“He’s been trying to tear us apart. Actually, he has, in a way. I had no idea that this shit was going on either.” Harris sat across from her. “You’re going to think that I’m insane, and honestly, I’m not so sure of my own sanity in this, but I wish that Dean was here. He comforts me somehow.”
“It’s a mate thing. But when he asked me to find out what I could on your brother, I thought that he was wondering if you’d been hurt by him. Physically. When this shit started coming up, I was shocked that no one had caught up with him before now. This guy is a fucking prick.” Bella nodded as she looked at the bank statement for Fletcher Lawns. “Your dad was smart when he separated the lawn service from his own personal account before giving the reins to Hunter. Otherwise, I think that would be what his personal account would look like.”
“Thousands of dollars are missing. In large chunks too.” Harris asked about the equipment purchases. “I know that he’s sold off most of it. The car he was driving when he hit your husband’s today was the last thing that the company owned that hadn’t been sold off for cash. There wasn’t even enough money in the account to pay the payroll this week. I’m glad now that I told the banker to put a hold on it so that it couldn’t be withdrawn for anything but the paychecks. This was a thriving company. Not nearly as big as it used to be, but the income was in the six figures. Now it’s nothing but a blot on my father’s good name.”
“Not your father’s.” Bella asked what she meant. “It’s in your brother’s name. It has been since he took over the running of it. Your dad might not be the most observant person in the world, but he is a smarter businessman than I’d have given him credit for. I don’t know, Bella, but I think that when he turned it over to Hunter, he knew full well that it was going to die a sudden and broken death.”
“Then why turn it over to him?” Harris shrugged. “I don’t know either. But this is bad. I mean, worse than I thought. I knew that they were having money issues, thanks to Hunter, but to go to this extreme? I didn’t know.”
“There’s more.” Bella leaned back against the chair and asked her if she could wait. “I can. It won’t change anything if you know now or later. Also, I’ve spoken with your father. I know that I should have asked you first, but there are things that he needs to know right now about Hunter. I’ve invited him to dinner tonight.”
“He won’t come. Especially— You know, I don’t know if he will or not. After all the things that I’ve been thinking about what Hunter is telling me, I haven’t any idea what he’s thinking now. Is my dad coming?” Harris told her that he was. “I’m assuming that Hunter doesn’t know that he is. Or if he does, he has no idea that I’m here too.”
“Hunter is in jail. For the moment anyway. I’m sure that once they set him a court date, he’ll be out on bond. If anyone will do that for him. The insurance card that he gave to the police about Shep’s truck was expired. For three years. Then there is the added thing that he tried his best to blame it all on Shep. My husband is just getting used to not having to worry so much about money. Not that he ever really had to, but he wanted to let your brother off the hook. That is before I told him what I’d found out.” Bella asked if it was what she didn’t want to hear right now. “It is. And like I said, it can wait. He’s safe, and for now, so are you and your father.”
Dean entered the room after a short knock. When he handed her a dozen of the prettiest pink roses that she’d ever seen, tears filled her eyes. No one had given her a birthday gift since she’d been ten. Smelling them, Bella looked up when Harris told them that there was still another thirty minutes before dinner.
“I wasn’t sure you were a red roses sort of woman. I thought about chocolates too, but then I remembered reading on one of the pages about you that you didn’t like sweets. So I took that to mean chocolates.” She told him that she wasn’t much of a sweets eater, but loved pie in small slices. “I do as well, but more of a manly slice. My grandma used to make the best peach pie I’ve ever eaten. I compare all pies to hers. Sadly, her and my mom have passed on, and no one bakes anymore. I think she put a pinch or two of love in hers when she did it. I know that Mom did. How are you feeling?”
“Sore. Your brother Rodney, he gave me something for it when he got here, and I’m moving around a lot better.” He nodded. “You’re very nice. I know that because each of your brothers have told me that several times since I came downstairs.”
Dean laughed, and it brought a smile to her face. He didn’t do it like most men that she knew, sort of a little laugh so that women didn’t think he was a braying jackass. Not that Dean sounded like that, but—
“My father is coming here for dinner. I don’t know what to expect after this morning.” Dean told her that she shouldn’t expect anything, just let him make the first move. “I think him coming here knowing that I’m here was his first move. I don’t know why, mind you, but I’m afraid that everything Hunter told me was true.”
“No, you’re not afraid of that. What you might be embarrassed about is that you let that snake lead you down a path that shoved the two of you apart. Not that it’s your fault—you had no way of knowing you couldn’t trust him. But now that you know, you can start new. Like we can.” She nodded and looked down at the paperwork that she’d been going over. “I’ve spoken to Harris about all the things that she found for you. It’s all true if you are worried that it’s not.”
“I know it is. I think that’s what has been so sad about it. It is true, and Hunter really is a snake.” Bella looked at him. “I don’t understand what he hoped to gain from this. I mean, why did he think it was necessary to make either of us think that we were hated by the other? I didn’t want the business. I have more money than my dad does. Not to mention, there isn’t any reason that we couldn’t still be a family and combine the companies, as I thought my dad wanted. But now I see that he wanted this, and to drain my company as well.”
“I’d say that’s a pretty good estimation. Then after that, he’d cash in on the insurance policy.” Bella asked him what he meant. “Didn’t Harris tell you? I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have—”
“He took out an insurance policy on me and plans to kill me or have me killed to cash in on it.” Dean told her that he had and had done it on his father as well. “I should have guessed that he’d do something like that. Maybe not. I didn’t know that he was this bad until now. What am I going to do?”
“I don’t think that you can do much right now. I mean, you know what he’s doing, and somewhat why he’d doing it. We’re on the same page with that in thinking that he’s doing it for the money, right?” Bella nodded. “Then we wait and see what your father has to say to you. For all we know, he could be—I’m not saying that he is, but he could be—in with him on all of this. What do you think? Is he?”
“I don’t know, to be honest. I mean, I wouldn’t want to think the worse of either of them, but now I can see that I’m dead wrong about that.” She stood up, just to work out some of the kinks in her body. Dean stood up as well. She looked at him. “You’re not one of those types of men that open doors for women and walk on the outside of the sidewalk so that I won’t get mud on me, are you?”
“I am.” Dean grinned at her. “I’m also the type of man that would love to pamper you when you come home from work at night. Have dinner ready to eat. I’d massage your toes if you want me to. And, in the event that you were thinking about my skills as a househusband, I can bake, cook, and change a diaper when it’s needed.”
Bella rolled her eyes at him. Surely he was joking. There wasn’t a man alive that did those sort of things anymore. They’d be too afraid of having the woman slap him or something nowadays.
The two of them were just leaving the well-appointed office when the front bell rang at the door. It was a beautiful tune, one that she’d heard before but couldn’t place. As soon as the door was opened, she saw her father. He was dressed in a nice suit. It was a l
ittle big on him, but he looked like he did when she’d seen him last, which she supposed had been a couple of months now. When he told the butler who he was, he turned and saw her standing there.
“My Isabella.” That was all it took for her to go running to him. They hugged each other as if it had been years instead of only a few months or so that it had been. Bella didn’t even care about the pain of her ribs, she was so happy for the contact with him. “I didn’t know. I swear to you, I had no idea all this was— Let me look at you. You’re just as beautiful as I remembered you to be.”
“It’s not been that long.” He told her how long it had been. “No, that can’t be right. Two years? Are you sure?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve been hearing things about you. Better things than I was getting from your brother, but my goodness, how well you have done.” Dad hugged her again. “Hunter has a lot to answer for, I’m thinking. When I think about all the things that he said about you? Well, I have to tell you, it’s a small wonder you weren’t around much. I can only imagine what sort of things he was telling you about me.”
“It doesn’t matter, Dad. Not anymore.” She turned to see that all the Marshalls were standing behind her. “Everyone, this is my father, Fletcher Booth. This is...I’m sorry, I can’t remember all your names. I’m a little emotional right now.”
“I’m Dean Marshall. I can’t tell you how glad we all are to know that you’re not the bad guy you were painted to be.” Dean turned to his family after winking at her. “These are my brothers. Harris there is my brother Shep’s wife. My grandda is there at the end. He’s living here with them.”
Dean told them both who each of them were and their order of birth. Dad shook each of their hands and told them how glad he was to know that someone was watching out for his little girl. Shep cleared his throat when Dean introduced him.
“I’m sorry to rush you, Mr. Booth, but dinner is ready. It’s perfect timing, so we can all eat together.” Shep turned, then looked back. “I’m sorry, sir, but I wanted to let you know that we don’t use our cell phones or talk about business or politics at dinner. We speak of things that a family would if they were together.”
When they entered the dining room, Bella couldn’t believe the size of the room, nor the amount of food on the table. When she was seated, Dean pulling out her chair for her to sit, she was seated between her dad and Dean. She didn’t know what she wanted to talk about. All she knew was working and jobs, but Bella figured that she’d do okay this time.
A great amount of food in large bowls was started at the head of the table to be passed around. As they loaded up their plates, she wondered why they weren’t having any meat—it would seem to her that as jaguars, they’d want it. But as soon as she was ready to ask about it, large platters of steaks, chicken, and pork chops were brought into the dining room.
When one of each was put on her plate, she looked over at Dean when he laughed. As soon as he leaned over and whispered into her ear, Bella felt her heartrate triple, and her breath catch in her throat. Dean smelled wonderfully amazing.
“The staff believe that you’re a jaguar, or a mate to one of us, and need your energy.” Looking at him when he pulled away, he winked at her again. “If you keep looking at me like that, you’re going to understand that part of why they’re fattening you up too.”
“I understand.” She passed the bowl of green beans to her dad. “I don’t know who they think they’re feeding here. Is it always like this, with this much food when you guys are all together?”
“It is. You should see us when the table is cleared off, and we start on desserts. I believe today we’re even having homemade ice cream. Peach, if I don’t miss my bet.” She nearly dropped the bowl when Dean touched his finger to hers. It was like she’d stuck her finger onto a live wire and she was dizzy with it. “You’re all right, Bella, honey. Just pass the food to your dad.”
For the rest of the meal, she did what he told her. It was like her brain was short circuited, and she wasn’t sure she was going to be all right again. Bella knew that she participated in the conversations. She must have given the correct answers or responses, too. But for the life of her, all she could think about was Dean. And his touch.
“Bella, honey, I forgot your birthday gift. Let me go out to the car and get it.” Dad stood up and left her there. She looked around the table and wondered what they might think of her right now.
“It’s your birthday?” Nodding, she told Rodney that she’d forgotten about it until she’d seen it on her dad’s calendar today. “That’s wonderful. We’ll have to do something to celebrate tomorrow night. We’re really big on celebrating things around here. We don’t even care if it’s a real thing either. We love to get together where there is food.”
“I can see that.” When her dad came back, he handed her a small gift bag. Pulling the box from the bag, she spoke to her dad. “You didn’t have to get me anything, Dad. I’m just happy that we could get together like this.”
The necklace was beautiful. “It was my mom’s. She passed away before you were born, but she told me that should I have a daughter, I should give it to her.” Dad took it from her shaking fingers. “I’ve had it cleaned and the diamonds secured. I thought that, if you wanted me back in your life, this would be the perfect thing to give my little girl instead of a pony.”
“Oh, Dad, it’s perfect. I love this.” He put it on her, and she touched it with her fingers. “I’m so sorry about missing out on so much. Spending time with you, it’s something that I’ve missed out on. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. Don’t let that bother you. We have each other now.” He looked around the table, then looked at Harris. “I want to thank you, young lady, for letting me know what was going on with my son. I know that you said no work, but being here, having my daughter here, you couldn’t have given me anything that would compare to this.”
“You’re very welcome.” Harris stood up, and the rest of them did as well. “If you’d not mind, we’ll have our desserts on the deck. There are a great many things that I have to tell you both, and I think the sunshine will make it seem less dark and unhappy.”
~*~
Dean knew that they were both overwhelmed. Harris had found a good deal more than she’d even told him about. Hunter was in serious trouble. Not just with everything that was going on with his own business, but the fraudulent ads that he’d been taking out against his sister were going to land him in deep shit with Dean too.
Harris handed them what she’d been able to unearth, which was a great deal, as far as he was concerned. Fletcher was looking over some of the work, but Dean was reasonably sure that he wasn’t seeing much. The man was heartbroken, he’d bet. Dean looked at Harris when she started explaining what she’d found.
“The simple fact that he’s giving away services that you’re to provide for people goes to show you what sort of person you’re dealing with. My thought is, but this is just speculation on my part, that he’s thinking that you’ll go ahead and give the services away, thus making you very busy. Then it would be easy for him to ‘help’ you out by becoming a partner. Honestly, I had no idea he was that smart.” Bella said that she didn’t either. “Just on that alone, we’re talking about thousands upon thousands of dollars’ worth of damage done to your company. Even if you don’t honor the things that he’s put in the paper.”
“What will this get him? I mean, in the way of prison time?” Harris said that there was just too much to go over right now. “Don’t bullshit me, Harris. You know as well as I do that he’s going to continue on this line of shit until he’s put down. Tell me what you know.”
“He’s going to go down for the murder of two people, so far as we can find right now. We were never going to be able to find their bodies because he’s not sold off the wood chipper that sits on the back of the landscaping property. I was thinking now that you own the place, all of it, we cou
ld get your permission to go in and get it.” It took Dean a moment longer than it did Fletcher to get it, and the man ran from the room with his hand over his mouth. “You want it straight up; I can give it to you that way. But it might not be the thing your father wants.”
“It’s much too late, if you ask me, for anyone to be squeamish about what Hunter has been up to. You said two bodies. Does that mean that you don’t know who they are? Or you do, and you won’t tell me?” She said that they were working through the DNA they’d found. “All right. So, you’re thinking that there might be more. And yes, you can have anything on the lot there that might help in finding out who he murdered.”
“Thank you, and yes. There are, as of this morning, five people unaccounted for that used to work for Fletcher Lawns. I’ve already checked your new hires, and none of them are on your payroll.” Bella told her that she could have whatever she wanted. “I’m glad you said that, but I’ve been all through your records already. With my position in the Feds, I’m able to get into files a great deal deeper and without any kind of restraints than I could before. Not that it stopped me when I wanted something, but now I can do it legally.”
“Five people. I’m sure they would be all men if that helps. Hunter, like my father, would only hire men to work in the landscaping jobs. I haven’t any idea why, but that might help you.” She said it did. Bella watched with Dean as Harris made a note. “How many women have you found in that group?”
“Just one. As you can well imagine, it’s a little difficult but not impossible to figure out single DNA profiles. We found one female, but I had no idea—or really, it never occurred to me that he only hired men to work for him. You wouldn’t happen to know who she might be, would you?” Fletcher came into the room and answered the question. “This Dana Morrison, would you happen to know why she’d be murdered like this, Fletcher?”
Dean: Marshall’s Shadow – Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance (Marshall's Shadow Book 2) Page 4
