Hunt (Children of the Hunt Book 1): Children of the Hunt, #1

By Emme Wesson

Cory Flynn never imagined she would find her best friend Rene dead. When a PI from California comes looking for Rene Lipton six months later, Cory's world may never be the same. She wants to help with the investigation, but will the secret she's hiding help or hinder him?

Bodhi Cooper has come to New Hampshire looking for his brother. When his inquiries keep leading him back to Cory Flynn, he doesn't know if he should trust her, but he may have no choice in the matter. If he wants to find his brother's killer, he'll need Cory's help. But Bodhi has a secret of his own. He's a wolf and his secret could jeopardize Cory's life.

Hunt is the first book in a new paranormal romance series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emme Wesson
• Release date: Apr 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301031153

Emme Wesson

Emme Wesson is a native Rhode Islander who decided to move north in 2000 and never looked back. She works full time doing computer tech support, a job she's done in some variation since 1987. Emme currently lives in south western New Hampshire with her husband and two small dogs.

Book preview

Prologue - Cory

April

The day you find your best friend dead is the worst day of your life.

***

Cory Flynn pounded on the door to Rene Lipton's house, wondering where the hell he was. All the lights were off and his old brown GMC Sierra pickup was sitting in the driveway. She's already peeked in the garage to see that his classic '66 Mustang convertible was still there under its dust cover. Her calls before she'd driven over had gone unanswered. Worried now, Cory found Rene's spare key on her ring and let herself in.

Rene? Are you here? Cory paused in the doorway, listening for any response, but there was none. Rene? She made a circuit of the ground floor, turning on a few lights as she went. There were dirty dishes left in the sink and a half empty cup of cold coffee on the counter. She went back to the front room, pausing at the bottom of the stairs to turn on the upstairs hall light. Rene? Are you up there? Cory moved more cautiously now, climbing the stairs slowly and listening for any sounds at all. The only sound was the creak of the stairs under her. The first room at the top of the stairs was the guest room. The door was wide open and once she switched on the light it was obvious no one was in there. The bathroom was also empty. At the end of the hallway, the door to Rene's bedroom was closed. She knocked and called his name again but it was obvious to her that she was going to have to open the door and go inside.

Taking a deep breath, Cory turned the door knob and eased the door open. Even with just the light from the hall, she knew immediately that what speckled the walls and carpet was blood. A metallic smell permeated the air and she felt her gut clench in response. She didn't want to see what she knew was waiting in the room but she had to know if there was anything she could do to help Rene. As she switched on the light, her mind couldn't seem to wrap itself around what she was seeing. That was probably a good thing, because as soon as she realized that Rene was beyond help, she felt her gorge rise. Cory ran back down the stairs and out the door, throwing up her meager breakfast onto the dewy grass in the front yard.

***

Police Chief Seth Brockton arrived fifteen minutes after Cory called the police. She was sitting on the edge of the front porch, wrapped in a sweatshirt she'd found in the backseat of her car, shivering against a chill that had nothing to do with the early morning weather. She had already called Sarah and told her that neither one of them would be at work today, and she should call in reinforcements to help out for the day. The Chief took one look at her and knew that what he would see in the house would be horrific.

Cory, you called this in? he asked her.

Yes, sir, Cory told him.

What am I going to find inside?

Rene Lipton is in the upstairs bedroom at the end of the hall. He's been murdered.

Do you know for sure he's been murdered?

Cory nodded slowly. Yes, sir. There's no doubt in my mind.

You stay right here and I'll be back in a few minutes. When he returned, his face was white and drawn. I need to call in the state police. You'll have to stay here to answer questions. Can I have one of the officers bring you something?

Water would be good. I threw up in the grass over there. Cory pointed to where it was. She knew the crime lab would probably need to take note of it.

The state police, coroner and crime lab arrived not long after and eventually she got her bottle of water. By then she was sitting in the back of the Chief's car, out of the way and waiting for the state police to question her. Finally, one of the detectives came and got her.

Miss Flynn? I'm Detective Rice. Do you feel up to answering some questions right now?

Yes.

You knew the decedent, René Lipton?

"It's Rene, not René. Like, it's rainy outside."

He smiled indulgently at her. How did you know Mr. Lipton?

We work together at the Main Street Diner and he's my best friend…was.

How did you come to find the body this morning? That quickly he had gone from Mr. Lipton to the body. Cory felt tears sting her eyes, but blinked them back.

Rene usually gets to work before I do, but he was late this morning. When I tried to call there was no answer on either of his phones, so I came over to check on him. I have a key to his house, so I let myself in and…I found him upstairs. Then I called 911.

So the door was locked when you arrived?

Yes.

Did you check the back door too?

No, I never thought to.

Did you notice anything unusual or out of place?

There are dishes still in his sink and cold coffee on the counter. Rene tends to leave a mess in the morning, but he always cleans up when he gets home.

That would imply he's been dead since last night sometime. When did you last see Mr. Lipton?

When he left work at noon yesterday.

Do you know if he was meeting someone?

No.

Was he seeing someone that you're aware of?

Not currently, as far as I know. His last girlfriend was Laurie Mason. She works at the River Bank branch in Claremont. They haven't been together since January.

Can you think of anyone who would want to harm Mr. Lipton?

"No. Rene was a nice guy. I can't imagine anyone doing…that to him."

Detective Rice closed his notebook and took out his business card, handing it to her. We'll want to get your fingerprints and DNA to exclude you from anything we find in the house. If you should think of anything else, call me immediately.

Chief Brockton came over and told Cory she could go, but that they'd call her about the fingerprints and DNA. She knew she'd have to go to the diner and tell them what had happened, but she went home first to shower and change. Even though she hadn't gotten any blood on her, she still felt soiled and dirty by what she had seen.

***

Rene's lawyer contacted Cory the day before the funeral. Cory was stunned when he informed her that Rene had left everything to her. The State Police, on the other hand, took that as possible motive for his murder. The fact that Rene had written the will five years before was in her favor, as was the fact that she was physically incapable of the crime. She had no alibi, but there was no evidence she had anything to do with Rene's death either. No hidden notes, no large sums of money, no strange searches on her computer, no clandestine meetings and no incriminating phone calls in search of hit men. Cory was cleared of any possible wrong doing and the case went cold.

Chapter 1 - Bodhi

October

It had been a long drive from the Hartford, Connecticut airport, preceded by an even longer flight, and Bodhi was looking forward to checking into the Holiday Inn Express in Springfield, Vermont. They had a pool, so maybe he'd have a swim later to help him relax. But first, he crossed the state border into Charlestown, New Hampshire and then drove north on Route 12 into Wickford. He was hungry and the best place to find information was always a local diner, which he found on Main Street. Appropriately, it was called the Main Street Diner.

Bodhi parked his car and went into the diner. A pretty blonde waitress at the counter told him he could sit wherever he wanted and brought him a menu. Her name tag read Mindy. Bodhi gave her his most charming smile when she asked him if he'd like something to drink.

I'll have an ice tea, unsweetened.

Okay. I'll be right back with that and take your order.

After whispering about him at the counter with another waitress, Mindy returned and placed the ice tea in front of him. Do you know what you'd like for lunch, sir?

I'll have a cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. No onions.

Mindy went off to put in his order while Bodhi looked around. The diner was nice, clean, had a pretty good menu and the waitresses seemed friendly enough. His food even arrived quickly and was delicious. He'd have to eat here again while he was in town. While he ate, he watched Mindy and the other waitress, Sarah, work. Sarah had black hair and brown eyes and was even prettier than Mindy. When Mindy returned to pick up his empty plate and asked him if he needed anything else, Bodhi turned his smile on her again, making her blush slightly.

Actually, I'm looking for someone who lives around here. Maybe you could tell me if you know him? Bodhi pulled out a picture and showed it to her. Mindy's face immediately turned ashen and she rushed into the back of the diner. Sarah glared at him, perhaps wondering what he had done to upset her coworker. Bodhi was about to go up to the counter and show her the picture instead when a lovely brown haired woman emerged from the back and came to his table with his check. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she sat down across from him and picked up the picture he had placed on the table. The picture showed a moody looking young man with blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Bodhi noticed her expression wasn't much better than Mindy's.

Why are you looking for Rene Lipton? she asked without introducing herself.

I'm a private investigator. His family hired me to find him because they haven't heard from him in five months. Bodhi pulled out a business card and handed it to her. She eyed it suspiciously.

Trevor-Webb Investigations. Bo Cooper. That would be you? she asked.

Yes, and you are?

Cory Flynn. I own this diner.

So you know Rene Lipton?

Rene worked here as a cook.

Past tense? Bodhi asked her. Has he left town?

I don't know how to tell you this, Mr. Cooper, but Rene was murdered in April. That's why Mindy was so upset when you showed her the picture.

Bodhi felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. It took him a moment to regain his composure and ask, You're sure he was murdered? It wasn't accidental?

Cory looked away before she answered. There was nothing accidental about what I saw when I found him.

You were the one who found him?

Yes. Cory closed her eyes for a moment. You might want to go talk to the police. I'm sure they'd be interested to know Rene had family that's looking for him. Cory pushed her chair back and moved to get up, but Bodhi put his hand over hers to stop her. He suddenly didn't want her to leave.

Wait. Did you know Rene well?

Cory paused, and then nodded. He was my best friend.

Would you be willing to talk with me about him? He saw the hesitation in her eyes and continued, His family hasn't seen him in many years and I think they'll want to know more about his life here.

Cory nodded quickly but said, Okay, but not here at the diner. You can come by my house later if you want. I get off work at five today. She pulled out a pen and wrote her address and cell phone number on a napkin. Please don't bother my waitresses with any more questions. We were all hit hard by Rene's death and it's been a difficult time.

Bodhi nodded his agreement and Cory got up to leave. He pulled some money out of his wallet and left Mindy a big tip. As he went outside, he saw a sign for the police station just down the road and decided to walk there. A quick glance back showed him that he was being observed and he couldn't help smiling.

Chapter 2 - Cory

Cory stood in the window of the diner and watched Bo Cooper walk away. She wondered if he was really who he said he was. Sarah came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

He was kind of cute. What did he want?

He's a PI looking for Rene.

No wonder Mindy got so upset.

I told him not to ask any more questions in here. Hopefully he won't.

Maybe he can help the investigation, Sarah said hopefully.

Maybe.

Sarah went back to work and Cory went back to her office to finish paying the bills. Part of her hoped that Bo Cooper wouldn't show up at her house later. Another part of her agreed with Sarah that he was cute and looked forward to it.

Chapter 3 - Bodhi

Bodhi opened up his suitcase and pulled out his swim trunks. He had checked into the hotel shortly after leaving the police station and his mind was still reeling. Cory Flynn had been right; his brother's death was no accident. The officer he had talked to had actually seemed eager to show him the crime scene photos and tell him all the gory details. Not only had his brother been decapitated, he'd also been gutted and savaged. The police had never seen anything like it before and hoped they never would again.

Bodhi's step-father had been heart-broken and furious over the news of his only son's death when Bodhi had called him. He had ordered Bodhi to find out who the killer was, so he could be dealt with. He felt slightly guilty that it would be left to Roderick to inform his mother of Rene's murder. Even if it was for the best. He didn't know how he would face her when he returned home. How could he look her in the eyes?

His heart still ached with the pain of finding out his only brother was dead; that he had been murdered. He found that was the hardest part to deal with, that he had waited too long to come looking for him. Rene had died on his watch. Now Bodhi would avenge his brother's death if it was the last thing he did.

But first, Bodhi needed to relax and the pool was waiting for him. If he hurried, he could get in fifty laps before they closed for the night and then he would visit Cory Flynn. He had to admit he was curious about her. While he swam his laps, he couldn't help thinking about her. She was attractive, with long light brown hair and green eyes set on her pixie-like face. She also had a nicely curved body, unlike the ultra-thin girls too common on the west coast, and she was only a few inches shorter than his five feet ten inches. Maybe he would ask her out to dinner while he was here and get to know her a little better.

Once he had finished his laps, showered, changed and gotten a bite to eat, he got back into his rental car and crossed the border back into New Hampshire. He easily found the road Cory lived on but he didn't want to immediately go to her house. He wanted to look around a little first and get the lay of the land. Leaving his car down near the end of her road, he found her house and circled around it, scenting the air for anything that didn't belong. Nothing seemed amiss and he soon found himself back where he had started. It seemed counterproductive to go back and get his car now. Instead he walked towards her house, hoping she wouldn't think it too strange. What he saw made him hesitate.

Bodhi stood at the end of Cory's driveway, in the darkest shadow of the trees, watching her for several minutes. He could see her sitting in the dark on her porch swing, her bare feet keeping it in motion with a gentle touch now and then. Her face was turned up to look at the stars. It reminded him so much of his brother that for a moment he didn't know if he could bring himself to approach her. Finally he started up her driveway, making enough noise that she would hear. The exact moment she did, the swinging stopped and a second later the porch light came on. She waited until he got closer and she could identify who he was before she spoke.

"Mr. Cooper. When I