Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf #1) - Terry Spear Page 0,75
men. The other raised his weapon to fire at Josh. Before Josh shot him, Brooke grabbed a cast-iron skillet sitting on the countertop and bashed the gunman in the side of the head with a heavy thunk. He collapsed on the floor like a sack of rocks.
Adam was wrestling with the first man, trying to confine him. Josh dashed across the floor to help him, yanking the gun from the armed perp and sliding the weapon across the floor. Three other policemen rushed into the shop to help.
While Adam secured the one man, Josh tied up the other. EMTs were called to check on the injured man who was just coming to. Josh hurried around the counter to see to Brooke, who was looking pale and visibly shaking.
“How are you holding up?”
“I have to…to wash the blood off the…the frying pan.” Tears filled her eyes, but she managed a quirky smile.
Josh hugged her. “Come on. Why don’t you sit in the kitchen and have some water?”
“Sure.”
Josh took her into the kitchen and helped her to sit down, then brought her a glass of water. “What did they want?”
“A thumb drive in one of the five boxes from Gulliver’s estate sale in Phoenix. The one man said that Mr. Lee sold the boxes to them for their aunt’s antique shop, but I don’t believe them.” She explained the rest of what he’d told her.
“I take it they didn’t have a sales receipt for the boxes, nor did they give you the name of their aunt or her antique shop.”
“Nope.”
“Then these men are in league with the other ones who shot you?”
“I’m thinking they were. They didn’t mention them, but since those men didn’t find whatever they’re after and made a mess of things, whoever is sending them must have hired these two. Instead of breaking in during the night and shooting up the place, these guys were being civil. I caught a glimpse of the one guy’s gun in a shoulder holster and knew they had to be bad news. They didn’t know you were a police detective and my savior who was calling to check on me.”
Josh kissed her. “I’m so sorry. I’m sticking with you from now until we catch the one responsible, but when I interrogate these men, I’ll make sure you’re well protected.”
“I never thought to check to see if the man who left the estate had died of natural causes. I just assumed he had. I was so busy getting ready to leave Phoenix that I wasn’t paying any attention to the news,” she said.
“You said it was a Gulliver?” Josh asked, doing a search on his phone.
“Randall Gulliver, Phoenix, Arizona.”
“Murdered. Hell, what’s going on?”
Brooke’s jaw dropped. “Oh wow. Where did he die? And how?”
“At his home. He’d had a break-in. They don’t know who murdered him, but he was shot to death.”
“Were things stolen in Mr. Gulliver’s home?”
“Yeah. Jewelry, a coin collection, and a stamp collection. The place was trashed. So the motive was listed as a robbery.”
“Why would the thumb drive be so important to them? And why would they have dropped it in one of the boxes Mr. Lee gave me?” Brooke asked.
“I suspect they didn’t put the thumb drive in the box. Someone else did. And they have to get it for whoever hired them to do the job,” Josh said.
“If we consider it has something to do with the murder of Gulliver, who had the most to gain from it?”
“Four surviving grown children: Pattie, Daisy, Ralph, and Nat Gulliver,” Josh said. “Often, family or someone the victim knew is the murderer. It’s more unusual if it’s a perfect stranger.”
“Hmm, I wonder if the children received a life insurance payout.” She sipped some of her water. “It would be a good motivation for murder, as wealthy as he was.”
“Exactly.”
“Do you think Mr. Lee put the thumb drive in one of the boxes?” she asked.
“If he did, he put you at risk.”
“Can you bring me the skillet?” she asked.
“I’m afraid it will be in evidence for a while.”
She sighed. “Years.”
“It’ll be worth even more when you get it back. I need to learn what I can about these guys and then I’ll return. Are you going to be okay?” He hated to leave her for even a moment, but he had to know what was going on if he was going to stop it.
“Sure.”
Adam was checking the armed thugs’ pockets for IDs. Josh already recognized the man Adam had taken down by both