Forgotten Legacy

by Perini, Robin

  “Where’s Riley?” Cheyenne asked.

  “She’s chasing a lead. What happened? Was Riley right?” he asked his sister.

  “I tried to get Chloe to open her eyes, and most patients do when I tickle their feet, but our girl is a hard nut to crack. She kept them closed, albeit a bit too tightly. I can’t find anything wrong with her, and with her vitals looking good, I agree with Riley. Chloe’s conscious.”

  Thayne paced back and forth. “You know what this means? She doesn’t want to talk.”

  “Not to you or me. We’re authority figures. Her parents lived as near off the grid as you can. Maybe they taught her not to trust anyone in a uniform.” Cheyenne slipped her phone from her pocket. “Madison’s been here every day, slowly building a quiet connection. She might be just the person to convince Chloe she can trust us.” His sister kissed his cheek. “Leave all this to me and Madison. We’ll get her to talk. You go do whatever it is you do when Riley’s not by your side.”

  Did his sister know what she’d just said? He didn’t know what he’d do when Riley wasn’t here anymore. As he headed toward the hospital’s entrance, he pushed the thought out of his mind. Once outside, he found his car gone. He didn’t remember giving Riley the keys. He slapped his hat on his thigh, aggravated by his lack of attention. He’d have to call Quinn to bring him a vehicle.

  At that moment a gray car sped into the parking lot and jerked to a stop in front of the hospital’s entrance. “Your office told us you were here. We need your help.”

  Thayne bent and peered into Olivia’s car. Dan blinked at Thayne from the passenger seat, looking half-asleep and disheveled but okay.

  “Morning, Dan.”

  “If you say so,” he groused. “The girl dragged me out of bed, didn’t feed me, not even a coffee . . .” A deep frown settled over his face, and he turned away. “A man’s not a man without coffee in the morning.”

  Thayne straightened and eyed Dan’s daughter. “What’s going on?”

  “He can’t stay with me. He’s driving me crazy.”

  Thayne opened the door and motioned her out of the car. He had a feeling Dan didn’t need to hear this. “Already? You’ve only had him for one night.”

  “And he’s impossible! He’s so stubborn. He wants me to cook like Kate cooks. He wants the schedule to be exactly like it is at home. He argues with everyone about everything. He even claims someone is trying to kill him. I can’t take it, Sheriff. I really can’t. I’ll end up divorced if I let him stay. He refuses to go back to his house. Keeps repeating that it’s Kate’s house. I can’t convince him otherwise.”

  Thayne tugged on his Stetson. “I talked to Fannie. She offered to take him in for a while if you’re willing to pay. In the meantime, I’ll call my dad and have him talk to Dan about moving back to his own house since Kate’s still in custody.”

  Olivia grasped his arm. “Thank you.”

  “I can’t promise Dan will agree, but for now, let’s see if Fannie can’t lure him with some cinnamon rolls and Southern charm.”

  The overwhelming expression of relief on Olivia’s face gave Thayne an uneasy feeling in his gut. He wanted to observe Dan for a while. “Can I tag along?”

  “Please.”

  Thayne slipped into the back seat of her SUV and buckled up while Olivia slid into the front seat. “Nippy morning for September, isn’t it?”

  “Could be worse,” Dan growled. “When I was a boy, we’d have a foot of snow by now. Walked all the way to town from my folks’ ranch. Till we lost it to that bastard Riverton.”

  “My pops nearly had to sell out,” Thayne said.

  Dan twisted as far as he could and met Thayne’s gaze. “I remember. Carson wanted to beat up on Riverton, but your pops wouldn’t let him. Said there were other ways to take care of a bully.”

  Now this was a story Thayne hadn’t heard. “What did Pops do?” he asked, leaning forward.

  Dan shrugged. “Not a clue, but whatever it was, Riverton didn’t come after the little farmers again. Must’ve been some showdown.” The man chuckled until the car pulled to a stop outside the B&B.

  “We’re here,” Olivia said. “How about something to eat?”

  Dan shoved open the SUV’s door. “First order of the day is getting a farmer’s full breakfast. I’m starving.” He glanced at Thayne. “This daughter of mine and her husband eat rabbit food with a speck of meat—not enough to put a dent in a grown man’s appetite.”

  He headed to the front door with the speed of a man half his age. Olivia sighed as Thayne grabbed a suitcase from the back seat. “He never used to be this—”

  “Unpredictable?” Thayne finished for her.

  Olivia nodded.

  “Cheyenne wants to run a few tests, see if anything’s wrong that could be causing these changes. I think it’d be a good idea.”

  “You know what I think? Kate spoiled him.” Olivia’s jaw tightened. “He just needs to get used to taking care of himself again. No more bossing around others to do his bidding. For pity’s sake, the man cooked his own meals and did laundry fine enough after Mom died.”

  “That was a lot of years ago.” Thayne opened the door to the B&B for Olivia.

  “That’s what I’m saying. He’s been spoiled rotten.”

  Thayne sighed. There was no getting through to her. “Think about it. Please.”

  Olivia didn’t answer. So much for the subtle approach.

  When they walked in, Dan made a beeline for the breakfast room and the open morning buffet. Fannie hovered close by, her eyebrows raised as he plopped a mountain of eggs and bacon on his plate before sitting down.

  “I put you right next to Riley.” She smiled when Dan shoved the meat in his mouth. “You find yourself in trouble, that girl will get you out, Dan.”

  “She live here?” Dan asked. “I don’t believe I know her.”

  Dan had seen Riley several times. Maybe he’d remember her when he saw her. Not everyone was good with names. “Is she here?” Thayne asked Fannie.

  “I heard her run upstairs a while ago.”

  “Good. I’ll go get her and you can meet her, Dan.” Thayne squeezed the older man’s shoulder before leaving the room.

  He walked up the stairs and knocked on Riley’s door.

  No answer.

  “Riley. It’s Thayne.” He raised his voice in case she was in the bathroom.

  Total silence. Fannie had said she’d heard her, and his SUV was still on the street, so she had to be here. He pounded on the door. “Riley! Open up.”

  The hall dropped into an eerie quiet after the noise he was making. He backed away and glanced down the hall. Maybe she was with her sister.

  He knocked on Madison’s door until it opened. She stood in her robe and slippers. “What are you yelling about?” she snapped.

  “Is Riley with you?”

  “No, though I tried to get her to talk when she came upstairs this morning. She’s at her murder board, as usual.”

  If she was in her room, why didn’t she open the door? His gut twisted, and a feeling of foreboding settled over him. He went back to Riley’s door, Madison in tow, and pummeled on it again. “Riley, open up, or I’m breaking down this door.”

  Heavy breathing preceded Fannie as she hurried up the stairs. “We can hear you all the way downstairs. What’s wrong?”

  “Riley’s not answering. Are you sure she’s here?”

  Both of the women nodded, and Fannie produced a master key from her pocket and unlocked the door. She knocked. “Riley, honey? Is everything all right?”

  She pushed, but the door wouldn’t open. “It’s stuck.” Thayne pressed his shoulder to the door and heaved against the wood. Hard. With a sudden lurch, it cracked and gave way. He peeked around the older woman and saw Riley lying facedown in the middle of the room. “What the hell?”

  He pushed past Fannie and dropped to his knees beside Riley. As the women cried out their alarm, he pulled Riley into his arms, and his breath caught in his
throat. She was as still as death.

  The alarm in the hall jumped to life. “Out. Everybody out. Now,” he cried. He lifted Riley into his arms and hurried down the stairs and outside, where he laid her on the grass. Without missing a beat, he put his ear to Riley’s chest and felt its shallow rise and fall. The morning dew seeped through his jeans to dampen his knees. Straightening, he swept her hair from her face and closed his eyes, his voice shaking from the fear icing his veins.

  “Riley. Wake up. Please, darlin’. Wake up!”

  Riley’s head pounded. Thayne shouted at her from somewhere far away, and she winced. The world dimmed to black, a strange cloying sensation settling heavily around her lungs. She couldn’t breathe. Her mind buzzed before languishing to a soft, peaceful song.

  The clanging of an alarm sounded nearby, wrenching her into a world of pain.

  She ached everywhere. She just wanted it to end. Riley tried to open her eyes, but she failed. Her chest hurt; her stomach rolled with nausea.

  She couldn’t see, but she could hear.

  “Riley!” her sister screamed. “Don’t you do this to me. Not now.”

  Madison’s sharp shouts tugged at Riley’s mind, but she couldn’t respond. Something was very, very wrong. Someone picked her up, jostling her. She groaned the moment her head moved. She wanted to scream, to tell them to put her down, until she recognized the strength of Thayne’s arms carrying her down the stairs, into the cold. Thayne would take care of her. She was safe.

  She couldn’t fight anymore. She let the darkness steal her mind.

  Urgent voices dragged her from peace and tranquility. Someone shoved a plastic mask over her face. She coughed, desperate to breathe easier, to take in large gulps of air. She shifted toward a familiar voice.

  “Don’t resist. Breathe in, Riley. Slow, deep breaths.” Thayne’s deep tones soothed her. She followed his instructions.

  “Her color’s coming back.” Madison choked out the words.

  What had happened? Her hands gripped the ground below her, sinking her fingers into the stiff grass.

  With each breath of oxygen, her mind cleared a little more.

  Riley blinked and opened her eyes. A spotlight shone over her. Blue and red lights spun in her peripheral vision. Thayne’s fuzzy but worried face hovered above her. “Damn it, Riley. You scared me.” He touched her cheek. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he rested his forehead against her hair.

  “Keep breathing,” Cheyenne encouraged. “We need to get all that carbon monoxide out of your system.” Cheyenne sat just beyond Thayne and suddenly frowned. “Could someone please turn that siren off?”

  “Wh . . . what happened?” Riley’s throat was tight, and it sounded like she was speaking around a mouthful of gravel.

  Thayne touched her lips. “Try not to talk. The carbon monoxide alarm sounded just after we opened the door to your room. The Riverton fire marshal is coming to check it out.”

  Thayne pulled away and Madison replaced him, bending over Riley. “You’re not allowed to scare me like that, Ri-Ri,” she whispered into her ear. “I can’t take losing you.”

  Riley blinked up into the blue morning sky. Clouds drifted across the Wyoming landscape. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, even though the headache building behind her eyes pounded with the intensity of a gold miner. “Not yet, anyway.”

  Cheyenne checked the placement of the oxygen mask on Riley’s face. “Get her to the hospital,” she ordered. “And I want everyone who was in the B and B today to get their blood drawn.”

  Riley needed Thayne. Needed to feel safe, because she was sure she’d never come quite so close to dying. “Thayne,” she called, though the weak voice didn’t sound like her own. She searched for him, and when he came close, she gripped his hand tight. “Don’t leave me.”

  “Not ever.” The muscle in his jaw jumped, and he squeezed her hand before helping the paramedics load her onto a gurney.

  They lifted her into the ambulance, and Thayne climbed in beside her.

  “Did no one else pass out?” she asked after they secured her and closed the back doors.

  “It was isolated to your room. Pendergrass is processing the area now, but I have my suspicions that your window and door were altered to make them airtight. If Olivia hadn’t begged me to bring Dan to the B and B—”

  He didn’t finish the words, but she could see the agony in his eyes.

  “Someone tried to kill me?” she asked, her throat still raspy.

  Thayne raised her palm to his lips. “They very nearly succeeded.”

  The ambulance sped away, and the remainder of the B&B’s residents piled into their cars and headed toward the hospital.

  From behind the tree at the side of the house, he slammed his fist into the wooden siding. The wood cracked beneath the force of his anger.

  It had been a perfect plan.

  It would’ve worked given a few more minutes, and then she would’ve been dead.

  Ever since he’d set the trap, he’d been watching, and this morning he saw her circle the photograph she’d pinned to the wall, and he’d known in that instant she knew. She might not know the significance of what she was looking at, but she’d noticed something no other investigator had ever noticed.

  Part of him admired her for that.

  The smarter half of him feared her. No question—she had to die.

  The sheriff had the luck of the Irish in him. What was it about this damned town that helped the less fortunate?

  To finish the job, he’d have to outsmart all of them. He’d never failed before; he wasn’t failing now.

  One course of action was already underway. As for Special Agent Riley Lambert, he’d have to consider his options.

  He needed to act quickly. He hung his head and rubbed the nape of his neck. He was tempted to be done with it all and burn down the whole damn town, but that would draw too much attention. Another accident was in order. One that would ensnare the sheriff as well. It would be challenging.

  But he never refused a challenge.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The crime scene tape surrounded Fannie’s B&B most of the day. The afternoon sun still hung high in the sky as Thayne helped Riley out of his SUV.

  He didn’t like her shaky legs or pale skin and kept his arm situated around her waist just in case. “You should’ve stayed in the hospital.”

  She walked away from his embrace. “I’ve just got a little headache, and my bloodwork is fine. I want to walk the room.”

  Thayne helped her climb up the porch steps, only to be confronted by two men they’d brought in from Casper. The men removed the hoods and masks of their white hazmat suits and nodded at Thayne, then turned their keen gazes on Riley.

  “Are you the woman from room two?” one of them asked.

  Riley nodded.

  He smiled. “Nice wall.”

  She grimaced. “It’s the job.”

  The investigator glanced at Thayne. “Can we have a word, Sheriff?”

  “Go ahead,” Thayne said through a clenched jaw. “She’s FBI. She’ll figure it out soon enough.”

  The man pulled out a plastic bag containing two broken vials. “The evidence will be held by the fire marshal because of your relationship with the intended victim, but we thought you’d want to see this.”

  “What are they?” Riley asked, squinting at the cracked glass.

  The other man pointed at the vials. “They housed chemicals that were meant to kill you.”

  The investigator snorted. “Way to be subtle, Chris.”

  The guy shrugged. “She asked. Besides, I would want to know.” He turned to Riley. “I hope you carry a gun. Or have eyes in the back of your head, because someone wants you dead. Bad.”

  Thayne could’ve strangled the guy. Riley’s eyes widened at his words; then that determined, courageous, scare-the-hell-out-of-him look settled in her eyes. “How?”

  His companion shoved Chris
aside. “The room’s window unit was rigged to generate high concentrations of carbon monoxide when you closed the vent. He added insulation to the window and a rubber seal to the door so the concentration would be high enough to kill, but it wouldn’t cause harm to anyone else in the B and B. You were the target, ma’am. No question.” He held up a small latch. “He also rigged a way to get into the window. I think he intended to come back and remove the vials so everyone would assume it was some kind of accident.”

  “Has Pendergrass checked out the room?” Thayne asked.

  The man nodded. “No fingerprints or any trace evidence, from what he said. This guy is good.”

  Thayne stared at the house. Two of his deputies were removing the crime scene tape. “You’re finished with the investigation already?”

  The investigator nodded. “One room. No evidence. No motive.” He looked at Riley. “Unless you know who would want you dead, ma’am.”

  “Here in Singing River?” She slowly shook her head. “I have no idea.”

  “Well, I’d think on it, because clearly someone’s got it in for you.”

  Riley looked over at Thayne. “Only one case that I’ve caused trouble on, and that’s the Jordan case. If I hadn’t come along—”

  “It would’ve been called an accident,” she and Thayne said at the same time.

  A sinister shiver settled at the base of Thayne’s spine. “You must be closer to the truth than you think.”

  They made their way into the B&B. Fannie stood there, quietly staring around the room, her arms wrapped around her body. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be comfortable here again.” Her eyes glistened. She hurried over to Riley and hugged her close. “I’m so sorry.”

  “You didn’t do anything. It’s me who should be sorry. I brought this to your home.” Riley closed her eyes. “Maybe it’s best I leave.”

  Fannie straightened her back. “You’re doing no such thing. I’m changing the locks and getting an alarm system and placing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in each room. I’m not letting a criminal drive me from my home.”