Fatal Dreams (COBRA Securities Book 17)

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Are you kidding? I had a blast,” Kayla said. “I haven’t played bingo in forever.”

  “You should more often. You cleaned up.”

  Kayla chuckled. “You did, too.”

  The pots were never very big, and Lumi always donated her winnings back to the veteran’s association who sponsored the games. Kayla had followed suit and donated hers, too.

  Lumi didn’t need the money. Her husband left her well off after his untimely passing the year before Esme moved in with her. Though she’d mourned her husband and then sister and brother-in-law within a year of each other, Esme had been a blessing that she was thankful for every single day. She brought sunshine back into Lumi’s life. It’d been hard the first year. Esme had been devastated by the loss of both of her parents. Lumi tried to be both to her. Esme was such a sweet, thoughtful, loving child, she made all the struggles worth it.

  Several lights were burning throughout the house. Solange was probably still awake. Lumi had invited her to bingo, but she’d wanted to stay and rest. It would be a few days before she took on clients.

  It felt strange to have people living in the house besides Esme. Now she had three with Kayla, Sophie and Solange. Lumi enjoyed the company.

  When she put out feelers looking for a new associate, she’d been pleasantly surprised that Solange was interested. She’d heard good things about her for years and knew she was the right fit. She hadn’t even considered rehiring Marge Earnshaw. The woman had abused Lumi’s trust when she stole from their clients. She wasn’t one to hold a grudge and she’d forgiven Marge when she apologized, but she would not work with her again. Lumi’s reputation had been tarnished and it’d taken months to repair it. Femi had helped, but there were still people who refused to do business with her and had jumped ship to Bernice Gorman.

  When Marge came crawling back wanting her old job again, Lumi had no problem saying no. Marge thought it would help her cause for Lumi to know that Bernice was willing to hire her. Lumi laughed. They deserved each other.

  As soon as Solange walked in the door, Lumi felt an instant connection to her and knew they’d get along well. She had no reservations inviting her to stay at her house until she found a place to live in town. Even though Kayla agreed, Ethan hadn’t been as pleased. He’d insisted on a background check. Knowing he was the expert and his focus was on keeping her niece safe, Lumi didn’t mind. She hadn’t been surprised when it came back clean.

  “Solange? We’re home from bingo,” she called out. There was no answer. The house was quiet. Eerily quiet. She turned to Kayla. “Maybe she’s asleep upstairs and left the lights on for us.”

  Kayla placed a hand on her arm. “Something doesn’t feel right. Stay here.”

  Lumi didn’t know if she’d ever get used to seeing the woman with a gun in her hand. She looked like a movie star or a supermodel. Lumi had no doubt she was underestimated all the time—and used it to her advantage.

  Creeping softly forward, Kayla entered the kitchen and stopped. She flipped on the light and then disappeared. Knowing she should stay put, but unable to do so, Lumi scurried after her. As soon as she turned the corner, she gasped. Solange was sprawled on the floor beside a shattered teacup. Kayla was checking for a pulse with one hand and dialing her cell with the other.

  “Is she alive?”

  Kayla looked up and shook her head. “I’m calling the police.”

  Oh God, she was dead. Solange was dead. Rushing from the room, she made it to the hall bathroom before she lost the contents of her stomach. When the dry heaves stopped, she rinsed out her mouth and washed her trembling hands. She found her purse on a side table and dropped her phone twice before she punched the speed dial button for Ethan.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Lumi? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Solange. She’s dead.”

  “How?”

  “Kayla and I just returned from bingo. We found her lying on the floor unresponsive. Kayla’s calling the cops.”

  “Hang tight. I’m on the way.”

  #

  Esme was enjoying watching a movie with Ethan. Not so much what played on the screen. The action thriller seemed exciting and engaging, but she had no idea what the movie was about or if there was even a plot. Her attention was focused completely on her companion. Her satisfaction came from being snuggled up against his side, feeling his steely muscles, breathing in his scent. His fingers drew lazy circles on her arm, and she was doing the same to the ridges in his stomach. She was just about to suggest that they skip the ending and head to the bedroom when his phone rang. He snatched it up on the first ring.

  “Lumi? What’s wrong?”

  Esme shot to her feet. Had something happened to her aunt? She stepped into her sneakers, ready to go to her. She was halfway to the door when she heard Ethan promise they were on the way through the pounding in her ears. “What is it? Is she okay?”

  “Lumi’s fine but she and Kayla returned home to find Solange dead.”

  Esme’s head spun and the ground rushed up to meet her.

  “Whoa, I’ve got you.” Muscular arms wrapped around her. “Are you okay?”

  How could she be okay when another person died in her aunt’s house? Ethan must’ve turned off all the lights because the room suddenly went black.

  “Lumi’s fine, Esme. Breathe. Come-on baby, inhale. That’s it. Now exhale.”

  She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until air whooshed out at his command. He hadn’t snapped off the lights she discovered when she opened her eyes. She’d never passed out in her life. Now her heart was pounding dangerously fast. One little nudge and she’d fracture.

  Ethan held her as she recovered, his quiet strength seeping into her bones. With him by her side, she could get through anything life threw at her.

  She nodded and he helped her to her feet. “I’m okay now. Let’s go.” Lumi needed her.

  Ethan didn’t move and from the look on his face, she had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.

  “Esme, there is no reason for you to go. Kayla and I will take care of everything. I’d feel better if you stayed here where it’s safe. There are dozens of agents here to keep you safe. You can stay with Noah and Peyton if you want.”

  Yep, she was right. She didn’t like what he had to say. “I’m going, Ethan. There’s nothing you can say or do to stop me. She’s my only family and I will be there for her.”

  “Shh, baby, it’s okay.” He gathered her close again. “You can come with me.”

  Apparently, she’d screamed the words.

  As hard as it was to leave his embrace, she stepped back. “I need to be there with her.”

  “I figured you’d say that. You’re one hard-headed woman, Esme Jovanovich, but there’s no one I’d rather have at my side. Let’s go.”

  Esme was the one who didn’t move this time. Did Ethan say what she thought he did? He wanted her at his side. That sounded serious. For how long? Forever?

  “You coming?”

  If it’d been a declaration of love, he sure didn’t act like it. She tried to convince herself she wasn’t disappointed as she grabbed her purse and followed. The ride to her aunt’s house seemed to take forever. Ethan had reached over and held her hand and she clung to it like a lifeline.

  Emergency personnel were already surrounding the house with swirling lights. Esme grimaced when she noticed several of the neighbors gathered, and they didn’t look happy. They’d be running them out of the neighborhood soon, probably with pitchforks and burning torches.

  #

  Ethan stood back as the crime scene technicians scurried around, snapping pictures and dropping evidence markers. He flashed back to Merle’s death a few days ago. Different room but same house, and many of the same personnel milling about.

  Lumi told him the alarm hadn’t been activated when they returned from bingo. She thought Solange might’ve forgotten to set it. He’d checked the camera feeds, but no one entered or left
from the time Lumi and Kayla departed until they returned home to find Solange lying dead on the floor. A check of the log revealed someone had deactivated the alarm about an hour after Lumi and Kayla left, but they didn’t enter through either door. After checking all the windows, he discovered an unlocked one off the sitting room.

  Solange’s death hadn’t been ruled murder yet, but Detective Hurley wasn’t taking any chances. It was too coincidental that she’d drop dead after all that had happened. If he was wrong and she’d died of natural causes, nothing would be lost except for a few hours of investigators’ time. If it wasn’t a natural death and they didn’t document the crime scene, vital clues might be missed. Ethan was glad the detective was erring on the side of caution. He had no doubt it was murder.

  “You gonna tell me your girl had nothing to do with this one either?”

  Ethan gritted his teeth when Detective Brinks sauntered over. Was it too much to hope the arrogant bastard hadn’t been called to the scene?

  “She didn’t. She was with me all evening.”

  “Like you’d be a reliable alibi,” he scoffed.

  Ethan pushed away from the wall. “That’s it. I’ve had enough of your insinuations, Brinks.”

  Brinks got in his face. “Yeah? What are you going to do about it?”

  “Okay, that’s enough,” Hurley barked. “Brinks, go sketch the scene or something.”

  “But I—”

  “No buts. Go.”

  Ethan eyed the man as he stomped away. “I wish you’d let me have a go at him,” he muttered. “I’d love to knock that arrogant smirk off his face.”

  Hurley chuckled. “Yeah, but then I’d have to deal with more paperwork. Besides, he’s just overzealous. He’s a good detective.”

  “I’ll have to take your word on that one.”

  When someone called Hurley away, Ethan went in search of Kayla. He rounded a corner to find her headed his way. Brinks did a double take when she walked by and then hurried after her. Ethan leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, ready to watch the show. Too bad he didn’t have some of the popcorn Esme prepared for their movie night.

  “Excuse me, ma’am, can I help you?”

  Kayla glanced at the detective. “I don’t think so, but thanks.” She offered him one of her trademark smiles, sure to make a man dissolve into a puddle at her feet. It worked.

  “Detective Gavin Brinks,” he said holding out his hand. “And you are?”

  “Kayla Hepburn. Nice to meet you, Detective. If you’ll excuse me.” She started to move around him, but Brinks stepped in front of her, blocking her progress.

  “This is an active investigation and I’m going to have to ask what you’re doing here. Maybe we can discuss it over dinner?”

  Ethan wanted to stick a finger down his throat. The man was as smooth as coarse sandpaper.

  “I’m working, so I don’t have time for dinner, but thank you for the invitation.”

  Again, she tried to continue forward and again, he blocked her path. Ethan hoped she whipped his legs out from under him and flattened him on his ass. Hell, he was about to do it himself, but he knew Kayla could handle the surly detective.

  “Isn’t it late to be telling fortunes tonight, beautiful?”

  “I’m not a fortune teller and if you don’t let me by so I can consult with my associate,” she pointed at Ethan, “I’m going to physically move you.”

  “Associate?” He whipped his head around. Ethan wiggled his fingers. “You work with him?” He turned back to Kayla. “Are you his secretary or something?”

  Ethan winced, feeling a teeny bit sorry for the detective. With her beauty queen smile firmly in place, Kayla dropped the detective to the carpet and stepped over his prone body. Ignoring his stunned expression, she called over her shoulder, “Nice to meet you.” Her actions belied her words as she scrunched up her face and rolled her eyes.

  Ethan gave her a thumbs up and a fist bump when she came closer. “Nice.”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I went easy on him. I really wanted to break a few bones.”

  He smiled. Probably best that she pulled her punches. Brinks didn’t look like the type to take a cracked femur in stride. They retreated to Esme’s shop where they could talk in private.

  “How safe do you feel staying here now?”

  Kayla shrugged. “If I have Siggy with me, we’ll be fine.” Sigmund, the not-so-clever name she’d bestowed on her Sig Sauer. “Still, it’s too coincidental that Solange dropped dead. I did a cursory scan of her body and there are no obvious punctures or wounds, but my guess is that she was poisoned.”

  “It might’ve been in something she ingested. Hurley had the techs bag up the shards from the broken cup beside her body. I don’t buy a heart attack.”

  “I don’t, either. I hope they fast-track the toxicology results.”

  “Since we’ll need to dispose of all the food and liquids in the house in case they’ve been tampered with, it’d be a good time to move Lumi to the compound. I’ll call the bosses and get their approval.”

  “What about Sophie?”

  Ethan rubbed his jaw. He wasn’t convinced Esme’s friend was innocent. He didn’t want to bring the wolf into the chicken coop, so to speak. “I don’t mean to sound callous, but she’s not our concern. Esme was kind to let her stay here, but now that the location has been compromised, she’s on her own.”

  “I agree.”

  Ethan felt better knowing Kayla echoed his thoughts. He just hoped Esme felt the same way.

  #

  While Ethan went in search of Kayla, Esme found Lumi sitting on a couch in the area where clients waited for their appointments looking dazed. Her aunt jumped up when she saw her and hugged her.

  “I can’t believe Solange is dead,” Lumi sniffed. “She seemed like such a sweet woman. I’m not even sure about her family. I found her emergency contact on the forms she filled out. It was for a cousin in Idaho. I gave the information to the police.”

  Esme guided her back to sit as emergency personnel and crime scene techs buzzed around, doing their jobs. It felt surreal, like when she walked in and found Merle dead. Though her aunt had lived in the house for years, Esme was beginning to think it might truly be haunted.

  “This will probably do us in,” Lumi murmured.

  A shiver of unease crept down her spine. “What do you mean?”

  “Think about it. There’ve been two murders inside this house within days. I know I wouldn’t want to visit a place with so much death surrounding it. Kayla said there were no obvious signs of trauma, so Solange might’ve died from natural causes, a heart attack or something instead of a homicide. Still, it won’t matter how she died, just that she’s the second one in less than a month.”

  Esme’s back hit the sofa. Lumi was right. The negative publicity around Merle’s death hadn’t even abated and now they were dealing with another one. People would be apprehensive about coming to the house. She would be if she were in their shoes. “What should we do?”

  “I’ve been giving it some thought, and I want you to hear me out.”

  Esme didn’t like the sound of that. Her insides twisted like a salty pretzel. “Okay.”

  “I think you should buy that cute building downtown you’ve had your eye on. Open a boutique to sell your soaps and candles and Lyra’s jewelry.”

  Her eyes widened. “How did you know about the building?” She’d never said a word to Lumi about her secret desire to expand her business. Obviously, she’d read her mind.

  Lumi smiled and patted her hand. “No, I didn’t read your mind,” she said, reading Esme’s mind. “I’ve seen how you stare at it when we go by. It’s been vacant a while. You should be able to get a good deal on it. You’ll need to come up with a new name so you won’t be associated with this mess.”

  How could she feel optimistic and full of dread at the same time? She and Lumi were a team. “What would you do?”

  “Travel. Play poker. Maybe do some reading
s for regular customers, but I won’t open another shop.”

  “But this is your life. Your calling. You’ve said so many times over the years.”

  “Things change. Priorities shift. I don’t have the same drive I once had. Maybe it’s all that happened, or maybe it’s age. But the one priority that will never change is my desire to see you happy.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I’m happy with you.”

  Lumi gathered her for a hug. “There’s content and then there’s happy. You were content with your life, Esme. You built a successful business from the ground up and you have a group of wonderful friends. But something was missing, the one piece that would make you whole.”

  Esme knew before she voiced the words Lumi was referring to Ethan. Hadn’t she thought the same thing not too long ago?

  “You and Ethan will be very happy, darling.”

  Esme hugged Lumi again, trying not to let sadness overtake her. This had been her aunt’s life for so many years. Esme’s too. She loved her job and looked forward to coming in to work each day and catching up with her aunt. She was Esme’s only family.

  She eased back and dabbed at her eyes. “Several of the neighbors didn’t look happy,” she murmured. “They’ll probably throw a block party if we go out of business.”

  Lumi chuckled. “No doubt.” She glanced around the room that she’d painstakingly decorated to feel welcoming and calming to clients. “I’ll definitely sell the house—if I can find someone willing to buy. It’s too much for me anyway.”

  Conversation ceased when two medics rolled a stretcher out of the kitchen. It hurt to think about the once-vibrant woman lying dead beneath the white sheet.

  “When do you think you’ll announce the closing?”

  “I have several regulars booked in the next two weeks. I’ll let everyone know so they can make alternate arrangements. Will that be enough time for you?”

  “You do what’s best for you. I still have the online side of the business, so I’ll be fine no matter what. Joelle has made several upgrades to the website. She’s coming in tomorrow to take more photos and I think Lyra is bringing another batch of jewelry. I’ll let them both know what’s happening.”