Page 7 of Out of the Shadows (Angelhart Investigations)

doesn’t fix trust.”

Jack understood exactly how she felt.

“Anyway, what do you want to know?” Laura asked, weary. He didn’t blame her. She didn’t know him, and just because Logan trusted

him didn’t mean that Laura did.

“With me,” Jack said, “you get my whole family. We own Angelhart Investigations, and we’ll find out what’s going on. Logan

told you I used to be with Phoenix PD?”

She nodded.

“So first, I’ll talk to the officers who responded, find out which detective is working each case, get information. I’ll talk

to your neighbors, check any security cameras that face the street. Because you’re near an intersection, I’d like to talk

to the neighbors across the way, they may have seen or recorded a vehicle leaving your property.”

“Logical,” she said.

“The hit-and-run and the break-in aren’t a coincidence,” Jack said. “Have you thought about anything strange or unexpected

that’s happened at home or work over the last month?”

She shook her head. “My life is busy, but predictable. I work five days a week and every other Saturday. Sydney is on her

middle school volleyball team in the fall—practices start first week of August—and a rec swim team in the spring. Cody started

little league baseball this spring, the season ended two weeks ago. They’re both in a 4-H club that meets biweekly. The animals

take most of their free time. The kids go to the Anthem rec twice a week in the summer, a friend brings them home after lunch.”

“Anyone at your clinic who was upset? Angry?”

She shook her head. “Our business is 90 percent dogs, cats, birds. My partner Davy also sees reptiles, and I take farm animals,

which is usually a house call. We’ve had the clinic for more than ten years.”

“I’ll want to talk to your partner,” Jack said. “He might have seen or heard something.”

“Sure. He’ll be at the clinic until six today.”

“Any disgruntled employees?”

She shook her head. “Everyone on staff has been there for at least a year, and our office manager for as long as we’ve been

open.”

“Neighbors you’ve had issues with?”

“I would tell you, Jack. I’ve had no threats, no one has followed me, no strange phone calls, nothing!” She was getting upset.

“We’re also going to look into Logan’s businesses and see if there’s someone who may want to get to him through you. And my

sister Margo has already talked to Brittney.”

She grunted. “Bitch.”

Jack smiled. “It’s unlikely that she would commit a crime now that she has a settlement and would lose it if she violates

the agreement.”

“What agreement?”

Jack shouldn’t have said anything, but he did. “Logan gave her the house and a cash settlement—”

“Which he shouldn’t have. She cheated on him, her boyfriend nearly killed him!”

“And as part of the divorce settlement, she can’t contact him or any member of his family or business for a year, except through

his lawyer. So I don’t see what her endgame would be going after you through a surrogate.”

“Oh. He didn’t tell me.”

“I don’t think it’s a secret, but he doesn’t seem comfortable talking about what he considers a failure.”

“My big bro.” She smiled, sipped her coffee, grimaced and dumped it out in a potted plant. “You know him pretty well.”

“We became friends after I determined he wasn’t committing corporate espionage.”

“He told me about that,” she said with a small laugh. “So what’s next?”

“Margo will track down your ex-husband. Maybe he has an idea what’s going on.”

“I’ll ask him when he calls me back,” she said. “Charlie’s irresponsible and always has his head in the clouds, but he wouldn’t

get involved with anything illegal.”

She paused, bit her lip. “Logan’s always had vision. Growing up on the ranch, he wasn’t as physical as our younger brother,

Henry, who loved working with cattle and fixing things. Logan wanted to make work easier and more efficient. He failed a lot,

but he learned. By thirteen, he’d designed an innovative irrigation system for our garden, sold it around town, and hired

nine-year-old Henry to help install it. He’s clever. Charlie admires that, believes he can come up with ideas that will make

him rich, too.”

“And his ideas?” Jack asked.

“Wild. Mostly about investing. He’s been fired from nearly every job for daydreaming. But Charlie’s always happy. He fails,

gets up, tries again. I loved that about him. But he doesn’t accept consequences for his actions, nor does he learn from his

failures. When we lost the house, he believed his next idea would fix everything. That’s when I said enough.”

She looked away. “After the second major financial upheaval he put us through, I told Charlie I was done. He promised no more

investments without my explicit approval, no more risks. Six months later, I found out he’d forged my name on a second mortgage.

So I left. That was four years ago. I don’t think he’s ever accepted that I’m not coming back. He still thinks if one idea

succeeds, I’ll forgive him.”

Jack treaded carefully. “Have you given him any reason to think that?”

“No. I told him never. I love him, but I’m not in love with him. I can forgive, but I can’t forget. It wasn’t just one lie.”

“Does he have a job now?”

“He works in maintenance at Logan’s resort. He’s had similar jobs—golf courses, outdoor work. Logan’s crew cuts him slack

because he’s family, but he does well when he shows up.”

To Jack, it sounded like Charlie kept getting second chances and never learned. He’d already ruined his marriage. Was he chasing

a new scheme? Had he put Laura in danger without realizing it?

“Talk to your husband,” he said. “Margo will also speak to him, his boss, his neighbors. Maybe he ticked someone off.”

“That doesn’t sound like Charlie,” she said.

Jack wasn’t sure. If Charlie was in financial trouble, had he borrowed from the wrong people? That was a job for Tess—she

was better with financials than Margo.

“And this may have nothing to do with your ex,” he said. “But we have to cover the bases.”

“I understand,” she said, looking glum. “You don’t have to stay here, Jack. Logan can be overprotective.”

“Until we know what’s going on, there will be an Angelhart here. At least for a couple days, then hopefully we’ll have answers.”

“Mom?” Cody called. “Mom!”

He sounded worried, and Laura and Jack jumped up and ran to the barn. Cody was coming out.

“What’s wrong?” Laura asked.

“I can’t find Nimbus! She’s not in the box I made for her. What if those people scared her? What if she ran away?”

“Remember, cats don’t always have kittens where we want them to. She might be looking for a different nest.”

“But she could have them any day! If she got scared and ran off and got hurt the kittens will die.”

He was near tears.

“Let’s look for her,” Laura said. “We’ve been feeding her and she hasn’t left for two weeks. I don’t think she would leave

when she is so close to giving birth.”

Jack followed the mother and son into the barn, but he gave them space. Laura looked in each stall, Cody at her side. They

both patted the horses when they walked by. At the last stall on the right, Laura said, “Aw.”

“Where is she?” Cody said.

Jack walked up behind them as Laura went into the stall and squatted in the corner. She moved some of the hay and a cat hissed.

Laura spoke softly to the cat, stroked it, put her hand on its stomach. “You’re a good mom, Nimbus,” she said.

The cat was small, mostly gray with white paws and a gray-and-white-striped tail.

“I missed her,” Cody said. “I looked and didn’t see her.”

“She burrowed into the hay. It makes her feel safe,” Laura said. “Bring her food and water here, okay?”

Cody ran to another vacant stall and returned with the food and water. He carefully placed it close to the cat.

“Is she having the kittens?” Cody asked quietly.

“My guess is two days. I think she wants to have them here, so we’ll check on her and let her be for now.”

“Okay. I’ll bring her fresh water tonight and in the morning. But we should let her rest, right?”

Laura stood. “Right.”

They walked out. Cody said to Jack, “I found Nimbus hiding behind the barn with a sore leg. Mom said she was feral, but I

talked to her and fed her and didn’t scare her for days and days until she trusted me and came into the barn. Then we found

out she was pregnant. She only lets me pet her now, not Sydney.” He said that with some pride. “And of course Mom, but all

animals love Mom.”

“I don’t know about that,” Laura said and put her arm around her son’s shoulders. She turned her left arm up, revealing a

faded scar at least three inches long. “I’ll never forget Whiskers, the cat who gave me this. He was one mean feline.”