Chapter 10

“I’m extremely disappointed in what you’ve pulled. I hired a new PI to look into this matter. Mr. Felix Underwood has proven the woman you say is my niece is really a fraud. In the meantime, he found Clara Hart for me,” Strom Hart told Owen. “When I learned you had found Clara under an assumed name—”

“Pen name, sir. Candice Mayfair is an established author.” Owen reached over and took hold of Candice’s cold hand and squeezed.

“And when she wouldn’t return home to collect a billion and a half in assets, I was certain it was some kind of scam.”

Owen couldn’t have been any more surprised to hear that. Candice was worth over a billion dollars?

“Mr. Underwood has investigated you and discovered you and your associates closed your practice after abandoning it in Seattle under suspicious circumstances. And you haven’t had a legitimate office for seven years, just a fly-by-night online PI service. Then you finally opened up an office after all these years. He wasn’t sure if any of the work you’re doing was legitimate.”

“If he says he found the right woman, he’s lying, or the woman is. Or they’re both in on the scam to collect the money.”

“Figured you would say that. He said the same thing about you and your Candice Mayfair. Isn’t she selling enough books? Wants a little extra money to help her pay her living expenses? I’ll take her down too. Don’t think I can’t. I’ll go straight to her publisher and tell them what kind of a fraud she’s perpetuating, and that she’ll be brought up on charges. I’ll be back in the country in five days, which is when I’m meeting with Clara and the judge and will settle this matter. For your information, she’s eager to see me and finish this, like anyone who has nothing to hide.”

“Candice, your real niece, doesn’t have anything to hide. The woman who claims to be her would be eager to finish this before you learn the truth and put a stop to it.” Owen was angry, but he was trying to stay professional, even if the man was threatening to ruin him and Candice and their friends.

“Oh, and by the way, I had halfway believed you until I was in Edinburgh. I saw no sign of a Candice Mayfair autographing books anywhere, nor had she signed any books in the city. Nice try. My investigator has checked all the locations where Candice is supposed to have been and is supposed to go to. No autographed books anywhere. No signings listed for the places she’s supposed to be staying. I’m working to have your PI licenses revoked and your office shut down. If you hadn’t told me she had delayed seeing me for so long, I would have believed she was Clara. Which was why I hired the other investigator, and he found her right away. You can talk to my lawyer if you have anything further to say.” Then Strom hung up on him.

“Hell.” Owen paced across the floor, furious that Strom probably had the means to shut them down and ruin Candice’s career if they couldn’t convince him that she was his real niece.

“Why didn’t he just call me?”

“Because I’m the one in charge of the fraudulent plan, he thinks. If he hadn’t come to me first, I wouldn’t have found a fake Clara Hart.”

“I have to go there before that impostor signs for the money. You know, the money never mattered to me. I never believed I’d see any of it, and I accepted that. But I’d rather Uncle Strom receive it—not that he needs the money—rather than some woman, and probably the investigator, who are trying to scam my parents’ estate. Maybe if I’m a wolf part of the day or night and then shift and go over to the judge’s office, I can manage.”

“Do you have that much control during the full moon?”

“No. But maybe I will this time. We have to risk it.”

“If you shift in front of lawyers and a judge, and your uncle, it could be a real disaster,” Owen said.

“I’m going. My mind’s made up. I’ll do this and return home, stopping the fraudster from getting her hands on the money. The investigator probably has a big stake in this too. How else would he have found a replacement Clara so easily?”

“I agree. I’m going with you. We’ll need to learn everything we can about this PI. Anything dirty we can find on him,” Owen said. “I wonder if he’s been really looking into us. Digging deep.”

“You mean like learning about your wolf halves?” Candice asked, wide-eyed.

“I would hope not, but I don’t want to take any chances. Everyone will need to be on their guard more than usual. And we need to let Cameron and his family know what’s going on. Also, how can you prove you’re the Harts’ adopted daughter?” Owen asked Candice, not believing the bizarre turn of events.

“I am her. Don’t tell me you don’t believe me now.”

“It’s not that. I’m not the one you have to convince.”

“I’m sorry for all of the trouble this is causing you and wish you weren’t involved. I don’t want you to lose your licenses.”

“Or have your contract with your publisher thrown out either. We need to ensure Strom knows you are his niece and the other woman is a fraud. You said you published before the change. Your parents must have known that you were writing under a pen name…but then Strom would also have known.”

“Are you kidding? My parents would have died if they’d known I was writing hot romantic suspense. And then werewolf romance? Just the same, I didn’t change my name on anything until after they died. I thought they had disowned me. They were gone. I decided to just be Candice Mayfair.”

“But documents must show when you changed your name from Clara Hart to Candice Mayfair.”

“I haven’t lied about who I am. You really don’t believe me, do you? How did you find me? I wasn’t looking for a meal ticket. As far as I knew, my parents hadn’t left me anything. I sure wasn’t looking for an inheritance.”

“Lyn Rose, your coworker, said you were the file clerk in their office. She said one of the incidents you wrote about was eerily like a situation that happened at her office. And she put two and two together and realized you were Clara, except you had a pen name. She remembered you writing on your lunch breaks. It all fit.”

“You know how people read a story and recognize some of it as something that happened to them, even though it’s not really about them? I mean, you could have been in a boating accident and I describe one, and you believe it’s about you because it’s so similar.”

“You’re saying you didn’t use the story that happened at the office?”

“I’m saying just because I write a scene in a book, that doesn’t mean I am writing about something I’ve really witnessed. Sometimes, yes. Forget it. I’m Clara, okay? Or was. I’m Candice now. But you know what? I had a different identity before that.”

Owen frowned at her.

“My real birth parents, all right? Another name? Jeesh.”

“I know. Okay, listen. You must have some recollection of things you did with your parents—”

“Lots of them. But Uncle Strom wasn’t part of our lives. He was off making billions on his own. I don’t know anything about his life except he was always off making money and too busy to see his brother and his family.”

“Did your dad or mother ever mention anything about him that only they would know?”

“No. If they talked to each other about him, they did so in private.”

“Your dad said nothing about his childhood with his brother? Their parents? Squabbles? Fun vacations? Anything?”

“No. Like I said, my parents were older when they brought me home. In their early fifties. Dad was still working for the oil industry and making a mint. Mom met him in college and helped further his career as the perfect social butterfly. But she felt she was missing something in her life and desperately wanted a baby. She couldn’t have one at her age, so I was it. They doted on me. I had a happy life. They were great parents. But Uncle Strom wouldn’t know about any of that. Not unless they talked to him about it. And I’m sure he wouldn’t have cared. He wouldn’t know I was sixteen when I wrecked my first car the first time I drove it on my own on the highway. Or that when I was ten I threw up on my dad’s slippers when I had the flu. Or that I dyed my hair green for Saint Patrick’s Day when I was twelve and got sent home from school. Or that I took in six stray cats until we learned Dad was deathly allergic to them. I doubt Uncle Strom would know about any of these things.”

“Did your parents have any birthmarks or mannerisms, habits that you know of? Particularly your dad. Something maybe his brother would know but that wouldn’t be common knowledge.”

Candice shook her head. “I do have a safe-deposit box at the bank in Houston. I probably have my old social security card with my original name on it, and pictures of me with my parents earlier on. First thing in the morning, we’ll go,” she said. “And thanks for helping me with this. I’m sorry if I’m all growly about it. Everything would have been perfect if I could have gone down there when I had planned. I never, ever expected someone to try to steal my inheritance or that I’d have to prove who I was to my uncle. I just figured it would be a given.”

“The truth is, I could have done what this Felix Underwood has managed to do, so without your uncle really knowing you better, you’d have to prove you’re his niece no matter what,” Owen said. “We just need to make sure we do that before Strom causes trouble for all of us. The things you have in your safe-deposit box could help.”

“Right. But the other PI has to have that information.”

“Okay, listen. We need to prove this other PI is corrupt and working on a scam. That the woman he found is the impostor.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“We still have the problem with the moon phases. The woman intends to claim her—your—inheritance and not wait, which makes it appear she has a legitimate claim. If you did, why would you make up this story about the world book tour? Why not just go and say the inheritance is yours?”

“We all made that up.”

“I know. Which is why all of our careers are on the line. I’m just saying they’re going to have a hard time believing you because you haven’t just gone down there and claimed it. That’s one hell of a lot of money.”

She paced across the floor. “I told you I’m going. And if I shift, I’ll just bite everyone who sees me do it.”

“We all need to learn everything we can about this PI. Everything dirty. We need to go after the woman he’s claiming is Clara too. Learn who she really is. In the meantime, the two of us will go down early and stay somewhere out of the city so we can have some privacy. Since you are from there, you can obtain the documents to prove who you are. But we need to go now while you have more control over your shifting.”

* * *

Candice couldn’t believe anyone would claim to be her, but then again, the price was right. Why couldn’t all of this have happened during the new moon? Then she could have just run down there with no threat of turning and taken care of this once and for all.

Owen called his partners and let them know what was going on. They agreed to look into the PI’s and the woman’s backgrounds right away. Candice knew that despite what that PI had said about them, Owen and his friends would be good at exposing these people for the frauds they were.

All the pack members had been in the same bind as her, turned without a choice and having to deal with the fallout the best they could, so they knew how difficult and important this situation was for her.

“Are you okay?” Owen asked her.

“No. I’m so afraid I will turn at the wrong time. Then what will I do?”

“We’ll deal with it then. We can’t worry about what may or may not happen. When was the last time you tried and couldn’t control the full moon’s calls to you to shift?”

She quit pacing and folded her arms. “Last month. Which was why I was adamant about not going until the waning crescent or the new moon was upon us.”

“This will make it harder to deal with, but we’ll do it.”

“And if everything goes to hell?”

He pulled her into his arms. “Candice, we’ll handle it. One way or another.”

“You mean turning people?”

“That could be a disaster. We can feign you’re suddenly ill or something. We’ll figure it out. We might not have any problems at all.” He rubbed her back, but she couldn’t let go of the worry.

When someone knocked on the door, Owen glanced at it and frowned.

“One of the guys?”

“Maybe Cameron coming to talk to us in person.”

She followed Owen to the door, and he peeked out. “Aw, hell,” he said under his breath.

“What?”

“We have a new problem. That homicide detective, Rowdy Sanderson.” Owen opened the door and said, “We don’t allow salesman to solicit around here.”

“I’m not selling anything. May I speak with Candice Mayfair? I’m Homicide Detective Rowdy Sanderson. I spoke with you earlier and tried to call Ms. Mayfair, but she’s not answering her phone.” Rowdy flashed his badge. “I know something about the Arctic wolves that rescued two snowmobilers in South Dakota a few days ago. I also am well aware that Miss Mayfair is an author of Arctic wolf romances, and I’ve read all of her books. You see, in my business, I’m called when the victim is deceased. I like a happily ever after. I love the paranormal. Do you mind if I come in and talk with her?”

Candice couldn’t believe he’d follow her here. Or that he’d been reading her books! She wasn’t sure if he suspected the rescue wolves had been werewolves, except for his reference to her writing. Still, that would be a really far reach. He probably assumed she used her Arctic wolf pets’ antics to write more realistic Arctic werewolf stories.

“You’re trespassing. Your badge says you’re from Montana. No dead bodies around here, and you’re out of your jurisdiction anyway,” Owen said.

“I know what I know. I find the world an incredibly fascinating place. Just open your eyes and your mind a bit, and it’s amazing what you’ll see. I’m on your side. Really, I’m friends with a couple of divers out of Montana who are just like you. Or almost.”

“I don’t know what you think you know, but we don’t own any wolves.”

Rowdy cleared his throat. “I’m well aware that what Candice writes about isn’t fantasy.”

“Hold up a minute. You’re saying these people you know in Montana are werewolves? And what? That Candice knows werewolves, and that’s why she’s writing about them?” Owen asked, sounding convincingly like he thought Rowdy had a screw loose.

She thought Owen would just shut the door in Rowdy’s face, but he didn’t, probably as curious as she was about the people Rowdy had mentioned. And what he knew about them. Were they really werewolves?

“Paul Cunningham and his wife and their friends Allan Rappaport and his wife. The two men were SEALs, and they’re with the sheriff’s dive team. So is Allan’s wife. Here’s my card. If you don’t know them, here’s Allan’s number.” Rowdy wrote it on the back of the card. “He can verify that we’re good friends and that I want to help you in any way I can if you run into any trouble because you rescued the snowmobilers.”

“Thanks. We don’t need any help. But I appreciate the offer.” Owen closed the door, and he and Candice watched out the window until the detective left.

“That isn’t good news,” Owen said.

“I’m going to call them, unless you know them already.”

“I don’t.” Owen gave her the card, and they sat in the living room while she called Allan with the phone on speaker. “Hi, I’m Candice Mayfair. I just got a visit from a Montana homicide detective who says he’s a friend of yours. A Rowdy—”

“Sanderson? Yeah, I know him. Why did he give you my number?”

“He’s trying to track down two Arctic wolves that rescued a couple of snowmobilers in South Dakota. You might have seen it on the news.”

Silence.

“He thinks I had something to do with it because the wolves left a trail to my cabin.”

“Did you? Have something to do with it?”

“Believe me, I’d like to say I had everything to do with it.”

“So…you’re in South Dakota. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a little Arctic wolf pup that ended up in Texas and was returned to a family in Minnesota, would you?”

“Corey? Yeah, I had a close encounter with him in Minnesota on a camping trip. And I’m visiting with his family and friends now here.”

“Well, hell,” Allan said.

“What’s the deal with this guy?” Owen asked. “Should we be worried?”

“And you are…?”

“Owen Nottingham. I’m with the group here in Minnesota. A PI like the other men. Cameron’s a good friend, and Corey is his son.”

Candice couldn’t believe the homicide detective actually knew about werewolves, but she found the conversation with another wolf fascinating. No one was willing to admit they were members of wolf packs until the dots were well connected.

“He suspects there’s more to us than meets the eye. But he’s covered for us so far, so we still consider him one of the good guys,” Allan said.

“And you haven’t turned him or killed him yet?” Owen asked, sounding amazed.

“That could cause real problems for us. He has no family to speak of, but if a homicide detective is killed, it would create an ongoing investigation into the matter. If he’s turned, then he’ll have a hell of a time working his job. All we need is another newly turned wolf to have to take care of. As long as he doesn’t cause trouble for us, we leave things the way they are. But I don’t like hearing that he’s been chasing Arctic wolves all over. I know he went to see a cousin in South Dakota. I saw about the wolves rescuing the men and figured they were some of our kind. But I had no idea Rowdy would stick his nose into it.”

“Okay, thanks. We just needed to make sure we weren’t going to have to do something drastic with this guy.” Owen gave his phone number to Allan in case they ever needed to get in touch.

Candice thanked Allan and then ended the call.

“I wonder if a homicide detective could look into this Houston PI and his newfound Clara…and learn some things we’re not able to,” Owen said.

“You have a good point. Though I’m still nervous about flat-out admitting we’re wolves to anyone who isn’t one of us. Rowdy might be able to help us when we go to Houston to lay claim to the inheritance. He might be willing to serve as an official detective to put a stop to whoever the impostor is and the PI who ‘found’ her,” Candice said.

“We’ll have to discuss this with the rest of the pack though. We never do anything that would impact the rest of us without talking it over with everyone.” Owen called Cameron with the news and said to Candice, “All of them should be over in a few minutes.”