An Officer and a Maverick

by Teresa Southwick

  Russ couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her mouth and the small bit of apple juice on her lower lip. The urge to lick that drop was almost irresistible.

  “Russ?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You started to tell me what Claire had to say,” she prompted.

  “Right.” If he didn’t keep his head in the game, this investigation was going to take three times as long. “She didn’t tell me anything that would shed light on who might have doctored the punch.”

  He’d taken notes during each interview and added them to his own observations from that night. Will and Claire both said that their partners’—and their own—behavior had been out of character and consistent with being drunk even though they hadn’t consumed any hard alcohol. Russ had noticed an awful lot of people were feeling no pain that night even before he’d arrested Lani.

  “I think the Cliftons and the Wyatts were victims. Like you,” he added before she could say anything. She was innocent as far as how she’d become intoxicated, but stealing the cell keys to detain him was not so easily explained.

  “It doesn’t make sense that Claire or Levi Wyatt would have anything to gain by getting the whole town drunk. He’s just feeling the pressure of providing for his family. A wife and baby is a lot of responsibility.”

  “Being young parents doesn’t automatically make them innocent,” he pointed out.

  “True. But I just don’t see either of them doing something like that. What possible motive could they have?”

  He agreed, but couldn’t resist needling her. “I don’t think your gut instinct would exonerate them in a court of law. Hard evidence is the only thing that matters.”

  “If you had any evidence, hard or otherwise, we wouldn’t be here now.”

  “True enough.” And as much as he wanted to mind being here with her, he couldn’t seem to manage it.

  “We have to look at who had something to gain by getting everyone drunk.” Lani leaned back against the tree trunk and stretched her legs out in front of her.

  “So, let’s talk about that poker game.”

  She put her apple core in the empty plastic bag and started on the chips. “Old Boyd Sullivan gambled away his property to Brad Crawford in a really high-stakes game that was apparently going on at the Ace in the Hole.”

  “That’s definitely motive.” He met her gaze. “Anything else?”

  “Jordyn Leigh Cates married Will Clifton that night. Rust Creek Ramblings got a lot of mileage out of that story.”

  “What is Rust Creek Ramblings?” This is where a local could really help.

  “It’s a gossip column in the Rust Creek Falls Gazette, written by someone who apparently wishes to remain anonymous, because there’s no name on the articles.” There was a gleam in her eyes that had nothing to do with the sun peeking through overhead tree branches. “Whoever it is has gotten a lot of juicy stuff from what happened at that wedding reception.”

  “That’s also motive,” he pointed out, carefully watching her.

  “I guess so.”

  “You know everyone in town and their business. Could it be that you’re the one who writes Rust Creek Ramblings?”

  “You’re not serious,” she scoffed.

  “Dead serious.”

  She looked at him for several moments then laughed. “Let me point out the holes in that theory. A lot of stuff in those columns was about things that happened while I was in jail with you.” The shadow of her hat couldn’t hide the pink that stained her cheeks.

  “Let me point out the hole in that alibi. You could have gotten information to write about from anyone you talked to at the bar.”

  “True. But I didn’t.” She shrugged. “When would I have time to write it down? I’m up before God to work on the ranch and I have the other job.”

  “Part-time.” He leaned back on his hands and stretched his legs out. His boots nearly touched hers, making this more intimate than he wanted. “When you have the gossip, how long could it take to knock out the column?”

  “Hmm.” She nodded thoughtfully. “I can see how you’d come to that conclusion, but I don’t write it.”

  “If that’s not a lie,” he said, giving her a pointed look, “then I would really like to know who does. They seem to have a whole lot of facts about what happened that night. It could save a lot of time on this investigation.”

  “So you’re anxious to have it over and be rid of me?”

  “I didn’t say that.” Didn’t mean she wasn’t right, though. “But solving this would put people’s minds at ease.”

  “Right.” She nodded. “Okay. Be skeptical. It’s probably mandatory for a detective. And, for the record, I don’t blame you for suspecting me, but I didn’t do it. So don’t waste too much time looking in the wrong direction. Now, back to the case... It’s common knowledge that hairstylists and bartenders know everyone’s business.”

  A good deal of Russ’s detective work was done by observing people. In his experienced opinion, Lani wasn’t at all concerned about being a suspect. Either she was innocent or she was a very accomplished liar.

  “Moving on,” she said. “Let’s go back to Jordyn and Will. They got married.”

  “And here’s where your knowledge of the key players comes in handy. Do you think she would drug an entire town to get a man to marry her?”

  “It wasn’t a secret that she moved to Rust Creek Falls hoping to meet someone and get married. But she already knew Will from Thunder Canyon.” She was thinking out loud then shook her head. “Since she works with children at Country Kids Day Care, I’d like to think she would never do something like that.”

  “But you can’t be sure?”

  “No.”

  “It’s not a good idea to let it slide, then. I’ll talk to her.”

  “That would be best,” she agreed.

  “And I think you should be there when I do.” He was trying really hard to believe he’d said that for the good of the investigation and not personal reasons. “Since people seem to feel comfortable spilling their guts to you.”

  He’d seen it for himself when he went to the Ace in the Hole last night. That cowboy at the bar was talking to her about marriage counseling, and he admired the way she’d gotten through to him.

  “Okay. I can do that,” she agreed.

  “And what about Brad Crawford? Do you think he’s capable of something that underhanded?”

  “Good question.” She tapped her lip thoughtfully. “Where real estate is involved, the Crawfords can get intense, but...”

  “Okay. He can’t be ruled out, either.”

  “No,” she agreed.

  She had to go and tap her lips, distracting him again. He’d had about as much of this brainstorming session as his willpower could take.

  “I need to get back to the sheriff’s office,” he said abruptly.

  “Okay. Yeah—” She stood up and started gathering their trash. “Me, too. Back to work, I mean. I have stuff to do this afternoon.”

  After Russ rolled to his feet, he had the damnedest urge to pull her into his arms and kiss the living daylights out of her. If only his protective streak extended to protecting her from him or saving him from himself.

  He’d included her in his investigation to keep her out of trouble, but spending time with her was its own kind of danger. Wasn’t that the classic definition of a catch-22?

  * * *

  “Did you have any trouble getting the evening off?” Russ kept his eyes on the road.

  “Since I wasn’t scheduled at the bar tonight, it wasn’t a problem.” Lani glanced over at him, sitting in the driver’s seat of his truck.

  He’d picked her up at home, and they were on the way to Jordyn Leigh and Will Clifton’s ranch, which was located east of Rust Creek Falls
. She was fascinated by his hands on the steering wheel—so competent, in control, strong.

  The memory of those hands touching her bare skin was vivid and had desire curling through her. The sensations he’d coaxed from her that night seemed a lifetime ago, and she craved them for a second time. But since he’d turned up in her life again, he’d given no indication that he even remembered the passion that had so easily flared between them. Maybe it was best that she try to forget, too.

  “Does Jordyn Leigh know we’re coming?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I called her and explained that there are still questions about what happened that night. She mentioned that Will was busy with work and wouldn’t be there, so I told her you would be with me. I thought that would put her more at ease.”

  “Did you tell her that I’m helping with the investigation?”

  “No. For two reasons. First, if word gets out that you’re narcing, the flow of potentially helpful information will dry up. And second—again if word gets out—you could be in danger from whoever is responsible for what happened.”

  “So what did you tell her?” She looked at him. “About why I’m here, I mean.”

  “Nothing.”

  “Really?”

  He glanced at her, and his expression was seriously annoyed. “She didn’t ask.”

  Lani shook her head. “Here’s the thing—Jordyn Leigh is a woman, and unless she’s a quart low on estrogen, she’s going to wonder what the heck I’m doing on this ride-along. There’s a reason people are talking about that gossip columnist and buying the Gazette to read the columns. This is a small town, Russ, and they’re curious about what’s going on with everyone else.”

  “Okay, you have a point.” A muscle jerked in his jaw. “Then I guess we should have a cover story in case she asks.”

  “She’s going to ask,” Lani assured him.

  “Any suggestions?”

  “It has to be personal, otherwise I’m on official business, and then the word would be out that I’m a narc, as you put it.”

  The corners of his mouth curved up and for just a moment there was the possibility of a smile that would blossom into adorableness. Then he turned serious again.

  “Can’t fault your logic. So, on the off chance she asks—” he gave her a quick, pointed look “—I stopped by the Ace in the Hole, saw you and asked you to dinner. We’re going right after I interview her.”

  Lani was more than a little annoyed at his selective memory. Considering he’d been showing up where she worked for months and barely talked to her, then suddenly lightning strikes? That story was pathetic. At least from her point of view.

  “She’ll have more questions.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’m not psychic.” Maybe Lani was projecting because she had a lot of questions. Like during all these months, had he been more aware of her than he’d let on? Had he thought about asking her out and just never did? If so, why not? But she couldn’t ask any of that. “It’s just that she’s had a lot of time since your phone call to think about what you told her and wonder about the two of us.”

  “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it because we’re almost there.”

  They’d been driving on a road with acres of rolling green land dotted here and there by stands of cottonwood, pine and oak. The sun was low in the sky, just above Fall Mountain and the snowcapped peaks of the Rockies. The ranch compound came into view and included the main house, foreman’s cottage, a bunkhouse, barn and corrals. There were a series of fenced pastures close by.

  He drove through the open gate, underneath an arch that said “Flying C.” Beyond that Lani spotted the two-story, white-sided, blue-shuttered farmhouse with a wraparound porch. There were lights glowing in the windows. It was after six o’clock, and the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains, bathing everything in shadow.

  Russ parked the truck in front of the place. “Remember, don’t say too much. Let her do the talking.”

  “Trust me. I’ve had a lot of experience with that.” Of all people, he should know that sometimes a person just didn’t say much of anything. That was his standard operating procedure with Lani at the Ace in the Hole.

  Side by side they walked up the newly repaired steps to the door, which had a shiny new coat of paint and a fan-shaped window set into the wall above it. Russ knocked lightly, and Jordyn Leigh answered moments later. She was a pretty blonde who looked as if she didn’t have a deceptive bone in her body.

  “Hi, Detective Campbell. Come in.”

  The door opened to a small foyer with stairs in the center that led to the upper floor. There was a living room to the left and dining room on the right. The floor was wide-planked hardwood that looked freshly refinished, and the old-fashioned sash windows would let in lots of sunlight.

  Jordyn Leigh stood back and let them by. “Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Iced tea?”

  “Appreciate it, but no,” Russ told her. “This won’t take long. We don’t want to keep you.”

  “It’s very sweet of you to help,” Lani added.

  Jordyn Leigh smiled warmly. “Lani, I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  Lani looked around. Word on the street in Rust Creek Falls was that this place had been a mess when they moved in, but the two of them had worked hard to fix it up fast. The inside looked brand-new now and incredibly homey. She envied the newlyweds, finding each other and building a future together.

  “I guess you’ve been pretty busy settling into married life,” Lani said.

  “That’s for sure. I’ve been taking online classes for my degree in early childhood development on top of cleaning, repairing and upgrading this house.” Jordyn Leigh’s blue eyes sparkled with happiness. “I was surprised when the detective said you’d be here, Lani. How long have you two known each other?”

  Lani knew that was a polite way of asking how long they’d been dating. But since she’d been instructed not to say much, she looked at Russ, indicating he should field the question.

  “Well,” he said, “it’s a small town. You know how that is.”

  He could have said they weren’t dating but that would make her presence here more curious. Probably he was hoping to avoid any finer points to explain her tagging along, but no way that was going to fly, Lani thought. She decided to embellish.

  “We officially met at the big wedding reception, when he arrested me for dancing in the fountain.”

  “I heard about that.” Curiosity was obvious in the other woman’s eyes.

  “Technically I took her in for resisting arrest.” The look on Russ’s face indicated he still wondered why she’d done that.

  Jordyn Leigh smiled. “Sounds like there’s an interesting story there.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Lani said. “We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well since then.”

  She felt Russ’s disapproval and realized that his body language did not scream of his attraction to her. Either he was lousy at undercover assignments or he just didn’t like her. Too bad. There was more at stake here than his delicate sensibilities. They needed to look as if they at least liked each other. And she couldn’t resist messing with him a little.

  She moved closer and leaned her head against his shoulder. “You’d be surprised how romantic a jail cell can be. Right, Russ?”

  His eyes narrowed, but he turned into Detective Adorable and smiled that special smile as he slid an arm around her waist. “Don’t spread that around.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  “So, this is an official visit?” Jordyn Leigh asked. “You wanted to ask me about the night of the Traub-MacCallum wedding?”

  “That’s right,” Russ said.

  “You didn’t really have to drag Lani along for this. I feel completely comfortabl
e with anyone Sheriff Christensen trusts.”

  Lani knew there was a question buried in that statement and sent him an I-told-you-so look. She was going to cross that bridge he’d mentioned, and this would probably not make him happy.

  “We’re heading out to dinner after this. And it’s so sweet. He wanted me to ride along with him. Keep him company.”

  “That’s right.” His voice had a slight edge to it.

  “Very sweet.” The other woman smiled. “What did you want to ask?”

  Russ removed his arm from Lani’s waist. “Sounds like you and your husband just moved in.”

  “We did. Right after we got married on the Fourth.”

  “By all accounts, that was sudden. Did you know Will was buying property when you married him?”

  “Yes. We talked about it when I bumped into him at the wedding reception.” She frowned. “Why do you ask?”

  “It’s a nice spread, and he’s got plans to really make something of it.” Russ stopped and looked at the new bride.

  Lani recognized that this was his interrogation style and knew he was getting at a motive for spiking the punch. She knew this tough detective tactic was the fastest way to alienate Jordyn Leigh and shut off the free flow of information.

  Lani made a stab at damage control. “You moved here from Thunder Canyon a couple years ago, right? Didn’t you and Will know each other there?”

  “We grew up together. I had a crush on him for a while, but he always treated me like a kid sister.” Her eyes sparkled at the memory.

  “So, when he showed up here in town for the wedding, did you think about giving him a push in a direction you wanted him to go?” Russ asked.

  Lani wanted to elbow him in the ribs. He was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Probably this approach worked with a hardened criminal in the precinct interrogation room while half the force was watching from the other side of the two-way window. But on someone as sweet and innocent as Jordyn Leigh Cates—now Clifton—it was going to backfire. She needed a lighter touch.

  “What Russ means is, something must have shifted for Will, because it’s all over town how much in love the two of you are,” Lani said. “Talk about romantic. Since you two knew each other before, it can’t be love at first sight. More like being struck by lightning?”