Deadly Coincidence (Brantley Walker Off the Books #4) - Nicole Edwards Page 0,86
all of us, boy. But you’re doin’ what needs to be done. Spendin’ time with your family is most important right now. Be there for them and they’ll be there for you.”
“Always the philosophical one.”
Curtis chuckled, that deep, gruff laugh Travis had heard all his life.
Someone spoke in the background before his father said, “Your mama wants to know if you’ll be goin’ to the Fantasy Festival next Saturday.”
“Fantasy Festival? Who came up with that name? Y’all are aware that sounds kinky, right?”
Another laugh. “Trust me, it’s not. Somethin’ about fairy lights and a winter wonderland for the kids. All the businesses on Main Street are participatin’.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard all about it. Kate can’t stop goin’ on and on. And the answer’s yes. Kylie intends to take the kids for the festivities. We’ll stay with ’em.”
Curtis relayed that information to Travis’s mother, then said, “Kaden and Keegan’ll be there to help out. Sounds like Bristol’s helpin’ your cousin Violet with one of the booths, so she’ll be there.”
There was more talking in the background, followed by, “Evidently your mother invited Jared and Hope. Sounds like Hope’s sisters’ll be taggin’ along.”
Another pause, more talking.
“Hey, Pop,” Travis interrupted, “why don’t you just put me on speaker?”
He chuckled again. “I would, but I don’t know how to do all that fancy nonsense.”
“Give the phone to Mom.”
There was some rustling, then his mother said, “Hi, honey.”
“Hey, Mom.” Travis smiled, unable to help himself. He seemed to do that whenever he talked to her.
“I was tellin’ your dad that Wolfe’s comin’, too. Bringin’ his better…” Lorrie giggled. “I guess you can’t call ’em a half when they’re a third.”
Travis grinned, feeling lighter with his mother’s laughter. “Rhys and Amy’ll be there?”
“They will, yes. As will Lynx and Reagan.”
“Any reason you’ve invited two towns to this festival?”
“It’s for a good cause,” she said, although he suspected that was her go-to answer.
When it came to these things, Lorrie was the town’s biggest supporter, usually wrangling up all the help needed whether it was for the church coat drive or the spring pet festival. Whatever the occasion, his mother had a way of bringing people together.
“I’m sure it is,” he told her.
“And don’t you worry,” she added, her voice softer. “We’ll all be lookin’ out for each other.”
Travis didn’t respond to that because he wasn’t sure what to say. His throat constricted whenever he thought of what Juliet Prince was capable of, and he wondered if his life would ever be the same again. He didn’t like the fact he had to keep his kids locked up in the house, his wife, too.
What if they never found her? Would he spend the rest of his days looking over his shoulder, expecting the worst?
*
Knowing there was nothing he could do by waiting around, Brantley took Reese back to HQ, hoping to get some good news from Luca.
“Sorry we couldn’t get you a location on that call,” Luca said when Brantley stepped into the barn.
“Yeah, well. That would’ve been too easy, right?” Brantley offered a curt nod to Charlie and Holly on his way to the desk Luca was sitting at. “Tell me you got somethin’ though?”
“Well, the doorbell cams were a bust. We got a little movement, but nothin’ from your bad guy.”
“What about Dante? Did you happen to catch who dropped him off?” Reese asked.
“We caught a glimpse of a four-door compact comin’ through around eight thirty. They stopped in front of JJ’s and someone got out. But the cam we saw it on had a narrow scope. Can’t really see who it is.”
The entire time Luca was talking, he was keying something into the computer, his fingers moving rapidly over the keys.
“What’re you workin’ on?”
“He’s helpin’ me,” came a female voice projected from a phone sitting on the desk.
“Hello, JJ,” Brantley said cautiously. “How’re you feelin’?”
“My back hurts a little,” she said, her tone far too sweet for the JJ he knew.
“Your back?”
“Yeah. You know, from the knife you put in it.”
Brantley knew he would have to have a conversation with her at some point about Luca, but he couldn’t afford for it to be now.
“Understood,” he said. “We’ll talk about it later. What else you got?”
“You’re not gonna like it,” Luca said, his voice low.
“He’s a no-good bastard,” JJ announced.
For a second, Brantley thought she was talking about him, but he refrained from making a comment. Good thing, because she’d been talking about Dante.
“He did this, B. Dante set this whole thing in motion.”