by D. K. Hood
“Not really but I guess we could use it as an excuse to keep an eye on the locals and see if anyone is acting suspicious.” She shrugged. “I don’t have time to shop for an outfit. We’re running a murder investigation, in case it slipped your mind.”
“An undercover assignment works for me.” He grinned. “These dances are not formal. I’m sure you have a pair of blue jeans, boots, and a shirt with a fringe. You’re wearing a cowboy hat.” His smile flashed white. “Well?”
After informing her he had suffered a painful breakup, they had become close friends and spent a lot of downtime together. She placed both hands on her hips and blew out a long sigh. “I’m sure you are used to having women fall at your feet but we are trying to do a job here.”
“Exactly.”
Jenna threw her hands up in the air and turned away. “Fine, I’ll go to the dance with you but only to back up the deputies on duty—understand? Go and buy the tickets. I’ll check the stables and ask around if anyone has seen our suspects.” She headed toward the row of horse trailers lined up alongside a building. From the smell blowing in her direction from the freshly painted barn, it had to be the stables.
Sidestepping the piles of steaming manure and streams of urine, she moved inside the humid building. The scent of horse, straw, and leather wafted toward her from the dark abyss. Coming out of the bright summer’s day, she paused in the entrance, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim interior. Streams of sunlight dancing with dust motes spiked down from skylights in the roof and illuminated rows of horses’ heads peering over the stall gates.
She strolled along a center aisle, past a rack of saddles, and approached a man filling a wheelbarrow with horse dung. She waited for him to lower the pitchfork then cleared her throat.
“Have you seen Lucky today?”
“Maybe I have and maybe I’ve not.” The attractive man in his late twenties moved his dark gaze from her face slowly down her body then back up again. “They sure don’t make deputies like you in my neck of the woods. Ah, Lucky don’t get on with cops but if you want a date for the dance, come see me. I love a woman in uniform.”
Jenna wanted to cringe at his sexist remarks. As handsome as he was, he made her feel dirty, but she could play his game. “What’s your name?”
“Storm Crawley but you can call me Storm.”
A chill walked its way up Jenna’s spine and she forced her hand away from the handle of her Glock. He could be the killer and armed with a pitchfork. Absently, she waved a hand toward the horses and took a step closer to the nearest stall, feigning interest. “Do you ride?”
“Oh, yeah.” A smile slashed across his tanned face. “Maybe I’ll show you how good I am after the dance?”
Ignoring his not so subtle innuendo, she pushed her lips into a semblance of a smile and turned her attention to the back of the barn. “That sounds like fun but right now, I have to speak to Lucky. Do you know where I can find him?”
“See the door right down the end there?” He jabbed the handle of the pitchfork in the direction. “He’ll be in there cleaning his saddles. I’m all finished here and need to wash up, so I’ll see you at the dance.” He sauntered away in a chink, chink, chink of spurs.
The arrogant asshole had not even asked her name. No doubt the notches on his belt did not require names. Then again, his total disregard for her as a person could reflect a psychopathic killer. She had learned more intricacies on profiling since Kane arrived. Turning, she stared toward the entrance, hoping Kane would be close behind her. Walking into an enclosed space with a potential killer was a fool’s errand.
The sound of a tap running caught her attention and she turned. Standing shirtless on the other side of the building, Storm was splashing water from a tap over his face and chest. Confident that bathing would occupy him for some time, she waited four beats of her heart and strode to the room at the back of the stable. Seeing the door ajar, she pushed it open and peered through the entrance.
A tall man, muscles bulging as he hoisted a saddle onto a rack, lifted a sinfully handsome face in her direction. As he raked her with his eyes, a frown wrinkled his brow.
Immediately accosted by the smell of saddle soap, leather, and stale sweat, she moved inside the room. Her gaze moved down his frame looking for weapons, and she absently wondered if he had his jeans sprayed on. He would be more lethal as a lover than a killer. Wanting to slap herself for ogling a potential psychopathic killer, she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Are you Lucky Briggs?”
“Yeah.” He turned his back on her and strolled deeper into the room. “I didn’t touch her.”
A wave of fear clutched her chest. No one had released any information about the murder. She moved into the room, kicking the door wide open until it clicked onto a stop. “Didn’t touch who?” She followed him past the rows of saddles.
“I didn’t ask her name.” He collected rags and a tin of saddle soap then dropped them into a box. “I met her at the Cattleman’s Hotel at the bar. She followed me back to the motel but I’d been drinking and wasn’t interested… if you know what I mean? I’d been driving all darn day and I just wanted to sleep. Man, I even told her Storm would be willin’ if she was needy.”
Jenna watched him closely. “Then what happened?”
“She went ballistic, tore her shirt, and came at me with her nails. Said she would call the cops and say I raped her.” He turned to face her and displayed a line of scratches down his neck. “I pushed her out the door and went to bed—alone.”
The chink, chink, chink of spurs and the sound of footsteps came from behind her. She glanced around the room seeking an alternative means of escape but found nothing. The hair on the back of her neck stood at attention and every muscle went on alert. Storm is behind me. If they jump me, I’m trapped.
Eight
Assessing the threat, Jenna took three steps closer to Lucky and turned casually to place her back to the wall. From her position, she had the men in clear view. Both carried hunting knives attached to their belts in leather sheaths, and the image of the gutted young woman flashed into her mind. She had seen cowboys in action, the way they jumped from their horses to rope a steer. The agile, strong men on each side of her could move like lightning, and although Kane had taught her some new moves, they could restrain her without breaking a sweat. She had her weapon, but without reasonable cause, she could not draw on them.
When Lucky gave Storm a knowing grin and moved in close, she could smell him. Fear gripped her in a rush. The choking feeling heralding another flashback rushed to the fore and she dragged in deep breaths to push it back into the dark recesses of her mind. She needed to take control of the situation. “Take a step back, Mr. Briggs.”
“Have a problem with men movin’ into your comfort zone, Sheriff?”
Where are you, Kane? She met Lucky’s overconfident gaze head-on, refusing to show fear. “Just stay where you are and answer my questions then we can all be on our way.”
“Sure, ask away.”
“Did anyone see you at the motel?”
“Yeah, Storm was making out with some girl in the parking lot outside my motel room.” Lucky nodded at his friend. “You saw that woman attack me, didn’t you?”
“Sure did. The crazy bitch had been chasing after Lucky all night.” Storm moved inside the room and leaned against the saddle rack. “I tried to calm her down and told her I’d be happy to have both of them, but she spat at me and took off.” He grinned. “I mean, look at me, who wouldn’t love a night in Storm’s arms?”
Not me. “Can you describe her? How old was she? What color hair?”
“Older than you, maybe forty or so, hard to tell with all the makeup.” Lucky shrugged. “Blonde, the kind out of a bottle, black stilettos, nice tits. I’m guessing she was a hooker. She sure looked like one but I don’t need to pay for company and maybe that’s why she got pissed.” He smiled. “Shame you’re a cop. You look real nice. I’m afraid it seems to be the young ones or the hooker
s who chase after me. They want a cowboy to show them some lovin’. I’m starting to check their IDs.”
“But I’m not chasing after you, Mr. Briggs.”
“Really? I sure thought by the way you looked at me before you had a hankering for some prime cowboy— and call me Lucky.”
Giving him a dismissive snort, she narrowed her gaze. “I don’t think so, Mr. Briggs.”
“Sassy too.” Lucky’s gaze rested on her breasts then very slowly moved back to her face. He grinned at Storm. “Now I know why you like women in uniform.”
She ignored the inappropriate remarks and glared at him. “Do you want to make a formal complaint against this woman?”
“Nope.” Lucky rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t need any trouble.”
Storm ruffled his damp hair and moved a few steps closer. Jenna’s heart went into overdrive. Muscles tensed and ready to fight, she planned her moves. One kick to the knee would smash his patella, tear the tendons, and ruin Storm’s career, but it would startle Lucky, giving her the split second required to pivot and crack her heel into his jaw.
She took a step away from the wall to give herself room and rested her hand on her pistol. Storm had noticed the subtle movement and raised one fair eyebrow then moved between her and the door. Lifting her chin, she used her authoritative voice. “Okay, but before I go, can you tell me your whereabouts this morning between eight and ten?”
“Yeah, earlier I was helping old Joey move Lightning and the stupid animal threw a fit and slammed me into the side of the truck. I bruised my hip and we went to the rock pool in the forest over yonder so I could soak in the cold water. We go there a lot, as in all the guys on the circuit go there for a cold soak. It’s good for injuries.” Lucky unzipped his pants and pulled them down to exhibit a massive black bruise over one slim hip. “I have to compete with this injury this weekend. I had to get the swelling down. I’ll be back there again tomorrow and maybe later this afternoon.”
Before she could comment, Kane’s voice boomed out in a clipped tone from behind Storm.
“Cover up before I book you for indecent exposure.” Kane flashed her a look to stop time and his mouth flattened into a thin line. “Did you see or hear anyone else in the area while you were soaking your injury?”
Biting back a sigh of relief, Jenna took the opportunity to stroll to Kane’s side and waited for Lucky to reply.
“Yeah, a couple of kids on bikes waved to us on the way back to the car.” Lucky zipped up his pants and shrugged. “Didn’t hear anything unusual but the waterfall covers a lot of noise.”
“Why swim there and not further up in the clearing? There’s a beach there and it must have been difficult climbing out of the rock pool with an injury.” Kane glared at him.
“You kidding me?” Lucky snorted. “We went skinny-dipping and the rock pool is secluded. Kids hang out at the clearing. Adults usually go to the rock pool at the weekends and never that early. The water is damn near freezing.” His gaze narrowed. “Why the third degree?”
“Just routine questions following a complaint.” Kane slid his cold gaze over her. “Anything else you need to ask them, ma’am?”
Jenna understood Kane’s concerns for her welfare. She wet her lips and took out her notepad and pen. “I need your cellphone numbers and shoe size, and are you willing to submit to a DNA test?”
The men rattled off the information and she made notes. “I have DNA test kits at the sheriff’s office. It’s painless.”
“You already have our DNA on file.” Lucky shrugged. “The other sheriff took samples from most of the guys in town when a girl from Blackwater was raped four years back.”
“Yeah, we couldn’t leave town for weeks. The sheriff had to send the samples to Helena to be processed.” Storm shook his head slowly. “We lost a lot of money and our ratings that year. Everyone thought we were guilty. It turned out to be her boyfriend, and the girl didn’t want to rat him out.”
“Where can I find old Joey?” Kane turned an ice-cold stare on the two cowboys.
“Most likely in the cattle shed. The building by the main arena.” Lucky ignored Kane and smiled at her. “He’ll tell you what happened.”
“Okay, that’s all I need for now.” Jenna closed her notepad. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
“I’ll see you at the dance.” Storm gave her a meaningful smile. “Or maybe afterward?”
“That is so not going to happen.” Kane’s voice boomed out and he glared at him with such intensity, Jenna’s mouth went dry.
She headed for the door without a backward glance. When Kane fell into step beside her, she sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thanks.”
“Thanks? Have you lost your ever-loving mind walking into a situation alone with two murder suspects again? Have you forgotten how close you came to being raped and tortured by a pair of psychopaths not three months ago?”
She gaped at him. He is becoming overprotective again. “Chill out, Kane. I’m hardly going to forget killing a man who used to be my friend, am I?”
“What is it with you and trusting cowboys?” Kane’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “Did you overdose on Roy Rogers when you were a kid or something?”
“Don’t use that tone with me, Deputy.” She ignored him and kept walking.
“Jenna, stop. Please. What use am I as your deputy if I’m not supposed to care about your safety?” He glared down at her, but despair etched his handsome features. “They had you surrounded with your back to the wall.”
“I was armed and could have taken them down before they made a move, and you know it.”
“Maybe it would have been nice if you’d told me where you were going. I turned my head for a few seconds and you’d vanished. You scared the crap out of me, Jenna. There are ten stable blocks on these fairgrounds. It was only by sheer luck I walked into the right one and heard your voice. If those cowboys were the killers, they would work together. One would get you turned around and the other would sneak up behind you. You know I’m right.” He stormed off toward the cattle shed.
I guess it’s nice to know he has my back. Jenna stared after him. With two ex-military deputies on staff, she had no excuse to investigate alone. He is right. I need to stop acting like I’m infallible and use him for backup.
Nine
Joanne Blunt strolled along Stanton Road enjoying the sun on her face and the smell of the pine forest laced with the fragrance of an abundance of wildflowers. Summer break had to be the best time of the year, and spending time with her cousins in Black Rock Falls during rodeo week would be heaven. No parents to report to, and during the day when her cousins were at work, she could roam around without a worry in the world.
The trails through the forest were familiar, having visited on numerous occasions, and she had all day to visit the rock pool. With luck, she might run into some of the cowboys, who frequented the place in the summer. They always had free tickets and she might find one to take her to the dance. She tucked a rolled-up towel under one arm and strolled into the dense forest. Along the way, she collected wildflowers and tied them with a strand of grass.
At the falls, she noticed a man strolling back and forth as if contemplating something important. Although she did not want to disturb him, she didn’t want to leave either. She had walked some distance to enjoy the falls. Sweat trickled down her spine, and although the water would be freezing, a quick dip to cool off would be wonderful. When he turned and stared at her, she gave him a wave then placed her bunch of flowers in a puddle.
After spreading out her towel on a boulder, she kicked off her shoes, pulled her shirt over her head, and wiggled out of her denim shorts. Underneath she wore a skimpy yellow bikini. Proud of her suntanned body, she liked to show it off; she glanced across the pool but in the short space of time, the man had vanished. She shrugged and sat on the edge of the rock pool, dipping her toes into the cool water.
It was so quiet; apart from the rush of the falls it felt li
ke she was the only person alive on Earth. A strong smell of sweat reached her and she turned to see the man walking out of the trees. He had an amused expression and waved as if he knew her. She waved back. “Nice day for a swim.”
“Yes, it is a nice day, a very fortunate day.” He moved closer and his gaze slid over her body. “Did you come here alone?”
Suddenly uncomfortable, she pushed to her feet and went to grab for her towel. In her periphery, she noticed something in his hand sparkling in the sunlight and a wave of breath-stealing panic raged through her. He has a knife.
Trying to act nonchalant, she shrugged. “My friends are on their way.”
“I doubt it. You’re here to go skinny-dipping with the cowboys.” He chuckled. “You missed them, they were here earlier.”
The way he moved the knife, tossing it from one hand to the other, sent shivers cascading down her spine. She wanted to run but with him blocking the path and the water at her back, he had her trapped. Deciding to bluff her way out of the situation, she gathered up her clothes and lifted the flowers out of the puddle. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to be getting back.”
He ignored her and stared at the posy in her hand, almost mesmerized by the sight of it, then his attention moved back to her.
“You brought me flowers. How nice.” He moved closer, blocking her path. “Put down your clothes, you’re not going anywhere today.”
Terror made her legs like lead but her mind was working fine. She threw her clothes and the flowers at him and dashed into the dense forest, running hard. Tree branches whipped her cheeks and bracken tangled around her legs. She could find another path if she could just run another twenty feet. Lungs bursting, she pushed through the trees searching in every direction for the elusive path and safety. Heavy footsteps thundered behind her and moments later heavy breathing. Pulled to a stop by her hair, she screamed at the pain tearing through her scalp. “Let go of me!”