“But the on-site alarms would still go off.”
“Definitely…and they do have battery backups that should last at least twelve hours if the power goes off. When I get done here, I’ll overnight your signed contract to our main office. You should be good to go by sometime tomorrow.”
“Good enough, then.”
“Yep—so the next time the dogs all go for a walk, you’ll know,” he added with deep laugh.
She could barely summon a smile in response. “There isn’t going to be a next time if I can help it. Tell your boss thanks for fitting this in after hours.”
“Will do.” He held out a clipboard. “Just sign the form and I’ll be going. On my way home, I’ll put some security system signs on your outbuildings. That should warn off anyone thinking this will be an easy place to hit.”
She signed the paper and handed it back, then watched him gather his tools and walk out to his truck. Even this guy had apparently heard about the incident, and he’d come from clear over in Copper Cliff.
With a sigh, she grabbed her keys from the desk drawer, locked the place behind her and headed out into the dark to her SUV. After a quick run into town to load up on supplies for the week, she’d come back to heat up something easy for supper, then settle down with a good book.
Or perhaps she’d better start searching the Internet.
She’d hoped to stay a year, to work on sprucing the place up for a far better sale price. Maybe, somewhere deep in her heart, she’d even hoped she could find a way to stay forever.
But settling for a quick sale and looking at the job market somewhere else might end up being her only option…even if it meant leaving Trace—and a part of her heart—behind.
There was a definite warm, teasing hint of spring in the air when she let Bailey outside the next morning. The night had stayed well above freezing, and now pools of water stood like mirrors out in the meadow where there’d once been massive drifts of snow.
The clerk in the grocery store last night had warned about snowfalls that could come even in late May, and from her childhood experiences, Kris knew it was true. But for now, the scents of damp earth and pine and a gentle breeze from the south filled her with joy. Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful day…for the chance to be here in this glorious place, if only for a while.
Bailey headed straight for the nearest pool of water and splashed into the center, then rolled ecstatically.
“Bailey!”
The old dog lifted his head in her direction, then romped through the water like an arthritic pup before shaking himself off and trotting back to the house.
Her cell phone rang, and the light moment faded when she read the caller ID on the screen.
“Sheriff Carpenter?”
He cleared his throat. “I thought you should know about the board meeting last night.”
She froze, unable to speak. Last night she’d had a hard time falling asleep, until she’d started praying and finally made herself give the whole situation over to God.
But now, the sheriff’s words made her feel as if she’d been hit with a bucket of ice water.
“We’re aware of the rumors in town. So, before the meeting, the board supervisor asked me to do a little checking.”
She swallowed hard. “And?”
“I know your ex-husband was involved in illegal activities. I’m looking at his record right now. I also see you were charged only with possession, got probation, and that you testified for the prosecution during his trial. Is that correct?”
The weight of her past settled heavily on her shoulders; a mantle of guilt and regret worse than any sentence or probation because she knew it would never, ever go away. “That part of my life is long over. I promise you that I’m telling the truth.”
“I talked to your probation officer earlier today.”
Kris held her breath, remembering the steely-eyed, silver-haired gentleman she’d had to meet for three long years. Oddly enough, the man had become more of a father figure to her than anyone else in her life…though she knew she was just one of the countless others in his daily routine. Would he even remember how hard she’d tried to turn her life around?
“And?”
“He says you had a tough life. That you fell in with the wrong crowd, but that of all the people he’s ever worked with, you were one with the greatest potential. He sounded really proud of you.”
A feeling of warmth spread through her. “He’s a good man. His advice helped me more than I can say.”
She heard the sound of rustling papers.
“I also checked your legal records since then. No trouble, not so much as a parking ticket. And your credit score is excellent, so you obviously pay your debts on time, without fail. In other words, the rumors around here are wrong. I don’t think it’s the usual gossip, my dear, though that is bad enough. Someone wants to cause you trouble.”
“I know.”
“We barely have enough manpower to address our most serious issues, so I can’t delve into this as much as I want to. But I’m concerned about the escalating pattern. Particularly, the night the dogs got loose.”
“As I told Sam, each of the individual dog pens was closed. There’s no way all of the latches could’ve ‘inadvertently’opened on their own. And there’s no way I could’ve left every last one of them open, either—no way at all. I would’ve had over two dozen dogs following me straight out of the building.”
“Makes sense.”
“What about fingerprints?”
“None of ’em matched anything in the AFIS system. They were all the same—yours. So if anyone else was there, they likely were smart enough to use gloves.”
“And there are no other suspects?”
“We checked out some of the people who’d wanted the county animal shelter contract, but they vehemently denied causing any trouble. One even begged for a lie detector test to prove he didn’t do it. Said he’d pay the full cost to have it done, just to prove his innocence.”
“So who could be behind it all? There’s been no word from my ex-husband lately, and I’ve never heard from his buddies. I know that the Bascombs left the area. Have you had trouble with vandals here? Teenagers, looking for a little excitement?”
“It’s always possible. We’ll check on any news about your husband’s friends and see if they’ve ever surfaced. I know the authorities want them back, so they might be in custody by now. I can also send Sam out to recheck the Bascomb place, and since he’s on the night shift in your area, I’ll remind him to cruise by your place now and then. Other than that, I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Have you been missing me, sweetheart?”
At the sound of Allan’s voice, Kris jerked to a halt. Just this morning she’d told the sheriff that she hadn’t heard from him in a long while. His was the last voice she wanted to hear.
“Got nothing to say?” He chuckled, his self-satisfaction clear. “Maybe a little face-to-face time would help. Say, in an hour or two?”
“Y-you’re here? In Montana?”
“Why not? Takin’ a little vacation, checking the place out. You really got lucky, babe. Nice view.”
Her thoughts rocketed to the night the dogs had gotten loose. “You’ve been here.”
“You weren’t around, but oh, well. I had a nice tour anyway. My buddies and I couldn’t stick around till you got back, though.”
Anger bubbled up into her throat, fierce and hot. “Were you in the kennels?”
He made a sound of disgust. “Not my thing. Why are you doing that anyway? You could sell that place and make a fortune.”
She bit back a sharp reply. He didn’t deserve an explanation, but if he was in the area, she didn’t want to antagonize him, either. “I…don’t think so.”
“Whatever. I’m just giving you some good advice.”
She didn’t respond.
He laughed. “You sound worried, babe. But you don’t need to be. We were just passing through.”
>
With two guys who had violated their parole, it didn’t sound like a little vacation. “Have fun.”
“We all had a talk. Decided that we’re going to let the past go, if you know what I mean.”
After seeing Thalia’s property? The unlikelihood of that change of heart almost made Kris laugh. “I’m glad.”
“I mean it.” Allan’s voice softened. “We had good times, you and me. A lot of them. Maybe sometime we can give each other another chance. I’ve never found anyone else like you. Ever.”
At eighteen, she’d fallen for his chameleon-like ability to charm her when she least expected it. She wasn’t falling for it now. “Have a good trip, Allan.” She paused, as if looking at the time. “Sorry—I’ve got to go.”
“So do I. But I promise, I’ll be seeing you again soon. Real, real soon.”
FIFTEEN
With most of the dogs back in the kennels and other animals coming and going as part of the shelter business, Kris stayed busy. Though she kept a sharp eye out for any sign of Allan, he didn’t show up…and now she’d begun to think that his call had been a ruse, that he might have called on his cell phone from Idaho just to unsettle her.
The one empty spot in her life was Trace, who hadn’t been over since the day after the dogs escaped. She could understand why—anyone hearing about her checkered past would surely want to keep their distance.
But even Carrie hadn’t called until the day after the security system was installed, and she’d sounded oddly distant. Her vague promise to stop by soon was clearly just an easy way to end an awkward conversation.
So when she did stop by on Friday morning with a dozen of her grandmother’s wonderful caramel rolls and an offer of a girls’ night out at the little movie theater in Battle Creek, Kris stared at her for a moment, unsure.
“I didn’t think I’d hear from either of you again,” she finally managed. “With all that has happened, I’d understand.”
“We’ve been really busy.” Without quite meeting Kris’s eyes, Carrie flapped a hand dismissively, then rested her elbow in the open window of her truck. “I’ve been meaning to get back over here for ages, though.”
Kris bit her lower lip, not wanting to ask, yet not able to hold back the words, either. “And Trace…. how’s he doing?”
Carrie hesitated for just a split second. “Good, good. It’s been a really busy week for both of us, but he’ll stop by one of these days. The movie starts at seven, and we could get a pizza after. So do you want me to come pick you up tonight?”
From the swift change of subject, Kris knew he wouldn’t be stopping by anytime soon. But then, what else had she expected? “You’re on the way to town for me. Let me drive.”
“You got it. See you in a few hours.”
After taking care of all the late afternoon chores down at the kennel, Kris left Bailey in his comfy dog bed with the run of the place, locked the doors and turned on the security system, then hurried up to the house to get showered and changed.
In less than an hour, she drove past the main house at the Rocking R, and turned down the lane to Carrie’s cabin.
Though she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t even look, she glanced around as she passed the house and barns. There was no sign of Trace anywhere.
“Perfect timing,” Carrie exclaimed as she came out the door and climbed into the SUV. “This should be fun. I never miss a DiCaprio movie. Most of them I see twice in the theater, and then I buy the DVD. I haven’t seen this one even once, yet.”
“A red-letter night, then,” Kris teased.
“You bet. And it’s been a long, long time since I’ve been out on the town, too. My social life is beyond boring. Not that I’m looking, though. It’ll be a while before the thought of dating even sounds halfway appealing—if ever.”
Kris shot a sideways glance at her across the front seat as she turned the SUV toward the highway. With Carrie’s gleaming dark hair and sparkling brown eyes, she looked like an effervescent model for a shampoo commercial. “I have a feeling that the local guys are going to sit up and take notice way before that.”
“Like I’d be interested. That’s one road I don’t want to travel again.” Carrie rolled her eyes. “I’m done with men for good. At least Billy stays away now that I’m at Trace’s place. You, on the other hand, have been single a long time. I’m surprised you haven’t hooked up with some cool guy by now.”
“Various complications and bad memories can be a powerful antidote to all that,” Kris said with a light laugh. “We’re quite a trio, aren’t we? You, Trace and me.”
“When I start thinking too hard about my life, I try to step back and accept that where I am is where I was meant to be. Teaching at Battle Creek. Being there for my brother. Helping with Sunday school at the church. Maybe someday I’ll be led to something different in life, but right now, I’m content. How about you?”
Other than the local gossips, Allan lurking around, and someone who wants to see my business fail, I’m just dandy. But in a few months, it would all be behind her, and talking about it would just put a damper on the whole evening.
“I’m good. Let’s make a promise, though—no matter where we end up, we’ll keep in touch at least once a year.”
Carrie twisted in her seat. “So you are thinking about leaving, then.”
“No firm decisions. I’d like to stay, truly…but on the other hand, maybe my ideas about fixing up Wind Hill weren’t the best because so much depends on the real estate market and interest rates. I’ll just have to see. But whatever happens, I’d still like to stay in touch with you.”
The movie was wonderful as Carrie had predicted. The pizza was loaded with cheese and was one of the best Kris had ever eaten. But after their conversation on the way to town, Carrie stayed subdued and thoughtful.
When Kris dropped her off at the Rocking R at midnight, Carrie opened the door and unbuckled her seat belt, then hesitated at the door of the SUV. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, say the word, okay? I mean, I know things haven’t been easy here. We’d really like you to stay in Montana.”
We? Kris doubted that, but she still dredged up a smile. “Thanks.”
“Well…you take care, hear? Maybe we can meet for lunch next Saturday or something.”
“That sounds great.” Kris waved, then did a U-turn and started for the highway, drumming her fingernails on the steering wheel as the miles slipped past. She slowed and turned off the highway onto the lane leading to Wind Hill Ranch.
It had been an enjoyable night. Mostly.
Carrie had seemed uncomfortable, but maybe that was because she’d felt the stares of some of the locals in the pizza place, and at the theater. In a town this small, not a lot happened, so any local excitement was great fodder for conversation.
Kris was probably red-letter, balloons-and-confetti material for the gossips.
That first time Kris had attended church the news had even made the “Out and About” column in the tiny local newspaper, along with a breathless announcement about the Anderson family’s visitors from Billings.
The memory made her smile. The local lady gathering tidbits for the column probably didn’t realize it, but maybe Kris’s visit did deserve mention. That Sunday had made a difference in her life already, and even now she felt an ember of warmth in her heart that hadn’t been there for years.
The acrid odor of smoke started coming in through the front vents on the dashboard. She dropped her gaze to the heat gauge. Normal. She slowed and scanned the timber surrounding the lane. It was all darkness out here, save for the arc of her headlights….
And then, around the next curve, she could see slivers of crimson pulsing between the dense stand of pines ahead.
Another hundred feet and she drew in a sharp, ragged breath of horror. Flames had engulfed the cabin and were shooting fifty to a hundred feet into the sky in a blinding, vicious inferno.
She accelerated in panic—then slammed on the brakes. There was no
thing she could do. Nothing. Where were the fire trucks? The squad cars? Had they even received the alarm?
With numb, shaking fingers she punched 911 into her cell phone. After the call she opened the door of her SUV and felt a blast of heat slam against her face, even though she was still a good two hundred feet away.
A moment of rising panic grabbed her heart and she spun around. The kennel and barn were eerily illuminated by the wild, twisting flames. Both were intact, though—and Bailey was safe in the kennel. Thank You, God.
Her panic dissolved into sorrow as she turned to stare at the engulfed cabin. None of her own possessions mattered. She had no family mementos of her own. But everything of Thalia’s had been brought back up to the cabin, and it was all gone. Artwork. Books. Every last vestige of a fascinating and unique woman…and with Emma gone and perhaps even dead, too, by now, every last family tie Kris had was in flames.
Something in the house exploded, sending a burst of embers skyward over the meadow, then it happened again and again. Each minute stretched into infinity as she waited, waited, waited for the sounds of approaching sirens.
Something hot burned across her cheek.
She stumbled back to the SUV and threw it into Reverse, then floored the accelerator. The tires spun wildly, then took hold and the vehicle shot across the meadow to the kennels. She rammed it into Park and stepped outside again.
Here, over the roar of the fire, she could hear the frantic barking of the dogs. But they were safe inside. Far enough away.
The mesmerizing, terrible fire was like a living creature reaching for the stars…the empty windows of the cabin glowing like a vision of hell.
At the far, shadowy edge of the meadow, she saw an abrupt movement. A glowing figure illuminated by the flames, too far away to make out. A man? And what was he holding?
He shifted and the long barrel of a rifle gleamed in the intense light of the fire.
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