The Awakening by Jana DeLeon Read Free Book Online

either.”
    “It’s good to know she doesn’t panic. We don’t want the clients in the middle of hard-core action, but it sometimes ends up that way. Better for you if the client is someone you can rely on to back you up. Is there anything I can do to help from my end?”
    “I need Max to run some names for me.” Tanner read him off the list of names he’d compiled based on his conversation with Josie.
    “Anything in particular to look for?”
    “No. I’m just trying to get a feel for who’s here and what their motives might be beyond the norm. Animals are a lot easier to figure out than humans.”
    “Got that right.”
    Tanner hesitated for a moment, not sure he should say what was on his mind, but he took a breath and forced it out. “She’s lying. Josie, I mean.”
    “About what?”
    “I don’t know yet, but I can tell she’s hiding something from me.”
    “Do you think it’s relevant to the investigation?”
    “I don’t think she thinks it’s relevant, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t.”
    Holt sighed. “I wish I had some magic words that would make people air their dirty laundry, but I don’t. I deal with the same thing on every case. Some are worse than others.”
    “Does what they’re withholding always affect the case?”
    “Hard to say. Sometimes the information could have led us down the right avenue of investigation. Sometimes it could have prevented us from going down the wrong one. But sometimes, what they’re hiding is simply some embarrassing family secret.”
    “Maybe Josie is hiding something about her father.”
    “Maybe. She wouldn’t be the first person to feel embarrassed or guilty over things her parents have done.”
    “Isn’t that the truth?” Tanner mumbled. He’d spent most of his life trying to hide the fact that he was Walt Conroy and Margaret LeDoux’s son, which is why he’d changed his last name as soon as he’d been legally able, just like his brothers had done. That bit of information carried way too much baggage for any one man to find tolerable.
    Holt was silent for a couple of seconds, and Tanner knew his half brother got the meaning of his disgruntled statement.
    “Sometime soon,” Holt said, “Max and I need to talk to you.”
    “You just talked to me the other day. Now I’ve changed professions, I’m tracking a mythical swamp creature and living with a lying woman. The way the first conversation turned out, I’m not so sure I want another one with you and Max.”
    Holt chuckled. “I can’t exactly argue with you. But still, when you feel up to tackling some old issues, there’s something Max and I need your help on. I’ll start these background checks this morning and give you a call as soon as I have some information.”
    “I’m going tracking as soon as I get off the phone, so leave a message if you don’t get me,” Tanner said, unable to keep from wondering what else his brothers had in store for him.
    “No problem. It might be afternoon before I finish enough of them to warrant taking up your time with a call.”
    “I won’t be back until I find something or the light runs out.”
    “Be careful, Tanner. Whatever reason someone has it in for Josie, they’re not going to appreciate your butting in. Watch your back, especially in the swamp.”
    “I will.” He disconnected the call and looked out his bedroom window across the lawn. Josie was leading a stallion out of the barn to work him. The stallion’s sleek black coat seemed to shine over his rippled body. Tanner knew enough about horses to know he was looking at a prime Arabian specimen worth some serious money.
    Josie started working him on the lead and Tanner paused a minute more, thinking what an incredible sight the two of them made. Finally, he tore himself away from the window, grabbed his backpack and headed outside.
    He’d seen Emmett Vernon head to the swamp on the south side of the property when they’d been eating breakfast. First thing, he was going to track