The Snow Leopard's Love
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Chapter Twenty-One – Belle
“Do you see anything that might help us?” Belle hovered over Oscar as he leafed through the books from Reggie’s house one more time.
“No.” Oscar didn’t hide his disappointment. “I really thought there would be something here.”
“Okay, I think we’ve wasted enough time on this.” Belle straightened up. “Why don’t you tell us what you know, and we’ll try to figure out a plan. We can’t stay here forever.”
She glanced up at Rift. She hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, and she flashed him a brief smile, wanting to assure him her mind hadn’t changed. Their life was here in Wishing Moon Bay, but only after this was over.
Some things needed arranging, like transferring schools and working her notice at her job. Belle wasn’t going to just disappear into the night with no explanation. People would worry about her, there would be a police investigation which would cost time and money that was best spent solving real crimes.
Not that this wasn’t a real crime, her family was being threatened. That was their reality.
And all because of her father and uncle.
“Okay, let’s move on.” Oscar restacked the books, giving the boxes containing Reggie’s stuff one last reproachful look before he stood up. “Let’s keep it all for now, though.”
“You think there’s something we’ve all missed?” Katrina asked.
Oscar turned to face her, his eyes soft as he smiled lightly. “Who knows. But the toy that led us to you had been sitting in an evidence locker for decades. No one had a clue as to how important it was.”
“Point taken,” Katrina conceded.
“Let’s go see what else you’ve got, Oscar.” Rift patted the detective on the shoulder.
“It’s not going to be helpful in tracking down the guys who threatened you all.” Oscar shook his head. “As I said, the guy in the photo has never been found. The chances of us tracking these guys down in a short space of time is slim at best.”
“What if we bait a trap?” Katrina’s suggestion was met with silence from the others.
“I doubt they’d fall for that. Not after we ambushed them in the forest,” Rift replied.
“They want what they think we have,” Katrina replied.
“Maybe they believed us?” Belle folded her arms across her body. “Maybe they believed me when I told them we don’t have their treasure.”
Rift huffed and covered his mouth with his hand. “We could be doing all this for nothing.”
“We could.” Katrina glanced at Belle. “We need to go home.”
Oscar shook his head. “It’s too risky. Unless you have a contingency plan, it’s too risky.”
“We’re never going to find out if we don’t try,” Belle told him.
“Let’s go to Valerie’s apartment and discuss this calmly.” Rift moved to Belle’s side and slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Whatever you decide, the children should stay here.”
Belle leaned into him and nodded. “I agree. They’ll be safe here. Do you think Penny would look after them for a couple of days?” She hated the idea of leaving her children with a stranger, but she trusted Rift and Rift trusted Penny.
“I’m sure between Penny and Helena, they can cope.” He pressed his lips together. “I don’t like the idea of you being in danger.”
She turned to face him and placed her hand on his chest. “But you do like the idea of me living here in Wishing Moon Bay.”
He cracked a smile. “I do. And you won’t be happy here if you are always looking over your shoulder, worrying that they might find a way in.”
“Exactly. I want the kids to be safe and have their freedom. If we don’t resolve this or at least convince ourselves that they’ve given up on us, then I’m going to be watching the kids like a hawk in case someone tries to snatch them.” She shuddered and he placed his hand on the nape of her neck, pulling her toward him before he dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“Let’s talk and then I’ll make arrangements with Penny.” They followed the others back to Valerie’s apartment.
“Did you find anything?” Valerie asked hopefully as they entered.
“No.” Oscar sighed as he went to his briefcase which was still on the counter where he’d left it. “At least if there’s a clue in there, I can’t fit it together with the rest of the puzzle.”
Valerie handed him a cup of coffee. “If anyone can figure this out, it’s you, Oscar. There might not be a clue in there at all.”
“I know, I was hoping. Because the other information we have is not enough to track these guys down.” He flipped open his briefcase and took out a folder. “You’ve seen the photo. We now know there is a link between the person who is wanted for Murray’s murder and the person who attacked Belle.”
“We do,” Rift agreed.
“I’ve also managed to get hold of Reginald’s bank statements.” Oscar side-eyed Katrina. “Not through official channels, I hope that’s not going to be an issue.”
“No, it’s not,” Katrina confirmed. “Do they tell us anything helpful?”
“They show that Reginald made a regular payment that seems to be for a storage box at a bank close to the address where he lived before he was sent to prison.”
“He paid for a storage box for all of those years?” Rift asked.
“He did. I don’t think it’s unusual. If he had anything of value, it would have been stored there safely ready for when he got out of prison.” Oscar glanced at Katrina once more. “Did he leave anything with you?”
“No.” She shook her head and lowered her gaze. “I know I was his sister, but we weren’t speaking at the time. I was trying to build a life for me and my daughter.”
Oscar smiled gently. “You did a good job from what I can see.”
“I tried but it’s not been easy leaving the past behind. Even now, my name is linked to Reggie’s.” She cupped her hands around her coffee cup and drank, her eyes fixed on the floor.
“Do the bank statements tell us anything else?” Belle asked.
“No. Only that he rented a house when he left prison and at that time, he stopped the payment to the bank.”
“So Reggie went to the bank and took out whatever he’d been storing there.” There were no prizes for guessing what that was. What had he planned to do with it? Sell it? Belle frowned as she mulled this information over. Reggie’s health had deteriorated so rapidly. “Do you have anything else?”
“No.” Oscar seemed a little embarrassed. “I need more time to make inquiries.”
“Thanks, Oscar.” Belle pushed herself away from the counter. “We appreciate what you’ve told us.”
“It’s not a lot.” Oscar put the folder back in his briefcase. “And I have reached out to some old contacts. So there’s a chance I might get some more news. Particularly news of the photo. I’ve asked a colleague to run it through photo recognition software. Technology has evolved so much since Murray was murdered.”
“That sounds hopeful,” Belle conceded.
“In the meantime, we need to go back home and try to flush out the people who ambushed us.” Katrina drained her coffee cup and went to the sink. “Thanks for your hospitality, Valerie.”
“I’d ask if you were sure you were doing the right thing,” Valerie replied. “but I can see from your expressions that you’ve made up your minds.”
“We have,” Belle confirmed.
“I’m done running.” Katrina puffed out her chest and straightened her back. “I ran once before to make a fresh start. I’m not doing it again. Not when we have no idea what we’re up against. Belle is right. I don’t want us to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Rift told her. “With Oscar’s skills and his connections, and a bunch of shifters alongside you, these guys can’t hide forever.”
“What I’d like to know,” Valerie began, “is how they found out about the
treasure.”
Rift switched his attention to his mom. “Do you have an idea about that?”
“No, not really. I had no idea about the treasure.” Valerie shrugged. “Of course, it makes sense that his family did have treasure, most dragon shifters do. But there was no trace as far as I am aware.”
“And dragons don’t exactly go around showing off their treasure, do they?” Oscar replied. “So how did a group of people in the world beyond Wishing Moon Bay know about it?”
“And how did my father and uncle know about it?” Belle mused.
“Perhaps that’s what we should focus on.” Oscar flipped open his briefcase once more and took out the photo. He placed it down on the counter and stared at it, his eyes a little out of focus. “Who are you? And why did you kill Murray?”
Rift cleared his throat and Oscar jerked his head back, his eyes going from Belle to Katrina.
“It’s okay. You can talk openly in front of us both. I think we’re both somewhat emotionally unattached to Murray,” Katrina assured them.
“I never knew him.” Belle’s jaw clenched. “Honestly, when people talk about him, they might as well be talking about a stranger.” She put her hand over her heart. “Rightly or wrongly, I have no love for him.”
“Okay.” Oscar nodded again. “I want to focus on trying to figure out why Murray was murdered. I’ll go over the case notes one more time. It was thought that it was a revenge killing. So revenge for what?”
“It would take a lifetime to figure that one out,” Katrina said drily. “This is a man who kidnapped children, for goodness’ sake. Who knows what other heinous crimes he’s committed?”
“True.” Oscar rubbed his chin. “But this must be connected to the death of Ivan’s parents.”
“I believe you’re right,” Valerie agreed.
“If we can make the connection, we’ll be able to figure it all out.” Oscar closed his briefcase and lifted it off the counter. “Thank you for the coffee, Valerie. I’ll go and nudge things along. I’ll call all my contacts and sift through the information. As soon as I know something, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you, Oscar.” Tears pricked Belle’s eyes as she went to the detective and hugged him. “You’ve been so incredibly kind and helpful.”
“It’s what I do.” He looked embarrassed as he put his arms around her, his touch light on her shoulders. “It’s what I’ve always done. I thought when I retired, I might have taken things easy, but it’s in my blood. I want to make things right for as many people as possible.”
“If there’s ever anything you need, Oscar, ask. We owe you a big debt.” Katrina held herself back and didn’t hug the detective when Belle let him go.
There was something in her mom’s eyes, a glimmer of hope, of wanting, perhaps even longing as she looked at Oscar and then quickly turned her attention to her empty coffee cup.
“Thanks, Oscar.” Rift shook his hand. “We all owe you.”
“I don’t do this so that you owe me,” Oscar replied. “I do it because it’s right. I’ve watched you all grow up. I’m proud of the men you’ve become. To see you all happy with your mates is thanks enough.”
“Except Ivan,” Valerie murmured, and Rift smiled sadly at his mom. The dragon shifter seemed to have gotten the raw deal in all of this.
Or perhaps, in his eyes, finding a piece of his treasure was more than compensation for a mate. Belle dismissed the thought immediately. To a shifter, their mate was everything.
They meant more than life itself. She shivered. There was no way another life was being lost because of her family and the secrets of the past.
Chapter Twenty-Two – Rift
“When do we leave?” Rift gathered all the cups and put them in the sink before he turned around. Oscar had left Valerie’s apartment and it was time to make firm plans.
“We need to pack. If you could talk to Penny, that would be great. If she says yes, then I need to explain everything to the children.” Belle’s throat constricted and she covered her eyes with her hand. “Sorry.” She sniffed loudly and straightened up.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Valerie said kindly. “Your kids are the most important thing in the world. You want to protect them.”
“I do.” She wiped her fingers under her eyes. “Which is why we need to leave.”
“Why don’t you both go talk to Penny?” Katrina suggested. “I can pack our stuff.” She gave a small laugh. “There’s not exactly a lot of it. We only planned to be out for the day.”
“Good idea.” Rift nodded toward the door. “We can go to the beach and join them. I’ll ask Penny while you spend some time with the kids.”
Belle’s mouth turned down at the corners, but she nodded. “I’d like that. If you don’t mind, Mom.”
“No, go look at the ocean. See your children playing happily. It’ll make it easier, I can tell you.” Katrina hugged her daughter. “Go on.”
Belle hesitated for a moment and then followed Rift out of the apartment. He paused as he closed the door behind them and offered her his hand. He wanted to tell her it would all be okay, but they were empty words, none of them knew what they would face once they put their plan in motion.
Maybe she’s right and those guys believed her when she said they didn’t have the tiara. She was telling the truth, after all, his snow leopard said.
I’d like to believe that’s true but until we have proof...
If Belle moves her family here, all we have to do is keep her safe in the world beyond for a few weeks. Then they’ll be safe forever. His snow leopard’s chest rumbled at the thought of their new family coming to live in Wishing Moon Bay.
“If Penny agrees to look after the children while we’re away, I’ll arrange for them to come by the hotel and pick up their stuff,” Rift said, more to make conversation than anything. Belle looked tense, her mouth turned down at the corners as she nodded in agreement.
“At least I can go home and grab some clothes and things to bring back. When we come back...” Her voice trailed off.
“Hey, we’ll be back before we know it.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as they headed out of the hotel through one of the rear doors used by the staff.
She snorted. “And it’s not as if my kids will miss me. They’ll be having too much fun.”
“You know how much they love you,” Rift replied. “I see it in their eyes every time they look at you. You are the center of their world.”
“Thanks, Rift. I needed to hear that.” She wiped her hand across her cheeks. “It’s tough being on my own. I wonder how my mom did it. I mean, my kids had their father in their lives until a few months ago. And if things got really bad, I hope he’d be there for them. But she was completely on her own.”
“And you have her strength and determination.” They crossed the parking lot, and she dug her car keys out of her purse. “You’ve passed that same strength and determination on to your children. Watching them work together to build the sandcastle the other day, they worked together and helped each other.”
“The bond between them and between the three of us has grown stronger since their dad left. I worry it’s because they’re afraid I might leave, too.” She tried to smile but the corners of her mouth were still downturned.
“They know you are there for them. If they were worried you were going to leave, they’d be telling you that you’re the greatest storyteller, or they would cling to you as if they’re afraid you might disappear.” He rested his hand on the roof of the car. “That’s how I felt when I first came here to Valerie. I was afraid to let her out of my sight. Afraid to lose her love.”
Belle closed the space between them and nestled against him, her body pressed against his as she wound her arms around his waist. “She’s an amazing woman. I hope I can be half the mother she is. And, if you’re sure she needs help and you aren’t just inventing a job for me, I’d be honored to work with her. I can learn a lot from her.”
Yet there was an invisible hand holding onto him, keeping him from taking that step.
“We should go,” he murmured against her cheek.
“We should.” She ran her tongue along her lower lip and sighed heavily before she pulled away from him and went around to the driver’s side of the car and got inside.
Rift took a moment to steady himself. Belle affected his senses like nothing else he’d ever experienced. It was like she swept him off his feet and raised him into the air where he hovered six feet off the ground.
Just get in the car, his snow leopard said.
Rift snapped his head back and opened the car door. Sliding into the passenger seat, his senses were once more overwhelmed by her nearness. But he had to regain control. Their safety, once they left Wishing Moon Bay, might depend on it.
Ten minutes later, Belle and Rift were walking hand in hand along the beach searching for Penny and the children.
“There they are.” Rift pointed toward a cave entrance. He’d texted Penny and she’d told him they were picnicking inside one of the caves. The children were pretending to be pirates searching for buried treasure.
Dragon treasure, his snow leopard said. I wonder if this is where the rest of Ivan’s treasure is buried.
If it was this close, I’m sure he could sense it, Rift answered. Logan said Ivan has been testing how far his senses stretch when it comes to locating his treasure. It’s farther than our senses usually stretch. The treasure is like a part of him, he shares a connection with it that’s almost like the one between mates.
When this is over and Belle is safe, maybe we should help him track down the rest of it. Perhaps the guys after Belle might be able to give us more details. His snow leopard extended his claws. I could help loosen their tongues.