Betrayal in the Badlands

by Dana Mentink

  TEN

  The room spun, walls whirling into confusion. She didn’t know how she got out of the shed. Her stumbling feet and Logan’s firm arm around her shoulders led her back to the cabin.

  “Bentley’s going to take photographs and secure the scene. It’s all over for now.”

  She looked at him in horror. “It’s just beginning. My sister was killed in that shed. Murdered, probably by the same man who is out there watching me.”

  He sat next to her. “We don’t know that. The police will investigate more seriously now, but you had no connection with your sister since you were sixteen. What would be Autie’s motive to kill either one of you?”

  “I don’t know. I thought Rawley was behind it, punishing me by taking away anything that matters.” She bit her lip against a wave of panic.

  Logan’s voice was low and soothing. “How much did Rawley know about Cassie?”

  “Everything. I thought he was a good man, one that I would be with forever. I thought he understood me, but that was part of his game. He listened, sympathized and made people think he was on their side. It was only later, much later, that I saw him clearly.” She jerked to her feet and began to pace. “If Rawley arranged to have Cassie killed…then I am the reason my sister died.”

  Logan went to her and grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Do not go there. You did not kill anyone, and whoever is to blame will be caught and punished. Don’t do that to yourself, Isabel.”

  She tried to hold steady, but her body began to tremble. He pulled her close, stroking her hair and pressing his face to her cheek. She clung to him as if he was holding her afloat in an angry ocean. The words stuttered out, broken and painful. “I’ve prayed and prayed, to trust the right person, to be forgiven for my stupid mistakes. I’ve prayed…” Her words were choked off by sobs.

  “Then you’ve done the most important thing.” He caught her tear on his outstretched finger. “You’ve appealed to the Commander in Chief, so to speak. He knows the truth and He’ll help us find it.”

  Her body tingled at his touch. When he lowered his face to brush his lips to hers, she felt a gentle warmth seep into her. She allowed herself to be guided to the kitchen table and Logan rummaged through the cupboard for a can of soup and crackers. Tank wandered in and sat down on her feet. She welcomed the solid weight, anchoring her back in the present, pulling her from the sins of the past.

  She was in a dream, a horrible dream, and she wondered when God would pull her out of it. “All the time, I knew something was wrong about the way Cassie died.” She looked at Logan. “Do you think Autie’s been trying to scare me off before the murder came to light?”

  “Why would he?”

  “Because he was hired to.”

  Logan frowned. “Could be, but it’s possible this has nothing to do with Rawley. In any case, the murder is not going to be a secret any longer. If Autie was hired to cover it up, or if he killed Cassie himself, it’s all out there now.”

  “You think Autie will take off?”

  “Do you?”

  She felt a glimmer of hope but it quickly died. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

  “Probably the best thing.”

  Bentley knocked and shuffled in. “Got the shed taped off. Evidence guy is on his way. We’ll do a full search of the property in the morning with as many people as I can borrow from county. If Autie’s holing up nearby, we’ll find him.”

  Logan nodded. “And what about the…evidence in the shed?”

  “I’ve phoned the county coroner and arranged to have him go over Cassie’s file, inch by inch.” He cleared his throat. “If necessary, we should do an autopsy. Will you agree to it?”

  Isabel cringed. The thought of exhuming her sister’s body made her skin go clammy. She’d failed her sister by allowing the burial when she’d known something wasn’t right. The only thing left was to see that Cassie received the justice she deserved.

  “I will agree to anything that will uncover who killed her.”

  “And possibly who hired Autie to do it,” Logan added.

  Bentley’s eyes narrowed. “What takes you to that conclusion?”

  “Just being thorough, thinking it through.”

  Bentley folded his arms. “I am thorough, Logan. That’s my job, and I’ll look into all the possibilities.”

  “That means interviewing John Trigg again?”

  Isabel caught the look that washed over Bentley’s face before he controlled it. Reluctance? Resignation? Guilt? She couldn’t decide, but Logan’s comment brought up an idea she hadn’t considered before. In the face of the terror surrounding Autie Birch, she hadn’t stopped to realize that the person who spent the most time with Cassie, and most likely was deeply in love with her, was John Trigg.

  Would he hurt Cassie? A man who loved her and shared her dreams? She didn’t want to believe it of him, but the days of blind trust were gone.

  People hurt their loved ones all the time, Isabel.

  Sometimes, they even killed them.

  The search team consisted of Bentley and three other officers, two borrowed from county. Logan watched them go, wishing he could be in on the action. Instead he contented himself tending the horses until Isabel opened the door and invited him to come in for breakfast. He felt a surge of relief to see her standing there, small frame silhouetted against the morning sun. He’d only slept fitfully, part of him listening for sounds of Autie in the dark.

  Isabel looked as though she’d slept about as well as he had. Her hair was pulled into a long braid, face freshly washed, but the circles under her eyes marked a sleepless night. She put a plate of scrambled eggs and toast on the table for him, followed by mugs of instant coffee.

  “Hard night?”

  She settled onto the chair with a sigh. “Uh-huh. How about you? Was it comfortable in the trailer?”

  “Sure. Tank slept like a log, anyway.”

  She laughed. “No word from the search team?”

  “No. Not yet. It’s a slow process and they’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

  Sheila Trigg arrived in the doorway, carrying a plate of muffins, her face alarmed. “What in the world has happened now?”

  Isabel invited her to come in and join them at the table. “Logan found evidence that might prove Cassie was murdered.”

  “Murdered? I thought it was an accident. She was thrown by a horse.”

  “I think my sister was murdered, and whoever did it tried to cover it up and make it look like an accident.”

  “It’s too horrible for words.” Sheila sank into the chair. “Never in a million years would I have thought it. I’m so sorry, honey. It must be awful for you.”

  Logan caught the look in Isabel’s eyes, the one that showed she was very close to breaking down. “It’s best to get everything out in the open. So what brings you by, Sheila?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Well, since you refused my request to work on our fence project, I have to come over here to see you. Actually, the Moonlight Ride coordination meeting is this morning and I’m on my way into town.” She nodded to Isabel. “I know it’s not a good time, but if you really mean to go through with it, you should be there.”

  Isabel straightened. “I don’t seem to be doing much good around here. Could I go along with you?”

  “Of course. And what about you, Logan? Coming, or are you staying here and playing with your tractor?”

  “It’s a backhoe. I’ll come to the meeting, too, since I’m helping out with this event.” He thought he saw relief wash over Isabel’s face. It pleased him. “Let’s go.”

  A half hour later they were part of a crowd of people, milling around a sun-baked field on the edge of town. Tables were set up to deliver assignments to participants and people of all ages came and went on foot and horseback. Isabel found herself welcoming the noise after the eerie quiet of Mountain Cloud Ranch. There was safety in being swallowed up by this moving tide of people, knowing that Logan was nearby.

  It was
odd that he was continually present in her mind. Since she’d heard Cassie’s revelation that he was the young man who had rescued her mother years before, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been twined around her thoughts all that time. Though he was not the gangly teen standing in the rain, he looked at her with the familiar intensity in those green eyes that awakened a strange feeling inside.

  Sheila pulled at her arm and pointed to a table. “Go there to find out how many guests you will be escorting on the ride.”

  She dutifully joined the end of the line, next to a pair of women deep in conversation.

  John Trigg walked by, leading two unsaddled horses. He bobbed his head at the ladies and Isabel as he passed.

  One of the women giggled and murmured to her friend. “He’d make a good catch. Daddy’s going to be a senator soon.”

  The darker-haired woman snorted. “He’s not exactly a lady’s man. First Nora skipped town to get away, and the second one at the ranch up and died on him.”

  Isabel jerked, realizing the “second one” was her sister. Sheila hurried over and Isabel discerned she must have been close enough to overhear the gossip. As she bore down on them, the women hurriedly moved away.

  Sheila sighed as she watched them go. “Don’t pay them any mind, honey. This place is such a ridiculously small town in some ways.”

  Isabel decided to go for broke. “Who was Nora?”

  Sheila shook her head. “A local girl. John had it bad for her. They dated for months until one day she packed up and left town without a word. It broke his heart.” She gazed at the passing people. “That’s the problem with having kids. You live through your own heartbreaks and then you have to live through theirs, only you can’t do a thing about it.”

  There was such sadness in her face that Isabel reached out and squeezed her arm. “I’m sorry.”

  Sheila rolled her eyes. “I’m just in a funk. Must be this business about your sister.” She waved at someone. “I’ve got to go meet Carl. We’re doing a little dedication speech to get this event started.” She gave Isabel a quick hug. “I really am glad you decided to participate. See you soon.”

  Isabel was surprised to see Dr. Lunardi manning the table when she got to the front of the line. He squinted in recognition, and then his lips narrowed. “Ms. Ling. I didn’t know you were joining in.”

  “I’m making good on my sister’s commitment.”

  “How nice.” His tone was cold. “I heard from the sheriff this morning that your sister’s case is being reopened. I have to say I resent the implication that I didn’t do a proper examination to determine cause of death.”

  “No one implied that. Different facts have come to light.”

  He grimaced. “I’ve been the doctor on call in this town for fifteen years and now my reputation is being questioned.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way, doctor.”

  “I don’t think you’re sorry at all.” He shoved a manila envelope at her. “You are assigned to carry two guests. They’ve expressed an interest in adopting some horses, so we’ve got to make it a good experience for them. Can you supply rider-worthy horses for the event?”

  Could she? She’d had so little time with them. But Cassie must have thought they could be trusted to carry people. With a smile she reached for the envelope. “Of course. I assume all the details are in here?”

  “Yes. Next in line, please.”

  She turned away, scanning the crowd for Logan. They had a lot to talk about.

  Logan was on his way back to meet Isabel in the field, new hydraulic line in a coil under his arm and a bag of bagels in the other. Tank darted into the tree line after some critter that Logan couldn’t see. He was about to call him back, when his phone rang. He juggled things around and answered on the third ring.

  “Slowing down, Price?”

  Logan snapped to attention. “Sir, no, sir.”

  The senior staff sergeant laughed. “Good. Wouldn’t want to put you through extended day training again.”

  Logan remembered the grueling nineteen-hour session. Sleep deprived and exhausted, struggling to pull on a wet suit, swimming endlessly before returning for a medical terminology class. It was the worst experience of his life.

  And he’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  At the moment, his heart was pounding so hard he thought he’d crack a rib.

  “Been thinking about you, Price. How’s the ankle?”

  “In good shape, sir.”

  “Keeping up on the rehab?”

  “Sir, yes, sir.”

  “I’ve got your application for trainer on my desk. We’re considering.”

  Logan held his breath.

  “I wanted to tell you straight out. It’s not the same, son. Just so you know. A trainer is a different animal than being on a team. Trainers give soldiers the skills and then watch them go. You can’t regain what you lost, if that’s what you’re after. Trainers are trainers, not squad brothers. Would you be okay with that, son?”

  He swallowed. Apart from the excitement, the heart-stopping exhilaration of literally plucking a soldier from certain death, he’d relished being one of seven, a tight-knit family that knew everything, shared everything and bore everything together. Brothers. His team was the only place where his vulnerabilities didn’t make him weak, but connected him to a group that made him strong, wove them all into an invincible unit.

  Invincible.

  He’d believed it, until his ankle had shattered like a piece of brittle glass.

  And the team moved on.

  Without him.

  “Price? I asked you a question.”

  “Sir, yes, sir. I would be proud to serve pararescue in any capacity available.”

  “All right. We’ll be in touch soon.”

  He stood holding the phone for a moment, trying to sort through the emotions. The one that floated to the top was hope. The sergeant wouldn’t have called unless they were seriously considering his application. He let the feeling swirl around inside before he checked it.

  One thing at a time. You’ve got a bunch of horses to find homes for and a ravine to clear. Tank galloped up in response to his whistle and, with a renewed sense of urgency, Logan caught up with Isabel as she stood thumbing through a set of papers.

  She looked up and gave him a worried smile that set his heart thumping again. “Logan, do we have two horses trustworthy enough to carry people on the Moonlight Ride?”

  “Not sure. Did you already commit?”

  A flush crept into her cheeks. “Well, I sort of told them we did.”

  He laughed. “You’d have made a great pararescueman. Let’s go back to Mountain Cloud and find out if we can deliver on your promise.”

  ELEVEN

  Isabel thought Blue Boy looked peeved that he was not saddled for a ride like his compatriots, Striker and Echo. The horses patiently endured Isabel’s efforts to saddle them and allowed themselves to be led out of the corral. Tank fired off a couple of cautious barks that elicited no response from the animals as they set off.

  “Do you have a route in mind, Logan?”

  He pointed to a path that sloped down, away from Cassie’s property. “The search team is working north of here so I figured we’d take the horses in the opposite direction. They’ve already done a cursory search of that area so it’s safe. There’s a lake down there and the terrain is somewhat uneven, so we can see how well they do.”

  She shivered. “Do you think Autie’s still around?”

  “With all the commotion and police action, I don’t think so, but if we see any sign of his presence we’ll turn around and alert the cops.”

  She mounted Echo and followed Logan’s horse down the trail.

  As they headed through the trees, she breathed deeply of the air filled with the smell of spruce and the faintest scent of horse. The sun on her cheeks felt as though it could burn away the worry in her stomach, the terror about Autie, the strange facts about her sister’s suspicious death. In
that one moment, she felt the unfamiliar stirring of contentedness, following Logan’s sturdy form into the South Dakota countryside.

  He must have felt her watching because he turned and caught her eye. “Okay?”

  She smiled. “Yes. I’ve got no reason to be okay, but for the moment, I can understand why Cassie loved this part of the world.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You know, I’ve spent most of the last ten years living here without really considering it home.”

  “How so?”

  He leaned back in the saddle and plucked a branch from a shrub as they passed. “It was just sort of a landing spot before the next mission. I guess I didn’t really allow it to become home for me.”

  She wondered what Logan’s ex-wife thought about it, but she didn’t have the courage to ask. He answered it for her.

  “Nancy talked about moving to New York, but I could never stomach the idea. Maybe I should have realized at that point how things were going between us.”

  “That’s hard to see sometimes.”

  “I didn’t want to see it. If I really took the time to look, I could have caught the signs that she was spending time with another man. My focus was elsewhere.” He threw down the stick. “The downside of a one-track mind, I guess.”

  “Betrayal hurts, no matter what the circumstances.”

  “You got that right.”

  She wished she was close enough to take his hand and tell him about her own choices; the ones that had seemed so right at the time, the ones that had come back to ensnare her later.

  Tank jerked and let out a loud bark before tearing off into the shrubbery. Logan whistled for him, but the dog didn’t return. “He’s probably after a squirrel. When he loses it, he’ll come back.”

  The temperature rose steadily. They stopped for a quick snack of sandwiches and cold water and then continued down to the lake. Logan called for Tank several more times, but there was no sign of the dog.

  The ground was dry, littered with brittle leaves that crackled under the weight of the horses as they picked their way down to the water. Logan had grown silent, wary. Isabel tried to follow his gaze as he stared intently into the trees.