by Elle James
“Which way did he go?”
She pointed. “That way.”
Colin slipped past the nurse and raced down the hallway.
“If you catch up to him, you can tell him to kiss my ass,” the nurse called out behind him.
If he caught up with him, he’d do a lot more than that.
Following the exit signs, he burst through an exterior door into a back parking lot labeled STAFF ONLY.
He looked around. At first, he didn’t see any movement. Then he saw a dark sedan pull out of a parking space so fast the tires spun on the pavement before getting traction and shooting the vehicle forward. The driver glanced over his shoulder.
If Colin wasn’t mistaken, the man had a goatee, and he was wearing scrubs.
Colin ran after the sedan, hoping to catch a glimpse of the license plate. And he did. But only the last three characters. BSH. He pulled out his cellphone and called 911.
After the dispatcher answered, Colin said. “This is Colin McKinnon. There’s been a murder at the hospital.”
“Sir, that has already been reported,” the dispatcher said.
“Good. I’m calling because a dark sedan just left the parking lot. It might be the man who committed the crime. I only caught the last three characters on the license plate—BSH. He turned north out of the parking lot. If there are any units in the vicinity, they need to stop him.”
“Thank you for the information. We’ll handle it from here,” the dispatcher assured him.
Sirens wailed, the sound growing louder as Bozeman police units drew closer.
Colin turned back to the hospital. When he tried the door he’d exited, it was locked from the inside. He had to go around to the front entrance to get inside.
Bypassing the elevator, he took the stairs up the few flights to the floor where he’d left Emily and the sheriff.
Several Bozeman police officers emerged from the elevator at the same time as Colin came out of the stairwell.
Emily and Sheriff Barron were talking with the doctor who’d taken over from the nurses.
When Emily saw Colin, she hurried over to him.
“Were they able to revive him?” Colin asked.
She shook her head.
“Cause of death?” he asked, his gaze on the sheriff who was speaking to the doctor.
“Strangulation.”
“He was a loose end,” Colin said.
Emily’s brow puckered. “Loose end?”
“Whoever wanted you out of the picture didn’t want to leave someone behind who could be questioned.”
Emily’s eyes widened. “So, they killed their own guy?”
“That would be my guess.” Colin nodded toward the sheriff. “Give me a minute with the sheriff, then I’ll be ready to go to the bank with you.”
She nodded.
Colin waded through the hospital staff to get to Sheriff Barron. “Sir, I called in a partial license plate of someone I saw peel out of the parking lot a few minutes ago.”
“Thanks. I spoke with the Bozeman PD. They’re looking for him.”
“Emily and I are headed to the bank. Let us know if you need anything.”
“Will you be in Bozeman long?” the sheriff asked. Before Colin could answer, a rumbling boom shook the hospital.
Everyone grew silent.
Colin’s gaze met Emily’s.
“What the hell was that?” Sheriff Barron muttered.
In the next second, the Bozeman police officers’ radios all went off at the same time.
In the chaos, Colin overheard one of the officers say, “Blew up the bank? You’ve got to be kidding.”
The officers ran for the elevator. Some hit the stairwell and ran down to the ground floor.
“Did you hear that?” Emily hurried over to where Colin stood beside the sheriff.
“I did. One of the officers said something about the bank being blown up.” He had a bad feeling.
“You think it was Alex’s bank?” Emily asked. She turned to Sheriff Barron.
He was on his cellphone, speaking to someone on the other end of the call. His gaze met hers and shifted to Colin. “Thanks. Let me know if I can help.” He ended the call and faced Colin and Emily. “What bank was it you were supposed to go to?”
Emily gave him the name and the address.
The sheriff let out a low whistle. “Someone really doesn’t want you two to let Alex’s cat out of the bag.”
“Was it his bank?” Emily asked.
Colin knew the answer before the sheriff nodded his head.
“Someone entered the bank a few minutes ago, asked to see the vault with the intention of securing a safe deposit box. When he left, he apparently left a present in the vault. The entire vault and everything in it were destroyed, along with half the block. It’s a disaster area. They don’t know how many bank employees or customers were killed in the blast. They haven’t been able to get into the rubble yet to find any survivors.”
“Holy hell,” Emily muttered, pressing her knuckles to her mouth.
Colin leaned close. “This is not your fault.”
“This has got to stop,” she murmured. “People are dying because of what Alex knew.”
“Yeah. Let’s just hope that the destruction of the vault will satisfy them. Otherwise, we can count on them coming after you again.” He was even more worried than he’d been the night before. These people were determined to keep their secrets safe from discovery, no matter who they had to kill to make that happen.
Chapter 7
Emily’s hand shook as she reached for the door handle on Colin’s truck.
Colin covered her hand with his. His big body hovered over hers, a veritable shield against any bullets that might fly her way.
“How did my life come to this?” she asked, her voice catching on a sob. “People are dying all around me.”
“This is happening because of what Alex did, and the people involved don’t want it to get out. It’s nothing to do with you, other than the fact Alex left his legacy for you to deal with. If he weren’t already dead, I’d be tempted to kill him myself.” His voice was harsh, filled with anger, and his fingers tightened around hers.
“He can’t get any deader,” Emily pointed out, her tone flat. “Whatever he’s done is done. I have to figure out how to convince the people trying to clean up the loose end of Alex that I don’t know anything. They’ve successfully destroyed our only chance of revealing who might be behind his death, the attempt to burn down my house and now the destruction of the bank.”
“These people are dangerous,” Colin said. “You can’t stay in your home. They will be back. And this time, they won’t fail at destroying the house and everything and everyone in it.
Emily knew he was right. She didn’t want to leave her home, but she wanted to live. “I can’t go to my sister’s house. If they want me dead, they’ll look there next.” She climbed up into the truck and sat with her hands twisting in her lap. What would she do? Where could she go that was safe for her, as well as the people she cared for most?
Colin rounded the front of the truck and slipped in behind the steering wheel. “You can stay at the Iron Horse Ranch. We have a security system in place, and my brothers will help make sure you’re safe.”
“They’re all busy looking for your father.” Emily’s frown deepened. “And you should be looking as well.”
“I am searching for him. And I plan on doing more as soon as we settle the matter of where you’ll be staying. As for that matter, your sister needs to stay at the Iron Horse, too.”
Emily didn’t like being beholden to anyone, but she wanted her sister to be safe. If it meant staying at the Iron Horse Ranch, so be it. “I have no problem with that. But Brenna will not be happy. She won’t want to leave her little house. After all the work she’s put into it remodeling it, she’ll want to stay and defend her property.”
Colin’s lips twisted into a wry grin. “Sounds like something Brenna would do.” He started the
engine. “You’ll just have to convince her it’s the right thing to do. She can replace things. You can’t replace her.”
Emily nodded, her heart squeezing hard in her chest. “Brenna is my last family member alive. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to her.”
“Then it’s settled,” Colin said. “You two are moving onto the Iron Horse Ranch.”
Emily’s lips twisted into a grin. “Don’t you think you should check with your family? Shouldn’t they have a say?”
“I know my mother. She’d be the first to load you and your belongings into a truck and haul you out there. And she’ll probably kick me out of my old room and give it to you and Brenna.” The corners of his lips quirked.
Emily’s smile widened. “Your mother would give the shirt off her back to help others.” Her smile faded. “I pray they find your father soon. And alive.”
Colin’s lips tightened. “Me, too.” His cellphone rang before he could place the gear into drive. He didn’t usually answer phone calls from numbers he didn’t recognize. Usually, the unknown callers were telemarketers trying to sell him siding for a house he didn’t own or get him to sign up for insurance he didn’t need.
But with all that had happened in the past couple of weeks, he didn’t dare ignore a call.
He accepted the call and pressed his cellphone to his ear. “Yeah.”
“Hey, this is Buddy from the Bozeman pawnshop,” a gruff voice spoke into Colin’s ear. “Is this the guy looking for that woman with the unicorn tattoo?”
His pulse quickening, Colin answered, “Yes, it is. Did she come back?”
“Not only is she back, she’s still here,” the man said. “I stalled her by telling her I had to check with my partner about the price for a ring she brought in. If you want to catch her, you better be here in the next two or three minutes.”
“I’ll be there. Keep her there.” Colin dropped his cellphone into the cup holder and shifted the truck into drive.
“Who was that?” Emily asked.
“Pawnshop owner. He’s got the girl with the unicorn tattoo in his shop. Right now.”
“You better hurry before she leaves. Is the shop very far from here?” Emily leaned forward.
“It’s in a little strip mall a few blocks away.” Colin pressed his foot down hard on the accelerator, shooting the truck forward.
Emily held onto the armrest and prayed they would get there before the woman left. She could be the key to finding Colin’s father.
Colin took a corner so fast the back end of the truck fishtailed sideways, almost sending the vehicle into a spin.
He held tightly to the steering wheel, righting the truck and pushing forward as fast as he could go until he took the next corner. This time, he slowed before he entered the turn, taking it in a more controlled manner. He wanted to get there, but he was smart enough to know it would take longer if they spun out and wrecked.
Emily sat back in her seat, wondering what this woman with the unicorn tattoo could know that might lead them to John McKinnon. If she had pawned the ring he’d been wearing when he disappeared, she had to know something. If not where he was, she would know who had given it to her. Yet another clue to follow. It was more than Colin and his family had to go on since he and his brothers had come home.
Moments later, he came to an abrupt halt in front of a pawnshop.
Several bicycles were lined up in front of the building, along with a portable generator, lawn mower and a chainsaw. The windows were covered in iron bars making it hard to see inside to know if the woman was still in the shop.
As soon as Colin slammed the shift into park, Emily unclipped her seatbelt and slid from the passenger seat to the ground.
“You should wait for me,” Colin said.
“I told you before, I don’t want you using your body as a human shield to keep bullets from hitting me by letting them hit you first.” She raised a hand and patted his cheek. “I’ll be okay,” she said.
He captured her hand in his and raised it to his lips. “Sweetheart, I hope so. And I’ll be here to make sure you remain okay.”
They entered the shop together, Colin cupping Emily’s elbow, still shielding her body with his.
She didn’t like it, but for the sake of expedience, she didn’t fight him.
Inside, the pawn shop owner stood behind the counter, his attention on the woman in front of him. She had a shock of badly bleached blond hair and wore a pair of blue jeans two sizes too small for her curvy figure. Her top wasn’t much more than a swatch of material barely covering her breasts and exposing a lot of her midriff. She had a hot-pink sweatshirt tied around her hips and a pair of sandals on her feet.
“I won’t take less than fifty for the ring. It was my grandmother’s wedding ring. I know that’s at least a 2-carat diamond stone. My gran told me granddaddy had to work two jobs to pay for that ring.”
“I’m sorry, miss,” the shop owner was saying. “That’s all I can do.” He waved toward the glass cabinet beneath his hands. “I have a dozen diamond rings. They ain’t worth anything if they don’t sell. And they don’t sell. Thirty-five. Take it or leave it.”
She snorted. “Fine. I’ll take it. But I’ll be back next week when I get paid to get it back. My granny would roll over in her grave if she knew I was hawking her wedding ring.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t,” the shop owner said.
“A girl’s gotta eat, don’t she?” the woman said.
The shop owner glanced over her shoulder at Colin and Emily. “I’ll be right with you.” He counted out thirty-five dollars and exchanged the money for the ring.
The blonde wadded the bills into a tight roll and slipped it into the front of her shirt as she turned toward the door.
That’s when Emily noticed the unicorn tattoo on the inside of her forearm.
Colin must have just noticed it as well. His body stiffened, and he dropped his hold on Emily’s arm. “Excuse me, ma’am, could I have a word with you?”
The blonde quickly stuffed the roll of bills into her bra and straightened, her nose tipping upward. “I ain’t got time.” She started to walk around Colin.
He stepped in front of her. “We need to talk.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You ain’t some undercover cop, are you?” She shot a glance from him to Emily and back to the man behind the counter. “Buddy, you didn’t call the cops, did you?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Missy.” The shop owner unlocked the glass cabinet and slipped the ring inside. Just as quickly, he closed the door and locked it again.
Missy propped a fist on her hip and tilted her chin. “What do you want? And make it quick. My boyfriend’s waitin’ for me to get back.”
“I want to know where you got the men’s ring you brought in over a week ago. The one with the inscription inside,” Colin asked, his voice tight, his stance stiff.
Her eyes shifted slightly before she said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to step around Colin only to bump into Emily.
Emily gave her a tight smile. “We know you sold the ring to this pawn shop. I understand the need for money, and we’re not trying to take any away from you.” Emily softened her voice. “It’s just that the ring means a lot to us. The owner of that ring means a lot to us. We need to know where you got it?”
Missy’s brow furrowed. She glanced from Emily to Colin and back. “I didn’t steal it.”
Emily touched the woman’s arm. “No, of course you didn’t. Please. It’s okay.”
Missy chewed on her bottom lip. “He’ll kill me if I tell you. He don’t like it when people come askin’ him questions.”
“Who, Missy?” Emily urged, her voice, low, insistent but gentle.
Missy glanced past Emily and Colin toward the door. “I gotta go. He’ll be waiting. If I don’t get back with the groceries, he’ll…well, he won’t be nice.”
“Are you afraid of him?” Emily asked.
“D
amn right, I am.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “He busted my nose once. Just because I couldn’t find his damned cellphone fast enough.” She touched the bump on the ridge of her nose.
“Do you need help getting out of a situation, Missy?” Emily reached out her hand to the woman.
Missy stared at the hand, her eyebrows forming a V. “No one can help me. If I run, he’ll find me. I’d better get back before he comes looking.” She edged her way around Colin.
This time, he didn’t block her path.
“Missy,” Emily called out as the blonde reached the door. “Who gave you the ring?”
The blonde shot a glance back over her shoulder. “Same one who busted my nose. Now, leave me alone. I wanna live to see another day.” With that parting comment, she left the building, turned left and walked quickly away.
Emily wanted to run after her. “We can’t let her go back to him.”
“We can’t stop her. She didn’t give us a name, but we can follow her and see where she ends up.” Colin reached for Emily’s hand.
She didn’t hesitate. Placing her hand in his, she hurried toward the door. Missy was in an abusive relationship. She hadn’t given them the name of the man who abused her, but hopefully, it wouldn’t take long to figure it out. And once they did, they might be on their way to finding Colin’s father.
Emily’s heart raced as they left the pawn shop. She searched the sidewalks and streets for Missy, but the woman had disappeared.
Chapter 8
“Damn,” Colin cursed. “She can’t have gotten away that fast.” He turned the direction Missy had gone and trotted to the next corner.
Emily kept up with him, without any problem. “See her?”
He shook his head. “No.” He scanned the immediate vicinity, turning in a three-hundred-sixty-degree circle.
“Wait.” Emily pointed down the alley. “Did the brake lights blink on that car?”
Colin glanced in the direction Emily pointed.
At that moment, the brake lights came on and blinked off again. The older model Ford sedan pulled away from the side of a building and drove toward the opposite end of the alley from where Emily and Colin stood.