a few curses and steps closer to me.
“Do we even trust any of our other colleagues? What if we get called into an assignment and get killed in the line of duty? Nice way to take us out, right? Fuck. This makes me distrust anyone except you guys and Seamus doesn’t even go into the field anymore because he retired.
Which leaves you and me...and you took time off due to your mare.
You always do that around this time, so there’s no weirdness with you staying out of the office. ”
I lower my voice to tell him, “Calm the fuck down. I’m sure the amount of death and incidents involving the company has drawn too much attention.
Royce knows damn well having one of his own die in the line of duty is bad for business.
Nolan, on the other hand? Yeah, he’s a loose cannon and I’m pretty sure Royce, or anyone else has a grip on that idiot’s reality. ”
“Another fucker giving me a headache. Nolan isn’t simply a loose cannon, Murray.
He’s got nothing to lose. We couldn’t even track him when he showed up a few days ago.
Since the sheriff interrupted his presence, he’s disappeared again.
Where the hell could he be hiding? The lease on his apartment ended the day Dax died, and there’s no property tied to his name.
Besides, he was injured and had to recover somewhere. ”
“Maybe Royce took him in, who knows,” I fire back.
“Burk’s body being found puts too much heat on everything, so maybe Royce told him to lay low?
Especially since Royce had the will drawn up to take Burk’s piece of the company.
It’s all speculation, but there’s no way I’ll lower my guard.
I will expect him to show up at any time because I won’t fail Elodie.
He won’t stop until he’s retaliated for his father’s death.
The fucker is filled with vengeance; you know that as well as I do. ”
“Then maybe we should turn the tables. Stake out Royce’s place to see if Nolan is hiding out with him and take the fucker down,” Ballard suggests.
“Bad plan,” Seamus rumbles.
Ballard frowns. “Why? Sitting on our ass waiting doesn’t help shit either.”
We all stare at Seamus who calmly tucks away his satellite phone. “We can’t do shit right now because Royce is already under investigation, and so is Burk’s death.”
“Say what now?” I ask in disbelief.
“When I asked Orson if we could swing by to discuss something involving Jaxie’s father’s office being searched, Stalwart Ridge Security, and Royce, he told me to swing by tomorrow. Orson is hiring a new deputy sheriff, and her name is Helena Elden.”
Elodie gasps along with Jaxie, while I release a string of curses.
Ballard roars, “No fucking way. You do know we’re completely fucked now, right? Orson is compromised. He hired Royce’s daughter as his new deputy sheriff which means she will fuck it all up to let daddy walk away without so much as a scratch.”
Seamus holds his hand palm out. “Calm your shit, Ballard. He hired her before she bought her father’s cabin and was the one who made Orson look into Royce.”
Ballard snorts. “Yeah, right. You’re telling me she ratted out her own father? Why? And mostly, about what part?”
“That’s something I don’t know.” Seamus shrugs.
“Orson couldn’t give me any details due to the investigation.
He only mentioned she applied for the position a few months ago, way before this shit started.
She probably bought the cabin due to her new job since she’s moving here from New York where she was a homicide detective. ”
“Great, as if things couldn’t get more complicated,” Elodie mutters, voicing my exact thoughts.