by Jane Jamison
“Oh.” Once again, she’d hit a dead end. “Do you have any idea at all? I’m running out of ideas. I’m thinking about calling the police.”
“Don’t bother.”
“What? Why not?”
Liz cast her a pitying look. “Lonesome is a small town. We don’t have a police force. Folks around here tend to handle problems themselves.”
“Then I’ll call the State Patrol. The National Guard. Whoever handles the law out here.”
Liz put her hand on Joy’s arm. “I get how frustrated you are, but calling in the authorities won’t help. You bring outside law into Lonesome and everyone’s going to clam up big time. Trust me. That’s not the way to handle it.”
“Then how? Tell me what I should do.” Joy couldn’t stop the fear tinging her tone.
“Keep checking around here. But, more than likely, if he’s with friends from around these parts, then he’s doing just fine. He’s probably held up in some hunter’s blind getting drunk and swamping hunting stories.”
“Do you really think so?”
“That makes as much sense as anything else.”
“Okay. I’ll keep asking around. But if nothing turns up soon, I’m going to have to hop a plane to Vegas.”
Liz took a long swig of her drink. “Why to Vegas?”
“That’s where someone said John and the Mesa brothers went.”
Liz carefully lowered her glass. “Is that right? Huh. And the Mesa brothers went with him?”
“Or him with them.” She sighed and slid her phone back into her pocket.
“And who told you that?” Liz swiveled the bar stool so that she faced Joy.
“Kit. The waitress at the diner? Do you know her?”
“I sure do. She’s a friend of mine.”
For some unknown reason, Joy couldn’t see Liz and Kit together. Liz was so open, so friendly, so genuinely sincere. While Kit had seemed friendly, yet somehow guarded. “At least, that’s what she said Charlie Mesa and John had said they were going.”
“Huh.” Liz took another sip.
“I get the feeling you don’t think they went to Vegas.”
“No, no. I mean, I don’t know. They didn’t say anything to me.” She paused as though trying to decide whether to say more. “It’s just that Charlie hates Vegas.”
“He does? Then why would he go there?” Both Charlie and John weren’t into Vegas. Which, of course, made it even less likely that they’d go on a trip to Sin City.
Liz shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe his brothers talked him into it. I don’t know.” She paused again. “And Kit told you this?”
“Yes. Why?” She wanted to beg Liz to tell her everything but managed to hold back. The last thing she wanted to do was to make Liz back away from her.
“Oh, no reason really. Kit and the Mesa brothers dated for a short time. In fact, Kit was infatuated with them. Then again, she tends to get involved with men too fast.” She winced. “I shouldn’t be talking about Kit. Forget I said that, okay?”
“I won’t say a word. But then it makes sense that Kit would know where they are, right?”
Liz averted her eyes. “Yes and no. She might, but I think it might go the other way. I can’t see them telling her about the trip.” Her gaze met Joy’s. “Especially since the Mesa brothers broke up with her.”
“They did? Did she take it hard?” A twinge of doubt crept inside Joy. She hadn’t had a good feeling about Kit, and that feeling was growing.
“I don’t know. It’s difficult to tell with Kit. She holds her cards tightly against her chest.”
“Then I’m confused. Do you think she’s right about them going to Vegas?”
Liz shrugged again then drank the rest of her Coke in one quick swallow. “I don’t know. I mean, Kit’s always been honest with me.” She slid off the stool.
Joy caught her by the arm. “I feel like there’s a but at the end of that sentence. Please, tell me what you’re thinking.”
Liz tugged her arm free. “No but. Not really.” She bit her lower lip. “It’s just that, now that I think about it, Kit hasn’t seemed like herself the past couple of weeks.”
“And you think that might be because of the Mesa brothers?” She couldn’t help but hope she’d get some kind of information that would help her find John.
Liz laughed again, but this time the sound was forced. “I don’t know what I’m saying.” She lifted her empty glass. “Maybe this had rum in it, after all. Anyway, I’m only thinking out loud. Don’t pay me any attention. Kit’s a good person. If she said they went to Vegas, then they went to Vegas.” She placed her hand on Joy’s arm. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more. If I hear anything, I’ll get in touch with you. You’re staying at Miss Kitty’s, right?”
“How’d you know?” Joy’s chest felt heavy. She kept coming up empty in her search.
“Because everyone does. Take care, Joy.” Liz gave her a smile that was filled with pity then turned on her heel and headed for the door.
Joy looked down at her drink that she had barely touched. “Bartender?”
“Yep, pretty lady?” He strode to her and leaned on the bar.
“I changed my mind.” She pushed her glass toward him. “Put some booze in this, please.”
“No problem.”
She studied the worn top of the bar, uncertain where to go next. Should she go to Vegas? And yet, her gut told her no.
Then where?
Liz had said Kit was a good person. So why didn’t she believe her?
Instead of drinking the drink with the rum added, she put a ten-dollar bill on the counter and slid off the stool. As she hurried to the door, she called to the bartender to keep the change.
* * * *
“Are you sure you don’t know where they are?” The hard knot in Joy’s stomach grew harder, bigger. She’d found the Mesa brothers’ ranch easily and then come across a large man working in the nearby pasture.
Bill Hastings lifted the posthole digger, wiped his brow, and scowled. “Look, lady, I’ve already told you what I know. Trust me, if I knew how to get hold of the Mesa brothers, I would. I expected to feed the herd and tend to the horses, but I didn’t expect to be digging post holes.”
“And Kit was the one who asked you to take care of their ranch?” The more she talked to Bill, the more she was certain that things were not adding up. And right in the middle of the crazy equation was Kit.
“She did.”
“So you and your brothers are taking care of their ranch without even talking to them?”
He let out a breath heavy with frustration. “That’s what we do around these parts. Neighbors help other neighbors.”
“Of course. Right.” She couldn’t resist. “But don’t you find it strange? I mean, surely they would’ve checked in with you about their ranch by now. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah. I guess that’s kind of odd.”
“Aren’t you worried about them?”
His laugh was full and throaty. “Hell, no. They can handle themselves better than most.”
“But, don’t you think maybe you should call the police?”
“Nope. Folks in Lonesome like to handle their own shit. If I called anyone in authority, especially outside of Lonesome, the Mesa brothers would have my head. Either that or die laughing at me acting like a pussy. Pardon my French.”
“But…” Why wasn’t anyone worried about them? It was as though they were superheroes or something. Indestructible even.
He tilted his head to the side, his irritation evident in his scowl. “Is there anything else I can help you with? If not, I’d like to get back to work. I’ve got my own place to tend to after I get the work done here.”
“No. Thanks.” Defeated, she turned to walk away then quickly reversed her direction to ask one more question. “Mr. Hastings…”
“Name’s Bill.”
“Bill, don’t you find it a little strange that only Kit seemed to know about their trip to Vegas?”
&nb
sp; He nodded ever so slightly. “I guess so. Then again, you get used to strange things happening around here.” Tipping his sweat-soaked cowboy hat, he went back to work.
What the hell does that mean?
Yet, she didn’t ask. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
* * * *
Joy fought back against her frayed nerves. After leaving her car farther down the road that led to the modest two-story ranch house, she started walking toward the gate that closed the yard off from the road. If the gate was locked, would she climb over it? But then how would she explain doing so to Kit?
What the hell am I doing? I’m about to trespass on private property, not to mention breaking and entering a home. Hell, I don’t know for certain that Kit knows anything about John. Or that anything bad has even happened.
Yet she couldn’t shake the idea that Kit knew where her brother was. Questions kept hitting her. Why was Kit the only one who knew the Mesa brothers and John had gone to Vegas? And why did Kit seem nervous when she’d questioned her? Whether it was wishful thinking or a gut feeling, she had to make sure. Most likely she’d find nothing that would help, but doing something was better than doing nothing.
Her heart plummeted when she saw the chain wrapped around the gate with a padlock holding it closed. Climbing over it wouldn’t be too difficult, but there was the problem of explaining why she’d done it.
Do I turn around, or do I keep going?
She mulled over the question a moment before taking out her phone to check for any calls. She found herself staring at John’s photo. She’d move heaven and earth to help John, so what was one little locked fence? Rallying her determination, she put her right foot into one of the openings in the chain fence and pulled her body up and over it.
Landing on her feet without even a wobble, she froze, her breath held, and waited to see if anyone had heard her. The house was still several yards away with a barn set back even farther from the road.
Here goes nothing.
Yet exactly what did she intend to do? Peek into the windows? Test the door and see if it was unlocked? It was highly doubtful that Kit would padlock the gate then leave the door or even a window unlocked.
Should she knock and see if anyone was home? And then what? Tell them that she’d hopped the fence just to say hello?
Crap. I did not think this through.
Instead, she’d asked the first person she’d run into at the Whiskers and Whiskey Saloon to give her directions to the Mesa brothers’ ranch and the Higrams’ ranch. Although the Higrams’ ranch was well out of town, the directions she’d received were dead-on.
Silently, she chastised herself. Why hadn’t she used all that driving time to think of a better plan? Instead, her mind had gone on autopilot, concentrating on following the directions and not thinking ahead.
She had only two options left. Either she left or she did what she’d come to do. Snoop.
Taking care to be quiet, she headed for the barn first. If Kit was in the house, then at least she’d get to check out the barn before getting caught. She was still a few yards away from the barn when a voice came from behind her.
“What do you think you’re doing here?”
Shit and double shit.
Joy pulled in a breath, plastered on a fake smile, then turned around to face Kit. “Oh, there you are.”
Kit held a shotgun in the crook of her arm. She didn’t return the smile, fake or otherwise. “Were you looking for me?”
“Yes. Of course. Why else would I be here?” Why else indeed. Her mind scrambled to come up with another reason.
“You were looking for me?” Kit’s eyes narrowed. “Then why were you going to the barn instead of the house?”
“Oh. Uh.” Joy glanced at the barn then at the house as though one of those structures would give her a reason. What was on the barn door? Chains? Why would anyone put chains on a barn door? To keep something out? Or something in? Animals couldn’t get out even without the chains over the bar. So if it wasn’t animals she was trying to keep in the barn, then what was it?
“Are you going to say something or what?”
“Um, I already knocked on the door, and no one answered.”
Shit and double shit. And damn it all to hell. I just fucked up.
A gleam of victory shone on Kit’s face. “But I was in the house. Sitting right there in the living room next to the front door.” A smile came then, and it wasn’t fake. It was, however, one born of satisfied glee. “Watching you climb over the fence.”
Joy suddenly wished the ground would open up and swallow her. At least then she wouldn’t have to admit that she’d lied to Kit. Instead, she adopted a confused look and said, “You were? Huh. That’s strange.”
“Yeah. It’s all very strange.” Kit tipped her head to the side. “You really shouldn’t go sneaking up on people.” She shifted the shotgun from one arm to the next. “It’s called trespassing. People get shot doing stupid shit like that.”
The friendly waitress at the diner was gone. Instead, Joy was facing a woman who might do anything. Including threatening her with a gun. She was stuck and needed a way out of the situation.
“Tell me why you’re really here, Joy,” demanded Kit as her smile faded.
She decided to go for it. If Kit wanted to shoot her, she would have already done so. At least, that was what she was hoping. “Miss Kitty told me that you’re housesitting. And, since you seem to be the last person who saw my brother, I wanted to talk to you. Maybe you could remember something else besides the Vegas trip.”
“Nope. Not a thing.” Kit planted her feet apart as though getting ready to lift the gun and fire.
If it was the last thing she did, Joy would find John. Yet, until now, she hadn’t really thought it would be the last thing she did. She drew in a steadying breath, determined to get Kit to tell her more. “The thing is this. John doesn’t like Vegas. I can’t see him going.”
“I think we’ve been over this.” Kit’s impatience shown in her hard look.
“I get that. I do. But are you sure they actually went on the trip? Are you sure they’re not somewhere nearby?” She fought the urge to look toward the barn or the house.
“Have you checked the Mesa brothers’ ranch? I’d think that their ranch would be the one you’d want to sneak around.”
Sneak around. Shit.
Instead of cringing, she kept her emotions in check. “Actually, I did. Right before I came here. Friends of theirs are taking care of the stock.” She took a couple of steps toward Kit. If Kit lifted the gun to shoot her, could she reach her in time to block the shot? “In fact, Bill Hastings told me that you called him and his brothers and asked them to take care of the ranch. Why wouldn’t the Mesa brothers call them? Why did you have to do it? Especially since you said Charlie only mentioned the Vegas trip to you in passing.”
“What does it matter?” Kit lifted the gun just enough to act as a warning without actually pointing it at Joy. “I think we’ve talked enough. I want you to leave. Now.”
“Miss Kitty and Liz Avery said you were a nice person.” She kept on, daring to push Kit. “I’m not getting that impression.”
Anger flashed across Kit’s face. “Why are you talking about me, anyway? You need to keep your nose in your own business. In fact, you’d do yourself a good one if you’d get in your car and go home.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I find my brother.”
Damn it. She knows something.
At last, Kit lifted the shotgun and pointed it directly at Joy. “You need to leave right now. I’m not going to ask you twice.”
“Fine. I’m going.” She strode past Kit, determined not to show any fear even though her heart was pounding. She’d leave for now, but she wasn’t going home. More and more, her gut told her that Kit knew more than she was saying.
She stopped at the gate, looked to Kit to see if she’d unlock it. But Kit, the shotgun resting in her crossed arms, merely lifted an eyebrow.
After she dropped to the other side, Kit was all smiles. “You take care going home, you hear.” Turning, Kit stalked back toward the house, paused once at the front door to look back at Joy, then went inside.
Stay cool. She’s watching.
Wanting to get under Kit’s skin more, she stayed where she was.
Movement caught her attention at the side of the barn. A small boy, perhaps eight or nine years old, peeked around the far corner. He held a brown and white toy bunny in his arms as he stared at Joy. At first, she was worried that Kit would see him, but he’d managed to peek around a corner she doubted could be seen from the house.
Not wanting to draw any attention to the child, she pivoted around and headed for her car. By the time, she was at the driver’s side and glanced back at the barn, the boy was gone. She slid behind the wheel, started the car, then backed it onto the main road.
Things are definitely not right with that woman. She knows something, and I’m going to find out what that something is.
* * * *
Mars’ lion was going stir crazy. Every day, every hour, every minute he spent in the cage with his brothers and John was driving him closer and closer to giving in to his lion. Not that it would do any of them any good to lose control. If they did, there was no telling what Kit might do.
Yet when they’d heard voices outside in the yard, his lion had almost won the battle. He’d partially shifted, and only Win and Charlie begging him to remain quiet had kept him from giving in to his animal.
They’d listened to the women, not hearing what they’d said, but still aching to call out. But they hadn’t. If they had, would Kit have shot the visitor? She’d warned them often enough about making any sounds, vowing she would kill anyone who heard them. John, tears in his eyes, had jerked the bars, pressing his face between two of them as he listened to the exchange.
Once Joy had gone, they’d remained silent for several, long, sad minutes. Disappointment took their voices. Heartache stilled their words.
“I’m not sure how much more of this I can take,” muttered Mars. “It might be better to change and make her shoot me in the head. At least then, it would be over with.”