Coming Home: Baytown Boys Series

by Maryann Jordan

  As Mitch walked back to the front porch, Tori grabbed Jillian, “Hey, what’s going on between you and Grant?”

  Eyes wide, Jillian tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and, avoiding Tori’s gaze, shrugged.

  “Come on, girlfriend,” Tori cajoled. Seeing Jillian’s reticence, she added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, but just know I’m here for you.”

  That brought Jillian’s eyes back to Tori’s and she sighed heavily. “I’ve been crazy about Grant for as long as I can remember…even back in high school.”

  Shocked, Tori admitted, “I knew that back then, but you’ve never said anything or even indicated that your feelings still went that way.”

  Jillian dropped her head down, staring at her feet for a moment before lifting her gaze back to Tori’s. “You know the feeling of wanting something so bad you think you can’t breathe without it? And yet you know it’ll never be yours?” Seeing Tori’s understanding expression, Jillian continued. “Of course you do. That’s how it was for you and Mitch. That’s how I’ve felt about Grant ever since he came back from the military and finished his degree in police science. Once he came back to Baytown, I thought for a fleeting second we might have a chance.”

  “And you don’t think that anymore?” Tori asked, her heart breaking.

  Jillian’s eyes filled with sadness as she shook her head. “Nope. For the past few years, since he moved back…I’ve been relegated to the friend-only zone. The barren, wasteland, friend-only zone. And what’s worse, I’ve had to watch him as he’s dated several women, not to mention the one-night-fucks of summer visitors.”

  Before Tori had a chance to throw out her opinion, Mitch walked back into the inn. Jillian pasted a huge, albeit fake, grin on her face and tossed her goodbyes out before leaving quickly.

  Tori, torn, wanting to help her friend, knew Mitch needed her attention now. He walked right back into her arms again.

  “We’ve got lots to choose from for lunch today,” she said. “Seems like half the town brought over food.”

  “Whatever’s fine with me. We’ll talk and then I’ve got Katelyn coming to spend the afternoon with you.”

  “God, I hate having babysitters,” Tori complained, limping into the kitchen.

  Several minutes later, the two were ensconced at the family table in the kitchen eating chicken casserole, as Mitch ran down the interview with Tori’s mother.

  Nothing he told her gave her a surprise…or a shock. “Honey, you have to understand…mom never loved Vanessa more than me, but my sister was easier for her to understand. I was like my father and Vanessa was like mom. She was perfectly happy to leave me here for the summers because I loved it and would have made her life miserable if she’d forced me to take tennis lessons at the country club. Vanessa was a social climber…and I also know that came from mom as well.”

  Mitch observed her, hating to ask the next question. “Babe, why didn’t you tell your mom about Vanessa and Thomas?”

  A grimace shot across her face before being replaced with a deep sigh. Spearing a helpless piece of chicken as she toyed with her food, she admitted, “Even though mom loved me…I knew Vanessa was the golden girl. If mom had even hinted to me that I should ignore what happened just to hang on to Thomas…I don’t think I could have taken it. It would have pierced my heart. So, it was easier not to say anything.”

  “Doesn’t she wonder about the distant relationship you have with Vanessa?”

  “My sister and I never exactly got together for Thanksgiving dinners…at least not since becoming adults. She and her revolving door of husbands are usually off on a cruise or some holiday trip. Thomas and I would take mom out to eat.” Shrugging, she added, “Mom was never the domestic type. Last year, I came and spent it with grandma here. She had one childless couple staying in the Inn and we had a lovely celebration.”

  The silence stretched between them until she felt she would snap with the tension. “Mitch, you’ve been asking a lot of questions of me, but what did you find out about any suspicions you have?”

  “I agree with you that it is highly unlikely your mother had anything to do with any of this…but she did confirm you and Vanessa would inherit when she dies.”

  “So? That can’t be unusual. And mom has little other than the house she lives in.”

  “No…but if something happens to you, your mom would get your estate and then, if something happened to her, it would go to Vanessa.”

  Eyes opened wide, Tori shook her head. “It just can’t be my sister.”

  Katelyn’s voice could be heard from the front as Mitch’s phone vibrated again and he cast a regretful glance toward her. Bending over, he gave her a quick kiss and promised, “I’ll be in your bed tonight,” earning him a wicked smile.

  Good, she mouthed as he answered his phone. Nodding toward Katelyn, he headed back to work. As he drove to the center of town he thought, time to find out what skeletons Gareth has dug up.

  *

  After Mitch left, Tori turned to Katelyn and said, “Grab some lemonade, let’s talk!” After settling in on the shaded back patio, Katelyn turned her curious gaze toward Tori.

  “Look, I don’t want you to reveal any private info, but Jillian was here earlier and Grant dropped by—”

  Katelyn responded with an eye roll before Jillian could finish. “And Jillian wasn’t too happy, right?”

  Nodding, Tori agreed. “She told me a little but, well, I was curious.”

  Taking a deep sip of the tart lemonade, Katelyn leaned back in her chair and elevated her feet onto the footstool as though settling in for a long talk. “When we were growing up, the Baytown Boys spanned more than one year in school, but the group that seemed to be the tightest was Mitch, Grant, Callan, Zac, Aiden, and Brogan. You were the different one…not being related to any of them. I think at one time, they probably all had the hots for you, but you only had eyes for Mitch and the others respected that. Hell, it’s not like they were hard up!”

  Following suit, Tori lifted her leg to the footstool, moving around slightly to find a comfortable position before turning her full attention back to her friend.

  “For me, I was always just Aiden and Brogan’s little sister, so none of them would ever look at me, knowing those two would probably kick their asses. Phillip was the teenage crush I hoped would come back and declare his everlasting love for me…but, well, that wasn’t meant to be. Zac and I have gotten close, but just friendship close, which is all either of us want. For Jillian, she fell for Grant a long time ago, but she was Mitch’s little cousin to the guys. But they did date in high school before he graduated and left for the Army.” Casting her eyes out toward the yard, she added, “I thought at one time when he came back they might get together. But all the boys came back with some heavy memories and I heard he and Jillian arguing one night at the bar a couple of years ago. Since then…just friends.”

  “I hate that for her,” Tori sighed, thinking of her burgeoning relationship with Mitch.

  “Me too, but she puts on a great game face when we’re all together. She says she’d rather be his friend than nothing at all, but I know it stings.”

  For a few minutes the two sat, sipping lemonade and listening to the birds chirping. Finally, turning back to Katelyn, Tori asked, “And you? I know at one time you wanted to escape this town, but here you are. Anyone keeping you here?”

  Tucking her long black hair behind her ears, Katelyn smiled. “Nah – just family. I told you that when my brothers left for the military, I didn’t leave even when I graduated. Just couldn’t leave my parents. And then, by the time Aiden and Brogan came back and took over the bar, I wanted to be close. Keep an eye on them. And now? I’m twenty-nine and too old in my mind to start over anywhere else. Plus,” she winked, “I love Baytown. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Who knows? Someone may come along that catches my eye!”

  *

  “Gareth?” Mitch called out.

  “Come on in,�
� Gareth replied, sticking his head out of his office. “Sorry, I’m scarfing down a burger from the diner, but I’ve got some info for you.”

  Mitch walked into the office, taking a seat across from Garrett, who was wadding up the hamburger wrapper and tossing it into the trashcan. “So you found something for me?” he asked.

  “I’ve been looking at the mom, the sister, and the ex-husband. I’ve only begun to scratch the surface, but I’m looking into their finances. What I’ve found so far on the mom is that she owns the home she lives in—looks like she paid it off when her husband passed away. She has a small investment account from the remainder of his insurance policy and so she lives well, although modestly. Can’t find an employment record for her, but I’ll still look.”

  Interrupting, Mitch added, “You won’t find one. She told me this morning she didn’t work outside of the home when the girls were younger nor after she became a widow.”

  Gareth made a note on his pad of paper that he used for scribbling, and then continued. “I’ll keep looking deeper into the mother because sometimes things are hidden under layers, but perhaps she is just what she seems to be…a woman of a modest, fixed income.”

  “And one who would like to be more, according to what she told me.” Seeing Gareth look up at him, he explained, “She wanted more of a country club existence and pinned her hopes on both Vanessa and Tori to help her achieve that goal. Tori disappointed, but is seems Vanessa did not.”

  Nodding, Gareth looked back down at his pad as he continued to scribble. Glancing back up, he asked, “Do you want to hear about Vanessa first or the ex husband?”

  “Let’s go with the sister first. I’ll save Thomas for the end,” Mitch replied, his lips pinched in irritation.

  “Okay. Vanessa Hurkamp. She and Nelson Hurkamp married about six months ago after meeting at the most exclusive country club in Virginia Beach. She was not a member but was there with a friend. He is ten years her senior and a financial planner that, from all accounts, appears to do very well for himself. You’ve seen their home, so you know they live in an expensive, upscale, gated community neighborhood. Vanessa fills her time with charity events and social activities. Their finances, on the surface, do not raise any red flags but, usually, the richer a person is the more they can bury their assets under layers of bullshit accounts. This can be to hide some from taxes or for more nefarious reasons. On the other hand, they can be living in a make-believe world, where they give off every image of being wealthy but underneath they are actually living in a house of cards that could come tumbling down at anytime.”

  “Pre-nup?”

  “Oh, yeah. She screws around, she gets nothing.”

  Nodding, Mitch wondered how solvent the Hurkamps were, but trusted Gareth to dig deeper to find what he could. As he pondered, he felt the man’s stare on him, realizing it was time to talk about Thomas.

  “Now for the ex-husband. Thomas and Tori were married for two years, having met through a mutual friend. They lived in a modest house in Richland. I haven’t had a chance to check with any former neighbors but, again, on the surface there didn’t appear to be any major problems. They shared a joint checking account but, like many couples, they maintained separate savings accounts. I have found where there was some transference of funds from one savings account to the other occasionally, but not enough to raise any concerns, such as he was siphoning money off of her. When they divorced, they paid off the legal fees from his savings account, sold the house and split the profits.” Gareth chuckled and added, “It also appears she didn’t pay him the realtors fee for having sold their own home.”

  Mitch grinned knowing that Tori, with the grounds of adultery, had Thomas by the balls. Gazing back up, he asked, “What else?”

  “He’s dated some and, as you already know, he’s now engaged to a woman who appears to be somewhat of a social climber. She came from a fairly poor background but, with looks and a few good connections, I think she has now landed someone she thinks will take her to the social heights she would like to achieve.”

  Shaking his head, Mitch replied, “Sounds like he’s marrying someone that was very much like his former sister-in-law—the same one he had an affair with and lost his marriage over. I need to dig more into her as we focus on Thomas.”

  “I had the same thought. Now, here is where it gets a little more interesting. Thomas has remained somewhat solvent during the housing crisis, but his investment accounts have taken a hit. I’m not sure, but I see withdrawals and some deposits that don’t jive with his income. My guess is perhaps he’s trying to play catch up with his money.”

  “Gambling?” Mitch asked, leaning forward, pinning Gareth with a stare.

  “Don’t know, but that’s what I’ll be looking into next.”

  Standing, Mitch shook his hand. “Can’t thank you enough. Keep track of your hours, of course, and I’ll make sure you’re paid.”

  Placing his hands on his hips, Gareth said, “I’ll give you a discounted rate.” Throwing up his hand before Mitch could retort, he explained, “Got a new business started here and not a lot of people walking through the door. So far, Mrs. Parson wanted to know if I could figure out who her husband was cattin’ around with and the Johnson kids wanted to know if I could find their actual cat that was lost.”

  Mitch threw his head back and laughed. “Watch out for Mrs. Parson. If she gets real mad at her Henry she’ll go after him with a frying pan and the neighbors’ll have to call us.”

  “Thanks for the warning…I’ll stay on her good side,” Gareth laughed. “So anyway, I want to help you out so I’ll give you a good price on my services.”

  “I appreciate it. I’m still figuring out the police department’s budget.”

  As Gareth escorted him to the front door, Mitch turned and looked at the empty receptionist desk. “You know, if you’re still looking for someone competent to help you out part-time, you might want to consider Katelyn MacFarlane. She works early mornings at the diner and then late afternoons or evenings at her brothers’ bar. She might like having something a little different to do and she’d be good. At least you can consider it.”

  Watching the Chief walk to his jeep, Gareth remembered the dark-haired beauty from the last time he was at Finn’s. Rubbing his chin, he pondered the idea.

  Chapter 24

  The next morning, Mitch pulled up to the station and noted a North Heron Sheriff cruiser in the lot. Walking in, he noted Mildred smiling at a tall, dark-haired man, lean muscles stretching the short sleeves of his uniform. As the man turned his way, his eyes crinkled at the corners when his gaze met Mitch’s.

  “Chief Evans? Colt Hudson. Sheriff of North Heron County.”

  Mitch knew of the neighboring law enforcement agencies, but counted it as a failing that he had not had time to meet them. A firm handshake later, he invited the man into his office.

  Colt settled into a chair as Mitch sat behind his desk.

  “I’m real sorry I haven’t been down to meet you before,” Colt began.

  Mitch shook his head in protest, and said, “Been meaning to come up myself but, I swear, the first part of my job was dealing with the mayor and every committee and organization in town and then…”

  Colt’s face grew serious. “Yeah, I heard about your troubles. I wanted to come down and offer my assistance whenever possible. Your dad and I worked together on a couple of cases that moved between the town of Baytown and the surrounding North Heron County.”

  “Good to know,” Mitch admitted.

  “In fact, there’s not many of us on the Eastern Shore and we get together about once a month. Good officers, all of them, and we work well together. You’re dad was a good man to deal with…we’re all looking forward to having you in the fold.”

  “When’s the next meeting?” Mitch asked, his eyes bright with interest.

  “Next Tuesday morning. The Easton café,” Colt said. “It’ll be me, you, the Easton Police Chief, Hannah Freeman, the Accawmacke County S
heriff, Liam Sullivan, the Manteague Police Chief, Wyatt Newman, and the Seaside Police Chief, Dylan Hunt.”

  “Sounds good,” Mitch said, standing once more. “I look forward to it.”

  As he walked the other officer out to the lobby, they shook hands once more. Colt nodded as he turned to leave. “You need help, …or backup, …give a shout. We work that way out here.”

  Mitch watched Colt leave and smiled at the laid-back offer of assistance. Thinking of the Saints he used to work along side, he welcomed the camaraderie.

  *

  “What have you got?”

  Mitch wanted to know what the other officers had discovered about the alibis for their suspects.

  Grant reported, “Vanessa was at home getting ready for an event…a flower garden show, and the show checks out. She was there by ten a.m. But before that, she was at home alone. And before you ask, the housekeeper wasn’t there yet. Mr. Hurkamp was not there either. He’d already left for work and it was the housekeeper’s half day off.”

  “According to Thomas’ fiancé, he was at home getting ready for work as usual and left the house about seven a.m.,” Ginny added.

  “Her word can’t be trusted,” Burt commented, shaking his head, gaining agreement from the others. “She’d lie for him in a heartbeat.”

  Sam glanced over to Mitch. “I know keeping an eye on our intrepid city manager is on the down-low, but I know his lawn-care man. Got to talkin’ to him the other day, just about how nice Silas’ yard looks and what grass fertilizer he uses…you know, just shootin’ the shit. Asked him how early he got to work and he said he’s there on Mondays and Thursdays by about seven-thirty a.m. Just so happens that Silas was gone early last Thursday.”

  “How the hell did you manage to get that info?” Ginny asked.

  Chuckling, Sam admitted, “He was running a loud blower when I saw him and I asked if the owners minded him using such a noisy gasoline engine right next to the house. He said that he always does it in the afternoon but, last Thursday, he noticed Mr. Mills’ car was out of the driveway so he took advantage and did it early that morning.”