“You don’t believe that.”
“I don’t want to believe it. But it kind of makes sense.”
“No, it makes no sense whatsoever.” Austin thought back to the moment they had received the picture of Charlie and Heath had seen it. He’d definitely reacted. Austin should have caught it then. His training should have told him Heath knew something. Austin thought Heath might have been hiding something. But this hadn’t entered his mind. No. Now he was lying to himself. That wasn’t it at all. Austin had refused to believe Heath’s reaction was related to the girl. He had denied the truth because he wanted the reconciliation he was working through with Heath to succeed.
He handed back the photograph. “I’m going to talk to Heath.”
Austin opened the door. With a glance over his shoulder, he spotted the duffel bag again. He thought better of just walking out and instead closed the door. One, then two steps, and he was close to Willow. He thought back to the moment he’d kissed her. That had been the biggest mistake in his recent history. He could never get over the past because he kept making new mistakes.
Still, he wanted to mend the hole in the earth between them that had formed because of Heath’s lie.
“Please . . . please, wait for me here. I’m going to talk to Heath. This could all be a misunderstanding. If he knows her, then we could find her tonight before her life is threatened.” Austin searched her eyes, her demeanor, hoping to see agreement.
She was marble.
“Look, you don’t know my brother like I do. Heath has always been about honor. He always does the right thing. That’s why he’s been able to build this reputable guest ranch, despite our father’s reputation in the area.” Her doubt created a painful knot inside his gut. Anger twisted it tighter. Still, he needed her to believe him. She was upset. She couldn’t have really meant what she said.
He desperately wanted his words to her to be true. But even if they were true, Heath had lied to them both. He’d hidden that he knew Charlie—a lie of omission.
Austin would save his anger for that conversation, which would likely send them back to where they’d been for the last several years. Estranged.
Chapter forty-three
Willow stared at the door after Austin walked out.
She plopped on the bed. Tossed the duffel across the room. She grabbed her necklace and almost yanked the chain to rip it off but caught herself. Why was she even wearing it? She never should have accepted it. She reached for the clasp, but the kiss—that kiss—thoughts of it flooded her mind.
She dropped her hands, leaving the pendant where it lay against her heart. She couldn’t bring herself to remove it.
“What am I going to do?” Her shoulders sagged.
The duffel bag on the floor called to her. A big part of her wanted to pack and move to a hotel in Grayback. Or even as far as Jackson to get away from the brothers and their secrets, especially the former FBI agent brother with whom she’d shared a past. Her feelings for Austin had grown when she hadn’t thought she’d watered them. Obviously the root had remained alive and well, deep in the soil of her heart. But those feelings for him could be clouding her judgment about everything. Putting some space between them might help her think clearly. Might help her see what she was missing.
Could she walk out on him? She sighed. Not like that. Somehow she had to find the strength to overcome the vortex of wild emotions swirling around her, threatening to overtake her, to suck her down and keep her there. Sheer exhaustion and a heavy heart weighed on her. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep. She changed into sweats and a T-shirt, grabbed her laptop, and crawled under the covers. She couldn’t waste time sleeping.
It had been all she could do to keep from insisting she go with Austin to face his brother. She wanted to see the look on Heath’s face when he learned what she had discovered. But Austin had enough issues with his brother tangled up in this home and their father. Issues they had appeared to be working through. She didn’t want to be the one to shatter that.
Would everything Austin had gained by coming here be destroyed when he faced Heath?
God, please, no.
Willow spent a few minutes sending up her heartfelt prayers for the brothers, for Katelyn Mason, and for Katelyn’s daughter, whom they now believed was Charlie. She should call the terminally ill woman to see how she was doing. Maybe telling her they were this close would give her enough hope to survive the onslaught of illness that had returned, but, then again, worry and concern for her daughter in danger could do her in. Better to leave Katelyn with the hope that Willow and Austin were making progress and would find her daughter soon.
She thought back through what they knew so far, and what she’d been through. They believed JT had been murdered. The house he’d shared with Willow had been burned down. She could have died in the fire. Arson with intent to kill. Her life remained threatened and now Charlie’s life as well.
Who was behind this?
The woman who had been a nurse and had recently worked in a nursing home had walked into that hospital room two decades ago and stolen Katelyn’s baby. The FBI and the police had decided it had been a random act, unfortunately common enough, because there had been no ransom note. Nothing to gain by stealing the baby even though Katelyn had been an overnight millionaire.
But if Marilee was that woman—and Willow was reasonably certain she was—then she was gone, murdered two months ago, before the attacks on Willow had even begun. Someone else had been involved. Someone with the means to travel to Seattle and Wyoming. Someone with a motive strong enough to commit murder and willing to risk being discovered by leaving threatening notes. If only she still had the notes, then she could compare them with Heath’s writing. There had to be something in this house with his handwriting on it. Still, the very idea of him writing the notes sickened her.
The cheesecake that Austin had brought up rested on the desk. He’d been so thoughtful. Again. But she couldn’t eat it now.
Willow hoped these new events would be reason enough for the FBI and other law enforcement entities to reopen the cold case on the Mason baby. But regardless of what direction their investigations took, Willow had to finish this for Katelyn, and for JT, who’d accepted the challenge. Though he was deceased, his business reputation was at stake. Willow couldn’t work his last case and fail. Even though he was gone, she’d feel like she was letting him down. Willow had wanted him to be proud of her.
Sheer terror at the thought of failing unfolded inside her. Heart tumbling, she closed her eyes and breathed slowly until the ache in her chest was gone.
What would JT have done under these circumstances? Why had he really planned to come to Wyoming?
I’m missing something. It’s probably staring me in the face, and I can’t see it.
She would never see it unless she could push past the angst brought on by being too emotionally involved with Austin. It was time to get over it and get to work.
She opened her laptop and found Dana’s email containing the link and log-in to the genealogy site she had been using to build the Haus family tree. She almost ignored it, but curiosity snagged her. Who was the son who Marilee had kept a secret? If in fact that was the secret to which Mr. Haus had referred.
She pulled up the information, though she struggled to focus. She stared at the computer screen while her mind remained on Austin and Heath. An image of Heath’s face when he first saw Charlie’s picture continued to play in her mind. She should have suspected it right then, in that moment. But she hadn’t wanted to believe it. She had wanted to trust that his sudden coolness had nothing to do with Charlie. That’s what happened when one was too close to someone.
Heath and Austin had practice at hiding secrets. Maybe she shouldn’t blame Austin—he’d spent a lifetime hiding that his father had been an alcoholic and the brutality he’d experienced at his hands.
Was a drunk father better than no father?
Willow didn’t know. She could only imagine.
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She fluffed her pillow and sat up taller in bed, blinked her eyes, and stared at the information in front of her.
The Haus family tree. Mr. Henry Haus was linked to great-grandchildren through their grandfather, Silas Everett.
Sheriff Silas Everett was Mr. Haus’s biological son?
Definitely a family secret, considering the birth certificate, but was that the secret that Marilee had kept for Mr. Haus? Could she have been murdered for that knowledge? Willow didn’t know why that information would warrant murder. To protect an inheritance perhaps? It wouldn’t be the first time.
But that could mean the sheriff was mixed up in Marilee’s murder somehow. Charlie could be the one to identify her mother’s murderer—which was why someone didn’t want her to be found.
And Willow had just handed off the note to him.
Chapter forty-four
FRIDAY, 9:45 P.M.
EMERALD M RANCH
Austin marched toward the barn, the house fifty yards behind him. Evelyn sat up in the living room reading Reader’s Digest. He could see the house from this distance. Willow would be safe for the moment.
The lights were on in the barn and shadows moved inside. When Austin entered the barn, the scent of leather, hay, and wood shavings accosted him. The smells brought an explosion of memories, both good and bad, making this conversation that much more difficult.
Heath had already taken care of Amber. He worked to place a saddle and tack on his feisty dun stallion, Boots. His stern gaze remained on his horse.
Austin swallowed the accusations. He knew better than to approach with his mouth loaded and ready to shoot. He fisted his hands to hold back the anger. “What are you doing?” He barely contained his fury with the question.
“I’m getting ready to take a ride.”
“You do that often?”
“What? Ride at night? No.”
“Then why are you doing it now?”
Heath narrowed his eyes. “What’s with all the questions?”
Regret boiled up inside, born from every mistake he’d ever made. He didn’t want to open up the chasm between them when they had only started building a bridge. Their estrangement wasn’t Heath’s fault. It had never been. That burden lay with Austin.
Still, how did he ask him why he’d hidden the fact that he knew Charlie, the very girl Austin and Willow searched for?
“You have something on your mind, Austin, but I’m sorry, I don’t have time to talk right now.”
“You lied to us.”
Heath dropped his radio, the only sign that Austin’s words had affected his brother. Heath picked it up and secured it to his belt, then placed his hands flat on Boots as if the horse would topple over. He hung his head. “What did you say?”
“Willow found the picture that proves you know Charlie. You knew the instant we showed you the picture. Why are you hiding that?” Please tell me something I can believe and let me see the truth in your eyes.
Heath continued to hang his head for a good long moment. When he finally looked up, his eyes held a challenge of his own. “I’ll answer that question if you’ll answer one of mine.”
“Go ahead. Shoot.” Austin crossed his arms. This was just like old times. When they were boys, they would’ve found themselves wrestling before too much longer. The situation might even come to that now. He hoped not.
Releasing the horse to stand on its own, Heath faced Austin, though he kept ahold of the reins. “How much do you know about this person who hired you to find her?”
Relief filled Austin’s chest. “That’s easy. This girl is part of an FBI cold case. Our client, Katelyn Mason, is her birth mother. Charlie was stolen from her hospital room two decades ago. It’s not a lie fabricated to find her.”
“And you’re absolutely sure that she’s Charlie’s mother? Because Charlie has a killer after her. She’s hiding from him and doesn’t want to be found.”
Austin nodded, understanding taking hold. “I can see how that might look. But Katelyn Mason isn’t that killer. And someone else doesn’t want us to find her.” Austin relayed everything that had happened to Willow and her grandfather—the details they’d left out earlier at dinner.
Heath dropped the reins. “It’s a shock. This news is . . . I didn’t know her mother well, but the girl was loved. I met her mom when she brought her to start riding horses. I just can’t believe this is true. It’s going to crush her. That girl loved her mother. Still does, though she’s gone. It was an awful thing for her to watch her mother brutally murdered. That was hard enough.” Heath shook his head. “Nobody can know she’s still here. Let them all think she went back to the University of Wyoming to finish out her last two semesters. Do you hear me? Nobody.”
“The notes make it sound like the killer knows where she is and is allowing her to live as long as we don’t keep searching.”
“The guy who killed her mother threatened to kill her too. If he knew where she was, she would already be dead.” Heath climbed onto Boots and reined in the lively stallion.
Austin wasn’t done with this conversation. “I can understand why you didn’t come forward with what you know. Why you didn’t tell that sheriff. But don’t you think now’s the time to give her up so we can protect her from the killer? Let her meet her birth mother?”
Heath sighed. “She won’t be easy to convince. She believes she can find out who killed her mother. But you digging into this has stirred up a hornet’s nest. She might not realize she’s in even more danger.”
“Is that where you’re going? To find her?”
“Yeah, I’m worried about her. If she’s all right, then I’ll leave her there, where she’s safest. She was riding Amber today. Didn’t answer my calls, though getting a signal in the mountains is tricky. But that’s what the radio is for.”
“And she didn’t answer that?”
Heath shook his head. Austin caught the horse’s reins. “I’ll ride out with you.”
“Aren’t you on bodyguard duty? I’ll be fine, little brother. If I can’t find her, then we’ll call in search and rescue; if I can, I’ll try to convince her to come in. But I’m not going to be the one to tell her about her mother—a woman she adored. That’s a hard one to wrap my mind around, and she wasn’t even my mother.”
“You’ve always been the one to protect others. You protected me from Dad. Just, please, be careful.”
Heath’s blue eyes darkened beneath his Stetson. Easy enough to see that the guy was beyond worried about Charlie as he rode off into the night.
Austin decided he’d leave the barn lights on for Heath for when he returned. He trudged back to the house and found Evelyn had already gone to bed. He headed up the stairs, hoping to find Willow awake so he could share what he’d learned from Heath. He paused in front of her doorway. The lights were off. He pressed his forehead against the smooth white finish and listened to her soft snores. At least she’d stayed. Relief blew through him.
He would wait until morning to tell her what he had already known—that Heath was one of the good guys.
Chapter forty-five
FRIDAY, 10:16 P.M.
EMERALD M RANCH
Charlie spotted a quick flash of light in the darkness—moonlight bouncing off a solar panel before it disappeared behind the approaching clouds.
The cabin.
Though her feet and legs ached, she picked up her pace until she could make out the place she’d called home the last few weeks. If she didn’t know her way around these mountains, she would have been in serious trouble. She’d had to stay focused with each step so she didn’t trip over rocks or gnarled tree roots or fall into a ravine. The small log cabin never looked so good. She unlocked the door, entered, and closed it before sagging against the cedar logs.
That had been a close call.
Her phone buzzed. She read a text from Mack. He’d been trying to reach her, he said.
I’m riding out to meet you. Please answer my text.
When s
he’d fled the house, she’d left the stupid radio at the bottom of the closet. The sheriff, if he ventured into the house, might find that—and then what?
She quickly answered the text, hoping she could stop Mack before he made the trip. He’d have to get a signal in order to receive her text though. She could try the SAT phone. He’d probably tried her on that, considering this an emergency.
If she stood just right in the cabin, she could get one bar on her cell. When his text back to her came through, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Mack texted that they needed to talk. She replied and apologized about Amber and said that she would be at work tomorrow. They could talk then. She was exhausted after her three-hour trek back to the cabin. She’d messed up good this time. Sheriff Everett would call Mack to come retrieve Amber or would return her himself. Either way, how would Mack explain the horse being on that property?
The horse’s presence would make Sheriff Everett ask questions. She had utterly exposed herself tonight. But she wouldn’t let that be for nothing. She had to be close to finding out who killed her mom. Anxious to look through the bank statements, she would risk using the lamp tonight. Besides, she’d spent several hours walking the trails in the dark when her flashlight gave out. The light would go a long way to boost her spirits.
She set the lamp on the table and stacked the bank statements she’d held on to through the cold night. She thumbed through them and found what she was looking for.
A deposit once a month for three thousand dollars. That wasn’t the money Momma had made from her job at the nursing home. It was from the trust fund she had mentioned—Endeavor Holdings. That told Charlie something and nothing. But who was the money from? Almost forty grand a year. And why had the money stopped coming through two months before someone murdered her?
Charlie’s feet ached and her shins throbbed. Her head wasn’t much better. Exhaustion cut her to the bone. She shouldn’t let herself give in to the waves of doubt and regret, grief and sorrow rippling over her. But maybe just this once.
Never Let Go Page 21