Page 51 of Ghost
“Looks like one of thoseGPS/GNSS handheld portable land meters. It sends out a signal to areceiver so that an area can be mapped,” Bryan said from Ray’sother side. “We use it for projects around the ranch.”
“I don’t suppose that onebelongs to you?” Ray asked.
“Nope.”
“Yep, didn’t thinkso.”
“We need to get Spencer andHarris on this,” Shaw said. “Leave it where it is, and they’ll beable to track the signal to the receiver. Then we gohunting.”
Ray could tell Shaw wasn’t messingaround. He would hunt those responsible down along with the rest ofthe team. Whoever was messing with this town and these families wasabout to get a rude awakening about true power and fear.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ghost
Unsurprisingly, Riverside Developmentsand Ever Clear Investments were the first to offer to purchase thatportion of the ranch. The first offer came in the fifties afterCross and Berry Inc. changed its name to Riverside and again yearslater, mere months before Bryan’s parents’ car accident.
Once Bryan had taken over the ranch,Riverside changed its name again to Ever Clear Investments andagain offered to purchase the land. With each offer, the amountincreased, but as Isaiah had said, their ranch wasn’t forsale.
Ghost was getting a sick feeling inhis gut that the Cross and Berry families had been working togetherfor generations buying up land when it became available, and whenan owner refused to sell, accidents began happening.
If Bryan and Isaiah’s wife had gone tothat auction as well that day, the entire family would have beenkilled.
“What happens to the landafter if all the beneficiaries are dead?” Ghost asked.
“They’d search for any nextof kin, blood relation, but if not, the estate escheats to theState of Texas, meaning the government takes ownership,” Conorexplained.
“In this case, Cross’sfather was still mayor, and as the local government, he’d sell itoff,” Gunner said.
“Then his and Berry’scompany would swoop in and buy it without anyone knowing they wereRiverside Developments. That’s why they were so quick to change thename of their company from Cross and Berry Inc.,” Spencersaid.
“Damn,” Ghost said. “Thisgoes so much further than the Sophia and Jerichomystery.”
“Perhaps not,” Spencerspoke up from the other end of the kitchen table.
They’d all gathered at the lake houseto piece together the information they had so far.
“Explain,” Brickordered.
This case had taken on a more lethalelement, and it seemed he was now treating it like a militaryoperation for the team.
“You mentioned the Berryshad purchased Jericho’s parents land after Jericho’s death, butwhen I dug deeper, it turns out that both John and Vera Miles diedless than one year after Jericho was shot in 1954,” Spencerexplained.
Ray pulled out his phone. “Holy shit,it’s right here on their headstones. I took this picture back inthe cemetery before we were shot at.” Ray turned the picture toshow everyone. “At the time, I didn’t realize that the together indeath was so literal.”
“How did they die?” Strykerasked. This was his family, after all, if their research wascorrect. John and Vera would have been hisgreat-grandparents.
“House fire,” Spencer saidsadly while looking at Stryker. “With Jericho already gone and noliving relatives left, the estate went to the government to be soldoff.”
“And Riverside Developmentsto buy,” Stryker growled.
“Yes.”
“But Sophia was Jericho’sbeneficiary,” Julia said. “We found the will.”
“It wouldn’t matter sincehe died first. Since he and Sophia never married, his propertywould have gone to his parents,” Ray explained.
“Okay. Time for a rundownof what we know,” Brick ordered. “Let’s start at thebeginning.”
