Secrets of the Falls (Twelve Oaks Farm Book 3)

by Teresa Greene

  “I don’t think you do. If the gangs he investigates ever discovers Dylan has a girlfriend, they won’t hesitate to use his love for you against him.” Beth cupped her cheek. “Oh, baby, Dylan is not dangerous, but what he does is dangerous.”

  “Not that it is any of your business, but I told Dylan our relationship has no chance if he doesn’t give up undercover work. I know you think I need mothering, but I promise I have thought this through.” She pasted a false smile on her face. “Remember, I’m the queen of analyzing. You don’t need to worry about me.” She didn’t know who she was trying to convince, her sisters or herself.

  ****

  Dylan’s legs shook from exhaustion. He moved to the front porch of the barn and sat in the red rocking chair. Grant leaned against the wood boards as if bearing some incredible weight. Josh sunk into the chair next to him. Both men sat staring at him as if waiting for his explanation. “Lacy is a great young woman.” Neither spoke making him even more uncomfortable. The silence continued.

  Grant’s lip curled. “What are your intentions?”

  Dylan raked his fingers through his long tangled hair. What were his intentions? How was he going to answer that question? “It’s still early in our relationship.”

  Josh leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees. “Are you sleeping with Lacy?”

  “Yes.”

  The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Grant’s jaw jutted out in anger. “Lacy is sweet, caring, and delicate.”

  “No one knows that more than I do. I know you think I’m not good enough for her, but...”

  Josh interrupted, “It’s not that we don’t think you’re not good enough for Lacy, it’s just that you lead a dangerous life. Are you going to give up undercover work? That is the only way we will allow you to keep seeing her.”

  Dylan bolted to his feet causing pain to shoot through his sore body. “None of this is your business. Lacy is twenty years old. Old enough to make her own decisions.”

  When he attempted to leave, Josh grabbed his arm and spun him around. “We will not stand by while you put Lacy’s life in danger.”

  Dylan peered at the strong hand wrapped around his arm. “Take your hand off me. I’ve done all the explaining I’m going to. It won’t make a difference what I say, you’ll never accept me into this family. When it comes down to it, I’m nothing but white trash.”

  Dylan jerked his arm away from Josh. Every step across the yard was pure pain. He gritted his teeth and never slowed. Not even when he heard Lacy screaming his name. He slipped into the seat of his Mustang and spun out of the yard. He glanced into the rearview mirror and saw her standing in the drive. He increased his speed. From the beginning they never had a chance.

  Lacy screamed at Grant and Josh, “What did you say to him?”

  They hurried across the yard and stopped in front of her. “We told him the truth.” Grant reached out to take her hand, but she jerked it behind her back. “Dylan is not the right man for you, Lacy.”

  “You don’t know him like I do.” Her eyes shifted to Josh and then back to Grant. “None of you know him like I do.”

  Nina hurried off the front porch and placed her hand on Lacy’s back. “Calm down, Lacy. We can discuss this like adults. If you have strong feelings for Dylan, then Grant and Josh will listen to what you have to say.” She narrowed her eyes at Grant. Beth stepped to her side and took her hand. At least her sisters were willing to listen to how she felt. They would stand with her. “Maybe you should give them a chance.”

  Josh snapped, “Do you have any idea how much trauma Dylan has had in his life? Do you have any idea what he does while undercover?”

  Lacy snapped her head in Josh’s direction. “Of course I know. What do you think we have been doing all day? He told me everything.” At her wits end, Lacy stomped her foot. “I told him he had to give up his undercover work if he wanted to continue our relationship. The ball is in his court. After the way you have treated him, I’m sure I’ll never see him again. Your interference has ruined my life.” Lacy turned and ran into the house. Sick at heart, tears rolled over her cheeks.

  ****

  The house was quiet. Lacy tiptoed to the living room. Stretched out on his favorite place on the white leather sofa, Shadow raised his head and peered at her. She placed her finger to her lips and whispered, “Shhhh.” Immediately, Shadow jumped off the sofa and followed her to the front door. “You can’t go.” His tail wagged as he sat looking at her with big brown eyes. She cracked the door just enough to wiggle through so Shadow couldn’t follow her. Without making a sound, she snuck across the porch praying her dog wouldn’t alert everyone that she was leaving.

  Moonlight filtered through the trees casting eerie shadows. She could see some of the animals moving around in the pasture. Night bugs chirped loudly. By the time she reached her Jeep she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Maybe she should give Dylan time to decide if he wanted to continue their relationship. She started her vehicle. Placing her head on the steering wheel, she took a deep breath. It wasn’t like her to go sleeking around in the dark. Here she was about to go in search of Dylan. Even she was shocked at her behavior.

  She lifted her head and looked at the time. It was two o’clock and time was a wasting. She had to be back in bed before morning so her family would not know she had even left. She started the car hoping no one inside would wake and discover her sneaking away from the house.

  An hour later, Lacy perused the seedy back streets of Raleigh. She didn’t know Dylan’s address, only that he lived on the south side, so she was looking for the gold Cadillac he drove while undercover. Scantily dressed women stood at every corner. She watched as a car pulled up in front of a tall buxom black lady with blond hair. She leaned in the car window and had a short conversation with the man before she opened the passenger side door and got inside. They sped away from the corner. Depression settled over as she continued her search for Dylan. Before she met Dylan she had never even thought about this part of Raleigh. Never considered people who turned tricks for a few bucks to feed their children or buy drugs. None of these people had much hope of finding a better life. Now she knew just how lucky she was to have had the love and support of family.

  After thirty minutes had passed, she was about to give up when she spotted Dylan’s Cadillac parked on the street in front of a small white house. She pulled to the curb and gazed at the dwelling. One of the black shutters was hanging on its hinges. The grass had not been mowed and the shrubs were in bad need of pruning. How could he live in such deplorable conditions? The lights were on in a front room. Lacy could see someone moving around through the thin curtains of the picture window.

  Suddenly, the porch light flickered to life and the door swung open. A stocky black man hurried across the yard. Lacy ducked low in the seat hoping he wouldn’t see her watching the house. She almost screamed when Dylan stepped out onto the porch wearing only sweat pants and leaned over the rail. His hair was loose and hung to his shoulders. He yelled something to the man before he got into his car and drove away.

  Now was her time if she was going to talk to Dylan. She got out of the car and started toward the house. She stopped in her tracks when a dark woman with even darker hair stepped through the open door and wrapped her arms around Dylan. He lifted her to his hips. She wrapped her legs around him. In one swift movement he turned her around and propped her on the railing. Moving between her legs, he began to hump her. She tried to push away all the ugly, unsettling thoughts of Dylan having sex with the hot, curvy woman. It was obvious why he couldn’t give up undercover work. He enjoyed the fringe benefits.

  As if he sensed her presence, he stopped moving and looked in her direction. On weak legs, she spun about and rushed for her Jeep. She should never have come to see Dylan. She had made the worst mistake of her life.

  “Lacy!” Her hands trembled so bad she couldn’t get the door open. “Wait, Lacy!”

  By the time she got in the seat
, he was in front of her car loping toward her. She locked the door and managed to get the key in the ignition. He pounded on her side window but she refused to look at him. “Lacy, talk to me!”

  Eyes straight ahead, she slammed the gearshift into drive and spun away from the curb. Without looking back, she flew right through the stop sign. Lacy scarcely saw the red light in the distance. She blew right through it narrowly missing a pick-up truck. Tires screeching, horn blowing, she heard none of it. All she saw was Dylan and his slut going at it on his front porch. An almost unbearable ache swelled inside her heart. It was over.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Dylan cruised through the parking lot of Lacy’s dorm. Thankfully her white Jeep was parked in the lot near her dorm. He felt as if he had aged ten years. For hours he had been riding around fearing he would find her Jeep wrapped around a telephone pole. In his imagination he could see her bleeding or worse. She wouldn’t answer her phone when he tried to reach her which caused his worries to intensify. As a last resort he had called Josh. The whole family was out looking for her. He parked in a spot next to Lacy’s vehicle and punched in Josh’s number. “She’s safe. She’s back at her dorm.”

  “Are you going to talk to her?”

  “No. She’s angry with me. It’s better for everyone this way.”

  There was a pause before Josh stated, “Sorry it ended so ugly.”

  “It couldn’t have ended any other way. You guys go home and get some sleep.” Dylan closed his phone. He got out of his car and with long strides he moved toward her dorm building. From her window he could see her staring out into the darkness. She looked so sad. He caused that sadness. Staying to the shadows, he stood in that one spot unable to take his eyes off the beautiful woman who had stolen his heart. Pain tore at him as he studied her alluring face.

  Tommy Ross stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She turned and hid her face in his chest. He never told her about Tommy going into Robertson’s house and taking the items that would prove Bret killed Tiffany Swift. Maybe he should have. Could be he was as dangerous as Robertson. Somehow he was involved with Robertson’s crimes.

  Dylan had searched Tommy’s apartment but the shaving cream canister containing the jewelry was not there. He had no idea what he had done with the items.

  Streaks of daylight were beginning to appear in the early morning sky. He had not slept in forty-eight hours. Misery would keep him from sleep and there was no reason to even try. Might as well go to the office and see if he could find out something about Tommy Ross. Maybe it was time for some fresh eyes to look over what he had. He called Josh. “Can you meet me at my office?”

  Dylan placed his phone in his jean pocket and took one last look at the window where Lacy stood embraced in Tommy’s arms. He whispered in the growing light. “Goodbye, my love.”

  ****

  Dylan looked up from the paper he was reading in Robertson’s file when Josh entered with Beth. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought Beth. She doesn’t have to be in court until ten o’clock. Not only is she pretty, but she is also smart. Maybe she can help us find a connection between Robertson and Ross.” Wearing a designer suit, Beth had tried to look the part of a professional. Her auburn hair was arranged artfully with wisps fanning her beautiful face. While Lacy and Nina resembled each other with the blond hair, delicate features, and leaner figures, Beth was curvier. Lacy and Nina looked sweet and wholesome. Beth was sexy even in the stylish business suit. But then all three were head-turners.

  “The more the merrier.” Neither seemed to be upset about what happened with Lacy. Dylan bolted out of the padded swivel chair and offered it to Beth. “Sit here. It’s a very comfortable chair.” His office didn’t have anything on the wall. For the first time in his career, he felt ashamed he hadn’t done more to decorate his office, give it more of a personal feel. Rarely did he use it, so he had never taken the time.

  She gave him a warm smile and sat in the chair. “Thank you.” Even her smell was sexy. He leaned in and sniffed to get a whiff of her perfume.

  He grabbed a chair against the wall for Josh and another for him. He put it next to the desk and handed her what he had on Ross.

  “Four nights ago I entered Robertson’s house and found Lacy’s cameo, Miss Swift’s ring, and various other pieces of jewelry hidden in a fake bottom of a shaving cream canister in his bathroom.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Surprised he didn’t know, Dylan explained, “I told Agent Simmons since he was taking over the case. He said he would keep you informed of what was going on.”

  “He never told me.” Excited, Josh replied, “Now you have the evidence you need.”

  “Had the evidence I need.”

  Josh’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Dylan flexed his shoulders trying to get comfortable in the hard, metal chair. “I didn’t have a search warrant.”

  “Can’t you get one?”

  “That was my intention.” Dylan leaned his elbows on the table as his eyes moved from Josh to Beth.

  She asked, “What is wrong. There’s something you’re not telling us.”

  She wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “I was going to get a search warrant and go back, but someone took the evidence while I was hiding in the house.”

  “Who?”

  “Tommy Ross.”

  Shocked, Beth snapped, “Michelle’s Tommy?”

  “Yes.”

  Josh asked, “Why would Tommy take evidence that would put Robertson away for the murder of Tiffany Swift? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Nothing about this case makes any sense. Tommy has to have a connection with Robertson.”

  Beth placed her hand on her chest. “Lacy said Tommy’s a great guy. I don’t think he would condone drugging unsuspecting women and then raping them. Michelle is crazy about him.”

  Dylan rubbed his tired eyes. “People also think Robertson is a great guy. We know differently.”

  Beth took a deep, steadying breath. “Things just kept getting worse.” She picked up the school annual Dylan had lifted from Tommy’s apartment. He thought it curious because it was hidden under Tommy’s mattress with his social security card and school transcripts. The annual was from a high school in California. Tommy said he was a native of North Carolina. He had flipped through the annual but didn’t find anything that stood out.

  “I can’t find any dirt on Tommy. He hasn’t even had a traffic ticket. The man’s clean as a whistle.”

  Beth leaned over the annual, her eyes narrowing. “So this is Tommy Ross. Lacy said he had blue eyes. This guy’s eyes are green.” She passed the annual across the desk and tapped the picture with a perfectly manicured fingernail. Again Dylan thought how different she was from Lacy. While Beth was glamorous, Lacy was more the girl next door. Even though she was gorgeous she didn’t wear make-up and expensive clothes like Beth.

  Underneath the picture of a tall, dark haired young man was the name Tommy Ross. Funny, he hadn’t even noticed the subtle differences. Other than the eye color, Tommy’s nose was thinner and his lips thicker. “That’s not Tommy Ross.”

  Beth answered, “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” He flipped through the pages of the annual. His heart almost stopped beating when he recognized another student by the name of Chad Grey. “Tommy Ross.” Tommy Ross and Chad Grey could have been twins except Grey was blond with blue eyes.

  Beth moved to Dylan’s computer. “What’s your password, honey?”

  “Josh&Beth-2014.”

  She almost melted. “That’s so sweet. I’m in your password.” She sobered quickly and her fingers flew over the keyboard. Both Dylan and Josh moved to her side and all three peered at the screen over her shoulder.

  Beth read the FBI file out loud. “Chad Grey is a suspect in the disappearance and death of Kenly Gardner. She disappeared from a school dance on June 1, 2010. Witnesses saw Chad Grey getting in her car after the
party. Three days later her body was found in a stream fifty miles from her home in Arcata, California. She had been sexually assaulted and then strangled. After making bail, Grey left the area and hasn’t been seen since.”

  Dylan started for the door. Josh asked, “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to arrest Tommy Ross, or Chad Grey. Whatever the hell his name is. Sounds like the same MO. Tiffany Swift was strangled and left in water. Maybe he is the killer and I’ve been after the wrong man.” Hand on the doorknob, he ordered, “You guys call the authorities in Arcata, California. See what else you can find out about Grey.”

  Before he opened the door Beth ordered, “Wait, Dylan.” He turned and looked at her. “You’re as good at this as you are undercover work. Maybe you should consider another position at the bureau.”

  He smiled before he rushed through the door. It was like putting the pieces of a puzzle together and he did like puzzles.

  ****

  A thousand possibilities were racing through his head as Dylan moved in and out of traffic. He decided to go to Lacy’s dorm first in case Grey was still there. It was possible Grey and Robertson killed Tiffany Swift together. He laid down on the horn when a slow moving car wouldn’t let him pass. “Get out of the way!” He switched lanes almost clipping the car next to him. He should have told Lacy his suspicions about Grey. But then he feared she would tell Michelle and Grey would have fled or gotten rid of the ring that once belonged to Tiffany Swift and Lacy’s cameo. It was the only evidence he had discovered linking Robertson to the crimes. Damn, he should never have let it out of his sight.

  People stared at his Cadillac when he pulled into the parking lot of Lacy’s dorm building. Her silver Jeep was parked in its assigned spot. He didn’t see Grey’s black Ford Edge. Hopefully, he was at his apartment.

  Dylan parked next to Lacy’s Jeep and loped to the front doors of her dorm building. Taking the elevator, he stepped out onto the second floor directly in front of her dorm room. He pressed the doorbell. When no one answered, he began to pound on the door. “Lacy, open the door! I need to talk to you!” It seemed no one was home.