He couldn’t offer her reassurance until he got to the bottom of things, and he refused to embrace her because he feared he’d never want to let her go.
He got up off the sofa and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I need to go check out that shed and talk to your men. Which shed was it?” He knew there were several on the property.
“It’s the smaller one closest to the house.”
“Will you be all right here alone?” She didn’t look as if she would ever be all right again.
She roused herself from the sofa, clutching the throw around her shoulders. “I’ll be okay as long as I lock the door behind you.”
They reached the door and he turned to face her. “This shouldn’t take too long and I’ll come back in when I’m finished.”
She nodded, her eyes still simmering pools of fear. “You know what I thought when I was in that shed?” She released a small, shaky laugh that had nothing to do with humor. “For just a brief moment I thought the door was going to swing open and somebody was going to attack me with an ax.”
Dillon’s heart squeezed tight. “There’s no reason to believe this has anything to do with Sam’s murder or the others.”
“Logically I know that. I just don’t understand why somebody would do that to me.”
“I’m hoping I can find the answer. I’ll see you in a little while.” He left the house before he could give in to his desire to hold her tightly against him.
He stopped by his car and retrieved gloves and a couple of evidence bags. If nothing else he intended to take the padlock and see if he could lift any prints off it besides Adam’s and Cassie’s.
He clicked on his flashlight and headed to the shed. The door remained open and a look inside showed a couple stacks of boxes.
Why would somebody lock Cassie inside the small structure? Was the motive innocent? Somebody who thought it would be funny? Or was the motive much more insidious? He thought of Cassie’s last words and his stomach clenched. Still, there was no way he could tie this incident into Sam Kelly’s murder.
He pulled on his gloves and took off the padlock and dropped it into the evidence bag. The odds were minimal that he would be able to pull out a usable print, but at least he’d try.
He returned to his car, put the bag into his truck and then headed for the dining room at the back of the cowboy motel. Maybe one of the men would confess that they’d locked her in as a joke. Right, and maybe he’d grow a blond beard tomorrow, he thought drily.
Adam had gathered all the men, and as Dillon entered the dining room he did a quick head count. “Where’s Brody?” he asked. The big, brooding cowboy was the only one missing from the group.
“He left about an hour ago,” Sawyer said.
“We think he has a secret girlfriend. He’s been leaving in the evenings a couple times a week,” Mac McBride added.
Dillon made a mental note to talk to Brody the next day. “I’m assuming Adam has already told you all what happened. Anyone want to ’fess up?” Dillon asked.
“None of us would ever do anything to scare or hurt Cassie,” Sawyer said, and the rest of the men echoed that sentiment loud and clear.
“It was probably one of those weasels from Humes’s ranch,” Flint McCay said angrily. “This stunt has their fingerprints all over it.”
“Yeah, they’re probably over there laughing their asses off right now,” Sawyer said angrily.
Dillon raised his hands to quiet them all. “As soon as I leave here I’ll be heading over there to question them. In the meantime I want you all to call me if you see somebody here on the property who doesn’t belong.”
Knowing he wouldn’t get any answers to explain the mystery, Dillon left and headed back to the house. Cassie stood by the back door waiting for him.
She unlocked the door and let him inside. She looked as if she’d pulled herself together in the short time that he’d been gone. She no longer had the blanket around her shoulders, and the simmering fear that had been in her eyes was gone.
“I’m sure none of my men locked me in the shed,” she said with a slight upward thrust of her chin.
“I’m not sure about anything,” he replied.
“Did any of them confess?”
“No, but I didn’t expect them to. I took the padlock off the door and I’m going to dust it for prints, but I’m not optimistic about getting anything useful from it. I’m also going to head over to the Humes place now and ask some questions there.”
Her chin dropped and her lower lip trembled slightly.
He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and grabbed her hand with his. Hers felt tiny and cold. He squeezed it gently. “It’s going to be all right, Cassie.”
She nodded. “I’m sure this was just somebody’s idea of a stupid joke. Or maybe Raymond Humes has told his men to endlessly torment me since he can’t wait for me to decide to sell the ranch to him.”
He dropped her hand. “I’ll let you know if I learn anything. Why don’t you take my private cell phone number.” He waited while she got her cell phone and they exchanged contact information. “Okay, then I’ll just be off. In the meantime, watch your back, Cassie.”
He didn’t feel good about leaving her, but took some comfort in the fact that whoever had locked her in the shed hadn’t physically attacked her. She’d been out there all alone in the dark, an easy prey for somebody waiting in the darkness. Thank God she’d only been locked inside and not hurt.
It was almost midnight by the time he got home. Talking to Humes’s ranch hands had yielded nothing except the reminder that most of those men were lowlifes. They had all alibied each other even as they laughed about Cassie getting locked into her own shed.
He now undressed and got into bed. His body was weary but his mind raced. He hoped it had all been a tasteless joke. He desperately wanted to believe that this wasn’t the beginning of a reign of terror.
Chapter 5
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Cassie said to Nicolette Taylor the next morning. Her friend had stopped by for coffee and the two women now sat at the kitchen table. “I’m in desperate need of a little girl talk.”
Nicolette’s dark eyes radiated sympathy. “I wanted to call you the minute I heard about Sam’s murder, but I figured you’d be busy with Dillon and the investigation. Does he have any idea who is responsible?”
“If he does, he’s not telling me,” Cassie replied. She wanted to confide to Nicolette that she and Dillon had kissed, that the kiss had rocked her to her very core, but she decided to keep it to herself for now. After all, it might never happen again and she doubted it had meant anything to him. “He was out here again last night because somebody locked me in my shed.”
“What?” Nicolette looked at her in shock.
Cassie told her about what had transpired the night before and in the telling a new chill swept through her. “Anyway, all’s well that ends well, right?” She forced a lightness into her tone.
Nicolette frowned. “Do you have any idea who did it?”
“None, but if I was speculating I’d say Raymond Humes and his men were behind it. He’s so desperate for me to sell to him I think he’d do almost anything.”
“Are you going to sell to him?”
Cassie sighed and wrapped her fingers around her coffee cup. “I feel like I have one foot here and one foot back in New York City. I know Raymond would be the last man Aunt Cass would want me to sell to, but I also know he’d pay me enough that I could reopen a shop and not have to worry about finances for a long time.”
“And what about all your men?”
Cassie’s heart squeezed. “I don’t want them to be displaced, but I also tell myself they’re all grown men and hard workers and they wouldn’t have problems finding positions on other ranches in the area.”
“You know your aunt Cass loved this ranch, but she would also want you to be happy,” Nicolette replied. “I want you to be happy, Cassie, no matter what you choose to do.”
�
��Right now I think my happiness isn’t here, and Raymond’s offer is looking darned good.”
A knock on the back door interrupted their conversation. “It’s open,” Cassie called. Brody Booth walked in.
“Sorry to bother you but Adam wanted me to come and tell you that some of the fencing is down in the west pasture and he and a couple of men will be working there for most of the morning,” he said.
“Why is the fencing down?” she asked.
Brody’s eyes flashed. “Looks like it was pulled down by somebody during the night. Cattle got out but we’ve managed to round up all of them. He wasn’t sure if you wanted to call Chief Bowie and make a report.”
Cassie frowned thoughtfully. “No, we won’t make a report this time. Dillon has enough on his mind right now without us piling more on him.” Even saying his name pulled a blush of heat to her face.
“Okay, I’ll tell Adam.”
“Thanks, Brody,” Cassie replied.
When the big cowboy left the kitchen she turned back to Nicolette to see one of her friend’s dark brows raised in open speculation. “You say Dillon’s name with the same longing that I say Lucas’s name.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cassie scoffed and then released a deep sigh. “Okay, maybe I’m feeling a certain way about him,” she admitted.
“And does he feel a certain way about you?” Nicolette asked.
“He kissed me and then he told me it was a big mistake,” Cassie confessed.
Nicolette sat up straighter in her chair. “Hold up, Dillon kissed you? When and where? I want all the details, girlfriend.”
Cassie nodded and told her about the evening Dillon had come in for dinner and the night ending with him kissing her.
“So how do you really feel about him?” Nicolette asked.
“Confused.” Cassie paused to take a drink of her coffee. She set the cup down and cast her gaze out the window. “I don’t want to make a mistake, Nicolette. I’ve already lived up to all my parents’ expectations that I’d be a loser.”
“Oh, Cassie, that’s so not true,” Nicolette protested.
“But it is true.”
Nicolette frowned. “Cassie, at some point you’re going to have to accept that your parents mentally and emotionally abused you and no matter what you do or become in your life it won’t be good enough for them.”
“I let them down. They had big plans for me. I didn’t finish college and my big dream of a successful shop selling my artwork was a bust...”
“Cassie, you closed the shop to come out here when you got this inheritance. The shop wasn’t a failure.”
Cassie cast Nicolette a wry look. “Nicolette, be honest. We both know we couldn’t have hung on much longer with the shop. And now I don’t know whether to keep this place or sell out, and until I make up my mind about that I hate to pursue a relationship with anyone.”
“It’s hard to ignore chemistry.” Nicolette said with a small smile. “And Dillon is a great guy.” She gazed at her wristwatch. “Speaking of great guys, I need to get back home to mine.” She picked up her cup and carried it to the sink.
Together they walked to the back door. “Thanks for stopping by,” Cassie said.
“You know if you ever get scared staying here by yourself, you’d always be welcomed to stay with us.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that, but I’m fine. Besides, I’ve got a bunch of big, burly cowboys to protect me.”
Nicolette pulled her into a quick hug. “I just want you to be happy, Cassie.”
“I’m working on it.”
Happiness. It had been fleeting in Cassie’s life so far, she thought as she returned to the table after Nicolette left. Her childhood had been a frantic desire of trying to please her parents. There certainly hadn’t been much happiness there. Any further thoughts she might have on the subject was interrupted when Dillon knocked on the back door.
She couldn’t help the way her heart caught in her throat when he walked inside. She scrambled up from the table. “Morning, Dillon. There’s coffee if you want a cup.”
“I believe I’ll take you up on that,” he replied.
As he sat at the table she grabbed a cup and filled it and then returned to the chair. “How are you doing after last night’s scare?” he asked.
“I’m okay. Did you find out anything when you spoke to Humes’s men?”
“Nothing.”
She gave him a small smile. “Why am I not surprised? We had some fencing torn down sometime during the night and guess who I think is guilty?”
His thick-lashed gray eyes darkened. “Why didn’t you call me to report it?”
“I figured you had enough on your plate without dealing with nuisance nonsense,” she replied.
“Cassie, you need to let me know about everything that’s going on.”
She loved the way her name sounded falling from his lips. She loved the way he looked seated at her kitchen table. He was so tall, so masculine, and it was as if he owned all the air in the room. She stared down into her coffee cup.
There was definitely some kind of weird chemistry going on between them as far as she was concerned. Not that she intended to do anything about it.
He was here to talk crime with her. If Sam hadn’t been murdered and those skeletons hadn’t been found, the odds were that she wouldn’t have exchanged more than friendly pleasantries with the handsome chief of police for as long as she was a resident in this town.
“Cassie?”
She looked up at him.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Positive. I’m just a little tired. I had a hard time falling asleep last night. I’m planning on heading to bed early this evening to catch up. I’ll bet you could use an early night, too.”
He crooked up a dark brow. She widened her eyes. “Not that I meant that as an invitation...”
He grinned, that gorgeous smile that made her think of cool nights and warm bodies and their very hot kiss. “I’m just teasing you a little bit. God knows we could both use a few laughs right about now.”
“You’re right. I feel like there hasn’t been much to laugh about around here for a very long time.”
He took a drink from his cup. “I haven’t forgotten that I owe you a meal. How about I pick you up later tonight and we go to the café for a bite to eat? I promise I’ll have you back here early enough that you can still get a good night’s sleep.”
Cassie’s heart beat a quickened rhythm. Had he just asked her for a date or had she somehow misheard?
“I know it’s spur of the moment. Maybe you already have other plans,” he continued.
“No, not at all. Sure, I’d love to go to dinner,” she replied.
“How’s six o’clock?”
“Perfect.”
“And now I’d better get to work.” He rose from the table. “I’ll see you this evening at six. Bring your appetite.”
She remained seated at the table as he walked out the back door. The man was confusing the heck out of her. Kissing her had been a mistake and yet apparently inviting her out to dinner was okay.
It hadn’t even entered her mind to turn down his invitation. What was he doing? What on earth was she doing? Nicolette’s words fluttered through her mind. It’s hard to ignore chemistry. And there was definitely some strange, wonderful chemistry at work between her and Dillon.
Her heart was definitely torn, but her head was already going through the clothes in her closet trying to decide what to wear this evening.
* * *
Bitch.
He’d seen her just a few minutes ago leave the house in her tight blue dress and whore high heels, running to get into Dillon Bowie’s pickup truck.
He also knew she’d talked to her friend about selling the ranch to Raymond Humes. She was nothing but an ungrateful whore, and whores deserved to die.
If she thought it had been scary to be locked in the shed, Cassie Peterson had no idea what terror was about to rain down on her head
.
She was no better than his slutty mother who had taken him with her when she slept with half the town while his father worked the night shift.
He fisted his hands as he remembered those nights when he’d stood outside a motel room all alone in the dark while his mother got busy with one of her lovers.
A smile curved his lips as he remembered the satisfaction of strangling her to death. He’d only been fourteen years old, but he’d known what had to be done. He’d driven her car to a wooded area and had buried her body there. He’d then driven back to one of the seedy motels she frequented and left the car there.
Oh, yes, he knew how to deal with whores, and he knew what had to be done with Cassie.
* * *
Cassie’s scent filled the interior of his truck as Dillon drove toward town for dinner at the Bitterroot Café. A million times over the course of the day he’d thought about canceling on her. But here he was, enjoying the play of sunset in her hair and the sight of her shapely legs beneath the short, royal blue dress she wore.
“It’s a beautiful night,” she said.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. He just hoped he didn’t get any calls that might take him away from a meal with her.
He had a feeling the only person who might be in danger tonight was him. Cassie looked totally hot and the memory of kissing her was forefront in his mind. Definitely dangerous considering his heart had been closed for so long and she was probably the last woman he should be drawn to. And yet drawn he was.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Starving. I skipped lunch and I’m looking forward to a meal I didn’t have to cook...especially since my cooking skills are fairly nonexistent,” she said. He felt her gaze lingering on him. “I’d love to paint you sometime. You have a beautiful, masculine face with so much character.”
“Thanks,” he said as his cheeks grew warm. “You know your face isn’t too hard to look at, either.”
“Was that a compliment, Chief Bowie?” she returned lightly.
“I believe it was,” he agreed. He wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted from her. He wasn’t at all clear what he was doing with her, but the only thing that was certain was he didn’t want to stop.
Killer Cowboy (Cowboys of Holiday Ranch) Page 6