by Barb Han
“Did the sheriff give you any idea of what happened to Mr. Strawn?” Ed asked.
“He was electrocuted in the shower,” she said, again with the same small voice.
Ed apologized again.
Carrie released a sob, and her hand came up to cover her mouth.
“Why do you think the sheriff came to her first?” Dade asked, realizing she needed a minute before she’d be able to continue. Her emotions were understandably raw.
“It’s routine. I’m sure someone witnessed their fight, and it’s customary in a murder investigation to look to those closest to the victim.” Ed paused. “In this case, it sounds like the sheriff brought her in so he could get a feel for her emotions. See if she had a good alibi and he could rule her out.”
“I was at home, alone with my dog,” she supplied.
“Can anyone corroborate your story?” Ed asked.
“No.” Carrie went dead silent.
Carrie exhaled, sounding like she was barely keeping hold of her emotions.
“What’s the next move?” Dade asked.
“Just stay low until I speak to the sheriff to see what evidence he might have that could put Carrie at the scene,” he said.
“His mother was there. I ran into her in the bathroom. She accused me...” Carrie’s voice trailed off as though remembering the exchange was too hard. Or hurtful.
“I take it she doesn’t like you.” Ed’s sympathy was a welcome reprieve.
“Not a bit,” Carrie supplied.
“Is there anything else the sheriff mentioned that I should know?” Ed asked after a thoughtful pause.
“He mentioned something about Tyson.” Carrie sat a little straighter in the seat. “Tyson is Brett’s dog. The killer walked right past him and dropped a hair dryer in the shower.”
“So, the assumption they’re making is that the victim knew his killer.” Ed’s tone shifted. “That makes even more sense why the sheriff wanted to talk to you first.”
“Tyson would never let a stranger walk into the house without a fight. He’d been trained to guard construction sites and Brett didn’t let a lot of people around his dog,” she supplied.
“Did Mr. Strawn bring a lot of people to his home?” Ed asked.
“He kept a lot of tools there. So, no. He didn’t trust people not to steal and that’s why he got Tyson in the first place. To guard his equipment.” Carrie glanced at Dade, and that one look sent electric currents rocketing through him. He chalked them up to his need to protect her on overdrive.
“Was his business going well?” Ed perked up at the last piece of information.
“He always seemed to have plenty of work, but he supported his mother and sister, so that didn’t leave him as much to live on. The neighborhood where he lives is a little sketchy. He also recruited workers from around the neighborhood when he needed more hands.” She wiped away tears before giving the family lawyer a few names of Brett’s associates, saying she’d given the same ones to the deputy earlier.
“Any chance you were present during the fight, Dade?” Ed’s tone changed.
“Yes.”
Chapter Eight
“I’m sorry,” Dade said to Carrie after ending the call with Ed.
“We fought in front of everyone yesterday. That has to be why they’d think I did something like this to someone I once cared about.” She twisted her hands together in her lap. The lost look had returned.
Those words, this situation were abrupt warnings to keep his distance. His last girlfriend had been tangled up in a messy situation with her ex, and Dade had sworn off any involvement with another woman in the same predicament. If he and Carrie hadn’t been so close at one time, he would have connected her with Ed or a great defense lawyer and then walked away.
Experience had taught him these situations were messy. In the case of his ex, Naomi, she’d never been able to get over the loss of her high school sweetheart, who had died on the football practice field senior year. When her relationship with Dade became serious enough for him to consider a trip to the jeweler, she’d sprang it on him that she could never truly love anyone other than her ex. The only problem was that she’d kept Dade in the dark and the relationship going until he caught her with another guy. She’d blamed her overwrought emotions for the affair. Dade had licked a few wounds over the whole ordeal at the time. Now, he was mostly glad he’d dodged that bullet and hadn’t married someone who couldn’t let go of the past.
“Who can you call to open the shop today?” He needed to remember how it felt to have his heart trampled on and keep his distance, especially as he was trying to get a handle on his emotions following the Mav’s death.
“Once news gets out that the sheriff thinks I’m a murderer, no one’s going to bring their kids into my shop for ice cream.” There was a defeated quality to her tone.
He hoped the town of Cattle Barge was more supportive than that and yet he’d witnessed the people giving her dirty looks and leaving her business because her ex was causing a scene. She was probably right. Once details of her past emerged—something she’d never spoken about to him and he’d never felt right digging into on his own—then all the history-repeating-itself accusations would fly. Dade needed to think of a way to spare her now, because he’d let her down before and he couldn’t live with himself if he did it twice. Her friendship was worth more than that to him.
“Everything’ll be fine. You’ll see.” The words were hollow no matter how much he wanted them to be true.
Her lack of response said she knew it, too.
“I’d like to stay with you for a while.” He pulled up in front of her house and cut off the engine.
“Are you sure? I know you need to get back to the ranch.” Carrie opened the passenger door. Her voice was even, and he couldn’t read her.
“Dalton can cover for me,” he reassured her.
At the door, Carrie’s hands shook as she tried to position the key properly, clueing him into her emotions. He covered her hand with his and she stiffened like she was preparing for something before she handed him the key. She didn’t immediately move away from his touch, and he could see that she needed comfort—the kind of comfort he knew better than to give while she was this vulnerable. He unlocked the door, opened it for her and hesitated before following her inside.
Damn slippery slope he was about to walk onto. His life was already in chaos and hers had been turned upside down. Neither one of them was in a position to think clearly. The attraction that had been sizzling between them was a distraction they couldn’t afford.
Dade flexed and released his fingers. They still vibrated with tension from touching her. It was so far beyond a bad idea to go inside her home that Dade almost thought better of it. Almost. Because before he could overanalyze the situation, the sweetest little dog came barreling past his legs.
“Coco,” Carrie shouted a little too late. The critter had already bolted outside and off the porch. A frustrated Carrie called for her dog.
Dade put two fingers to his lips, slicked his tongue across them and whistled.
The little firecracker immediately cut right twice and was on her way back toward the door at full speed. Carrie stepped aside in time for the excited pup to fly inside. Dade stepped in after the dog and closed the door behind him.
Carrie looked at him, stunned. “How on earth did you do that?”
He smiled. “It was nothing.”
“That’s the first time she’s ever...” Her eyes started welling up again.
“It’s because I’m not familiar. She most likely came back to protect you,” he said.
“That usually means hackles raised and rapid-fire barks,” Carrie argued.
The dog returned to Dade, alternating between sniffing his boots and barking up at him excitedly. Her entire backside wagged like crazy. He bent down and scratched
her behind the ears. “See, it’s the foreign smells.”
“I doubt it.” Carrie looked down at her with a frown.
“Being brought up on a ranch helps when it comes to animals,” Dade said by way of explanation.
Carrie stared down at her dog for a long moment. “Guess so.”
“I’ll put on a pot of coffee.” She bit back a yawn. It was easy to tell that she was trying to cover her exhaustion with a half-hearted smile. It was a lot like trying to put a Band-Aid on a geyser.
“I can do that if you point me to the kitchen,” he offered.
“Great. It’s over there.” She motioned left. “I’ll let Coco out the back. If she’ll still come to me.”
Carrie called her dog as she walked toward the door. Coco followed Dade into the kitchen.
“What did you do? Rub fresh meat on your boots?” Carrie stood there, hands out, exacerbated.
“Coco and I are going to get to know each other in the kitchen while you find someone to cover at the sweet shop.” Dade leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “No arguments.”
“How about another plan? I’ll freshen up and then we’ll see where I stand,” she countered.
“As I remember from playing tag on the playground, you were always good at getting your way. Even when you were tagged out, you’d figure out a way to negotiate your way back into the game.”
“Then you know there’s no point fighting me on this,” she said with a smile that was a lot more genuine this time. The dimple on her left cheek emerged, and an overwhelming urge to kiss it shot through Dade. He needed to keep his hormones in check. Yes, Carrie was a beautiful woman, and in the midst of all their problems—and combined they were doozies—he wanted nothing less than to get lost in her, with her. But since that idea was about as smart as sweetening his coffee with cyanide, he forced himself to focus on something productive—making coffee.
While he could hear water running in the bathroom down the hall, he texted Dalton.
You’ve been gone a lot lately, everything okay? Dalton texted back.
Need a change of pace, Dade responded.
That all?
Dade thought for a long, hard minute, and then texted, A break from the ranch, too.
You need anything? came Dalton’s response.
Not me. Helping a friend.
You need an assist? Dalton responded.
How many times had they used that term on the playground as kids during a basketball game? Their relationship was one of the few good things that had carried over from childhood. The two of them were solid through thick and thin.
Thanks for not asking who it is.
Figure you’ll say when you’re ready, Dalton responded.
A thought struck. Was he dodging his own problems in order to help Carrie? He wouldn’t deny how much easier it was to focus on someone else’s rather than face his own. Besides, his couldn’t be fixed. The Mav was gone. There was no going back and erasing the harsh words Dade had said to him. He’d regretted them instantly. Before he could find the right words to apologize, there’d been that fishing pole, the note, and then the Mav had been killed. All those unspoken words left to sour and fester.
His cell buzzed in his hand, jerking his thoughts to the present.
Take the time you need, bro.
Dade reassured his brother that he intended to pull his weight around the ranch and would explain everything later. He didn’t want to talk about Carrie or analyze his deep-seated need to protect her.
Pictures of the two of them were most likely on every local news outlet by now and his family would be able to put two and two together as to whom he’d been helping. Ella already knew, but she’d keep his confidence. Everyone else would be aware soon enough if they weren’t already. No matter how much everyone tried to avoid the news lately, it seemed unavoidable. Dalton wouldn’t ask unnecessary questions. Ella might, but only because she was concerned about keeping everyone safe. Dade would have to address the situation with his family and let them know what was going on soon. Not today, though.
When he really thought about the way the sheriff was investigating his father’s murder in contrast to Carrie’s situation, he was surprised Sawmill hadn’t hauled him in for questioning. He and Dalton had suffered plenty of abuse over the years at the hands of the Mav. They both lived at the ranch and had had complicated relationships with the man. Wouldn’t that make them suspects?
Why had Sawmill jumped to Carrie so quickly? Considering he’d brought her in for questioning in the early morning hours, the sheriff couldn’t have had a chance to talk to witnesses, could he? Unless he had someone who’d walked in and placed Carrie at the murder scene. Dade made a few mental notes of questions he had for Ed after the lawyer spoke to the sheriff.
Dade had taken the first sip of black coffee by the time Carrie reemerged. He tried not to focus on how thin the material of her T-shirt was as her full breasts lifted with every breath she took.
Coco was happily curled up next to his boots as he poured a cup for Carrie.
“Thank you.” She took the offering, and he ignored the frisson of heat where their fingers grazed. “I reached Harper. She’ll open the shop for me.”
The heat between them would only get him in more trouble, and his emotions were already getting away from him. Carrie offered a peek of light and that made her even more dangerous, which was why he needed to resist the urge to reach out and her and pull her in his arms, taking in her fresh-from-the-shower flowery scent.
And he could do that even though his fingers flexed, acting as if with a mind of their own.
He could control this attraction that was trying to get away from him, like he’d handled every tough situation he faced, with focus and determination.
Or so he tried to convince himself.
* * *
CARRIE TOOK A sip of the freshly brewed coffee and then set the cup on the counter. Seeing the insides ripped out of the once-stuffed whale sitting on top of the dryer almost kicked off a fresh wave of tears. Brett had denied being the one to give it to her, but he was the only reasonable option. No one else knew her well enough to know orcas were her favorites.
After letting Coco go outside, Carrie pointed to the stuffed animal. “I’d like to get that thing out of here.”
“You didn’t mention this before.” Dade picked up the orca and examined it.
“My first thought after Brett was Nash, but it can’t be him, can it? I mean, he’s gone. The festival packed up and left already, didn’t it?” she asked.
Dade pulled out his smartphone and opened the internet application. He entered AquaPlay Festival. “They’re in Nacogdoches, opening tonight.”
“That’s not far.” Her face paled. “But at least he’s not here.”
“Ed has a meeting set up in a couple of hours to probe the sheriff and find out what law enforcement is doing to find the person responsible for Brett’s death.” He realized he was getting his fingerprints all over potential evidence. He set the stuffed animal down and took a step back.
“What’s wrong?” Carrie had always been perceptive.
“Other than destroying any chance they could get DNA from the orca?” Damn. He blew out a frustrated breath. And then another when he saw the look of horror on her face.
“I didn’t even think about that.” She muttered the same curse he was thinking and it was a lot stronger than damn. “After Coco chewing on it and me handling it, the only things they’ll find are dog DNA and teeth marks.”
“I don’t know how easy it would’ve been to pull prints off fabric anyway. I’ll let Ed know what’s going on here. He’ll be able to tell us what to do.” Dade fired off a text. He didn’t like the feeling of being helpless. “Is there something significant about this being a whale? Does it mean something important to you?”
She’d never
told a soul the reason, just that she loved them.
A hot tear stung as it rolled down her cheek.
“When I was little, maybe seven or eight—” she shrugged “—I can’t remember exactly how old I was, only that I lived with this sweet old woman. She was the kind of grandmother everyone wished they had. Her name was Mildred and her husband’s name was Bronson. They were the kindest people I think I’ve ever met, aside from you and your brother and sisters.”
Dade seemed taken back by the comparison. “Us? Kind? Nah. We could be better people.”
She doubted it. His oldest sister worked tirelessly to make Cattle Barge a better place to live for everyone. She was involved in more charities than Carrie could count and had been targeted for murder because of her work in trying to build an additional animal shelter. Dade and Dalton were probably two of the best men she’d ever met. And especially Dade, a little voice pointed out.
“Bronson retired and wanted to spend their last few years together traveling the world. Mildred—Grandma Millie to us—refused, because she wanted to see her foster work through. They’d taken in me and another girl, Sandy, who was a teenager. Then Bronson got some bad health news. I don’t remember what happened exactly. But he got sick, and Grandma Millie almost wore herself out taking care of him. We pitched in as much as we could, but now I realize how much of a burden we must’ve been to her.”
“She sounds like an amazing woman,” Dade said, and his words were a blanket of comfort around her.
“I know he was taking a lot of medicine for a while. He was bedridden. And then he got up and walked out the back door. He sat in the backyard for an hour. Every day after, he improved until he got close to where his health was before.” A surprising spring of tears leaked from her eyes. She wiped them away with an apology.
“Don’t be sorry for crying.”
“She hugged us and told us how much she loved us but that she’d almost lost her Bronson. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with him. We all crumbled onto the floor in a puddle of tears. I’m not sure that I even knew what I was crying about. I just didn’t like seeing her sad. I had no understanding of how much my life was about to change or that she meant we weren’t going to be part of the picture anymore.” Carrie paused to wipe away a few stray tears.