“No word yet?” Brady asked.
“Nope. There’s an APB out. Shepard hasn’t used his credit cards. His car hasn’t been spotted. None of his employees have seen him since the day before the cops showed. He hasn’t called any of them. His ex-wife hasn’t heard from him in years.”
“Years?” I asked. “I thought he got visitation of his daughter. He doesn’t speak to his ex during exchanges or to make travel arrangements?”
The details were fuzzy, but I distinctly remembered Jeff Shepard getting his daughter two weeks in the summer. I’d even checked the dates on the custody agreement to see if the time of the murder had taken place while he was scheduled to have his daughter.
“Apparently, he hasn’t seen or spoken to his daughter in years. The ex-wife didn’t sound upset by this. She actually said they were all better off with Jeff out of the picture,” Ethan told me.
“Putting aside that Shepard’s likely a murderer, I can see why the ex would say that,” I began. “She filed for divorce but got nothing in the settlement because it was her that was cheating on Shepard with his business partner. There are three separate assault reports filed by the business partner. Not surprisingly, Shepard beat the shit out of the guy any time they came in contact. No charges were filed, but the reports are there. I’d think it would be a whole lot better if the ex you cheated on went away so she and her new husband wouldn’t have to court a beatdown every time Shepard came to pick up his daughter. When was the last time Shepard visited his daughter?”
“I didn’t ask specifically,” Ethan returned. “I’ll call her back and ask. There a reason you wanna know?”
“You don’t wanna know?” I inquired.
“Oh, I’m gonna find out,” Ethan stated. “I’m just wondering if we’re on the same page.”
“Shepard had his daughter for a two-week visit, and one week after he takes his daughter back to her mother and stepfather Becca Harper was murdered. I’d like to know if that was the last time he exercised his visitation rights. If seeing his daughter was the trigger. I’d also like to know if his ex-wife has more to say about why he stopped taking his daughter.”
“And you say you’re not any good at investigation work,” Ethan mumbled.
“No, I’m damn good at it,” I corrected with a smile. “I said I don’t like sitting at my desk going over reports when I could be at the range blowing shit up.”
“Now that sounds like an awesome day,” Liberty said from behind me.
I swiveled in my chair and suddenly my day brightened.
Shiloh was standing next to her friend.
She was also smiling.
Though she was smiling when I rolled out of bed this morning after going down on her. And she was smiling when I kissed her goodbye before I left her bed to sleep in. And I could hear the smile coming at me over the phone when she called me a few hours ago promising me a thank you blow job. Something I was looking forward to collecting when I got home this evening. So by the time we’d hung up, I was smiling, too.
And right then seeing my woman happy I returned the grin and got up out of my chair and made my way to her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked right before I dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“Well, like Liberty said, it’s an awesome day to blow shit up.”
“We were stopping in to see if there was range time available,” Liberty put in.
“Pistol’s full right now. But the rifle’s open,” Brady answered.
“Perfect. That’s where we were headed. Any classes out there today?” Liberty went on.
“What do you two have planned?” Ethan inquired.
“Planned? Why would you ask such a thing, cousin?”
Liberty feigned innocence, but Shiloh gave her away when she choked out a laugh.
“I ask because I know you,” Ethan continued. “And your partner in crime over there is laughing.”
“I’m not laughing,” Shiloh lied.
“Babe?”
Shiloh tipped her head back and her smile widened.
“We’re gonna blow shit up,” she told me.
“What kind of shit?”
“The kind that explodes.”
“Oh, I also need to use a Polaris,” Liberty announced.
Carter’s loud boom of laughter filled the room. It didn’t take long for Ethan to join his brother.
“Woman, you own the joint. Why are you asking if you can use a Polaris?” Brady shook his head.
“Oh, right.” Liberty waved her hand. “Come on, Sunny, let’s load up.”
“Hold on there, pyromaniac.” I held onto Shiloh. “Not until you tell me what you’re blowing up. I have a class tomorrow and I prefer not backfilling a crater.”
“Just Tannerite,” Shiloh beamed.
“Liberty,” Carter groaned.
“What?”
“How much?” Carter pushed.
“Three pounds.”
“Fuck no.”
Shiloh giggled. Liberty crossed her arms over her chest. Carter scowled.
“Why not? As Brady pointed out, I own the place just like you. And we’re shooting it from three-hundred yards so no worries,” Liberty argued.
Three-hundred yards? Yeah, that won’t work.
“You know better than that,” Brady chided. “A two-two-three won’t detonate Tannerite at three-hundred yards. The bullet needs to be traveling over two-thousand feet per second at impact. It’s about—”
“Velocity, I know,” Liberty snapped. “I’m totally offended. Next, you’ll want me to sit in on your Bullet Ballisticts101.”
Shiloh’s mouth twisted in amusement but she didn’t interject.
What are these two up to?
“Then what are you shooting it with, a fifty cal?” Brady pushed.
“Nope. My brand new Sig Cross,” Liberty bragged.
“No shit?” Carter stood and came around the table. “You have one?”
“Yep.”
Well, damn. That was a sweet rifle. The last and greatest from Sig.
“And you’re taking her out now?” Ethan got up but dropped his keys on the table.
I guess he was staying.
“Yep.”
“I’m in.” Brady started for the door then stopped. “How much ammo you got? We don’t have two-seven-seven Fury in the armory.”
“Just enough to show you boys how the big girls play,” Liberty retorted.
“Seriously?” Ethan groaned.
“Naw. I’m just kidding. I wouldn’t come just to tease you. But me and Sunny go first.”
Brady took off like a shot and Ethan nodded.
“Deal.”
“We’ll meet y’all out there.” I pulled Shiloh off to the side to let Carter and Ethan exit.
Liberty paused, turned, and smiled at Shiloh.
“I told you we wouldn’t have to set up targets today.”
“That you did,” Shiloh returned.
“I’ll have the guys load your gear. We’ll see you out there.”
“Thanks.”
I waited until everyone was gone before I bent and gave my woman a proper greeting, one that included lots of tongue and my hands on her ass, and this went on until she moaned into my mouth. Unfortunately, that was my cue to break our kiss.