Reining in his emotions, Joel gathered the paperwork and texted Aaron he was on his way over. His jaw ached by the time he strode into the sheriff’s office to present the evidence. After Aaron reviewed everything, he led Joel to the desk of the man reviewing the emailed photos.
“You were spot on with those footprints,” he said.
“See here?” The tech pointed to a digitally enhanced close-up of the photos side by side. “Notice how the tread on the left side of the heel is not so deep and there’s a gouge from the sole?”
Aaron and Joel both leaned in for a closer look.
“It matches perfectly with this first photograph.” The technician spun in his chair to face them with a solemn expression. “I’d say it’s ninety-nine percent likely you’ve found your man.”
“He left early today,” Joel informed the officers. “Said he was sick.”
“Want to come with me to go check?” Aaron offered.
“Hell yes.”
“Figured you would.”
Joel glanced at his watch as he got into his truck to follow the sheriff over to Randy’s house. Seeing as he was supposed to pick up Brittany in twenty minutes, he pulled out his phone to call Mark, then swore when he remembered the stable manager’s number was programmed into his phone, not the loaner he was using from the police.
Aaron’s squad car left the lot. A second and third car followed. Indecision made Joel hesitate. Once they took Gifford into custody, she’d be safe and it wouldn’t matter if he was a few minutes late. Then again, right about now, he’d much rather see her face than Randy’s.
He texted Aaron that he’d catch up to them later and made the turn for Highlands.
Chapter 32
She shouldn’t be watching the clock. Shouldn’t be counting the minutes until Joel arrived. And yet…it was twenty-three minutes until five p.m. Mark had left for his meeting, everyone else had left at four, and she and Casey were feeding the horses before Joel picked her up.
Lifting one of the bales of hay Casey had brought back from his dad’s place to tide them over until an emergency load arrived, she followed him into the main corral.
“So, this thing with Morgan, is it serious?”
She shrugged and tossed the bale into the feeding trough.
“He’s very protective of you.”
And she loved that about him. “He’s just doing his job.”
Casey laughed as he sliced the baling twine from both bales. “Park ranger duties do not include being a bodyguard.”
Colorado nudged her in the back and she moved out of his way. She ran her hand along the gelding’s back before walking toward the gate.
“Come on, Britt, it’s me.”
“Why do you think I’m not talking?” she teased.
“Well, for the record, I like him.”
She latched the gate after he’d gone through. “Yeah. So do I.”
He grinned, then they both turned at the sound of an engine to see Randy’s blue truck rolling to a stop in front of the charred remains of the barn. As he stepped out of his truck, he stared at the pile of rubble. “Wow.”
They’d both heard the same thing from a ton of gawkers all day long, so Britt skipped over his expression of disbelief. “Hey, Randy, what’s up?”
He shifted his attention, his gaze skimming her stitches. “I’m here to pick you up.”
Her pulse skipped a beat. Confusion followed. “Joel said he’d be here at five.”
“I know, but he got caught up with Aaron following a new lead. Instead of making you wait, he asked me to swing by. I’ll drop you off at the ranger station and you can wait for him there.”
“What were you doing up this way?” Casey asked.
Randy grimaced. “Another ram was found near the overnight camp last night. Joel caught me on my way back to town.”
Finding out Randy had conveniently been in the area didn’t lessen her disappointment that Joel had pushed her off on someone else. Had he guessed the depth of her feelings and now planned to distance himself to make his inevitable departure easier?
She put the thoughts out of her mind and turned to Casey. “He’s been helping Joel with the investigation from the start.”
“Good.” His gaze cut toward what was left of the barn. “The sooner this is over, the better.”
“I think we can all agree on that.”
Britt crossed to the passenger side of Randy’s truck, then paused to look back at Casey with the door open. “You headed home?”
“In a little bit. Jon and I are gonna grab a beer at the bar. You guys want to join us?”
She shot Randy a questioning glance. He was never one to turn down a drink, and she now found herself not quite so anxious to see Joel.
“Probably better if we get going,” Randy declined. “Wouldn’t want Morgan to send out the cavalry.”
Casey grinned across the hood at her. “And he would for this one.”
“Shut up.” She climbed in and slammed the door. One hard shove clicked her seatbelt in place. The only cavalry she wanted was Joel, and he hadn’t come. Maybe she really was just part of his job.
Randy started the truck and executed a three point turn. Despite wanting to keep her mouth shut, she found herself asking, “Did Joel say how long he was going to be?”
“I don’t think too long.” They passed a row of guest cabins, crawling along at about five miles per hour. He glanced over again, his gaze touching on her bruised forehead once again. “How are you feeling today?”
“I’ve got a little bit of a headache that comes and goes, but that’s about it.”
“Good.” He sent her a smile across the console. “You know, I have to say, I’ve missed you this summer. We haven’t gotten a chance to catch a movie together, or play mini-golf, or anything.”
“I know, it’s been a crazy summer so far, hasn’t it?”
“It’d be nice if things could get back to normal once he’s gone.”
“Who?” Britt shot him a glance. “Joel? I thought you guys got along?”
Randy shrugged. They’d reached the end of the driveway, and he flipped the left turn signal on. Estes Park was to the right. A bell went off in her head. He should be turning right.
“Where are you going?”
“I want to show you something.”
“We’re supposed to go meet Joel.” She couldn’t help the suspicion in her voice.
Randy gave her a measured look. The tiny sliver of apprehension that had lingered since the moment he’d stated he was there to pick her up exploded into full-fledged alarm. When he stepped on the gas to make the left turn, icy shards of fear splintered in her veins. She frantically sought for the release of her seatbelt while reaching for the door handle.
“Don’t.”
The clunk of the locks made her jump. The seatbelt released, but with the engine running and the vehicle in drive, her door refused to open. As she searched for the lock, Randy’s rough grip on her wrist dragged her halfway across the middle console.
“Leave it alone.”
Her involuntary gasp of pain gentled his hold and she jerked free. Rubbing the sting from her red skin, she pressed against the door and glared at him. “What are you doing, Randy?”
“I just want to talk.”
“We can talk at the ranch. Or at Billy’s. We could grab dinner.”
His laugh sent a chill down her spine. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”
No, of course not. They rounded the second curve past the ranch, and she watched it disappear in his side view mirror. Her heart raced as she battled rising panic. Every second took her farther away from safety. From Joel.
She flinched away when Randy extended his hand and demanded, “Give me your phone. I don’t want you trying to call anyone.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Don’t lie to me, Britt.”
The expression on his face terrified her. He braked and swerved to the side of the road so fast she felt like a
ragdoll being tossed back and forth. Her head bounced off the passenger side window, startling a cry of pain. Holding a hand to her stitches, she blinked away tears. “I swear, I don’t have it. I—I lost it in the fire.”
That lie convinced him to believe her. And maybe the tears. For a brief moment, she thought she glimpsed concern in his eyes, but before she could be sure, he checked his mirror to pull back out onto the road.
How long before Joel arrived at the ranch? Had Casey noticed which way Randy had turned out of the resort driveway?
“Why him?”
Randy’s unexpected question caught her off guard. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Why not me? We’ve known each other since that first summer.”
“Yes, when we decided to be friends.”
“You decided,” he accused. “I was going to ask you out again.”
What? He was upset about that one date they’d had? A date so long ago, so seemingly insignificant, she hadn’t even thought to mention it to Joel. “I…I don’t know what to say. You never said anything.”
He was checking his mirrors much the same as Joel had the other night. She looked too, wishing to God someone was following this time. But it was too early. The digital clock on the dashboard read four-forty-eight. Joel wouldn’t discover her missing for ten to fifteen minutes yet. Even then, how would he ever find her?
“I thought I had more time.”
Randy’s murmur snagged in her whirling thoughts. More time? She fought to keep her own breathing under control as his words sunk in. Phrases from the note echoed in her mind. So disappointed in you. I expected more from you—hoped for more. Oh, God.
“It’s been six summers,” she said. “And I wasn’t even supposed to be here for this one.”
“But you came back.” He smiled. It abruptly disappeared as his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. “You came back and hooked up with him. I can’t believe you’ve become like every other slut around here.”
“It wasn’t like that. You know me better than that.”
“I thought I did.” He slammed the heel of his hand against the steering wheel. “Damn it, Britt, it should’ve been me.”
She flinched at the violence in his outburst, clinging to the door handle as the truck swerved. He brought it back under control and sucked in an audible breath. Somehow, she had to keep him calm and rational until she could figure out how to get away from him.
“I killed the first one for you, you know.”
The first one? Did he mean the bighorn sheep?
“After you left last year, I—”
“No, don’t. Please, I don’t want to know.”
“Of course you don’t. Because my sacrifices mean nothing to you.”
“That’s not true. I appreciate all the good times we had these past summers.”
“Which is why you didn’t even give me the time of day once Morgan was on the scene.”
She kept silent on the irony that Joel never would’ve come to Estes Park if Randy hadn’t started poaching the sheep.
Tension vibrated between them as he slowed and made a right turn into the parking lot entrance for the Longs Peak Trailhead.
“Why are we here?”
“I want to show you what I did for you. You wouldn’t believe how good it feels to hold the power of life and death in your hands.”
The quiet, reverent words sunk into her brain and unleashed a tide of panic. He was going to kill her. Why else would he bring her here instead of getting as far away from Estes Park as possible? Her lungs refused to fill with air as she realized she’d never see her family or friends again. Or Joel.
Joel.
She latched onto a vision of him like it was a life preserver. His voice filled her head. Calm down and think, Brittany. You’re strong. You can do this.
The panic receded enough that she could breathe again. Randy stopped the truck in front of the chained gate which blocked the lane some twenty yards in, but any hope of escape died when he pulled a gun from the compartment on his door.
He got out, weapon pointed at her in one hand, bolt cutters in the other. He motioned her toward him. “Come across the seat and get out on my side.”
Once she did, he had her lay face first on the ground while he cut the chain securing the gate. Then he made her crawl back into the passenger seat from his side so he could drive through the open gate. They repeated the process while he shut the gate and rearranged the chain so it appeared to still be secured.
Each time she’d lain on the ground, she discreetly searched for a rock big enough to use as a weapon. Each time she came up empty. Back in the truck, he drove through the trees to the parking lot and shut off the truck in the spot next to the start of the trail. He motioned her across to his side again.
She took her time and paused in the driver’s seat, giving herself precious extra seconds to figure out what to do. Whatever happened, she couldn’t let him get her into the woods. Keep him talking. Delay as much as possible. Play on his feelings.
“Randy, you don’t have to do this.”
“Out.”
“Just let me go. Please,” she pleaded, her voice soft and gentle like when she was working with the mustang. Surely he realized he’d never get away with something like this? “You can leave Estes Park. Start over somewhere else. If you go now, you’ll have enough of a head start to disappear before anyone starts looking for me.”
He hesitated, then shook his head as his expression hardened. “You should’ve told me we could leave together, Brittany. I might have bought that.”
“Randy—”
“Shut up. I know I don’t have to do this, I want to. Out here, I call the shots.” His voice dropped a notch. “I decide which one. I decide. If I want it to end fast, I cut deep and the blood all gushes out. But a shallow cut lets it flow slow and smooth. Toward the end, I can see each individual heartbeat…”
Like she could feel hers right now. The vivid picture his words painted made her stomach roll with nausea. She forced herself to remain calm, to think clearly, and not show her fear.
“They’re panicked at first. Frightened.” He paused and forced her to meet his gaze. Then he smiled. “But it fades from their eyes as they accept that I hold their life in my hands.”
He was not right in the head.
“Move it. Out.”
Inside the vehicle, she had no hope of defending herself before he overpowered her. Outside might provide better opportunity. And a chance to run.
She climbed from the truck, her gaze scanning the area the moment she moved past him. Near the edge of the trail were a number of lose rocks, at least one of which was large enough. One quick glance revealed him about three steps behind her.
Raising a hand to her head, she swayed while holding out the other as if trying to catch her balance.
“Britt?”
“My head hurts.” With a low moan, she stumbled a few steps, then let her legs collapse beneath her. She fell in a sitting position and swept her right hand across the uneven ground. There. No, not big enough. Damn. Her heart was beating so fast it was hard to catch her breath, and Randy was coming closer.
This one.
He leaned in, his hand outstretched. She listed to the side, ignoring the ache in her sore shoulder to put her weight on her hand. Her fingers clenched on the rock, the rough surface biting into her skin as she secured her grip.
“Britt?” Randy squatted in front of her. “Are you okay?”
She steeled herself against the unexpected concern in his voice. Hesitate and you die.
Chapter 33
Joel drove along Highway 7, alternating between pushing the speed limit on the winding roads and easing up on the gas. He was impatient to see Brittany again now that the case was solved, yet scared shitless over what to do next.
Did he dare tell her how he felt? If he did, what did he expect would happen? She’d stay here? Would he stay here? It surprised him how good that idea actually sounded
. They could buy a ranch, make a name for themselves raising and training horses.
Except Chicago still loomed as a possibility. He’d been there for a convention last year and hated it. If she wanted to return home to work with her father, would he be able to handle the city?
God, listen to him, trying to figure out what they’d do when he didn’t even know if she felt the same way. He might tell her he loved her and she’d walk away. Like his mother. Like Deanna.
Don’t think about that right now.
He eased up on the gas again until he could pass the slower car ahead of him. As he cleared back into his own lane, the cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He dug it out and thumbed the button to connect the call because only one person had the number. “You got him?”
“Where are you right now?”
He tensed at the urgency in the sheriff’s voice. “Couple miles from Highlands. Why?”
“Casey just called your cell phone. Gifford left with Britt about five minutes ago.”
Oh, God. White hot alarm struck like a bolt of lightning. She was supposed to be safe there. “How the hell did that happen?”
“He told them you were going to be late and that you asked him to pick her up. Mentioned me and a new lead we were working on.”
He pounded a fist on the steering wheel. “And since he’s been helping me with the investigation all along, they bought it.”
“Casey noticed he made a left turn when they left the ranch and called you to verify, which is how I got the call. Fortunately, Gifford didn’t disable his phone. I had an officer put a trace on it before we left the station, and GPS puts him about three miles west of the ranch. The signal stopped moving a couple minutes ago.”
Adrenaline jammed his foot down on the gas. “Sounds like the Long’s Peak Trailhead. I’m on my way.”
“I’m not far behind you. Be careful.”
He disconnected the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket. Dread settled deep in his gut as he blew by Highlands and kept going. The only reason he could think of that Randy would take her into the park had him pushing the limit of control with his vehicle on the sharp mountain turns. Visions of the animals from the past month turned his stomach, making him nauseous.
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