Colton Manhunt (The Coltons 0f Mustang Valley Book 6)

by Jane Godman

  “I think you may already have spoken to the missing woman’s sister.” Spencer focused his attention on Leigh while also watching the two guys. “Katrina Perry told me she came here to inquire about her sister, Eliza?”

  “That’s right.” Was he allowing his suspicions to get the better of him, or was there something a little rehearsed about her manner? “I felt sorry for Eliza’s sister, but she was very emotional and didn’t want to hear what we had to say. The truth is that Eliza only stayed here for two days. I asked around some more this afternoon and a few people remembered that, when she left us, she seemed a little strung out.”

  “Just like her sister was.” Micheline’s voice was soft and persuasive. “I guess it’s a family trait.”

  The corners of Leigh’s mouth turned down. “To be honest, the group members I spoke to told me that Eliza was something of a fantasist. She was inclined to be distrustful of everyone here at the ranch and... Well, she made up stories that people were out to get her. Apparently, she could be quite convincing.”

  Micheline shook her head sadly. “Not all actors are on the stage.”

  Although he was uncomfortable with the idea that Katrina might also be highly strung and may have been overdramatizing the situation, Spencer knew he had to keep an open mind. And she had been overwrought when she’d talked to him about Eliza. Not that he could blame her. He’d feel the same way if either of his siblings went missing. Even so, her emotional state, and this new information about Eliza, did cast doubt on the validity of Katrina’s claims about her visit to the ranch.

  “Was there anyone Eliza was particularly friendly with while she was here?” he asked Leigh.

  “Not that I can recall. Randall and Bart may have some more information.” She beckoned, and the two guys Spencer had noticed rose from the table and came to join them. Leigh quickly outlined the details of the conversation. “This is Sergeant Colton. He was wondering if Eliza Perry had any friends while she was here,”

  The older of the two men scrubbed a hand along his chin, his expression almost a parody of thoughtfulness. “A lot of people have been in and out of here since April. To be honest, I only remember her at all because of the dog.”

  “Randall is our handyman,” Leigh explained. “He gets to know most of the guests. But anyone who only stays a few days—” She held her hands out, palms upward, in helpless gesture.

  “What about you, Bart?” Micheline turned to the other man. “Did you see her with anyone while you were out tending the grounds?”

  “Hardly saw her at all.” The guy’s job title might be “groundskeeper,” but his attitude reminded Spencer of a bodyguard. There was something threatening about the way he was frowning as he stood protectively between Micheline and Leigh, lowering his eyebrows as he watched Spencer, his glance dropping occasionally to take in Boris.

  Spencer decided to try a different approach. “Did Harley Watts live on the premises?”

  A swift look flashed between Randall and Bart, but Micheline heaved a sorrowful sigh. “Ah, Harley. Such a sweet, gentle soul, who was trying hard to be his best self. And he was devoted to me.” She placed a hand over her heart. “Which is why it hurt so much when he used our AAG server to send that awful email to the board members of Colton Oil.”

  Leigh sent Spencer a reproachful look. “It wasn’t your fault, Micheline. You didn’t know what Harley was doing. None of us did.”

  The three other AAG members moved closer to Micheline, as if forming a barrier between her and the outside world. Spencer knew when to call it quits. He wasn’t going to get any more information from them, about either Eliza or Harley. Did that mean his suspicions had gone away?

  He looked around the large, comfortable room, taking in the smiling faces and the homey atmosphere. No, he had more concerns than ever about the AAG. But with nothing concrete, and no evidence, all he could do was watch and wait.

  He left the ranch house and headed toward his vehicle with the faithful Boris at his heels. Turning back, he caught a glimpse of Randall and Bart watching him from just inside the front door.

  “Making sure we leave?” Spencer commented as he opened the rear of the car and Boris jumped in. “You know what this means?” The dog thumped his tail and rolled his eyes. “That’s right. Now we have to go break it to Katrina that we didn’t get anywhere.”

  While the thought of seeing her again was exciting, he wished it could be in different circumstances. His job meant he would have to be objective and explain that he had no reason to believe that there was any link between Eliza’s disappearance and the AAG. In reality, he couldn’t dismiss the feeling of discomfort that lingered as he drove away.

  Chapter 3

  Katrina knew about dogs. And her question, when one of her clients asked about getting a second pooch, was always the same. What would your dog think of that idea?

  Like her customers, Katrina was a dog person. And dog people loved their fur babies. Sloppy kisses, wagging tails, furry snuggles and unconditional love were all very hard to resist. And if it was great to have one dog, why not double the magic?

  Suppose your partner said, “I love you so much I’m thinking of getting another one just like you”? Usually, when she put it that way, her clients were able to see the situation from a canine viewpoint.

  Now, after leaving the police station, she was taking Dobby home and expecting her own Holly to happily accept that she was no longer a single dog.

  “You remember Holly, right?” She addressed the remark to Dobby, who was attached to a special harness on the rear seat of her car. “Long black ears? Cute face? Likes tummy rubs and chewing shoelaces? Hates motorbikes and mirrors?”

  The two dogs had met once when Dobby had come to a grooming session at Look Who’s Walking. Although they’d gotten on reasonably well, Holly had only been a pup and they’d met on neutral territory. This time, things would be different...

  Luckily, her years of experience had taught her exactly what she needed to do in this situation. Having called ahead, she’d arranged for Suzie, who had a key to her house, to collect Holly and take her out to the yard. When she pulled into the drive, her assistant was already waiting on the front step. As soon as Katrina lifted Dobby from the car, the excited dog recognized an old friend and strained to reach Suzie.

  “Hey, fella.” Suzie slipped a treat from her pocket and Dobby scarfed it up like his life depended on it. “Holly’s in the yard.”

  “Here’s the plan,” Katrina said. “We introduce them out there, let them play together for a while, then we take them into the house.”

  “Okay.” Suzie sent her a sidelong glance. “How long will Dobby be staying with you?”

  “I don’t know.” Having spent an emotional hour sharing her suspicions about Eliza’s fate with Spencer Colton, Katrina wasn’t ready to tell the whole story all over again. Not yet. “It may be some time.”

  “Then we need to do this right.”

  “We do.” There was a path at the side of the house that led to the yard, and Katrina walked ahead. Before they reached the gate, she paused and glanced briefly over her shoulder. “And thanks.”

  “Anytime.” Suzie briefly placed a hand on her shoulder.

  At the sound of Katrina’s voice, Holly let out a volley of barks and started hurling herself at the gate. Dobby, startled at such unseemly behavior, gave a yelp and tried to run away.

  “Good start.” Katrina rolled her eyes.

  Giving Holly the “sit” command, she opened the gate. Her dog was an excitable, but well trained, youngster. Holly squatted, quivering all over, waiting for the moment until she was given permission to move.

  Once Katrina, Suzie and Dobby were inside the training yard and the gate was secured behind them, Katrina told Holly to “come.”

  The dog, a nine-month-old bundle of black curls, scurried forward, wriggling with pleasure. Before
she reached her mistress, she spotted Dobby, and did the canine equivalent of a double take. The two animals stared at each other as though unsure what to do next.

  Taking advantage of their confusion, Katrina reached into a storage tub and withdrew a couple of balls. She threw them across the lawn and both dogs sped off. After they had played a few chasing games, she offered them a piece of knotted rope and was pleased with the way they responded. Grabbing an end each, the two canines tugged away, tails wagging happily. Although they made growling noises, there were no signs of aggression.

  “Pack rules state that Dobby should be dominant, even though he’s a neutered male,” she said. “But this is Holly’s house, so she shouldn’t be expected to relinquish her place. And they both need to know that I’m the boss.”

  Suzie laughed. “They’re bright dogs. They know that already.”

  “We need to reinforce the hierarchy by the way we enter the house,” Katrina insisted. “I’ll go first with Holly. You come next, making sure Dobby brings up the rear. Give me a minute to set up new food and water bowls. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

  The back door led from the yard directly into the kitchen. Blinking at the contrast as she stepped from the bright, early evening sunlight into the semidark house, she took a moment to adjust. After an instant of surprise, she quickly became aware that she wasn’t alone. Half-hidden in the shadows, a man was standing next to her refrigerator.

  “What...?”

  Before she could call out for Suzie, he crossed the room and shoved her hard on the shoulder. Katrina went sprawling onto the tiled floor, a cry of surprise escaping her. The sound triggered an immediate reaction from the two dogs, who started barking wildly. As the intruder ran from the room toward the front of the house, Katrina caught a glimpse of a male figure clad in jeans, sneakers and a hooded sweatshirt.

  The front door slammed at the same time that Suzie burst through the back door with Holly on one side and Dobby on the other.

  “What happened? Is everything okay?” She held out a hand to help Katrina to her feet.

  “I’m going with no.” Katrina rolled her eyes as Dobby drained Holly’s water bowl before flopping down on her bed. The younger dog retreated under the table with her tail between her legs. “Not when we have an intruder situation, and a male-dominance issue.”

  “Never mind about the dogs.” Suzie helped her to a chair at the table and eased her down into it. “Do you have any idea who he was? And, more importantly, are you hurt?”

  Katrina took a moment to regulate her breathing. Although she was physically unharmed, the incident had shaken her. The knowledge that someone had gotten inside her house was bad enough. The fact that she didn’t know what his motive was made it even worse.

  She hadn’t recognized him. Did that mean he was a robber who’d chosen her home at random? Or was his reason more personal and sinister? Her thoughts went to Eliza and she gripped the edge of the table hard. How could this have anything to do with her sister?

  “I’m fine.” She was pleased with the firm note in her voice. “And at least I disturbed him before he could take anything.”

  * * *

  Katrina’s home was in a new development just outside downtown and about ten minutes’ drive from her workplace, off Mustang Boulevard. The Mustang Lake estate featured a collection of small houses with large yards and Spencer figured, as he approached the address she had given him, that the outdoor space would be useful for a dog trainer.

  Having pulled up in front of the small house, he was just releasing Boris from the rear of the vehicle when Katrina’s door opened.

  “Wow.” A small plump woman looked Spencer and his police cruiser up and down with a critical gaze. “Is this a new MVPD policy? You guys turn up before a crime has even been reported?”

  Just as he was wondering if he had the right house, Katrina stepped out onto the small porch. “Take no notice of Suzie. She likes to think she’s funny.” She kissed the other woman on the cheek. “Thanks for offering to stay, but I’ll be fine.”

  “Call me if you need me. Anytime.” Suzie patted her arm before walking down the steps. “Something needs to be done about the crime rate in this town.” She addressed the remark to Spencer before stomping off toward her car.

  “Has something happened that I need to know about?” he asked as he approached Katrina.

  “Would you mind if we talked about this in the yard?” He raised a questioning eyebrow and she sighed. “Holly, my dog, hasn’t taken Dobby’s arrival well. If you bring Boris in here, too, she may have a complete breakdown.”

  “Outside is fine by me.”

  Stepping out of the house, she closed and locked the front door before leading him along a side path and into the yard. He noted the way the space had been divided. There was a large lawn, an area for the dogs to run free around the outside edge, an obstacle course and a small pool. Clearly, Katrina believed in bringing her work home.

  As soon as they entered the yard, two dogs dashed up and gave Boris a thorough inspection. The well-behaved canine remained perfectly still until Spencer freed him from his leash. Then, with a groan, he dropped to the grass and rolled on his back before taking off at a run. After a few seconds, the other two followed.

  “Actually, bringing Boris wasn’t a bad move.” Katrina’s gaze followed the chase. “He’s definitely an alpha, so Dobby will be forced to back off. It takes the heat off things for a while.”

  “Right.” Spencer viewed her profile with pleasure for a moment or two, then reverted to a businesslike manner. “So, you want to tell me what your friend was talking about?”

  “When I got back here, there was a guy in my kitchen.”

  “What?” The thought of her in danger made his pulse rate spike, bringing with it memories of another time, another place. “You mean, he’d broken into your house?”

  “Not quite.” She hung her head. “When I disturbed him, he pushed me over and ran away. After he’d gone, I checked to see how he’d gotten in and the window of the downstairs closet was open. I must have forgotten to close it when I left for work this morning.”

  “Or the intruder forced it open?”

  “There aren’t any signs that it has been forced,” Katrina said. “I think he was probably an opportunist who saw an empty house with an open window. He was just unlucky that I came home and surprised him before he could take anything.”

  “That’s a nice, neat scenario. And it may be true. But I’m going to take down the details and log this as a crime.” He stepped back, viewing the small house through narrowed eyes. “And, before I leave, I’m going to check out your security system.”

  “Are you always this bossy?” There was a smile in her eyes and a teasing note in her voice. He liked them both. A lot.

  “I’m a police officer. Bossy is what I do.”

  The smile faded at the reminder. “And you’re here because of Eliza.”

  There was no way he could avoid giving her the bad news. “I went out to the AAG Center and asked a few questions. I got the same answers you did. Several members say she left two days after the earthquake. They said she may have been a little strung out around that time.”

  “No one mentioned that to me.” Her smooth brow creased. “If she was upset, or in trouble, it seems kind of an important detail to mention, don’t you think?”

  “You were already worried. Possibly, they didn’t want to share that sort of sensitive information with you in case it distressed you further.”

  “I was unhappy when I realized Eliza had left the AAG ranch and no one knew where she had gone. I wasn’t hysterical.” Her lip curled. “So what does this mean? You’re telling me they’re the nice guys?”

  He held up his hands. “I’m not making a judgment. Just letting you know what I found.”

  “Which is a big, fat zero. Exactly what I discovered on my o
wn.” She watched the dogs for a few moments as they played a three-way game of chase. “What happens next?”

  “You need to complete a missing-person-adult-waiver form. This form is essentially an affidavit that details your relationship to Eliza and states that you accept any civil liability for invasions of privacy that may take place during the course of the investigation. I have a copy here. If you fill it in and return it within seventy-two hours, Eliza will remain a missing person on our files and in the National Missing Persons System. We’ll do what we can to find her.”

  She had told him that she’d filed a missing-persons report for Eliza before, so Katrina probably already knew how the investigation would progress. Inquiries would include speaking to friends, family and other known associates. It could also progress to checking with banks and a call history, and monitoring internet and social-media use. Even so, if Eliza chose not to be found, there were things she could do to keep her whereabouts hidden.

  And, in the case of missing adults, the role of the police was only to verify the person’s welfare. They would not reveal the whereabouts, or any other details, to the reporting person. Similarly, Spencer could not promise Katrina that he would “pass on a message” or provide contact information to Eliza.

  “You’ll take charge of this yourself?” Katrina asked.

  An image of his overloaded desk came into his head. “I’ll oversee the case, but I won’t be able to undertake the routine tasks.”

  Her expression clouded. “But you’re the investigating officer.”

  For an instant, he wanted to promise her he would drop everything except this case. He would find Eliza if he had to work around the clock. Actually, when he looked into those incredible hazel eyes, he wanted to promise her the earth...

  Try explaining that to Chief Barco.