Bound By Flames: A Hot Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance (Hidden Realms of Silver Lake Book 8)

by Vella Day

  “Here it is,” Logan said. He folded the photo, stuffed it in his pocket, and motioned they leave.

  This time Wendy was determined to pay more attention during the flight. While she did enjoy the view from above, they landed in the school parking lot all too soon. She liked being carried by Logan. The security alone helped calm her.

  Logan set her down, shifted, and then glanced around at the near empty parking lot. “Let’s hope some of the staff are here.”

  “They should be.”

  Inside, they were greeted by a receptionist. Just as Wendy was about to ask about the photo she’d found, Logan whipped it out of his pocket and placed the opened paper in front of the woman. “By any chance, do you recognize the man with Tom Sanderson?” he asked.

  She picked up the photo and studied it. “Poor Tom. The man looks familiar, but I don’t know his name.”

  “He’s not a teacher here?” Wendy asked.

  “No.”

  Darn. “Thank you.”

  Once they left, Logan turned to her. “What’s next?”

  She appreciated that he was willing to let her decide. “Let’s see what Tom’s mom knows. If this man was Tom’s tutor, she would know.”

  “Tell me where she lives.”

  It would have been easier to find the house again if she were driving, but she gave him the best directions she could. The flight was so short, Logan wasn’t able to fly very high before landing on the Sanderson’s front lawn.

  Once he shifted, she faced him. “How about staying here?” she asked. “If Tom’s mom is anything like Mrs. Evans, she might be hesitant to speak to both of us.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Wendy smiled and squeezed his arm with affection. “Thank you.”

  “Any time.”

  Wendy walked up the path to the front door and knocked.

  To her delight, Mrs. Sanderson answered quickly. “Yes?”

  “Mrs. Sanderson. I’m Wendy Oprander. I left a message the other day about your son.”

  “Of course. You’re the journalist trying to find Tom’s killer. Come in. Did you find out something?”

  “I’m not sure.” Wendy held out the photo. “The picture is quite grainy. Do you recognize this man with your son?”

  “It looks like Mr. Quigley, Tom’s math tutor.”

  Yes! “By any chance do you have his phone number?”

  “I think so. Don’t tell me he had anything to do with Tom’s death. My son spoke highly of him.”

  “I’m not sure. It could be something, or it could be nothing.”

  Tom’s mom nodded. “Give me a second to find my phone.” She located her purse, pulled out her cell, and found the number. “Here it is.”

  Wendy typed it into her phone. As a journalist, she often found people ignored her calls, so she wanted to be able to find him another way. “Thanks. In case I can’t get a hold of him, do you by any chance have a check receipt for when you paid him?”

  “I never paid him. He said he worked for some charity that tutored kids from all walks of life.”

  Wendy found it odd that a charity would tutor students who were well off rather than focusing on those in need, but what did she know? “That was nice of him.”

  “I thought so too.”

  “Do you by any chance remember the name of the tutoring service where he worked?” Wendy asked.

  “The Learning Center.”

  Wendy made a note. “That helps, thanks.”

  Wendy needed to wash away all doubts about the man’s identity. She pulled out her phone, scrolled through some pictures, and found Deke’s picture. “The photo I showed you doesn’t have a lot of facial details. Could this be him too?”

  “I think so. I mean, I only met the man once or twice. You could ask his former girlfriend, Melanie Whittaker. She was often with Tom when Mr. Quigley was tutoring him.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do that.”

  As Wendy turned to leave, Mrs. Sanderson placed a hand on her arm. “Thank you for trying to help our family.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Heart pounding, Wendy couldn’t wait to get out of there, though she had learned long ago that she couldn’t run away from her demons. It appeared as if Deke was posing as Mr. Quigley. But why? Sure, her former boyfriend had the skills to tutor in math and science, but wouldn’t he have told her? At the time the photo was taken, Deke lived in Thedia, or so she believed. Ugh. Things like this always drove her crazy.

  When she reached Logan, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong? You look like you received some bad news.”

  “I kind of did. I think you might be right.”

  His eyes widened. “About what?”

  “Deke Darnell could be behind all of this. Why or how, I don’t know.”

  “Hold on a minute. What led you to that conclusion?”

  Wendy looked over her shoulder. Mrs. Sanderson was watching them through the window. “Let’s go back to the office, and I’ll tell you.”

  “Okay.”

  It would give Wendy a few minutes to sort through her thoughts. Logan swooped her up before she was even aware he’d shifted. She had to get her act together or chance losing it.

  The trip back to the Caspian Mines didn’t give her long enough to come up with a plan though. She must be missing some key fact, only she couldn’t figure out what it was. She could only hope the level-headed Logan could help.

  Once he landed and shifted, they went into his office. “Coffee?” he asked.

  “I’d love some.”

  As soon as Logan disappeared Wendy retrieved her tablet from her suitcase and fired it up. He returned not only with coffee but with two cookies as well. Logan’s abilities must extend to mind reading.

  “It’s all we had,” he said apologetically.

  “Are you kidding? This is great,” she said. “Thanks.”

  Logan pulled a chair over to her table and looked her in the eyes. “Tell me everything.”

  She explained that Mrs. Sanderson had no problem identifying the man in the picture as her son’s math tutor. “She gave me his phone number. I also asked whether she had a check receipt for when she paid him, and she told me he was a volunteer for some charity organization.”

  “Which one?”

  “The Learning Center. I plan to give them a call to check it out.”

  “I’m not sure why you’re pursuing this line of enquiry,” Logan said.

  “Mr. Quigley is Deke Darnell.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  Her thoughts exactly. The number Mrs. Sanderson had given her didn’t match Deke’s Thedia number however. Before she tried him directly, she called this center. When they answered, Wendy asked if a Mr. Quigley worked for them.

  “I’m sorry, but no one by that name was ever a volunteer here, and I’ve worked at the center for over twenty years.”

  Her stomach soured. “Thank you.” Wendy disconnected and looked up at Logan. “If I call the number and Deke answers, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Give it to me. I’ll call him.”

  She told him the number. Logan called and waited. He shook his head. “It’s been disconnected.”

  “Why am I not surprised? Maybe we should go to Thedia,” Wendy said.

  “Whoa. You want to confront Deke?”

  “Yes. There might be an innocent explanation, not that I believe there will be.”

  “If he’s guilty, he’ll make up some story.”

  She sighed. “I know, but why would a wealthy playboy tutor a high school kid in Edendale? And before you say he wanted to give back to the community, not only was that not Deke’s personality, he would have told me—bragged about it even. Helping others is a hot button for me. It would have endeared me to him even more.” Logan’s jaw hardened. “I just mean, if Deke was trying to impress me, that would have helped.”

  Logan crossed his arms over his chest, an action that implied he was anything but happy. “Then why do it behind your back?
”

  “I don’t know, but before I go off half-cocked, I want absolute confirmation that Deke is this tutor. Mrs. Sanderson said that Tom’s former girlfriend, Melanie, would be able to identify Mr. Quigley, since she was often around when Tom was being tutored.”

  “By all means, contact her.”

  Wendy sent Melanie a text with the photo she’d taken of Deke and then pressed send. “Okay, I asked Melanie if this was Tom’s tutor, Mr. Quigley. Now we wait.”

  Less than sixty seconds later, her email chimed. Melanie had responded. “That was fast.” Wendy’s blood pressure soared as she read the message. “Deke and Mr. Quigley are one and the same. Damn.” Wendy slumped against her seat. “What is Deke hiding?”

  “Didn’t you say the Sanderson’s have a cabin in Thedia?”

  “Yes, they used to live there. Melanie said a bunch of fellow students went there and used the cabin when they went skiing last winter.”

  Logan picked up a pencil and twirled it over his knuckles. “It is possible Deke met Tom while skiing. They could be friends, and he used an alias so his dad wouldn’t know Deke was helping him.”

  “You’re making excuses for him. I don’t buy they’d be friends. There is too big of an age difference.”

  Logan leaned forward. “In an effort to be unbiased, is it possible that during the time the Sandersons lived in Thedia, they knew the Darnells through some business affiliation? Mr. Darnell is quite well connected, and Mr. Sanderson is a banker. It’s not a stretch to think their paths had crossed.”

  His mind was a few steps ahead of hers, but she liked where he was going. “Agreed, but maybe not in a good way.”

  “You’re probably right.” Logan shot her a brief smile. “I have an idea. Give me a sec.”

  “Sure.”

  He rushed over to his computer and tapped away. In less than ten minutes, he leaned back in his seat and smiled. “Well, well, well. What do you know?”

  Excitement raced through her. “What is it?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Logan didn’t want to get Wendy’s hopes up or have her jumping the gun and accuse any of the Darnells of something they didn’t do, but he had to admit finding a possible connection between the two families gave him hope they were involved somehow.

  “Mr. Sanderson worked at Thedia National Bank for ten years. He left two years ago and moved to Edendale where he now works at a different bank,” Logan said.

  “People change jobs all the time. Why are you smiling?”

  “Guess who banks at Thedia National?” he asked.

  She tilted her head. “I imagine you’re going to say Robert Darnell, but that doesn’t prove anything. Thedia National is a big bank. Lots of people do business there.”

  Logan walked around his desk and slipped a hip on the edge. “Hear me out. Remember the images we saw in the pool at the eternal flame?”

  “Yes. It looked like Mr. Darnell could have been in an office of some kind.”

  “Right, like a glass-enclosed office in a bank. We don’t know if he was speaking with Mr. Sanderson or not, but Darnell wasn’t happy,” he said.

  “That was an understatement.”

  “Meena said Mr. Darnell was out for revenge.”

  “I remember.” Wendy leaned back in her seat. “However, we have no idea when this confrontation took place. It could have been ten years ago.”

  Logan pressed his lips together. “You might be right, but why would Meena show us that image now?”

  “The only way to truly know is to fly back to the forest and ask her, but I get the sense she wouldn’t tell us anything more—assuming she knows something.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. From what my family has said, the Fairies and Feys are aware of a lot, but they are bound by some pledge not to reveal more than is needed for our safety.”

  “What do you suggest?” she asked.

  “How about we stop by Mr. Sanderson’s Edendale bank and see if he’ll speak with us? It’s not as invasive as going to his home,” Logan said.

  Wendy pushed back her chair. “I’m game.”

  “First, I want to stop by the police department.”

  “Why?”

  “If we’re going to be asking questions, it would be very helpful if Anderson made us temporary deputies,” Logan said. “He’s done it before for me when I’ve needed to gather sensitive information. Afterward, we can go to the bank. If Sanderson tells us what I think he will, I will have to stop by my condo to pack a few things for when we go to Thedia.”

  She smiled briefly. “Really? You’re willing to confront Deke Darnell?”

  What Wendy said about Deke made sense. “I think I can handle him.”

  “Great. Let’s go.”

  Logan so enjoyed how willing Wendy was to do whatever it took to make things right in the world. He escorted her outside, shifted, and then lifted her up as he took off. Because of the density of the city, one of his few options was to land on the SinCas building and walk from there. The police department wasn’t that far and being granted deputy status only took a few minutes.

  After Anderson explained the limits of their newfound power, they both signed some documents.

  “Don’t abuse your new authority,” Anderson said with a glint in his eyes.

  “We’ll be respectful,” Logan said.

  “You better.” This time his cousin smiled.

  Armed with proper identification, they headed to the bank. During their short walk, they discussed their strategy on how to approach the topic of Mr. Sanderson’s departure from Thedia.

  “I think you should handle the inquisition,” Wendy said.

  That was a surprise. “I appreciate that and don’t worry, I will be sensitive to the man’s loss, I promise.”

  At the bank, Logan explained that they were working with the Avonbelle Province Police and had a few questions for Mr. Sanderson. Both of them were shown into his office right away. While researching Mr. Sanderson, Logan had seen a few pictures of the man, but it looked as if he’d aged ten years since they’d been taken.

  Mr. Sanderson stood. “How can I help you? My assistant said this had something to do with my son’s murder.”

  “Yes. Did you know a Robert Darnell when you lived in Thedia Province?”

  The man’s lips pinched. “I’m afraid so. Why?”

  “He’s a person of interest, which means we can’t discuss the details, but the more information you can tell us about your relationship with him, the better.”

  “Did that son of a bitch have something to do with my son’s death?”

  That comment was telling. “We don’t know yet. We were hoping you could fill us in,” Logan said.

  “What do you need to know?” The man’s breathing had accelerated to a dangerous level.

  “Why did you leave your job in Thedia?”

  Mr. Sanderson waved a hand. “That’s none of your business.”

  “It might be your son’s business if your departure had anything to do with Darnell.”

  The man’s mouth opened and then his chest deflated. “How did you know?”

  “Call it a hunch.”

  The banker motioned they take a seat in front of his desk, while he dropped onto his chair. “Several years ago, Mr. Darnell came to the bank asking for a loan for one of his companies. We thought he was a good risk at the time and lent him the money.” Mr. Sanderson dragged a hand down his jaw. “If you recall, we had a little downturn in the economy, and Darnell couldn’t pay us back, so we had to foreclose on the property.”

  That aligned with the images Meena had shown them. “How did he react?”

  “Poorly. He said I’d pay for not believing in him. A few days later, some reckless driver sideswiped my wife’s car, forcing her to run into a metal guardrail. She broke a few ribs and sustained some cuts and bruises. The driver of the other car never even stopped.”

  “I’m sorry. Did you think Darnell was responsible?”

  “I thought so, but
I had no proof.”

  Logan glanced over at Wendy, but she’d schooled her features. He had to give her credit for remaining so calm. “Did the cops ever find out who was responsible for the accident?” Logan had to ask.

  “Eventually. It was some punk, but we never could prove he had any connection to Darnell.”

  Logan might have to research that case. He would look for any kind of money trail between Darnell and the hit-and-run driver. “Was that why you quit your job and moved to Edendale?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t leave right away. There were two more incidents about three months apart that convinced me to go. Tom was on his way home from practice and was mugged. The man roughed him up pretty badly, but we never identified the guy. Then someone broke into our house while we were at work and stole some electronics. It was all replaceable, but my wife had a break down, and Tom’s grades got steadily worse. We all feared something horrific would happen to one of us if we stayed.”

  “I am so sorry,” Wendy said.

  “Thank you.”

  “Could you have upset other people, enough for them to target you?” Logan asked.

  Sanderson shook his head. “Doubtful. I mostly dealt with commercial loans. I never had any problems during my entire tenure at the bank, until Mr. Darnell.”

  Darnell seemed to be a key player. “What do you know about Tom’s math and science tutor?” Logan asked.

  “I never met him, why?”

  “Just trying to put the pieces together.” Logan stood and held out his hand. “You’ve been very helpful. Thank you.”

  “I hope you get the bastard who murdered my son.”

  “So do we.”

  Logan waited until they were outside the bank to discuss what happened. “What do you think?” he asked Wendy, respecting her take on things.

  “The poor man is still afraid of Darnell and maybe rightfully so.”

  Logan placed a hand on the small of her back to help them weave their way through the crowded streets. “Many people make threats but never carry them out.”