Cooper Vengeance by Graves Paula

Author:Graves, Paula [Graves, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: suspense
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue
Published: 2011-06-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Beneath the anger, J.D. recognized the hurt driving his son’s bitter sarcasm. “When I was ready,” he said, knowing a lie would only deteriorate the situation further. “How’d you get here?”

“Derek’s bike.” Mike waved toward a ten-speed parked in front of J.D.’s truck. “Who’s she?”

“I get that you’re pissed, but that’s no excuse for rudeness. This is Natalie Becker. She’s helping me with a project—”

“This is about Mom, isn’t it?”

J.D. glanced at Natalie, who stood in the middle of his room, her expression uncertain. “Natalie, my ill-mannered son, Mike.”

“Hi, Mike.” She ventured a smile.

Mike gave a polite nod. J.D. supposed that was better than nothing. “This is about Mom, right?” Mike repeated.

“Yes, but I want more information before I spring it on you or your grandparents.” He motioned for his son to come in. “How’d you find out I was here?”

“I overheard Gran and figured it out. I went to Uncle Clay’s and mapped the directions here.” Mike flashed a look of boyish pride. “I figured you’d be here because everything else is bed-and-breakfast inns. You wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those.”

Behind J.D., Natalie released a soft huff of laughter. “That’s how I figured out where you were staying, too.”

“You were looking for Dad?”

“Well, I was actually looking for his motel room,” she answered, slanting a quick look at J.D. “And I didn’t want him to be in his room, because I wanted to search it.”

Mike’s dark eyes brightened. “You broke in?”

Natalie glanced at J.D. again, consternation in her eyes. “Yes, but it was very wrong of me.”

J.D. held back a chuckle. “I reckon if you can forgive my trespassing at the restaurant—”

“Delinquent!” Mike’s grin let J.D. know the worst of his temper had cooled. “Gonna tell me what you’re really here for?”

J.D.’s amusement faded. He’d spent a lot of years trying to keep the worst of the details about Brenda’s murder away from his children. Cissy was old enough to remember her mother, so it wasn’t a surprise that she’d started researching Brenda’s murder once she was old enough; but he’d hoped that Mike, who’d been a baby when Brenda died, might be spared that hunger for answers.

He should have known better. Mike was a Cooper, after all. The desire for justice, for answers, was strong in all of them.

“My sister was murdered a few weeks ago.” Natalie spared J.D. the need to search for the right words. “Your dad thinks the person who killed your mother may have killed my sister.”

“I thought the guy who killed Mom was dead.” Mike’s eyes grew dark and wide with alarm.

“We all did,” J.D. agreed. “But last month, when Uncle Gabe visited your sister, he came across some information that suggests Victor Logan wasn’t the only person involved in the murder.”

Mike’s anger rose again, darkening his cheeks with a deep, red flush. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I needed more information—”

“You think I’m a baby. You think I’m not old enough to deal with this kind of stuff. That’s why

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