At Close Range

by Laura Griffin

  “Whose is it?”

  “Property’s owned by a Zachary Greene. I chatted up the clerk and found out he’s got a couple more properties there on the lake.”

  Dani turned to look at the burned-out house. “How many?”

  “Three. And he also owns a ranch out there, too, off White Hill Road by the old quarry.”

  “Any chance it’s a horse ranch?”

  “No idea.”

  “Text me the other addresses.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “Are you alone? Don’t do anything impulsive.”

  She felt a spurt of annoyance. “I won’t. Just text me the info.”

  She hung up with Sean and took another look at the lake. Then she trudged uphill to her car. She’d forgotten to crack the windows, and already it felt like an oven as she slid behind the wheel. A text landed on her phone, but this one was from Scott.

  Call me.

  Her heart skittered. She called him back as she started the car.

  “Hey, guess what? I’m back to work.”

  The relief in his voice made her smile. And that he’d called to tell her. She loved that he wanted to share his news with her.

  “Good for you. What happened?”

  “Rachel talked to the director, told him about Doern and how the case was taking a new direction.”

  Dani already knew Scott was on a first-name basis with the DA, so she wasn’t sure why it bugged her to hear him talk about her.

  “That’s great. So, you’re back at Delphi now?”

  “Yeah. Where are you?”

  “Not far from you, actually. I’m at Dove Lake, checking out Kreznik’s fishing cabin.”

  “Anything interesting?”

  “Turns out it isn’t his and he doesn’t use it for fishing.”

  She told him about Zachary Greene’s owning the property, along with several more cabins and a ranch nearby.

  “I don’t like it,” Scott said.

  “Don’t like what?”

  “Any of it. Who is this guy?”

  Another message landed on her phone. Sean had sent three addresses, and one was on Mockingbird Road. Dani made a U-turn and headed for the house.

  “I’m not sure yet,” she said.

  “Let me run him down for you.”

  Dani sighed. “I suppose it wouldn’t help for me to mention that you aren’t an investigator on this case?”

  “Nope. I’ll run him down and call you back.”

  He hung up, and Dani dropped her phone into the cup holder. Scott’s involvement still bothered her. But he wouldn’t let go. And she had to admit, he’d been instrumental in cracking the case. The prints on the shell casings provided indisputable proof of Doern’s involvement in the attack in New Mexico. The feds wouldn’t have found those casings if Scott hadn’t drawn their attention to them. And now Doern was the subject of a nationwide manhunt, thanks mostly to Scott. Where would the investigation be if he hadn’t been so damn stubborn about being involved?

  The road curved. She slowed to look at a mailbox and found the address she was looking for. She pulled over. The small house was on stilts and had a view of the lake. Dani noticed the car parked beside it.

  A cherry-red Mustang convertible.

  “No way,” she muttered. She stared at the plate for a moment, then texted the digits to Sean. Her heart was racing, and she felt certain she was looking at Audrey Ayers’s Mustang.

  Sean came right back. WTF?

  She called him. “That’s the tag on Audrey’s Mustang, right?”

  “Right. Where the hell are you?”

  “Zachary Greene’s cabin.”

  Dani was out of the car now, circling the house, but everything was dark. She peeked through one of the dusty front windows and saw a small living room with mismatched furniture. This place didn’t look like Audrey Ayers at all, yet her car was right there in the driveway.

  “I’m on my way out there, Dani. Don’t do anything without me.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like go nosing around that cabin by yourself.”

  “I already did and there’s no one here.”

  “Damn it, Dani. Would you wait for me?”

  “I want to talk to Zachary Greene. Maybe Ric should come, too, since he knows all the background.”

  “You mean you didn’t hear?”

  “Hear what?”

  “Ric’s at the hospital. Mia’s having the baby.”

  “What? He didn’t call me!”

  “He didn’t call anyone. The man ran out of here like his hair was on fire. And don’t try to change the subject. Don’t go anywhere until I catch up to you, you got me?”

  • • •

  Dani tapped the steering wheel as she waited on the shoulder of the two-lane highway. She glanced at her watch. Then she looked at Zachary Greene’s gate again and contemplated going in solo.

  At last Sean pulled up beside her and rolled down his window. “I’m surprised you waited.”

  “So am I.”

  “Your car or mine?”

  “Yours,” Dani said, getting out.

  He was in his personal vehicle today, a black pickup that would be less conspicuous than Dani’s unmarked police unit. She climbed into the truck and scowled at the collection of fast-food wrappers on his floorboards.

  “Jeez, Sean.”

  “Hey, I’ve been busy.”

  He turned into the private driveway and pulled up to a wrought-iron gate. There was a keypad with a call button, and Sean turned to Dani. “You know how you want to play this?”

  “Just keep it vague.”

  “Why don’t you talk.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re female. Less intimidating.”

  Dani rolled her eyes as he pressed the call button. A few seconds ticked by and then a woman’s voice come over the intercom.

  “Yes, please?”

  Dani couldn’t place the accent. Something Eastern European. She leaned across Sean to talk into the speaker.

  “Yes, I’m Detective Daniele Harper here to see Zac Greene,” she said, taking a chance on the nickname.

  For a moment, nothing. Then: “And what is this regarding?”

  “Police business.”

  Another long pause. “He is in a meeting at the stable.”

  Dani glanced at Sean.

  “One moment,” the voice said. There was a long buzz and the gate slid open.

  Sean raised his window and rolled through. “Easier than I thought.”

  They made their way through a tunnel of huge oak trees. Horses stood in the shade, watching them lazily and flicking their tails.

  Dani glanced at Sean. “Ric told you our theory?”

  “That our vics were cloning polo ponies for that rancher in New Mexico. And a rival down here lured them away, so the guy decided to off them and eliminate the competition.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I thought it sounded far-fetched. But seeing all these horses here . . . I don’t know. Could be something to it.”

  The driveway curved, and a hacienda-style house came into view—white adobe with an orange-tile roof. A driveway circled around a large water fountain where a shiny black Mercedes was parked beside a black Porsche.

  “The woman on the intercom said the stable,” Dani said. “Let’s try there first, maybe catch him off guard.”

  Sean passed the house. The tree-lined road dipped down to a wide clearing with a forest-green stable. Behind it was an enormous barn, also forest green. Between the two buildings was a paddock where a blond woman in riding attire was mounting a horse.

  Sean pulled up and slid to a stop beside a black Range Rover and golf cart.

  “He likes black vehicles,” Sean said as he turned off the engine. “We blend right in.”

  Dani stared at the golf cart, which had a silver Z monogrammed across the front. “Z Ranch.”

  “What’s that?”

/>   “This is Z Ranch.” She glanced at Sean. “That rich doctor lives here. You remember, his wife wrapped her Mercedes around a tree a week ago?”

  “Huh.” Sean glanced around. “That explains the money. You go talk to Greene. I’m going to have a quiet look around.”

  “Are you looking for Audrey?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” He pulled his phone from the pocket of his jacket. “Set your phone to vibrate. I’ll ping you if anything comes up, you do the same.”

  They got out. Dani headed straight for the stable, hoping to distract Greene before he noticed an unattended guest wandering around his property.

  She paused inside the building for a moment to let her eyes adjust. The place smelled of manure and hay, and rock music played in a tack room to her right. Inside one of the stalls a woman with a long blond ponytail stood with her back to Dani, brushing down a chestnut-colored horse. She glanced over her shoulder as Dani walked past, but didn’t say anything.

  After passing half a dozen stalls Dani reached an open door. She stepped through it and nearly bumped into the chest of a tall, dark-haired man.

  “Hi,” she said, startled. “I’m Detective Daniele Harper.” She took out her badge. “Are you Zachary Greene?”

  “I am.”

  She could tell by his expression someone had called to give him the heads-up. Had he been leaving or coming out to meet her? She stood her ground and gazed up at him. He wore jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt that stretched taut over his chest.

  “Detective.” He cleared his throat. “Please come in.”

  He stepped back and ushered her into a small but nicely appointed office with a mahogany desk and matching credenza. Dani glanced at the Oriental rug on the floor, which struck her as strangely formal with all the dirt and hay everywhere else.

  “Sit down.” His tone immediately irked her.

  “I’ll stand, thanks.”

  He arched his eyebrows and sank into a black leather chair behind the desk. “How may I help you?”

  She tucked her thumbs into her front pockets and looked him over for a moment. He was late forties. Attractive. Jet-black hair without a touch of gray at the temples, and a conspicuous lack of crow’s-feet around his eyes. If he wasn’t a plastic surgeon, he obviously knew one.

  Dani glanced around the office, noting the trophies on the credenza, the crystal bowl, the framed photos. Several pictures showed Greene atop a horse and holding a polo mallet. Another photo showed him standing beside a horse with Marco Varela.

  They were connected. She was staring at proof. Were they friends or business associates or both?

  “So,” Dani said, gathering her thoughts. “You have a nice ranch here. What is it, five hundred acres?” It was a wild guess.

  “Eleven hundred.” He smiled, treating her to a flash of perfectly whitened teeth.

  “I see you have a lot of horses. What kind are they?”

  “Criollos. And quarter horses.”

  Dani didn’t know horses, but they sounded expensive. “And do you breed them?”

  “I buy them.”

  “Why, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  Greene gave a casual shrug. “It’s a hobby. Some people collect cars. Jewelry. I like animals.” He tipped his head to the side. “Is there a purpose to these questions, Detective . . . ?”

  “Harper.”

  “Right.” He glanced at his Rolex and gave her a pointed look.

  “Sorry, just curious.” Now it was her turn to smile. “I’ll get to the point. I’m looking into the death of James Ayers and Tessa Lovett.”

  “The professor.”

  “And his assistant, yes. Did you know him?”

  Greene steepled his hands in front of him. “The shooting by the lake. I read about it in the paper.”

  Way to dodge the question.

  “Did you know him?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Because James’s widow is staying in your lake house at the moment.”

  Surprise flickered across his face, but he quickly covered it.

  “Audrey. Yes. She’s a patient.”

  “A patient?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Excuse me,” a woman said, stepping into the doorway. It was the blonde who’d been grooming the horse, and Dani saw now that she was extremely pregnant.

  “Dr. Z, your wife is looking for you,” she said in a soft voice with an Eastern European accent.

  “Thank you, Tatiana.” He stood up. “Detective Harper, excuse me for a moment.”

  Greene walked out. The blonde looked Dani up and down and then followed the doctor.

  Dani stared after them. She glanced around the office again, and her stomach plummeted as it all fell into place.

  “Shit,” she muttered. She rushed out the door, but Greene and the woman were gone. Dani jogged past the stalls as her phone vibrated in her pocket.

  An engine roared to life. Dani broke into a run as a blur of black whisked past the door. Dani raced outside in time to see the Range Rover peeling away with a spray of gravel.

  “Shit!”

  “Dani!”

  She turned around to see Sean sprinting for his truck.

  “Come on!” he yelled.

  She ran around to the passenger side and jumped in. He gunned it backward before she even had the door shut, then made a lightning-fast three-point turn.

  “He’s fleeing the scene!” Sean floored the pedal and raced after the Rover.

  “He’s not headed for the gate. Where’s he going?”

  “Hell if I know. What did you tell him?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You spooked him. What happened?”

  “I don’t know. I asked him about Audrey.” Dani yanked out her phone to call backup, but she had a call coming in. “I can’t talk right now,” she barked at Scott.

  “Don’t hang up. I just ran Greene. He’s an OB. A fertility specialist.”

  “I know, and he’s getting away. I can’t talk! I have to call it in—”

  The windshield exploded.

  Dani screamed and ducked, dropping the phone.

  “Shit, watch out!” Sean swerved.

  Pop!

  They sped over a bump, catching air. Sean cast a frantic look at her. “Get down! Someone’s shooting!”

  Dani snatched her phone off the floor and hung up on Scott. She jabbed the button for 911 as Sean ducked low and tried to steer.

  Pop!

  They careened off the road. Dani braced her hands against the dash as she heard a loud crack and a shriek of metal.

  CHAPTER 26

  “Daniele? Daniele?”

  Scott sailed across two lanes and pulled a one-handed U-turn in the center lane while gripping his phone. Horns blared. He swerved into traffic and stomped on the gas.

  “Daniele, are you there?”

  Scott’s gut clenched. There was nothing, only silence so loud it made his ears ring.

  • • •

  “Dani.”

  Everything was dark. Quiet.

  “Dani, come on.”

  She lifted her head and pain pulsed behind her eyes.

  “Dani.”

  She turned toward the sound. Sean. He was a shadowy form behind the steering wheel, and everything came back to her.

  They’d crashed into a tree.

  They were surrounded by leaves and branches now, and the front of the truck was tilted down. They’d plunged into a ditch or a ravine or—

  “You’re bleeding,” she said, moving toward him. Blood saturated his shoulder.

  “My leg’s pinned,” he said tightly.

  She reached for her seat belt, but it wasn’t fastened. She scrambled over the console and tried his door, but it was completely smashed in and wouldn’t move.

  “Damn it!”

  “Dani, listen to me. We’re wedged between two trees.”

  She looked around, trying t
o make sense out of their dim surroundings. Foliage blocked the view out of every window. But maybe that provided camouflage from the shooter.

  Dani stripped off her jacket. “Can you sit forward?”

  “Yeah, but—ouch!”

  “Sorry.” She carefully wrapped the fabric around Sean’s arm. Sweat streamed down his face, and he’d gone pale.

  “I think my leg’s broken.” He winced as she wrapped his upper arm where the blood was rushing out. He was lucky it wasn’t a chest wound, but there was so much blood.

  “Dani, I got this.” He pressed his hand against the makeshift bandage. “But you have to get your door open and go get help.”

  She turned and tried her door. It wouldn’t budge. Cursing, she tried it again. “It’s not pinned, but—”

  “Try again.”

  She heard the raw pain in his voice. Damn it, she needed to get them both out of here.

  Where was the shooter?

  Was it Zac Greene? A physician? Dani’s head was spinning. Her stomach felt queasy. But even amid her confusion, she somehow knew exactly who was on the other end of that gun.

  “Hang on.” She repositioned herself so she could use her legs. She tried the door latch again and gave a mighty push with both feet. Branches scraped against metal as she thrust the door open.

  “Thank God.” She turned around, and Sean’s head was tipped back against the seat. His eyes were squeezed shut, and blood had already soaked through the jacket tied around his arm.

  “Go get help.”

  “I will.”

  “Don’t come back until you find it. We don’t both need to be out here.”

  She shimmied through the door opening and looked around. It wasn’t a ditch but a ravine. A deep one. They’d plunged almost to the bottom and been stopped by two trees.

  She turned onto her stomach and slid out feetfirst, trying to hold the door open with her shoulders so it wouldn’t shut on her. Her toes touched the ground. As she got her footing, she was at eye level with the floor of the truck. She noticed her phone on the floor and snatched it up and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans.

  Crack.

  She glanced up at the top of the ravine, expecting at any moment to see Rodney Doern staring down the barrel at her.

  She glanced at Sean. He was clutching his wound as blood seeped through his fingers.