Justice Divided (Cowboy Justice Association Book 10)

by Olivia Jaymes

  Ava checked the directions again on her phone. They should be getting close to the doctor’s house.

  “What if Dr. Bartlett is home with the flu?”

  Logan had already confirmed with Jason’s source that the therapist hadn’t shown up for work this morning.

  “Then we’ll fix her some tea and ask her where she thinks he might go. If he ever mentioned anyone or anywhere outside of those walls.” Logan glanced at her before returning his eyes to the road. “Are you still worried that Wade might be at her house? I’ve got the local cops meeting us there.”

  It had crossed her mind a few times. It wasn’t out of the question that Wade would show up at the doctor’s residence seeking shelter and assistance, whether willingly or by force.

  “I think it’s a possibility we need to be ready for. The reason she might not be at work could be that he’s holding her hostage.”

  Logan’s jaw tightened and his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. “To be frank, I don’t think she’s long for this world either way. If Wade is holed up at her house, he won’t think twice about killing her. If he does that, heaven help us because he’s going to get addicted to that feeling again. Just like a junkie, he’s going to need it over and over, more frequently each time. Once won’t be enough.”

  Ava shuddered as she remembered seeing the body of Wade’s own father who he had shot in the head.

  “You think he’ll go on a spree?”

  “I think it’s highly likely. He’ll love the press coverage.”

  Ava pointed to a small white house on the corner of a quiet residential street. Jason had already called them back and told them that the local police weren’t all that interested in Dr. Marilyn Bartlett if they weren’t sure that she had broken any laws. As far as the police were concerned, Logan had an interesting theory but absolutely no evidence.

  Luckily Jason was able to convince the local cops to at least meet them there in case the doctor’s life was in danger. He’d suggested that they wouldn’t want the bad publicity. That had done the trick. They’d agreed to do a “well-being” check on Marilyn Bartlett.

  An unmarked patrol car was parked in front of the house.

  Pulling up in front of the home, Ava slid out of the vehicle happy to stretch her legs. She and Logan walked toward the door and were immediately greeted by a plainclothes police officer in the doorway. Clearly Wade wasn’t here.

  An older man with silver hair shook their hands. “I’m Detective Murray Townsend. You must be Logan Wright.”

  “I am, and this is my wife Ava. She also consults from time to time.”

  I do? How cool.

  The captain didn’t even question Ava’s presence, getting straight to the point. “I must admit, Mr. Wright, I’m not sure why we’re here. Has Dr. Bartlett broken any laws?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I am concerned for her safety. Wade Bryson is a dangerous man.”

  The man seemed dubious but accepted Logan’s explanation. “Well, you’re lucky my captain thinks so highly of the Anderson family. I can’t think of anyone else that would be allowed to do this. We’re breaking a couple of statutes right now.”

  Ava didn’t care about the rules and Logan…well…he never had.

  “I’m confident in my theory, Detective. I believe Marilyn Bartlett is in danger.”

  The older man shrugged. “If I get in trouble for this I’m throwing you under the bus. Anyway, I did a little checking while I was waiting for you. The female subject Dr. Bartlett isn’t here, nor has she shown up for work. Her vehicle is not in the garage but the door to the garage was unlocked and from there I was able to enter the residence.”

  They’d need to put out a BOLO for the car.

  “She didn’t take her cell phone. I found that on her desk in the living room. There doesn’t appear to have been any struggle, however. I see no evidence of any crime here.”

  “That doesn’t mean she’s with Wade Bryson voluntarily,” Ava pointed out. “It just means she didn’t fight back in this location.”

  “It could also mean that she’s at the grocery store or visiting a friend and if she comes home and catches us inside of her house she’ll sue the pants off of the department.”

  The detective was kind of a pessimist.

  “Can we look around?” Logan asked. She could feel the leashed up tension in his body. He wanted…something to happen.

  “Sure, why the hell not? We’re already on thin ice. Just be quick. We have real crimes that need to be investigated. I’ll wait outside. Don’t take anything. I could get in big trouble for this.”

  The cop turned and exited the house.

  “I don’t think he believes your theory, husband.”

  “I don’t give a shit what he believes. I should have just broken into the house. It would have been easier. Let’s check out the kitchen.”

  Logan studied a wooden block of knives on the counter. One was missing.

  “One of the knives is missing.”

  “But there’s no blood anywhere that I can see.” Logan opened the dishwasher. “And here it is. She really shouldn’t put expensive knives in the dishwasher. She’ll ruin them.”

  “You’re kind of annoying at a possible crime scene.”

  Logan flashed her a grin. “I’m betting it’s only going to become worse.”

  He opened the refrigerator and the contents were sparse. The pantry was stocked slightly more but it didn’t look like Marilyn Bartlett liked to cook.

  Opening a drawer, Logan pulled out a stack of well-worn takeout menus. “Bingo. I bet she mostly ate out. So an empty refrigerator means nothing.”

  The rest of the kitchen didn’t help so they moved into the living room. Ava headed straight for the desk where the cop said the cell phone had been found. She believed that desks and workspaces said a great deal about a person. For example, Ava’s said that she was neat but impatient. Creative but orderly.

  The doctor’s desk was neat as well. A place for everything and everything in its place. Pens and pencils in the holder. Paper clips in a little open box. Even the rubber bands were stacked neatly.

  If Marilyn Bartlett kept her work area this clean and organized that meant that all work had to put away in the drawers. She wouldn’t leave it out. Sliding open the middle drawer, Ava found a planner open to the current week. Notations had been made on each day including exercise, water intake, and appointments. Dr. Bartlett has visited the dentist earlier this week. There was nothing there about Wade but they’d need to look through it completely.

  “Logan, I found the doctor’s daily planner.”

  “If she’s anything like you she would have written down that she was planning to help a sociopath break out of prison. Monday, laundry. Tuesday, spinning class. Wednesday, help a serial killer. Thursday, book club.”

  So I might be a little detail oriented. Is that so wrong?

  “Really? You’re going to give me a hard time about my planner now? Is this really the time? You were right. You are more annoying.”

  “I think your planner is cute. Now what else can we find in this desk?”

  “Was the doctor right or left handed?” Ava asked, standing in front of the desk. “There’s a theory that everything important is always placed on the same side.”

  Thinking for a moment, Logan pointed to the right column of drawers. “She was right handed.”

  “Then let’s try these first.”

  The top drawer was filled with receipts, probably for tax purposes, all clipped together in orderly little piles. The second drawer was almost empty, with nothing but a checkbook and an adding machine in it.

  “I can’t remember the last time I wrote a check,” Ava said, picking it up and paging through the register. As expected, Dr. Bartlett was meticulous about recording every check written.

  “Or used an adding machine. What’s the date of the last entry?”

  Ava held it up to show him. “About two years ago. She probably kept it for taxes.”<
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  “Check the bottom drawer.”

  Empty. The left column wasn’t much better. After scouring the living room for a while longer, they made their way into the bedroom. Like the two rooms before, it was neat as a pin. The only item out of place was a recent hardback bestseller on the nightstand that Ava had recently finished reading. The book was facedown and open. A book lover, it drove Ava crazy when she saw people do this.

  “She didn’t have a freakin’ book mark? She has a stack of post it notes on her desk. This poor book.”

  Ava lifted it, intending to see where in the story Dr. Bartlett had left off but there was something or things, plural, underneath it and they cascaded to the floor.

  “Shit,” Ava cursed, both her and Logan bending down to pick up what looked like a stack of photos. “I’ve got butterfingers.”

  Faster than she could ever hope to be, he had scooped up most of the photos before she had a chance. “Baby, have I said that I love you today?”

  He had.

  “You did when I poured you coffee this morning. Why?”

  He was grinning. That smile he was famous for, if only locally and among friends.

  He held up one of the photos. “Look.”

  Ava had to look hard to see what he was smiling about, studying the photo carefully. When she did, her heart shifted into another gear and she had to remind herself to breathe. In and out. In and out.

  Screw it, I’ll breathe later. This is important now.

  It was a picture of Lyle on that jogging path.

  All of the pictures were of Lyle going about his day and they appeared to be taken from a distance, as if Dr. Bartlett had followed Lyle to study his daily schedule.

  “I’ll have Jared check to see if she has any firearms registered in her name. I’ll have Jason call the authorities again as well. I think now I might have a little more credibility that Dr. Marilyn Bartlett, once a witness for the prosecution, shot and killed Lyle Bryson because his brother Wade wanted him dead. They might even believe that she helped him escape from prison and is on the run with him now.”

  Ava heard her husband speaking but the words barely penetrated her brain. She was too busy looking at the photos. There weren’t many, maybe eight in total, but the more closely she looked at a few of them the more frightened she became until her heart was lodged in her throat. She grabbed Logan by the shirt, yanking it to get his attention.

  She tapped on one of the pictures. “Look! It’s not Lyle.”

  Logan took it from her hand and held it closer. “What do you mean? These are Lyle.”

  “No, those are Lyle.” She pushed two other photos under his nose, her whole body shaking. The drive back to Corville would take too long. They’d have to call Drake. Thank heavens he’d stayed behind this morning due to some local business. “These are Aaron. Logan, she’s not just after Lyle, she’s after Aaron, too.”

  The brothers were close in age and looked very much alike.

  It made sense. Wade hated the Bryson family dynasty and the business. He wouldn’t choose one brother over the other. He’d want both of them gone.

  The color drained from Logan’s face and he quickly levered to his feet, dragging her with him. He was already running for the door with her on his heels. “Fuck, we need to get back there. Son of a fucking bitch.”

  Ava could only hope they’d figured it out in time.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The copper scent of blood hit Logan’s nostrils when he walked up to the trunk of Aaron’s car less than an hour later. He’d driven like a bat out of hell to get here but he’d known they were in no position to help as far away as they were. Drake and his deputies were Aaron’s only hope and they hadn’t made it in time.

  No one would have. It was Aaron’s habit a few days a week to come into the office very early, long before anyone else so he could work when it was quiet. It was then that he’d been shot in the head from close range. The shooter or shooters loaded the body in the trunk of Aaron’s own car before driving away. It probably happened just as the sun was coming up.

  The rest of the employees arrived one by one as Wade and Marilyn traveled farther away from the scene of the crime. If the employees noticed Aaron’s car in the parking lot they didn’t think much of it, even when he wasn’t in his office. His assistant said that she thought his wife might have picked him up last night if he wasn’t feeling well. A sick day would explain his absence this morning, although she admitted she was surprised he hadn’t called. That’s what had eventually led her to call Lindsay and inquire about Aaron. When she’d found out that her boss was supposed to be in the office, she became extremely concerned and was about to call the police when Sheriff Drake and one of his deputies showed up. After a brief search, they’d found Aaron’s body.

  Logan edged in front of Ava, wanting to block her from seeing the grisly scene. He’d meant it that day so long ago at the wedding when he’d told her that seeing a dead body changed a person. She had seen dead bodies, but this was particularly awful. She didn’t need these images keeping her awake at night.

  “Are you doing this on purpose?” she asked, moving to her right. Logan simply stepped in front of her again.

  “Yes. Why don’t you wait inside the office?”

  “I want to–”

  “Trust me,” he cut in. “You don’t. Now go wait in the office. In fact, call Jared and see if he has anything for us.”

  Logan thought she was going to argue but to his surprise she agreed and went back into the building. Drake finished up with one of his deputies and the coroner made a few notes on a clipboard.

  “According to the coroner he was shot in the head,” Drake said, his own troubled expression mirroring Logan’s. “He died instantly. He’ll let us know what caliber gun as soon as possible.”

  The fact that Aaron had been shot in the head was incredibly obvious.

  “I bet it will match the gun that shot Lyle,” Logan replied. “If Marilyn Bartlett owns a gun, I bet it matches that, too.”

  Christ, this was such a fucking mess. Wade was evil, killing his own brothers. Logan would bet money that he’d done the deed this time. He’d want the adrenaline rush.

  He’d want it again, though. And soon. Who would be next? Anyone in Wade’s path was in danger.

  * * * *

  Ava was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast the next morning when she heard the sound of engines right outside the windows. Folding the dishtowel, she glanced outside and then did a double take. Several vehicles had just pulled into the driveway and at the front of the house. The men climbing out of those cars looked extremely familiar.

  Seth. Tanner. Griffin. Reed. Dare. And…was that Jason and Jared, leading a German Shepherd?

  Logan was in the backyard playing kickball with Brianna and Colt. The doors were wide open because of the good weather so she only had to call to get him inside. She welcomed the men before they even had a chance to knock, waving them inside.

  “Looks like I better put on another pot of coffee,” she said, giving each man a hug, one after the other. The dog, on the other hand, was the recipient of a suspicious look. Had Logan gone ahead and adopted a dog without discussing it with her? And now his friends were going to plead the canine’s case? “To what do we owe the honor?”

  “I’ll second that question.” Logan had come up behind her, but unlike her he’d given the dog a pet, getting a tail wag in return. “Jason. Jared. Did you come to tell me I’m no longer a partner in the firm?”

  Not one man cracked a smile. They looked like they were heading to a funeral.

  That’s when it hit Ava.

  God, I’m so stupid. They think it might be our funeral.

  Ava drew a shaky breath, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. “I think I know why you’re here.”

  Logan didn’t look happy at all. His brows were pulled down into a straight line and a pulse jumped in his cheek. “Then tell me because I don’t have a fucking clue.”

&nbs
p; He did. He was a smart man so he knew, but he was far into denial. They’d received word last night that Marilyn Bartlett did have a twenty-two registered in her name. It was also a twenty-two that killed both Aaron and Lyle. Those bullets matched. Dr. Bartlett was now wanted not only for aiding and abetting a fugitive but also double murder. Logan had solved Lyle’s murder, after all. Not that Corville would be rejoicing in his victory.

  “They’re here because of Wade.”

  Tanner, the unofficial leader of the group, stepped forward. “Yes, because of Wade. He’s a dangerous man, but not an unpredictable one. He’s murdered his father, his uncle, and two of his brothers. Now there’s only one left.”

  Logan.

  Her husband wasn’t going to give in gracefully. “I’m not part of the Bryson dynasty or any of their business dealings.”

  Reed stepped forward then. “True, and that’s probably why you’re still alive so far. But from what you’ve told us Wade wants to be you, wishes he was like you, and at the same time hates you. Eventually he’s going to have to eliminate you because as long as you live he can’t be the hero or god that he wants to be. We think you’re next and we’re here to take you and your family into protective custody until Wade, and any of his loony disciples, are caught.”

  Logan pointed to himself. “I’m going to get Wade but I wouldn’t mind the help.”

  “No, buddy.” Tanner shook his head sadly. “You and your family are going underground. Today. Right now. Only the seven of us plus Evan in Florida will know where you are. You’ll stay under protection until Wade is back behind bars. Jason and Jared are going to escort you to a safe location along with Reed who will fly back here to help us.”

  Ava watched fascinated as a million expressions flitted across her beloved husband’s face. The final one was determination.

  “They can protect Ava and the kids but I’m not sitting on my ass while–”

  “You won’t be,” Tanner interrupted. “You’ll be helping with research and strategy. Tactics, however, will be carried out by my team. You want to see those kids graduate from high school? Get married? You want to sit in a rocking chair next to Ava and watch her hair turn gray then you’ll listen to me. If that’s not what you want, then feel free to tell me to go fuck myself. Your number one job while Wade is free is to protect your family, Logan. Your family. Let our number one job be catching him. You know you won’t be able to let them out of your sight anyway, so why pretend otherwise?”