Sovereign Sheriff

by Cassie Miles

  But the message was clear. Tell no one. The person who had scribbled this note might have information that would lead to Amir. She had to do as instructed, couldn’t risk telling Jake and putting her brother in more peril. She tucked the scrap into her jacket pocket.

  The front desk picked up.

  “This is Princess Saida.” Her mouth was so dry that it was difficult to speak. “There’s a badly injured man in my room. Call an ambulance.”

  “There’s a nurse on the premises. Should I send her?”

  “Immediately.”

  Jake returned to the bedroom with his cell phone in hand. “I contacted Wheeler,” he said. “My people will be here soon.”

  “Did you find anything else?”

  “Not that I can tell. Nothing seems out of place.”

  Having her possessions ransacked would have been preferable to finding that note. It burned in her pocket. She should tell Jake. They were working together. She trusted him.

  Danny dragged himself to a sitting position. He touched his head and cringed. When his hand came away bloody, he stared at his fingers in shock. “What the hell?”

  “Good question,” Jake said. “Why were you in this room?”

  “I’m injured.” He looked at Saida. “It hurts.”

  “There’s a medical person on the way,” she assured him.

  Jake grabbed Danny’s arm and yanked him roughly to his feet. “Try not to bleed on the expensive furniture.”

  “Hey, I’m a person. I’m more important than a chair.”

  “That’s debatable.”

  When Jake gave his arm a shake, Danny quivered all over. His legs wobbled like jelly. “Hurts,” he repeated.

  “Talk to me,” Jake said. “How did you get into this room?”

  Saida thought she might have the answer. “He was here earlier when he gave me the photos.”

  Jake jostled him again. “Did you swipe her key card?”

  “Ow. Don’t do that, man.”

  “Talk.”

  “Okay, maybe her key card fell into my camera bag. And maybe I came back here tonight to return it. Did you think of that, huh? I was doing the right thing.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Jake said. “What time was it when you got here?”

  “About an hour after dark. I came into the room and then…” he winced “…somebody came in behind me. Didn’t see him until it was too late. Everything went black.”

  There was a knock at the outer door of the sitting room. Saida assumed it was the nurse. After Danny’s confession, she didn’t care if he was hurting. She was furious at him and, even more importantly, she desperately needed to know who had left the scrap of paper. “Did you recognize the man who hit you?”

  “Just a blur.” Danny’s knees began to buckle. He sank toward the floor in slow motion. “I need something for this pain.”

  Jake hoisted him upright again. “Not until you tell me about this guy who attacked you. Was he short or tall?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “How about his clothes? What was he wearing?”

  “Maybe jeans.”

  That was a safe call. Saida calculated that over half the men in Wyoming were habitually clad in denim.

  “You had to see something,” Jake said. “You were hit in the front of the head, facing your assailant.”

  “Didn’t happen like that,” Danny said. “He was behind me. I turned. Then, wham.”

  “Was he wearing a hat?”

  “Yeah.” Danny had a flash of coherence. “A baseball cap. It was red. And he had dark hair.”

  Jake prompted, “What did he say?”

  “Nothing.”

  The knocking became more insistent, and Saida went to answer. She opened the door for a curly-haired woman in an EMT windbreaker and an angry-looking gentleman who introduced himself as the head of security for the resort.

  Jake escorted Danny into the sitting room. “We found him in the bedroom. He’d stolen a key card.”

  The head of security clenched his jaw. “What should I do with him?”

  “Treat his wound and hold him until one of my men gets here to accompany him to the hospital. He’s under arrest.” Jake gave Danny’s arm another shake. “Do you hear that? You’re under arrest for breaking and entering.”

  For once, Danny didn’t have a comeback. Completely docile, he obeyed the EMT as she seated him in the wheelchair she had waiting in the hallway.

  Jake stepped into the hall to quickly confer with the security head. “This room is a crime scene.”

  “Again.” He scowled darkly.

  “The forensic team will process the room as quickly as possible. They’ll be discreet.”

  “Discretion is appreciated.”

  “After you’re done with Danny, come back here,” Jake said. “Until my men get here, I need your help.”

  “No problem, Sheriff.”

  Jake came back to her and closed the door to the room. “I’m afraid you won’t be sleeping here tonight. Too bad. This place is incredible.”

  Earlier, she’d been thinking about sharing her luxurious bed with Jake. Not anymore. How could she sleep in a room with Danny’s blood staining the carpet? How could she rest while the person who had left that note was still at large?

  She ought to tell Jake. Now would be the right time.

  Instead, she said, “I’ll get my purse.”

  He followed her through the sitting room into the bedroom and outside onto the terrace where she found her purse exactly where she’d left it.

  He stood beside the hot tub, admiring the shadowy view of distant peaks that reached high to touch the stars. With his thumbs hitched in his belt and his face tilted to catch the glow of moonlight, Jake was the iconic Western man—rugged, strong and unyielding. She trusted him. Even before she arrived in Wyoming, she trusted him. In her heart, she knew he was the man who would lead her to her brother.

  She touched the pocket where she’d hidden the scrap of paper. Tell him now. But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t risk losing this tenuous thread that might lead her to Amir.

  “What do you think he was after?” Jake asked.

  Lost in her own dilemma, she mumbled. “Who? What?”

  “We can assume that Danny wasn’t looking for anything important to the investigation. He probably broke in to take pictures of your shoes. But the guy who attacked him was after something. Is there anything in your room that he’d want?”

  “I had everything important with me.” She held up her purse. “I had my cell phone and my gun in my bag. My laptop is in your car.”

  “Think hard. Why would he sneak into your bedroom?”

  To leave the red-lettered note. She made her decision. For now, she would say nothing to Jake. She’d play this clue alone.

  Taking out her cell phone, she said, “I should inform Nasim about what happened. I know he’s here at the resort. I saw the yellow Hummer.”

  “Don’t make that call. Nasim is probably with the others. I want to tell them about the break-in at the same time. To see if anybody reacts.”

  “Surely, you don’t think one of the royal entourage broke into my room.”

  “We’ll see.”

  She knew that Jake was suspicious. He believed the seeds for all these attacks on COIN had originated in their native countries. But why would one of these men break into her room and leave a note for her to call him? It didn’t make sense. None of this made sense.

  AFTER THE HEAD OF SECURITY arranged for one of his men to guard the crime scene until a deputy arrived, he showed Jake and Saida to a conference room. Though the door was closed, she could hear a heated conversation taking place inside. She turned to the security man and asked, “How long have they been meeting?”

  “An hour and twenty minutes,” he said with a rueful smile. “It makes protecting them easier when they’re all in one place.”

  “Who is in there?”

  “The princes, Sheik Efraim, your bodyguard and four other people.” />
  She straightened her shoulders and inhaled a deep breath. Facing this group was like bearding a pride of ravenous lions. All strong men, they were leaders in their countries and were accustomed to being obeyed. They saw her as Amir’s little sister who ran off to America and liked to have her picture taken on red carpets.

  Her clothing didn’t suit the occasion. Was there time to race back to her room and put on a serious, pinstriped suit that radiated power and confidence? Her jacket was too casual. She wasn’t even wearing high heels.

  Jake took her hand and squeezed. When she looked up at him, he gave her a nod. In his dark eyes, she saw encouragement. No matter what happened, Jake would be on her side.

  She opened the door and stepped into the conference room. The long table surrounded by comfortable chairs had been abandoned. Everybody was standing.

  Flanked by Prince Antoine and a bodyguard, Efraim angrily confronted Nasim. Using his long fingers, Efraim enumerated enemies to his nation.

  Prince Stefan had distanced himself from the others. He stood at the wall of windows, peering into the darkness. One of his men was beside him.

  The only person who acknowledged Saida’s arrival was Callie who looked like she was about to explode. Her presence disturbed Saida. Even if Callie was Efraim’s lover, her position as an assistant to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs could not be ignored. She shouldn’t be a party to this COIN squabble.

  Beside her, Jake stepped forward as though preparing to take charge of the situation. Though it was tempting to let him handle these problems, it wasn’t right. This was her fight.

  She touched his arm, signaling for him to hold back and wait. If she didn’t make a statement now, she might as well accept her position as a window-dressing princess with no real power. Respect was not a right. Not for her, anyway. She had to command their attention.

  Efraim ended his tirade by saying, “Your suspicion that anyone in my country was involved in Amir’s disappearance is absurd.”

  Prince Stefan Lutece said, “It’s an insult.”

  “Look to your own country,” Efraim said. “Not everyone in Jamala wanted Amir to rise to power.”

  Saida stepped forward and slammed both palms on the tabletop. “Listen to me.”

  The room went silent. Heads turned. She felt their eyes staring at her.

  Proudly, she said, “I will speak for my brother. And for the people of Jamala.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jake had been impressed by Saida’s performance in that conference room. She’d been strong and smart and regal as all hell. With a couple of reasonable statements, she’d ended the bickering and gotten the royals to sit around the table. She’d put those boys in their place.

  When she announced that her room had been broken into, he’d watched their reactions and saw expressions of surprise, anger and frustration. Nobody had looked guilty.

  Then, Saida tactfully suggested that he and Callie leave the room. There was COIN business to discuss.

  In the hallway, he stood beside Callie. They were a little bit uncomfortable with each other. Jake had been obliged to arrest her younger brother when the kid got himself tangled in the royal intrigues and ended up shooting a man. As it turned out, though the young man’s motives had been decent, he’d still have to stand trial. The law was the law.

  Callie cleared her throat. “I’m glad that Saida agreed to attend the ball in Cheyenne.”

  “I’m going, too.”

  “As her escort?”

  “It’s more political,” he said. “I got a phone call from the attorney general. He wanted me to show up and assure everybody that we have things under control.”

  “Do you?”

  That was a question he’d rather not answer. He changed the subject. “Your family has lived around here a long time. What do you know about Wade Freeman?”

  “The rancher?”

  Jake nodded. “Tall guy. He has some silver in his hair but I’m guessing he’s not over forty.”

  “Kind of a loner,” she said. “I seem to recall that he was married in his twenties, and his wife died in a car accident. He didn’t marry again, but the rumor is that he and his housekeeper might be hooking up.” She cocked her head to one side. “Why are you interested in him?”

  “There’s a possible connection to Amir.”

  “Of course there is.” She didn’t bother to disguise the bitterness in her voice. “I’ll be glad when this is over. When you became sheriff, you probably didn’t expect anything like this.”

  “No, I didn’t.” That had to be the heaviest understatement of his life.

  “Big Burt Maddox is making a lot of noise about how you aren’t experienced enough to handle the situation.”

  “What do you think?”

  She gave him a half grin. “The smart money is on you, Sheriff. You’re going to do all right.”

  He wondered if she was talking from a political perspective or a personal one. Callie had connections in government. She knew a thing or two about politics and could probably school him on the right way to behave at the ball.

  But that wasn’t an in-depth conversation he wanted to have right now. He excused himself and returned to Saida’s suite.

  The head of security had posted himself outside the door. He gave Jake a nod. “Your people are here. Anything I can do?”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  Inside the suite was the organized chaos typical of most crime scenes. Wheeler and four other uniformed deputies were in the sitting room, shuffling their feet and looking around as though a clue might jump out and grab them around the throat.

  Another night with overtime. If Jake checked the parking lot, he’d probably see every vehicle owned by the sheriff’s department. It was going to take a sheik’s ransom to meet his payroll this month.

  He turned to Wheeler. “Are the forensics people here?”

  “Jane’s in the bedroom taking prints. She’s got a couple of assistants with her.”

  Jake addressed the other deputies. “Thanks for responding. You’re all dismissed until your regular shifts. Exit through the door to the lobby.”

  As they left, he heard grumbling. No doubt a couple of these guys were complaining about how Maddox would have handled this crime scene better. They might be correct. Jake felt like he was losing control, running in circles.

  He got Wheeler headed in a productive direction. “I want you to interview witnesses. As far as we know, the intruder entered the suite from the outside. He might have gone out the same way or he might have exited through the lobby area. His description is vague. We’re looking for a male, average height and weight, possibly wearing a red baseball cap.”

  Wheeler took out his little spiral notebook. “Do you want me to knock on doors? Wake people up?”

  Jake’s cop instinct was to interview everybody as soon as possible. The politics of being sheriff told him otherwise. He needed to maintain good relations with the Wind River Ranch and Resort—a major employer in the area. Their guests were paying big bucks for the privilege of staying here, and these people had already been inconvenienced several times.

  “First, question the employees. Coordinate all your interviews with the security man outside. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t wake up a bunch of innocent people.”

  “Copy that, Sheriff.”

  Jake watched as Wheeler went into the hallway. His deputy was proving himself invaluable. When this mess was over and the dust settled, Wheeler was getting a promotion. Some of the complainers would be getting the boot.

  In the bedroom, he found the CSIs taking photos and dusting for prints. The forensics expert, Jane Cameron, was on her hands and knees, dabbing at the bloodstain on the carpet. She scrambled to her feet when she saw Jake. “Over here, Sheriff. I’ve got something to show you.”

  He couldn’t help but notice how sparkly she was. Her brown hair was shiny, her eyes gleamed and her teeth flashed. Falling in love with Prince Stefan had turned up her wa
ttage.

  Standing over the glass-topped coffee table, Jane pointed to a distinct fingerprint. “This might be worth something.”

  One lousy print didn’t mean much. In a place like this where staff and guests were constantly coming and going, there tended to be a lot of extraneous trace evidence. “Why is that print so important?”

  “This place is clean.” She gestured widely to encompass the whole room. “I mean, it’s super clean. The maids must be wiping down the surfaces two or three times a day. That print is the only one I found on any of the tables or dressers.”

  He pointed to the French doors. “What about there? On the frame and the windows?”

  “Several fingerprints. I assume some of them are yours and Saida’s.”

  “That’s right,” he said. “Did you find anything else on the terrace?”

  “No apparent footprints. Since the lock wasn’t picked, there weren’t any scratches in the wood. Don’t worry, Sheriff. I’ll have all the evidence for you by tomorrow morning.”

  “Call me if you have anything before then.”

  He stepped aside and let her do her job. The evidence gathering was underway, and he was confident in the abilities of his team. His responsibility, at this point, was to put the pieces together and come up with a coherent answer.

  Leaving the suite, he paced down the hall to the lobby, passed the bar and exited through the front doors. The entry was well lit, as was the parking lot, but he didn’t have to go far to find darkness and quiet.

  He followed an asphalt path that meandered through the mowed, landscaped grounds of the resort. The outdoors was where he did his best thinking.

  His first logistical question concerned timing. If Danny, the idiot paparazzo, could be believed, he’d entered using the key card. The intruder came in behind him and knocked Danny unconscious.

  Had the intruder known of Danny’s plan? Had he followed Danny with the express intention of using him to get into Saida’s suite? Jake wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Danny had bragged about having a private meeting with the princess. He could easily imagine the paparazzo at one of the local taverns, puffing out his scrawny chest and talking about how he and the princess were great friends. But would he mention the key card? Not even Danny was stupid enough to reveal his plans for breaking and entering.