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Ghost

Unsurprisingly, Riverside Developments and Ever Clear Investments were the first to offer to purchase that portion of the ranch. The first offer came in the fifties after Cross and Berry Inc. changed its name to Riverside and again years later, mere months before Bryan’s parents’ car accident.

Once Bryan had taken over the ranch, Riverside changed its name again to Ever Clear Investments and again offered to purchase the land. With each offer, the amount increased, but as Isaiah had said, their ranch wasn’t for sale.

Ghost was getting a sick feeling in his gut that the Cross and Berry families had been working together for generations buying up land when it became available, and when an owner refused to sell, accidents began happening.

If Bryan and Isaiah’s wife had gone to that auction as well that day, the entire family would have been killed.

“What happens to the land after if all the beneficiaries are dead?”

Ghost asked.

“They’d search for any next of kin, blood relation, but if not, the estate escheats to the State of Texas, meaning the government takes ownership,”

Conor explained.

“In this case, Cross’s father was still mayor, and as the local government, he’d sell it off,”

Gunner said.

“Then his and Berry’s company would swoop in and buy it without anyone knowing they were Riverside Developments. That’s why they were so quick to change the name of their company from Cross and Berry Inc.,”

Spencer said.

“Damn,”

Ghost said. “This goes so much further than the Sophia and Jericho mystery.”

“Perhaps not,”

Spencer spoke up from the other end of the kitchen table.

They’d all gathered at the lake house to piece together the information they had so far.

“Explain,”

Brick ordered.

This case had taken on a more lethal element, and it seemed he was now treating it like a military operation for the team.

“You mentioned the Berrys had purchased Jericho’s parents land after Jericho’s death, but when I dug deeper, it turns out that both John and Vera Miles died less than one year after Jericho was shot in 1954,”

Spencer explained.

Ray pulled out his phone. “Holy shit, it’s right here on their headstones. I took this picture back in the cemetery before we were shot at.”

Ray turned the picture to show everyone. “At the time, I didn’t realize that the together in death was so literal.”

“How did they die?”

Stryker asked. This was his family, after all, if their research was correct. John and Vera would have been his great-grandparents.

“House fire,”

Spencer said sadly while looking at Stryker. “With Jericho already gone and no living relatives left, the estate went to the government to be sold off.”

“And Riverside Developments to buy,”

Stryker growled.

“Yes.”

“But Sophia was Jericho’s beneficiary,”

Julia said. “We found the will.”

“It wouldn’t matter since he died first. Since he and Sophia never married, his property would have gone to his parents,”

Ray explained.

“Okay. Time for a rundown of what we know,”

Brick ordered. “Let’s start at the beginning.”

“We began this investigation looking into if the priest actually shot Jericho and what happened with Sophia’s baby,”

Ray began to summarize.

“Now we know that Sophia was likely pregnant when Jericho shipped out and sent away by her parents,”

Ghost added.

“And that child is either Stryker’s father or mother,”

Conor said.

“Then, thanks to Ghost, we found out the town vet and the Berrys were up to something dubious, and they tried to scare Ray and Ghost off by shooting at them,”

Gunner mentioned.

“Then Cross turned up dead, and we found all that information in his hidden basement,”

Elias said. “This led us to the company the Cross and Berry families created to buy up land in Marshall.”

“Likely to control the freshwater spring and water in the area,”

Shaw said. “With that, they could force all the ranchers and farmers to pay for the needed water, which is currently freely shared by Bryan’s family ranch.”

“Also, if someone didn’t want to sell, they suddenly had accidents,”

Ghost said. The knowledge that this had freely been happening for generations still stunned him.

“Paving the way for the local government to sell off the property,” Ray said.

“Which was Mayor Cross,”

Harris added.

“What we still don’t know is why the priest shot Jericho or if he even did,”

Ray reminded the group.

Everyone sat quietly, processing the information. Ghost couldn’t help but feel like they were missing something, but he didn’t know what it was. Then it hit him.

“Do we know where Sophia’s parents sent her to have the baby?” he asked.

Ray and Spencer began flipping through files as Harris tapped away on his computer.

“There’s a record of her social security number being recorded in Florida in 1952. Sophia was born in 1933, so she would have been nineteen years old, and Jericho would have left for war before that,”

Harris announced.

“Were there any homes for unmarried mothers in Florida then?”

Ghost asked.

“The Florence Crittenton Homes for unwed pregnant women was located there and required women to put their babies up for adoption before they returned to their hometowns,”

Spencer said.

“We need the fifty-two Florence Crittenton Homes records,”

Brick ordered.

“On it,”

Spencer said.

Brick looked over at Stryker. “We’ll figure this out. I swear it.”

With Stryker’s nod, everyone went back to work. Only a handful of boxes left hadn’t been opened, and Ghost hoped they had all their answers before they hit the bottom of the last box.

“I may have a plan,”

Ghost announced. “Here’s what we do.”

***

Ray

Jake shuffled in his chair as Ray faked looking through some papers in a file. He wanted the man to squirm.

“We’ re releasing you,”

Ray said as he closed the file.

“What?”

Jake asked, his shock evident.

“You’re free to go. Your belongings will be returned to you at the front desk.”

Ray stood and made a move to leave.

“Wait. Have you arrested someone?”

“No, but it’s been decided there isn’t enough evidence to prove you killed Cross. Thank you for your cooperation. If we need any further information, we’ll be in touch.”

Panic flashed across Jake’s stunned face. Perfect.

“But they’re still out there.”

“Who?”

“The people who killed Cross.”

“Yes, we know, but we’re at a standstill without further leads.”

“What about the information I gave you?’

“We're still following up but have nothing so far. However, you have rights, and we can’t continue to hold you here. You’re free. Would you like one of the deputies to give you a ride someplace?”

“No. You can’t let me go.”

“Did you kill Cross?”

“No.”

“Then you’re free to go.”

“Holy shit, don’t you get it? They’ll kill me.”

“Who?”

“The people who killed Cross.”

“You keep saying that, but people aren’t a name, and under the law, as you’re aware, we can’t disregard your rights. I must let you go if we have no proof, leads, or new information. I wish you luck, Jake.”

Ray walked out of the room, closed the door behind him, and continued into the room on the opposite side of the wall. Looking through the one-way mirror, Ray watched Jake run through a gambit of emotions: confusion, anger, and fear.

“You got a mean streak in you, buddy,”

Elias chuckled as he watched Jake.

“Evil.”

Brick laughed. “I like this side of you.”

“Thank you,”

Ray said with a bow. “Now, let’s see how strong his sense of self-preservation is.”

Minutes passed and Jake still hadn’t stood from the chair. Ray was almost considering going back in when Jake finally stood and walked out the door. When Jake reached the front desk, Ray came up from a side hallway, making it seem like he hadn’t noticed Jake was still there.

“Oh, you’re still here. Was there anything else?”

Ray asked.

“You know they’ll be waiting for me.”

“Tell me who.”

“I can’t.”

“If I don’t let you go, I’d be denying you your rights. Everything has to be done by the book. You’re free to go.”

Ray grabbed a small plastic bag from the desk that held what Jake had in his pockets when they brought him in, handed it to Jake, and slapped him on his back.

“Good luck out there.”

Jake took the bag and glanced out the sheriff's station windows. He sucked in a deep breath, took the bag, and stormed out of the door and back onto the streets of Marshall. It was sunset and would be dark soon.

All the better to hunt by in Ray’s eyes.