by Toni Leland
Ed shoved the bags back into the deputy's hands. “Get these down to the lab ASAP and tell them I want a report right now.”
He turned and strode down the hall, stopping briefly at the dispatch window. “I'm headed out to the Sutton place. See if you can locate a local girl named Tina Brown.”
The dispatcher nodded. “I know who she is. I'll put the information on your desk...Don't forget your meeting with the commissioner.”
“Ah! Thanks for reminding me. I'll be back in time.”
He stepped out into the fresh morning air and started down the steps. On the sidewalk below, Deputy White leaned against the handrail and grinned up at him.
“Morning, Chief. Ready for decadent doughnuts and caffeine?”
Danielle's pristine uniform hugged every womanly curve, and the sun glinted off the shiny badge rising and falling on her ample breast. In another time and place, she'd be just what his tormented heart needed, but this duty was too important to chance a FUBAR situation. In a small town, any indiscretion would be on the grapevine before Noon.
“Sorry, I'm on my way out to the Sutton place.”
She pivoted on her heel and fell in beside him. “I'll come along. I don't have anything going right now.”
He stopped abruptly and pinned her with a hard look. “Dispatch is searching for the address of a local suspect. When she gets it, you go do some digging. And call me as soon as the lab has something on the new evidence.”
A dark flare of anger crackled in Danielle's dark brown eyes and she lifted her chin. “Yes, Sir!”
~ ~
Fighting the panic rising in her chest, Kellie led the chestnut mare into the barn, trying to convince herself the limp was unrelated to the night visitor. She glanced over her shoulder, consumed with the thought she might be under someone's scrutiny at that very moment. Who hated her enough to do something like this? Why didn't they just confront her in person? For probably the hundredth time in the past few days, she reviewed her actions and contacts from the perspective of an antagonist and, again, frustration burned through her dead-end thoughts.
Initially, the mare's left front leg appeared normal, but Kellie gingerly lifted the hoof for a closer look. The wound was identical to the others-a small dark hole rimmed with red skin. She released the foot. My god, what am I going to do? This isn't even my horse.
She pressed the cell phone against her ear. “Hyde, I have another one.”
“Aw Jeez. I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm at the Anderson Farm. Their kid's horse isn't responding to the medications.”
Kellie slowly closed the phone. In all her mental rambling, she'd forgotten the attack on the neighbor's horse. What did that mean? Was the attacker simply a lunatic, and she was unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or was the Anderson attack part of a larger plan-a diversionary ploy meant to confuse everyone?
The mare shook her head, rattling the chain on the crossties, and Kellie turned to stare at the slender ankle and fetlock that would swell to draft horse proportions before this was finished. Never in her life had she felt so helpless. Worse, now she had to call the owner with the bad news.
Outside, a vehicle door slammed and she glanced at her watch. Hyde had made record time. She strode toward the barn door and stepped into the sunshine, then sucked in her breath at the sharp quickening in the pit of her stomach.
Ed waved, sending a flood of joy and relief through her mind. Why did the mere sight of him make her believe everything would turn out all right?
His eyes reflected amusement. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Warmth raced across her cheeks. “I thought you were Doc Browning.”
The twinkle faded to concern. “What's wrong?”
Her lower lip began to quiver and she pulled it hard between her teeth before speaking. “Another attack. Out in the paddock. Right under my nose.”
Ed's jaw line hardened. “Damn!” He punched a button on the radio clipped to his shirt at the shoulder. “Dispatch, get a couple of units out to the Sutton ranch. Now.” A response crackled and he nodded before signing off. His features softened with sympathy. “God, I'm really sorry...I should have posted someone sooner.” He quickly retreated into his official capacity. “Think back, try to figure out what time you saw the intruder.”
“The moon was brilliant...it lit up everything like daylight.”
“Then it had to be well after midnight. Full moon was high at one a.m. Will Doctor Browning be able to pin down the time precisely?”
“I think so.”
“Were you able to see if the intruder was male or female?”
“No, and I couldn't see the vehicle, either.”
Ed touched her hand, sending sizzling warmth over her skin. “Kellie, I-”
The sun glinted off two patrol cars rolling up the lane, and he stepped back. Kellie shaded her eyes against the glare to watch Hyde's truck follow close behind the deputies.
Ed cleared his throat. “I'll get my men situated. Give me a call after you've talked to the vet.”
He turned away, leaving her with the sense that he'd come to the ranch with more on his mind than the horses.
“Ed? Fifty thousand dollars to catch whoever did this.”
~ ~
Hyde released the mare's foot. “I'd say this happened about four or five hours ago. I'd like to try something different-an old Indian remedy my grandmother used.”
Kellie shook her head. “No Hyde, this is an outside mare, here for breeding. I can't tell the owner we're practicing on her.”
Hyde gave her a hard look. “I've been talking to a friend of mine about snakebites. First aid involves opening the puncture wound, then sucking out the venom.” His expression softened and he grinned. “Since I'd like to keep my teeth, I think I'll use a different method. A poultice should draw out the poison. Then we can pursue treating the wound traditionally and preventing infection.”
Hyde's logic made sense. The wound was new enough to give them an advantage. Maybe.
The horse jerked and snorted as a long needle pierced the tender flesh at the back of the fetlock. Hyde released her foot and straightened up.
“A little local anesthetic. It'll take a few minutes to work.” He cocked his head. “My friend at OSU came up with some interesting possibilities for these cases. A number of toxins cause tissue destruction, and leave no identifiable traces.”
He glanced at his watch, then picked up the mare's foot again and pressed a thumb against the wound. The horse didn't flick an ear.
“Good, she's numb-but hold her head, just in case.”
He reached into his bag and pulled out a shiny scalpel.
Kellie cringed. “What are you going to do?”
“A puncture wound closes up on itself and traps the infection inside. If I can get the toxin out, she should be okay.”
Kellie held the mare's halter and looked away, trying not to visualize the razor-sharp blade slicing through flesh.
Hyde rose to his feet. “A small amount of fluid came out. I think we're early enough for this to work.” He opened a plastic container, then sniffed it and chuckled.
“Smells like gin. Juniper berry is one of the ingredients.”
He squatted down beside the horse's foot, and Kellie's thoughts drifted to the recent conversation with Ed. He hadn't told her anything about their progress with the investigation, and his manner had been guarded, except for that one brief personal touch. He had something on his mind-she was sure of it. She frowned. She'd forgotten to give him the clinic address. History seemed to be crippling their ability to work together. She had to find a way to distance herself from him, at least until this nightmare was over.
“Are you about finished? I need to catch the sheriff before he leaves.”
“I thought you caught him a long time ago.”
“You are so bad.”
“You go on, I can finish up alone, then I'll check on Boots. This might help him too.”
With another glance at the mare's foot, Kellie left the stall and hurried toward the door, but she was too late. Ed's patrol car was already turning onto the road.
Questions tumbled about in her head like lottery balls. When would he question Tina? What was taking so long? Irritation replaced her earlier calm. Perhaps no one thought this was important enough. She strode toward her truck, muttering to herself. The only way to get something done was to do it yourself.
~ ~
Ed picked up a handwritten note lying on his desk. “Tina Brown lives in Oklahoma City now. What do you want me to do? A phone number concluded the terse message, and he smiled wryly. Danielle's bold script matched her personality perfectly. He pressed the intercom button.
“Have Deputy White contact OCPD with Tina Brown's information. I'm leaving for the commissioner's office right now.”
Outside, he walked past his vehicle and headed down Harrison toward the tracks. The five-block walk to City Hall would give him time to gather his thoughts. He'd never liked these meetings with the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners. An undercover operation had to be one-hundred-percent secret. Even one person in the loop could screw up the whole thing. He wished he knew what DEA had done to guarantee Barney McBee's silence.
Ed's footsteps echoed on the tile floor at City Hall. The walls held portraits of former mayors and town officials from Guthrie's earliest days. Serious faced men who'd struggled in the dangerous environment of land hunger, building the town from a plot of dust and scrub, constantly alert for those who would take it from them.
He strode toward the commissioners' offices at the end of the hall, mentally rehearsing the only things he would agree to talk about today. After checking in with the secretary, he turned and gazed at a display of photographs of military men from Guthrie. Two rows of faces stared back at him, many of them killed in battle through the decades. Above the top row, his own sober face stared back, a silver star pinned to his chest. A ripple of irritation moved through his head. Why would he be any different than the rest of the gallery? He'd been doing a job-nothing more.
A minute later, he stepped into Commissioner McBee's office. The rotund middle-aged man rose from behind a wide oak desk, removed a fat cigar from his mouth, and extended his hand.
“Afternoon, Sheriff. Have a seat. Already getting warm out there, huh?”
Ed nodded as he settled into a leather chair in front of the desk. “Before we get too involved, I have a request. Would you please move my photograph to a less conspicuous spot? It should be in the lineup with everyone else.”
McBee pursed his lips. “You always were a humble young man. If that's what you want, I'll see to it.” He made a note to himself, then sat back in his chair and laced his fingers across his expansive waist. “What's the status of your situation? Any idea when you'll be finished?”
“Absolutely none. This isn't a project with a schedule.”
McBee's soft face tightened and his voice took on an edge. “Don't forget, you're only here because I got my arm twisted. This is still my town and you report to me. I want a weekly update, you understand?”
Ed kept his anger under control. “You'll have to talk to Washington about that. I have limits on what I can discuss.”
The commissioner studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Fair enough.” His tone became friendlier. “You making any headway on that mess out at the Sutton place?”
Ed stood up and tried to smile. “When we do, you'll be the first to know about it.”
Minutes later, he strode along the sidewalk, taking deep breaths to calm his anger. This mission had put him between a rock and a hard place. McBee's good-ole-boy attitude was like a bear trap-suck you in, then rip your throat out. Kellie's face appeared in Ed's thoughts, the fear and sadness in her eyes driving a stake through his heart. If nothing else, he would catch the person responsible for her pain, and maybe that would heal some wounds.
Chapter 6
City buildings appeared on the horizon, an elegant geometric pattern of angles and shadows against the brilliant sky. Kellie's brief appreciation of the scene faded quickly. The element of surprise would be in her favor, but beyond that, she didn't have much confidence in the outcome of a confrontation with Tina.
The traffic thickened on I-35 and she concentrated on finding the correct exit and getting off without being mowed down by the idiots who drove with one hand on the wheel and the other on a cell phone. She glanced in the rearview mirror at the small car dogging her bumper. The young woman chattered and laughed, oblivious to the world around her as they all flew down the interstate at eighty miles an hour. Kellie tried not to think about the hazards of slowing down or changing lanes.
She passed the interchange for I-44, then took the next exit, breathing a sigh of relief as she entered the city traffic pattern.
“Give me the country any day.”
Staying in the right lane, she slowed down enough to read the street signs. Within a couple of blocks, she passed the huge memorial to the Oklahoma City Bombing-a testament to the event that had shattered so many lives and driven home the unsettling reality that safety was a precious commodity. Redbud trees surrounded by neatly mowed grass belied the horror that had once filled the space. Terror could come in large or small packages-in a vast city, or in her own backyard. A hard lump grew in her throat and her brain flashed a vision of Dancer, grazing in the morning sun. She would find whoever did this to him, and make sure they suffered for it.
Skyline Equine Clinic was situated close to the road, flanked by a small barn with a turnout pen. A mare and foal stood by the fence nearest the driveway. The mare's leg was bandaged to the knee. Kellie shuddered and climbed out of the truck.
Piney antiseptic cleaner mingled with animal odors and stale air. A middle-aged woman sat on a plastic bench, reading a magazine. The reception desk was deserted, but voices drifted from a room at the back. Kellie tapped the bell on the counter and Tina appeared.
Her sticky pink lips immediately formed a hard line and she leaned against the doorjamb, crossing her arms. “Y'know-I saw the news and figured it'd be just like you to think I did it.”
Kellie hesitated. The girl didn't seem surprised by the visit, so why was she being so defensive?
“Well, did you?”
Tina barked a derisive laugh. “Why would I waste any more time on your nags? I have an important job here.”
Kellie glanced at the customer on the bench, then lowered her voice. “You also have access to needles and who-knows-what drugs. And a motive for revenge. If you didn't have anything to do with it, I'm sure you won't mind talking to Sheriff Campbell.”
Tina's skin paled beneath her freckles, but her tone remained cocky. “Bring him on-I have an alibi. I have a new boyfriend and he's been keeping me real busy.” Her eyes darkened with innuendo. “If you know what I mean.”
Kellie picked up a business card from the counter. “Goody for you-maybe he likes you enough to keep you out of jail.”
She hurried out the door and inhaled deeply, stunned by the effect of the confrontation. What had she expected-a confession? Tina's surly confidence undermined Kellie's own, and her fingers shook as she turned the key in the ignition. What exactly had she accomplished with this visit?
At the outskirts of the city, she almost slammed on the brakes.
“Oh my God! None of this is random-these are my best horses. Even in the field, someone knows exactly which ones to target. It has to be her!”
Every detail of the past week roiled through Kellie's brain as she burned up the highway toward home, but no clear answers appeared. She turned onto Sutton Corners Road and, moments later, braked to a stop in front of the old Borden place. An orange-and-white rental truck was backed up to the front door, and two burly young men carried furniture and boxes up the loading ramp. A sick feeling oozed into her stomach.
She pulled into the driveway and climbed out of the car. “The owners around?”
One of the men gestured toward the h
ouse and Kellie maneuvered through the jumble on the porch, then knocked on the doorjamb.
A petite elderly woman appeared, her leathery face crinkling into a big smile. “Howdy, Miz Sutton. Come on in, pardon the mess, but we're movin', as you can see.”
Kellie gazed around the shabby living room. “This is sure a surprise-I didn't see a for-sale sign in the yard.”
The woman cackled. “Nope. Sold the place for cash. No bother with banks and all that carry-on. Cold, hard cash. Goin' to live in Tulsa, near our grandkids.”
Dismay moved through Kellie's chest. “Must have been a really rich person to pay cash.”
“Don't know. He was a furiner, but their money's as good as any.”
~ ~
Kellie strode angrily into the office. Would anything ever go her way again?
Frank looked up. “I passed Hyde on the way in. Any new developments?”
She pursed her lips, resisting the urge to snarl. “Another horse came up lame. She was out in the field. The wound hasn't festered yet.”
He frowned. “A pasture horse? That makes this sound even more like a natural accident than an attack. Who'd be fool enough to roam through a pasture full of horses in the dark?”
She stepped closer and glowered. “How would you know it happened in the dark? Did you have something to do with this?”
Startled surprise lifted his eyebrows, then he laughed out loud. “God, Kellie, you should have been a script writer! We already know that whatever is affecting the horses takes a while to show up. Stands to reason, it happened sometime during the night.”
He was right. Exhaustion and despair were sending knee-jerk responses in all directions and she was falling apart, which wouldn't help anything.
“Sorry. I just wish you were around sometimes when I need you.”
He was silent for a moment, then he spoke softly. “Since when did you ever need me?”
~ ~
Travis hunkered over his beer and cast an overt glance at the girl sitting beside him at the bar. Tina's round face was flushed, her eyes a little too bright. And no wonder. So far, she'd matched him beer for beer. She caught him looking at her, and ran her tongue suggestively over her pouty lips. A jolt shot through his groin-he'd get more than lucky tonight.