As she stood there lost in her fury and sadness, Tara noticed Officer Samuel coming toward her through the broken window. He stopped in front of the door.
“I assume you have your keys with you, Tara,” he said from the other side.
“Oh, of course.” Tara rummaged through her purse. She didn’t keep her car keys on the same key ring as she’d kept the store keys so she fumbled a bit until she found the right set. When she found them, she quickly unlocked the door and noticed the dust all over the handle.
“Is it okay if I touch the door?” she asked.
“Yes,” Caleb said. “We’ve already dusted the glass and handles.”
Tara walked into the shop and couldn’t hold back the tears. Someone had wanted to hurt her. That was the only thing she could think of. Why else would someone come inside and willy-nilly destroy beautiful things? It didn’t make any sense.
“You’re going to need to give us an inventory of the items that you lost and are broken,” he said. “I’ll need it for the report, but you’ll need a copy for the insurance company as well.”
She nodded. “How soon do you need it?”
“I know you’re still a little shaken,” Caleb said with sympathy. “Just get it to me as soon as you can. Chances are this was a random act. But I have to ask. Do you have any idea who might have wanted to hurt you in any way?”
“Hurt me?”
“It doesn’t seem like this was solely for the purposes of theft. There was some destruction as well. That usually suggests someone with a grudge. Have you had any trouble with a customer lately or someone who would be angry with you for some reason? Someone who’d be angry enough to want to cause this type of destruction?”
Anger surged through her. She slammed her foot into the sidewalk as she looked at all the beautiful pieces of pottery and glass that was now broken all over her shop floor. “As a matter of fact, I have a real good idea.”
* * *
Brody had fallen into a rhythm of working on the ranch as if he’d been there years. Trip was a hands on owner, unlike some of the other ranch owners he’d worked for. He helped him get the lay of the ranch and introduced him to most of the vendors they used to make it easier to order supplies when needed.
Brody learned that although the ranch had many functions, Trip’s real passion was investing in stock for rodeos and finding new talent. He taught rodeo skills to the locals and encouraged some of the more gifted riders to compete as he had when he’d made most of his money to purchase this ranch. The more Brody was there, the more it seemed like this job was a perfect fit for him.
He’d finished his morning rounds with the hands and gotten them settled into projects that needed fixing. He took some time after lunch to do inventory of the supplies in the arena and barn so he could stay on top of supplies and orders before they ran out of anything. He was just finishing up adding sponges and hand wipes to the long list of things needed in the tack room when he heard some voices at the far end of the barn.
“Good afternoon, Trip,” Brody heard someone say.
Brody tucked the pen he’d been writing with in his shirt pocket and closed the notebook he’d been writing in as he walked into the center aisle.
That’s when he saw the police officer. And the long face on Trip.
“What’s going on?” Brody asked, walking slowly toward the men as they moved toward him. They met somewhere in the middle by Tenterhook’s stall.
“I was just about to ask Caleb the same thing,” Trip said. “Not that I don’t love having visitors out to the ranch. But since you’re wearing your uniform and not riding clothes, I’m guessing you’re here on official business?”
Caleb nodded. “’Fraid so, Trip.”
“Does it have anything to do with Levon’s murder?” Trip asked. “I thought that was all wrapped up when Tanner confessed last winter.”
Caleb put his fists on his hips. “No, it’s not about Levon. There was a break in at a shop in town. The shop owner questioned whether your ranch hands had something to do with it.”
Brody’s stomach turned. He remained silent. He learned a long time ago it was best to only respond to questions when asked rather than offer up information.
“One of my ranch hands?” Trip asked, adjusting his cowboy hat. “I can’t imagine one of my hands doing anything like breaking into a shop. When did this break in happen?”
Caleb glanced at Brody. “Are you Brody Whitebear?”
“I am.” Brody stood up straight. “But I’m not a ranch hand.”
Caleb frowned and then pulled the small notepad out of his pocket and read the notes. “I was told you worked here at the Lone Creek Ranch.”
“He does,” Trip said. “He’s my ranch manager. He’s taken Levon’s position.”
Caleb looked at Brody directly. “Congratulations. I need to ask you a few questions about what happened in town this morning.”
His stomach lurched. “I don’t know anything about a break in in town. When did this break in happen?”
“There were no cameras in the building. But we believe the break in happened between three AM and six AM this morning.”
“That’s pretty specific timeline you’re working under for having no evidence,” Trip said.
Caleb nodded. “One of our officers drove by the shop around two-thirty or three o’clock this morning and didn’t see any disturbance. The front window was still in place. He would have seen it if it were in the condition it was in this morning given that there were no cars along the sidewalk. The baker for the shop arrived at six and the window was shattered.”
“I don’t mean to be telling you how to do your job,” Trip said. “There are a hundred and one ways to break a big pane window. A rock could have flown free off a dump truck and shattered the window. An elk or another animal might have wandered into town. It’s been known to happen before.”
“We thought of those things. We found a hammer inside the shop. It had been used to break the window. We were able to get some fingerprints off the hammer handle and a piece of broken pottery.”
“Pottery? Which shop was broken into?” Brody asked.
“I’m sorry. I thought I mentioned it,” Caleb said. “It was Sweet Sensations. Tara Mitchell’s shop.”
Brody’s stomach began to burn as nerves pushed through him. He had been down this road before. When trouble comes knocking somewhere, the law usually came knocking on his door first.
“Is Ms. Mitchell okay?” Brody asked.
“Yes. Shaken up a bit. There was quite a bit of damage.”
“Didn’t they take anything?” Trip asked.
“That’s the funny thing,” Caleb said. “They left a drawer full of money set up for the next day’s business. There wasn’t much there, but if they’d been after money, they walked right by it in exchange for tearing up the place. It was as if someone was hell-bent on revenge.”
“I don’t know that I could help you with any of this,” Brody said, smacking the notepad he’d been holding on the palm of his hand to keep his anger in check. “I haven’t left the ranch since yesterday afternoon.”
“We were up talking business until about eleven last night,” Trip said.
“Can anyone vouch that you were in the bunkhouse all night?” Caleb asked.
“No person. Unless you want to talk to the dam down at the end of the aisle here. She gave birth about four-thirty this morning to a fine foal.”
“That’s right,” Trip said. “I woke up to the news bright and early. Most of us were in and out of here all night making sure everything went smoothly. You can ask the other hands.”
“You’re not likely to get much out of the horse,” Brody said.
Caleb chuckled. “You had a busy first week.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did anyone see you leave the property?”
“I just told you that I was here birthing a foal, although I have to say her mama did that pretty well on her own.”
Trip chuc
kled. Then he slapped Caleb on the back lightly. “Come on, I’ll bring you to the ranch hands. You can question them to verify Brody’s alibi. Then if you want, we will come in to take a peek at the new addition to the ranch.”
“That’d be good. I’m afraid I’m still going to need to bring you in for fingerprints. You do realize it’s the quickest way to eliminate you as a suspect if you’re not a match.”
Brody’s back straightened. “The best way to eliminate me is to run the prints you have. If I don’t come up in your database as a match, then I’m not your man. My prints are already on file.”
Sweet Montana Outlaw: Chapter Four
The prints are clean. Those four words had played through her mind since Caleb Samuel had come to Sweet Sensations while she’d been cleaning up the mess made during the break in.
She couldn’t fathom how that was possible. Caleb had told her Brody Whitebear’s fingerprints registered in the Montana criminal database. Of course, they would be given his arrest and conviction. But they were not a match. The person who’d broken into her shop was not in the criminal database. Caleb had insisted they would continue to search for the person responsible. But it definitely wasn’t Brody Whitebear.
And now, Tara not only felt like a fool for jumping to conclusions, but she felt awful for the problems she most likely caused for Brody out at Lone Creek Ranch. From what she knew, Trip Taggart was a fair man. But everyone had their limits and she hated to think she might have caused some irreversible damage for Brody. Regardless of how she felt about him, targeting him the way she had made her no better than the person who’d broken into her store and caused all that destruction.
The only way to remedy the situation was to face it head on. That meant going out to the Lone Creek Ranch again and facing Brody with an apology. She found Brody in the arena just as a few of the barrel racing students were finishing a session with Trip. Brody was sitting in the stands watching, so she waved to him when he caught her standing by the door.
She’d expected him to be upset with her, but she wasn’t prepared for the slap of anger that hit her with his cold gaze. He quickly got up from his seat and made his way over to where she was standing. Trip was still talking to the students in the arena while they sat on their horses and listened to every word. He glanced over as Brody made his way toward her, but said nothing.
When Brody reached her, he took her by the arm. “Let’s take this outside,” he said quietly.
She’d expected his grip to hurt given his obvious anger. But to her surprise, he was quite gentle. Tara wasn’t quite sure she’d be able to restrain herself.
Once outside, he spun around and glared down at her. “What are you up to now, Tara? Nearly having me arrested on the first week of employment didn’t work so you’re back to finish the job with some other lie?”
“I came to apologize,” she said, taking a step back. “I know you’re angry with me and you have every right to be. In this instance.” Guilt slid up her chest and threatened to choke her.
“You’re damned right I have a right to be angry. You have no idea what kind of trouble you nearly caused me.”
“I have no defense except to say that I was caught off guard, and I’m sorry.”
“You were caught off guard? What about me? My first week of work, at a job I really love by the way, and you sent the cops after me over a bogus accusation.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“Weren’t you the one who said sorry doesn’t cut it?” he charged back, and then he stalked off toward the barn.
She followed him, but found it hard to keep up with his long stride.
“I suppose I deserve that,” she said, following him into the barn and down the center aisle. “Please stop so I can apologize.”
“Why? So you can accuse me of something else, get me fired from my job, and have me hauled down to the police station for no reason? No, thank you. I’ve had my fill of that for this lifetime.”
She stopped walking, and then leaned against one of the stall gates. The horse inside the stall poked its head out from above the gate and started sniffing her so she pulled away and chuckled at its playfulness.
Turning back to Brody, she saw that he wasn’t amused. “I said I was sorry. I came out here to apologize. What more do you want me to say?”
“I’d say you could tell my boss that this whole thing was a huge misunderstanding and that you were out of your mind on some wild mushrooms or something like that.”
She frowned and stood up straight. “I will not.”
“You won’t tell Trip that you made a big mistake in accusing me of something I didn’t do?”
“You know damn well I meant the part about the mushrooms. I don’t take drugs and I never have.”
“That’s good to know,” Brody said quietly. He paced down the aisle a few paces and then stopped and turned to her. “Look, let’s just agree to stay away from each other if we can. I am not looking to make things difficult for you.”
“Neither am I.”
He rolled his eyes. “Next time, please try harder.”
She huffed. “Anyway, I already called Trip and explained what happened. I told him the truth.”
His eyes narrowed in anger again. “You did what?”
“I told him there was no proof that you were anywhere near my shop and the fingerprints didn’t match. Trip said that you’d been here the whole time.”
Brody shook his head and glared at her. “Can you imagine if this had gotten out of hand and I had to call Trip to come down and bail me out of jail for something I didn’t do?”
“But you didn’t have to be bailed out. Caleb told me they didn’t even press charges. They just questioned you.”
“And compared my fingerprints to the prints they found in the shop.”
“So? That’s their job.”
“I’m lucky they didn’t bring me down to the station in handcuffs. I’m the ranch manager here. What kind of example would I be to this crew if I had the law on my back all the time and they saw me in handcuffs? Have you ever felt handcuffs around your wrists?”
“I don’t have an answer that question.”
He laughed. “It’s a simple yes or no question. But if you have to plead the fifth then don’t bother answering at all.”
She scowled at him. “I came here to apologize, and now I’ve done that. Have a nice day and have a nice life.”
Tara turned to walk away and heard him chuckle. Irritation worked its way right up her spine until she couldn’t take it. She snapped around and saw him staring at her.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re laughing,” she said.
“You’re mistaking laughter for appreciation.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you ogling over me?”
“You’re feisty. That’s where the appreciation comes in. You can take that any way you want.”
He started to go back to his task, and she should’ve left but she found herself having difficulty pulling away from what felt like some sort of a challenge.
“For your information, I’ve had to be…what was it that you said? Feisty? What I have here in Sweet was built brick by brick. When my brother died, I was left with a whole lot of debt and a whole lot of responsibility to take care of my family. It took a long time for them to get over losing my brother. In the end, the only way to move on was to leave this area completely. Sweet Sensations helped them do that because I was able to provide a little extra for them to move. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
He frowned. “You should be. Did you think I was making fun of what you do, and what you’ve accomplished?”
“Weren’t you?”
He shook his head. “I understand brick by brick. I’ve been there. This job, this ranch, is my first brick after all the others I’ve laid have been torn down for one reason or another. If you don’t mind, I want to keep stacking bricks that won’t fall on top of me. One at a time
.”
Tara’s shoulders sagged. She hated Brody and what he’d done to her family. But for some reason it didn’t feel as intense as it had been these last ten years. And maybe that was because she done him wrong and she hated that nearly as much. She hated being wrong about something that then turned around and affected someone else.
“Fine.”
She turned around and started walking away. Her insides were shaking. It amazed her that her hands weren’t trembling and her voice hadn’t shook with anger the way she thought that it might. She was the one who’d done wrong this time. He was owed the apology because she wouldn’t sentence him for something that she knew he didn’t do.
She walked back to her car, biting her lip and kicking at the dirt as she went. Something was nagging at her, and she knew what was.
There were years after Doug died the people looked at her strange. They looked at her in a way she didn’t understand and didn’t want to understand. She didn’t know those people. That they had already formed an opinion of her and she didn’t know why.
She opened her car door and climbed inside listening to the ding from the dashboard because she’d left her keys in the ignition. Then she slammed the door and turned the engine on, pausing as she looked over at the main house of the Lone Creek Ranch.
She hadn’t known about Doug’s drug use until it was too late. She only learned about it in court when she sat in the back and listened to every word of testimony from people the defense had called. They’d still convicted Brody Whitebear of manslaughter when in her heart it had been murder.
But it was manslaughter. She could say that now after years of healing and years of reading through the testimony and coming to terms with what she couldn’t believe when she was in the throes of dealing with her brother’s death. Brody hadn’t meant to kill her brother. He’d been protecting his sister. She would have done the same thing for Doug.
But she hadn’t known her brother at all. She’d missed all the signs of trouble. Some days that hurt more than anything else did. More than losing him. More than learning the truth.
Sweet Montana Boxed Set 1-5 Page 36