by Kat Martin
“Mabel’s due back in a couple of days. Turtle can help out until she gets here. That frees you up to do whatever you need to.”
“All right, that sounds good. Why don’t we tell them tonight at supper?”
He nodded. “We can do that. Most of them will be back by dinnertime, ready to go to work first thing in the morning. Might not go smoothly, though, not at first. These guys aren’t stupid. They’re going to figure out you’ve been investigating them, too.”
“I won’t lie to them. I’ll tell them the truth. I just need to find a way to make them understand.”
Kade flashed one of his devastating smiles, and Ellie’s stomach lifted. “If anyone can, you can, darlin’.”
Kade pressed a quick kiss on her lips. She watched his long-legged strides as he crossed the room, grabbed his hat off the peg, and tugged it on.
“It’s Sunday,” he said. “Put on something pretty, and I’ll take you to church.”
“Church? What about supper?”
“I’ll have you back in time to cook. Tonight’ll be the last time you have to worry about it.” He touched the brim of his hat in farewell and walked out the back door.
Ellie heard the fading crunch of Kade’s boots and leaned back against the kitchen counter. Her stomach was fluttering; her knees felt weak. She had never met a man who could make her feel this way. She wasn’t good at relationships. She was in way over her head with Kade. She didn’t know how to deal with a man like him, didn’t want to think of the consequences of getting in so deep.
Ellie wished she knew what to do.
* * *
Kade left the house in search of Conner Delaney. He needed to bring the security team up to speed on the situation with Frank Keller. Turned out Trace Elliot, who’d been at supper last night, had already filled his boss in.
Kade spotted Delaney walking toward him at the same time Delaney spotted him.
“I was on my way to find you,” Kade said.
Delaney nodded. “I heard what happened with Keller. I figured you’d want to talk. There’s coffee on the stove in the cabin.” He was over six feet and built like a brick house—all of them were.
“Sounds good.” Kade followed Delaney into the former guesthouse-turned-barracks.
A fire burned low in the potbellied stove in the corner, and the forest-green pillows on the hand-hewn log sofa needed to be straightened. Sleeping bags were strewn over the oval braided rugs on the wide pine floors, along with canvas duffels. Boxes of ammunition sat open on the coffee table.
“Looks like you’re ready to fight a war,” Kade said.
Delaney just shrugged. “You never know what situation you’re going to find yourself in. Better to be prepared.”
Since Kade couldn’t argue with that, he accepted the steaming mug of coffee Delaney poured and handed over. “I wanted to make sure you understood that, just because Frank Keller’s dead, it doesn’t mean we can lower our guard. Good chance he was killed by someone who was paying him to cause trouble. We’re pursuing that avenue. So are Sheriff Fischer and Sheriff Carver. Sooner or later, one of us is bound to come up with a lead.”
“We’re here as long as you need us.” Delaney sipped his coffee.
Kade blew across the top and took a drink, gathering himself to approach the next subject. “There’s always a chance a situation may come up, something unexpected, someplace other than the ranch. If I need backup—”
“You need any or all of us—you just call. You’ve got my contact number. Trace Elliot is second-in-command. You can’t reach me, you call him.” Delaney gave him Elliot’s number, and Kade relaxed as he punched the man’s contact info into his phone.
“Thanks.” Setting the mug down on the counter, Kade stuck out his hand. “I’m glad to have you and your men here.”
Delaney shook, his grip firm.
Kade left the cabin feeling a little better about pursuing the shooter, as he and Ellie planned to do. But they needed a lead, and so far that hadn’t happened.
Which meant the priority returned to finding Heather’s killer. They could discuss their next steps on the way to church. Kade didn’t go often, but he was a prominent figure in the community, and it was important to stay connected to neighbors and friends.
Kade figured, with everything that had happened, having God on his side wasn’t a bad idea.
Nobody was in the kitchen when he walked into the house, so he headed upstairs. Pulling on his lizard boots, he grabbed his western sport coat and custom-made, dark brown, 30X beaver Stetson.
Ellie was waiting when he walked back into the kitchen, her dark copper curls loose around her shoulders the way he liked. She looked pretty as a picture in her pale blue cashmere sweater, ankle-length tweed wool skirt, and knee-high, mid-heeled boots. He managed not to suggest they skip church altogether, that he strip off her clothes, and have his way with her right there in the kitchen.
“You look real pretty, darlin’.” He walked over and drew her close, captured those soft lips in a kiss. “You smell pretty, too. Like wildflowers in the spring.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. He wasn’t the type for hearts and flowers. A little embarrassed, his next words came out husky. “You ready?”
Ellie just nodded. “I’m not sure this is a good idea, the two of us being seen together.”
“We’re working to find a killer. So what if they think you’re my woman? They won’t really be surprised. They’ve been speculating since the day you arrived.”
“True. Small towns are notorious for gossip.”
“Besides, lots of local folks will be there. Might learn something useful about the murder.”
Ellie cocked a brow. “Which murder? Heather’s or Frank’s?”
Kade scoffed. “Both.” He led Ellie outside but didn’t stop at the big Ford dually parked behind the house.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re taking my car instead of the truck. I don’t drive it often enough. Church is a good excuse.” While Ellie waited, Kade went to the west end of the barn and pushed a code into the keypad, unlocking a garage door that rolled up to reveal a year-old, diamond-white Mercedes S550 with saddle-brown leather interior.
He didn’t drive the car much, mostly when he went to Denver or spent the night in one of the fancy hotels in Vail. He’d never spent much money on himself, but the car was a temptation he couldn’t resist. Once in a while, it did a man good to indulge himself.
He drove the Mercedes up beside Ellie and left the powerful engine running as he got out, went around, and opened the passenger door. The astonished look on her face was worth the extra trouble it had taken to fetch the car.
“I can’t believe you own a Mercedes-Benz.” She ran a hand over the burlwood dash as she slid into the deep leather seat.
“I bought it in a moment of insanity,” he said as he slid back in behind the wheel. “Grace said I worked too hard. She kept saying I should do something special for myself, said I deserved it. A couple days later, I saw this in the window of a showroom in Denver. I took it for a test drive and bought it on the spot.” He put the Mercedes in gear. “I hardly ever use it. I probably ought to sell it, but—”
“I think for once I agree with Grace. If you like it, keep it. You deserve it.”
He smiled as he stepped on the gas, and the car leapt forward, rolling off the hill toward the big timber front gate. “I promise you one thing. This little beauty doesn’t bounce you around like the pickup. Might as well relax and enjoy the ride.”
Ellie sighed with pleasure and settled back in the seat.
Kade was just beginning to get the feel of the car when, a few minutes into the trip, his cell phone started ringing. He checked the caller number on the screen built into the dash; it began with 702, a Boulder County area code. Something about the number pricked the back of his mind, and a ball of unease settled like a rock in his stomach.
Kade had a bad feeling the phone call meant trouble.
* * *<
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Ellie noticed the knot bunched in Kade’s jaw as he hit the hands-free button on the wheel. “Logan.”
“Logan, this is Matt McBride, Boulder County Chief of Police.”
Kade eased the big Mercedes over to the side of the road. “Chief McBride. Been a while. Six years, as I recall.”
“Close enough.”
“What can I do for you, Chief?”
“You going to be around this afternoon? We need to talk.”
Kade’s shoulders tightened. Ellie wasn’t sure what information the police chief might have, but she knew Boulder was where Heather’s body had been found.
“I’ll be around,” Kade said. “What time?”
“We’re flying in. The chopper only takes about an hour.”
“Must be important,” Kade said.
“I’ll see you in an hour.” The voice faded from the speaker, and Kade leaned back in the driver’s seat.
“What do you think’s going on?” Ellie asked.
His gaze swung to hers, and she could read the turbulence there. “McBride was head of the department when they found Heather’s body. Maybe they caught the guy who killed her.”
“I hope that’s what it is.” But there was something in McBride’s voice . . . Ellie didn’t think he was bringing good news.
Kade turned the car around in the middle of the road and drove the short distance back to the ranch house. He let Ellie out, pulled the Mercedes back into the garage, and closed the overhead door.
Maria was in the kitchen when Ellie walked inside with Kade.
“You’re supposed to have the day off,” Kade said.
Maria just shrugged. “I was going to take my grandmother to church, but she wasn’t feeling well, and there were some things I wanted to take care of.”
Kade nodded. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. I’m making some changes, starting in the kitchen. From now on, you’re in charge. I’ll talk to Mabel when she gets back, tell her it’s time to let you take over.”
Maria’s gaze shot to Ellie.
“Don’t worry about Ellie,” Kade said. “She isn’t leaving. She has other work to do.”
“What about Mabel?” Maria asked. “I don’t want to steal her job.”
“Mabel’s family. She’s been working here since I was a kid. Now she’ll be able to work fewer hours for the same money. I think she’ll be relieved to have less responsibility.” He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Can you handle the job? The position includes a nice, fat pay raise.”
Maria’s gaze flashed to Ellie, who gave her an encouraging nod, then returned to Kade. Her chin went up. “Sí, Señor Kade. I’ll be the best cook the Diamond Bar ever had.”
Kade seemed pleased. “I know you will. Turtle’s going to help you till Mabel gets back. I saw him out by the corral when we drove in. I’ll let him know.” He rested a possessive hand on Ellie’s waist. “One more thing. The police are on the way. The chopper is due in an hour. Since you’re here, coffee and sandwiches might be a good idea.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks.” Kade urged Ellie out of the kitchen, down the hall to his study, where he firmly closed the door. “You sit here.” He settled her in the big leather chair behind his desk, facing his computer.
“Let’s see if we can figure out what’s happened in Boulder that might bring Chief McBride all the way out here.”
Kade left for a moment, and Ellie went to work. She was reading an article in the Boulder Daily Camera, the city’s online digital newspaper, when Kade returned. By then, she had discovered that the police weren’t coming to tell him they had found his dead wife’s killer. According to the paper, a woman’s body had been found in a shallow grave in the hills at the edge of the city.
Ellie caught Kade’s grim expression as he leaned over her shoulder to read the article, and her heart went out to him.
The last thing Kade needed was more trouble. But it definitely looked as if more trouble had arrived.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
POLICE CHIEF MATT MCBRIDE WAS A MAN IN HIS LATE FIFTIES, WITH a lean, wiry build and curly brown hair. He and the other man who got out of the helicopter were both dressed all in black: cold-weather jackets, uniforms, black-billed caps with emblems on the front.
Ellie stood next to Kade, who waited in the brisk, late-morning air to greet them.
“Sorry for the short notice,” McBride said to Kade, but his dark expression said he wasn’t sorry at all. “Kade Logan, this is Detective Clay Meadows, Denver PD.”
Kade made a cursory nod. “Detective.” He drew Ellie forward. “This is Eleanor Bowman. She’s a private investigator.”
“Nice to meet you.” Meadows was about five-ten, attractive, with his sandy hair and dark brown eyes.
“So you’re working for Logan?” the police chief asked Ellie.
Kade answered for her. “After my late wife’s car was found, I hired Ms. Bowman to take another look into Heather’s murder.”
“I see.” The chief looked at Ellie. “Come up with anything?”
“I’m still working the case,” she answered.
“Why don’t we go inside out of the cold?” Kade suggested.
“Good idea,” the chief agreed.
The men followed Kade into the house through the tall wooden front door. He led them through the entry beneath a huge elk antler chandelier into the living room, which was done with the same wildlife motif and Native American designs as the rest of the house.
“We’ve got coffee and sandwiches,” Kade said. “Soft drinks, if you’d prefer.”
The men exchanged glances. “It’s been a long morning,” said McBride. “I could use something to eat. But I’d prefer to take care of business first.”
“I’ll let Maria know.” Ellie headed for the kitchen, delivered the message, then returned. She sat down next to Kade on the burgundy leather sofa as the men sat down in matching wing-backed chairs around the thick slab of varnished pine that served as a coffee table.
“So what’s going on, Chief?” Kade asked.
“Two days ago, a female jogger out at Rainbow Lakes Campground veered a little off the path, following a squirrel. She walked past a mound of earth and noticed a couple of human fingers protruding through the dirt where the rain had washed the soil away. She immediately called 911. Officers arrived at the scene. The CSIs were called in, and they found the woman’s remains.”
Ellie felt a chill. Tension vibrated in the sinews in Kade’s neck and shoulders.
“Have they identified the body?” he asked.
McBride nodded. “A Denver woman named Barbara Meeks. Disappeared about three weeks ago. Name mean anything to you?”
“No.”
“You sure?” McBride pressed.
Kade shook his head. “I don’t know the woman.”
McBride studied him a moment more, then leaned back in his chair. “Barbara and her husband were Denver residents, so Denver PD is working jointly with us on the case.”
“I was leading the missing person’s investigation,” Detective Meadows said. “But there wasn’t much to go on. She was just home one day and gone the next. Now I’m heading up a murder case.”
“Husband a suspect?” Kade asked.
McBride cast him a glance. “The husband is always a suspect.”
A muscle ticked in Kade’s jaw.
“What can you tell us about her?” Ellie asked.
The detective answered. “Barbara was in her late twenties, married, no children. Her husband, Bryan, is CEO of a software company based in Denver.”
“Attractive?” Kade asked.
“Based on her photos, she was beautiful.”
“What was the cause of death?” Ellie asked.
“Denver medical examiner will be doing an autopsy, but initial findings at the scene were that she was beaten, then strangled to death. We think she was murdered somewhere else and moved to that location to hide the body.”
Silence fell as the implications mounted. “That’s why you’re here,” Kade said. “Because the circumstances are similar to Heather’s murder.”
“That’s right,” McBride said.
“Have you come up with DNA, fingerprints, anything that points to the killer?” Kade asked.
“Truth is, we haven’t found much of anything,” Detective Meadows said. “ME on the scene believed she was murdered within days after she disappeared, maybe that day. There were signs of a sexual encounter, but it didn’t look forced. The killer was meticulous and most likely used a condom.”
“So you’ve got nothing,” Kade said. “Same as last time.”
McBride’s lips thinned.
“Eight years between murders is a long time,” Ellie said. “If it’s the same man, why did he wait so long?”
Detective Meadows’s gaze shifted in her direction. “If the murders are connected, we may find other bodies.”
Ellie’s stomach knotted. “You’re thinking he might be a serial?”
“At this point, there don’t appear to be any of the usual ritualistic elements,” the detective said. “No torture, no rape, nothing weirdly out of the ordinary. The beating and strangulation suggest it was more a crime of passion.”
That followed Ellie’s line of reasoning. Like Barbara Meeks, Heather had also been beaten and strangled. And Heather was famous for leading men on, then dumping them. Which brought Ellie back to Sheriff Glen Carver or another of her lovers. Was it really possible the same man had murdered Barbara Meeks?
“Anything else?” Kade asked.
“Just keep in mind that we’re working on it,” Meadows said. “This creates a fresh opportunity to look into your wife’s murder, as well.”
Kade nodded. He signaled to Turtle, who had appeared in the doorway holding a silver tray heaped with neatly halved sandwiches and a carafe of coffee. Turtle set the tray on the coffee table, Maria followed with cups, plates, and napkins, and then both of them quietly disappeared.
Everyone helped themselves to the food, including Ellie and Kade, all of them eating in silence for a while. Kade finished the first half of his sandwich, thin-sliced ham and Swiss cheese, and settled back against the sofa.