Indigo Lake

by Jodi Thomas

  “Trying to run my life, Elf?”

  “It’s a full-time job.” She smiled. “See you at home before dark.”

  “Before dark,” he agreed. Then right in front of the whole town, if anyone happened to be looking, Blade Hamilton kissed her on the cheek.

  She thought about threatening to kill him, but it’s hard to threaten a man with murder when he’s still dripping from two bullet holes.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  WHEN DAN PULLED UP at the truck stop for gas, Blade went inside to buy the coffees. His only deputy was moving slower than usual, but a wounded special agent with the ATF was still worth more than a dozen volunteers.

  He had Lauren and Tim answering phones and doing research. Dice Fuller had called to say he had a favor to do for a few friends, and then he’d be in to help.

  Dan had little hope Tim and Lauren would discover anything by talking to folks and checking names on the internet. And he had a feeling Dice would be investigating Pearly by noon. She was batting her eyes at the old cowboy so often, Dan was starting to believe she might be having a stroke.

  Lauren did tell Dan that there was no record of anyone except the Collins family owning the Bar W, so the story about the first Collins killing off the owners and stealing the land didn’t hold water. She did say there was no record of what happened to D.R. Collins’s older brother. He could be under a bridge somewhere, homeless, or who knows, his bones might be in the box canyon Lucas and Charley were talking about.

  Dan made a mental note to ask Dice about the canyon. If any of the cowhands knew about such a place, it would be him.

  Lucas said his father had mentioned the legend years ago. Lucas claimed his dad never saw any entrance to a small canyon, so whoever blocked it up must have done a great job.

  Reid lived in the house where the map was drawn on the back of a painting. Surely he’d seen it. If so and he’d found it, what was he using it for? What new business would bring in more money than cattle?

  Pieces, Dan thought, and none fit together.

  As he pumped gas, he dialed his wife. If he didn’t talk to her soon, she’d know something was wrong.

  A mumbled hello whispered through the phone. That low sexy voice he’d fallen in love with the moment she’d said hello.

  “Morning, Sleeping Beauty.” He grinned, imagining what she looked like. “Sorry I woke you up so early, but I’ve got a full day and didn’t know if I’d get a chance to call later.”

  “You didn’t call last night,” she said, still sounding more asleep than awake. “Songs were running in my head all night. All about loving you.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call, but you can play them for me when you get back. I worked so late, I fell asleep at my desk.” He didn’t want to tell her all that was happening, but he couldn’t lie to her. She was in Nashville working on her dream. She didn’t need to worry about him.

  “What’s going on in the fast-moving metropolis of Crossroads?”

  “The usual. Death threats. Shootings behind the county offices. Dead bodies popping up every few days. A jail break. Oh, and Pearly’s started dating Dice Fuller.”

  “What?” Brandi came full awake. “Pearly’s dating someone!”

  He smiled to himself. He’d told the truth, but the only part she’d believed was the gossip. “You’ve met the old guy. Dice Fuller cowboys for the Bar W. Last Christmas he drove the wagon that took us around town caroling. I should say he used to work for the Bar W. They’ve been shutting down cattle operations on the ranch. Fired all the cowhands. Having a mess of trouble out there.”

  “I don’t care about some ranch.” She giggled. “Tell me about Pearly. The last guy she dated had dementia and left the restaurant without her, and the one before that said he had trust issues on the first date and wanted her credit card number. Are you sure she’s trying it again?”

  Dan relaxed. Brandi wasn’t going to ask about anything else. “Well, she showed up with makeup on a few days ago. Scared me so bad I almost dropped my coffee cup. She had thick eyebrows, said they were the ‘in’ thing, but I swear hers blackened half her forehead.”

  Brandi laughed. “She is dating. Did she paint her nails?”

  Dan just smiled. “I didn’t look. You know I only have eyes for you.”

  “I know, but look. If she left one painted black and all the others red, that means something, but I’m not sure what. Maybe it says, ‘I’m ready for a midnight ride, cowboy.’”

  “I miss you,” Dan whispered. “I’d be totally unaware of what’s going on in the world if it wasn’t for you. By the way, what do your nails look like?”

  “I miss you, too. I’ll be home in a few days and I want to hear all about everything that’s happened.” She laughed. “Oh, by the way, I’m planning to have every other nail painted black.”

  “Go back to sleep, pretty lady. I have to get to work.”

  “I know you do but, Dan, I want you to know that whatever happens with this music career of mine, you are my happy-ever-after ending.”

  “Sounds like a song.”

  “It might just become one. Have a good day, honey.”

  He held the cell tightly for a few seconds. A part of him could never let go of her, even on the phone.

  Hamilton walked up with two large take-out cups. “You know when you said we were going for coffee, I thought maybe a café or coffee shop.”

  “We don’t have time for that. We’ve got back roads to cover. You up for the ride?”

  “Sure. No pain.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  LAUREN PULLED HER LONG, straight hair out of the ponytail she’d tied up when working earlier at her pop’s office. A curtain of sunshine danced over her shoulders.

  She’d been waiting just off the county road leading to Indigo Lake for what seemed like hours. She didn’t know this land very well. She could see the two houses that faced the lake. One was a low mission design with thick walls, the other a two-story. Behind the Davis home were barns and what looked like a small cottage with a sleeping garden on one side.

  The two farms were separated by the water, but they didn’t look like they belonged together. The lake had always been beautiful in a dark, brooding way. Neither house seemed to welcome visitors.

  No one had lived at the Hamilton Acres farm for years. The land was too rolling and rocky to farm. One side bordered Ransom Canyon and another side bumped its rocky cliffs against the Collins land.

  Blade Hamilton had come out to have a look at the place he’d inherited and Pop put him to work. Her father said this latest Hamilton had no plans to stay and from the looks of the place, he didn’t live there now. She’d expected to see a house-and-land-for-sale sign out, wired to the fence.

  She relaxed back in her seat. It felt good just to be silent for a while. Working in the office with Tim was tense. When nothing was happening, he made up what-if scenarios. When Lucas called on her cell, Tim had been frustrated that she wouldn’t tell him who called.

  Then he’d been more frustrated when she’d said she had to run an errand. He’d even offered to go, but she’d rushed out, saying she’d be back soon.

  In truth, she hadn’t known how long it would take Lucas to get here. He’d just told her where to meet him. Strange place he’d picked, but Lucas seemed full of secrets lately. Wanting to be in jail. Telling her to keep a key safe because it was his future. Hiding out in Tim’s house.

  Maybe he was right. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. She’d always put him on a pedestal, thinking he was more than a normal guy. He’d saved her life when she was fifteen. He’d set his goals and gone full-out to reach them. And now, he was a powerful lawyer fighting for justice.

  Only, when she looked into his deep brown eyes, Lauren didn’t see happiness or peace. She had a feeling Lucas s
till hadn’t gotten what he wanted out of life and until he did, he wouldn’t have time for her.

  A tap sounded on the passenger window and she jumped. All she saw at first was his hat, and then, he turned and smiled at her. His worried eyes didn’t match the slight smile on his lips.

  She unlocked the door and he slid in quickly as if someone was chasing him. Her Lucas was in Western work clothes the color of the earth. She heard the tiny clink of his spurs, and his legs were wrapped in chaps.

  He’d been riding. The smell of leather and horses and the wind seemed to surround him.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” he said as he put his hat on the dash. “I didn’t know if you would come after the way we parted last night. I’ll say I’m sorry as soon as I figure out what I did wrong.”

  Lauren didn’t think a few words could fix what stood between them, but now wasn’t the time to argue. “I assume that you want the key back. Since I’d promised not to tell anyone about it, I didn’t have much choice but to come.” She pulled the chain off and offered it to him. “Want to tell me what’s going on? You owe me that.”

  He didn’t take the chain or the key, and he didn’t leave. He just leaned back as if he needed to draw one deep breath before he could speak. “I don’t want the key back, Lauren, and I don’t want you mixed up in what is about to happen.”

  She almost laughed. “You don’t want me at all.” For a moment in the silence of the car she was back in high school. The skinny girl with glasses. The only child of an overprotective father who just happened to be the sheriff. The girl no one asked out or invited to any party.

  “That’s not true,” he said. “I want you so badly there’s a permanent ache inside of me. You’ve got to believe that, Lauren. I just want it to be the right time for us. With you, I’d like it to be perfect.”

  It occurred to Lauren that he might not see the real her. Maybe they’d both been seeing each other through a tinted lens formed years ago.

  “Lucas, if you want there to be anything between us, then start by telling me what’s going on.” She gripped the steering wheel. “Tell me the truth or walk away. There may never be the perfect time, but this could be the last time. Let me into your world or leave now.”

  He looped the chain with the key over her head. “Keep this. It’s the future. We’ll talk about it later. I’ve got to help your father with the mess at the Collins place first.”

  Lucas reached for her hand.

  She pulled away. “The whole truth,” she whispered.

  Lauren thought he’d leave, but this time he didn’t. His jaw was clenched so tightly she feared he’d break his teeth. They both knew they were one moment away from goodbye.

  “Fine. I’ll tell you everything I know but you have to swear you won’t tell anyone. Not your pop or Tim O’Grady.”

  “I swear.”

  Lucas took a deep breath and seemed to relax. His voice came slow, matter-of-fact. Like he was testifying. “Charley Collins and I are riding onto the Bar W tonight. Your father told us not to even think about going in. He wants to wait for the warrant. In fact, he’ll lock me up for real if he catches us, and Reid Collins will file trespassing charges on both me and his brother. Only, Charley is as set on this plan as I am. We’re riding in tonight.”

  Lauren’s logical mind didn’t bother with the whys or wasting time telling him how dangerous it might be. She just waited, wanting to hear it all.

  “Dice Fuller is riding with us. He told Charley a few hours ago that he knew of a place way back on the ranch where there is a boulder the size of a car. When the moon rises, the rock casts a shadow that looks just like a conquistador’s helmet. That’s the starting point on an old map that’ll lead us to a box canyon that might have the answers to all the trouble happening at the ranch.

  “Dice didn’t know it, but he’d just given us the one clue we needed, the way that might lead us to answers. Your dad is getting a search warrant and plans to ask questions tomorrow, but in daylight, the helmet’s shadow can’t be seen. We have to go tonight. We’ll get in and out fast, then in the morning the sheriff can go in all legal and he’ll know exactly where to look for evidence. We believe they’re doing something against the law. Smuggling maybe, or drugs. Maybe men have even been killed because they found out what it was.”

  She turned to him. “The ranch has posted no-trespassing signs at all their gates. You’ll be the ones breaking the law. You could be shot for being on another’s land.”

  “We know. That’s why you can’t tell your dad. He’d never go along with this plan, but Charley and I have to figure out the truth. We find the spot tonight where they’re hiding something, get the hell off the land before anyone notices us, and drive in tomorrow with the sheriff. It’s a simple plan. None of Reid’s hired thugs will even know we’re there.”

  She took his hand as if needing to hold on to him. “Rumor in town is that Reid is being forced out. Some say he’s losing the ranch because of gambling debts. Maybe everyone is trying to make something illegal out of just his poor judgment. The fires might have been set to hurry the sale along. After all, the two barns that burned were pretty well worthless. The burned man might have just been trapped.”

  “What about the second body, Coffer Coldman?” Lucas interrupted. “What about someone shooting Blade? This is far more than poor judgment. I might have believed Reid needed quick money, except for Coffer. He wasn’t just killed, he was dumped in the ashes where the killers knew he’d be found. Blade may have been shot because he was mistaken for me.”

  “Why you?”

  “My father’s been feeding me information for months. Not just the ranch business, but the strange improvements on back roads no one uses and supplies shipped in that seem to disappear. I’ve done checks on the ranch manager who Reid had hired to act as the new ranch foreman. He’s thought to be the strong arm for some pretty shady characters.

  “Charley and I both agree that Reid is not in charge, but what we’re dealing with is much bigger than gambling debts. The Bar W is like an island. No one will ever know what is there unless we go in.” He covered her hand with his. “This isn’t about Reid firing men, or the loss of control of the ranch, this is about more. Something far darker. A secret that has to be kept even if it means killing people.”

  Lauren nodded. “Pearly called and said my dad was looking for an entrance to the ranch that no one knew about, but he didn’t find it. I don’t think he knows what’s wrong, but he’s been sheriff so long he can smell trouble.”

  He laced his fingers through hers. “With luck we’ll be in and out before anyone sees us. We all three know the trails inside. On horseback we can avoid any land where four-wheelers could follow, and the men with Reid don’t ride horses. They won’t be able to follow us into the trees or along the breaks at the border between the Bar W and part of both Kirkland’s land and Hamilton Acres. There’s not even a road out that far.”

  “You should let Pop know.” Lauren didn’t like this plan. It was too risky. Too many things could go wrong.

  “No. It would mean his job if he were in any way involved in this ride tonight. You can’t say a word, Lauren. Not to anyone. Our safety will depend on no one knowing about our midnight search. We’ll be back before dawn.”

  “And if you’re not?”

  “Then call your dad and tell him we’re being held against our will at the Bar W. If I’m guessing right, two men have already been killed for stumbling on the secret there.”

  Suddenly all the arguments didn’t matter. Lauren leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  For a moment she just held him as if she could keep him safe by never letting go.

  “You remember what you said after I saved your life in the old Gypsy House a dozen years ago?” he whispered against her ear.

  “Yes. I said I owed you a blood debt.
I swore that someday I’d pay you back. I’d save your life.”

  He kissed her cheek. “Well, here is your chance. We need someone to stay out of sight but near enough to pick us up. We’re not sure where we’ll ride off the ranch, but when we do someone has got to be there. We’ll help you hitch a trailer to that old Ford Explorer of yours. Then you’ll be ready to drive to where we’re heading and pick us up. I’ll call you with the location.

  “I didn’t want to ask you, Lauren. I didn’t want you involved, but when it got right down to it, you’re the only one I can trust with my life. Reid’s new crew at the ranch might think some of my family was involved. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re watching the house where my parents were staying. But you, the sheriff’s daughter, could say you were just doing a friend a favor and had no idea what we planned to do.”

  She rubbed her forehead against his shoulder, breathing him in, fearing that she was collecting a memory.

  “You’ll find the horse trailer parked on Kirkland land where we watched the stars. I’ll call you when I know where we’ll be riding off the ranch. All you have to do is meet us if we switch locations.”

  “Am I doing something illegal? It sounds a little like I’m driving the getaway car.”

  “No. The only thing we’re guilty of is trespassing, and that would be hard to prove since Charley is the owner’s son and I’m his lawyer.”

  “What about Dice?”

  “Reid told him he could search for his friend if he wanted to waste his time. I don’t think it occurred to Reid that he’d be doing it at night, but the old guy is the only one who has the owner’s permission to cross the fence tonight.”

  She knew this was going to be far more than a ride over land they grew up on. She also knew it would be dangerous, very dangerous, or they would have told Pop.