When Dana pulled into her aunt’s driveway, the front door flew open and Kelsey dashed outside. Before Dana even cut the engine, Kelsey was next to the car pulling at the door handle.
Fear pulsed through Dana’s veins. Was Auntie Mary hurt?
She pushed open the car door and stood up, staggering back as Kelsey threw her arms around her waist, sobbing. With trembling fingers, Dana stroked her daughter’s hair. “What is it? What happened?”
Rafe blew past them, shooting her a worried look over Kelsey’s head. As he reached the porch, Auntie Mary stepped outside and waved her hands at him. “I’m fine. It’s not me.”
Dana cupped Kelsey’s face in her hands. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“Where were you, Mom? I was so scared.”
Rafe had tripped back down the steps and stood by the car, his hands fisted at his sides.
Dana recognized that look on his face. He wanted to swoop in and rescue them both, but he didn’t want to move too quickly around Kelsey until he got to know her better. God, what a mess she’d made of it all.
Clicking her tongue, Dana swept a tear from Kelsey’s cheek. “I’m okay. I went to find Sheriff McClintock…your father…to tell him all about you. He’s as anxious to get to know you as you are to get to know him.”
Kelsey stepped back into the curve of Dana’s arm and her gaze narrowed as she focused on Rafe. “You were with him?”
The lines on Rafe’s face deepened at Kelsey’s cold tone, and Dana shook her daughter. “I told you, Kelsey. I said I was going to find your father and bring him back here to introduce the two of you properly. What’s wrong with you?”
Kelsey wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and gripped Dana’s hand. “You were with the bad man. The man who hurts girls.”
Chapter Thirteen
His daughter’s words punched him in the gut. She knew about the Headband Killer? And she’d already fingered him as the culprit? Not a great start to a father-daughter relationship.
“Dana, what is she talking about?”
Dana had stumbled back against the car door, still clutching Kelsey’s hand. “You felt that? You knew I’d had contact with…with that man?”
“She started feeling agitated about an hour ago.” Auntie Mary stepped off the porch. “I tried to calm her down, but she insisted you were in danger.”
Rafe’s throat tightened as the truth sucked the air out of his lungs. His daughter was a Redbird. She had the gift too.
Dana smoothed a thumb across Kelsey’s cheek. “I wasn’t in danger. I had a vision. You know how that works.”
Kelsey sagged against her chest. “Yeah, I know how it works, but I have such strong feelings that you’re in trouble, Mom. They won’t go away.”
“The vision scared me. I’m not accustomed to them, but Sheriff McClintock, your father, he helped me.”
Kelsey turned her head and peered at Rafe through the long hair that hung over her face. “I didn’t really think…I know you’re not the bad man.”
His lips quirked into a smile even though worry still gnawed at his gut. “That’s okay. I’m protective of your mom too.”
Auntie Mary clucked her tongue and herded everyone inside the house. “Now that we know you two have that in common, let’s find out what else you share.”
RAFE THREW HIS FILES in his desk drawer and locked it. He grabbed his hat from the hook on the wall, hesitating as the phone rang. He called back to Brice, “You got that?”
“I’m on it.” Brice waved at Rafe to leave, but Rafe stopped with his hand on the doorknob.
“Silverhill Sheriff’s Department.” Brice paused. “The fight’s still going on?”
Rafe crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the door. Sounded like they might have to lock someone up in the tank.
Rolling his eyes, Brice covered the mouthpiece of the phone with his hand. “Fight at the Elk between Lenny Driscoll and Joshua Trujillo.”
Rafe raised his brows. Driscoll was getting a little old for bar fights, and Trujillo always struck him as a lover not a fighter. Must be booze, gambling or both.
“We’ll be right over, Chuck.” Brice shoved back from his desk and grabbed his keys. “You can take off, Sheriff. I know you have…things to do.”
Did everyone in town know he and Dana had a daughter? He opened the door and gestured Brice through. “If this involves Driscoll and alcohol, you’re going to need backup.”
By the time Rafe and Brice raced the few blocks to the Elk, other customers had broken up the fight and were restraining the two men, who glared and cursed at each other.
During the fight, the men had managed to knock over a couple of chairs and a potted plant. A few broken glasses littered the floor along with some playing cards.
Rafe settled between the two combatants with a wide stance, and their captors released them. “What’s the problem? I sure hope there wasn’t any gambling going on here. That’s illegal activity, even on the reservation.”
Lenny wiped his bloody mouth with his sleeve and grinned. “Just a friendly game, Sheriff. A friendly game I won fair and square.”
“You’re a cheater.” Joshua lunged at Lenny and Rafe stopped him with a hand to the chest. “Hold it. Someone tell me what happened, or I’m hauling both of you into the station.”
“I was playing some cards with some buddies.” Lenny jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the upended table. “Just a few small wagers, Sheriff, no big deal. This boy here wanted in on the game and started losing pretty big.”
“It was a setup. You were cheating from the start.”
Rafe held up his hands. “Does Joshua owe you money, Lenny? Because if that’s the case, you’d better walk away now while you’re ahead.”
“Oh, I got paid, Sheriff.” Lenny winked. “I don’t deal a card until I see the cold, hard cash…or something else…on the table.”
“C’mon Joshua.” Rafe took the other man by the arm. “Let it go now.”
Joshua shrugged him off. “You don’t get it, Rafe. How could you? You’re not Ute and neither is Driscoll, even though you both like to steal our women.”
Lenny laughed, which heightened Joshua’s color even more until he looked ready to go after Lenny…or him.
“That’s enough.” Gritting his teeth, Rafe put a hand on Joshua’s back and steered him toward the door. “Why are you worried about the stench of gambling now when you wanted to put a casino on the reservation?”
Joshua grabbed onto the doorjamb. “It’s not the gambling, it’s what I lost. I didn’t lose money to Lenny. I lost one of the seven sacred rings.”
Rafe dropped his hand from Joshua’s back. “A ring?”
He glanced at Lenny, now tossing a bright gold object in the air.
“It’s mine now, baby.” Lenny smirked. “And don’t start spouting that crap about your sacred Ute traditions. Ben tried to get you to donate the ring to his cultural center and you were holding out for the highest bidder.”
Joshua clenched his fists. “Is that why you tricked me out of the ring? You’re going to sell it to Ben?”
Rafe’s gaze tracked the ring as Lenny flicked it up and then snatched it in his hand over and over. He thrust out his own hand. “Let me see that ring.”
The tone of Rafe’s voice wiped the smile off Lenny’s face. “I won this ring, Sheriff. I have witnesses.”
“Give it over.” Rafe cupped his hand and crooked his finger.
Lenny dropped the heavy ring in Rafe’s palm. Pinching it between his fingers, Rafe turned the ring over and a fast pulse beat in his throat. The ring had a gold crown imprinted on its face.
The ring of a killer.
Running the pad of his thumb across the crown, his gaze shifted between Joshua’s tight-jawed face and Lenny’s scowling one. Unknown to both of them, they’d just become suspects in the Headband Killer case. He had to show this ring to Dana.
He closed his fist around the ring. “I’m holding on to this for now.”
Rafe tilted his chin toward the bar. “Drunk in public, public nuisance, assault, destruction of property. I’m taking this ring as evidence, and you’d both better hope I don’t decide to haul you in and charge you.”
Joshua stormed out of the bar and Lenny sauntered after him.
Chuck thanked Rafe, and he and a couple of his customers began picking up the chairs and sweeping the glass.
Brice asked, “What are you going to do with the ring? Driscoll may have won the ring at cards, but I’m sure he cheated if Joshua said so.”
Rafe dropped the ring in the pocket of his jacket. “I’m going to keep it until those two hotheads cool off. Then we’ll figure it out.”
He and Dana hadn’t told anyone in their respective departments about the ring, not even Emmett. How could they explain that the mark on the victims’ necks had come from a gold ring with a crown on it? Even after giving that hint to Dr. Simpson, he hadn’t come to any conclusions about it.
As Rafe dropped off Brice at the station, his cell phone buzzed.
Dana’s guarded voice came over the line, “Are you still coming over for dinner?”
Guess she still couldn’t quite believe he had an interest in getting to know his daughter. He must’ve put on one convincing act that he didn’t want anything to do with family or kids way back when. Had Dana really taken an eighteen-year-old kid that seriously?
“I’m on my way, but I need to see you before we go into the house. Business. Watch for my squad car and meet me out front.”
Twenty minutes later, Rafe pulled in front of Auntie Mary’s house, the ring burning a hole in his pocket. As soon as he stopped the car, Dana rushed down the front steps, casual in jeans and a sweater.
He powered down the window. “Hop inside.”
She drew her dark brows together, but walked around to the passenger side and slid into the car. “This must be important.”
Rafe scooped the ring from his pocket, opening his hand as he extended it to her.
Dana gasped, “That’s the ring. Where’d you get it?”
“I don’t want to tell you yet.”
She reached for the ring, but he snatched back his hand. “No.”
“Are you crazy?”
He’d seen this one coming and while he knew she’d win, he wanted to delay the inevitable. “Not now.”
Taking a deep breath, she gripped his arm. “You know as well as I do, we can’t waste time. What if he strikes tonight? What if he’s stalking somebody right now?”
Not likely, since he had his guy on patrol watching Lenny and Joshua was on his way to one of his clubs in Durango. But Dana didn’t have to know any of that yet. He didn’t want her vision tainted with prior knowledge.
Rafe uncurled his fingers and the ring picked up the light from Auntie Mary’s porch and glinted in his palm.
“That’s better.” Dana plucked the ring from his hand, traced the crown with her fingertip and then squeezed the ring in her fist. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes.
Rafe held his breath. He studied her face while he clutched the steering wheel as if ready for takeoff. Only she’d be the one to take off, not him.
Her steady breathing filled the car. Her lashes fluttered, and Rafe ground his teeth together. Maybe this would be the last time she’d have to go through this.
“Damn.” Her eyelids flew open, and she shook the ring in her hand. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean, nothing?” He swallowed around the lump in his throat.
“I’m not getting anything from this ring—no feelings at all. Nothing.”
“Could it be because it changed hands?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “I don’t know the rules of this game or if there even are any rules.”
“Don’t you think it’s about time we told your aunt what’s going on with you? Now that Kelsey’s here, it’s not just about you anymore.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She handed the ring back to him. “Do you want to tell me where you got it now?”
“It belonged to Joshua Trujillo. He lost it playing cards with Lenny.”
“Oh, my God. Joshua?” She covered her mouth, her eyes wide above her hand. “Did you check out his alibi after you questioned him about interviewing Lindy for a job at his club?”
“Believe me, I’m going to go through his file with a magnifying glass tomorrow. But tonight I’m going to spend some time with my daughter before she has to go back to Denver.”
They reached Auntie Mary’s front door and Dana pushed it open, poking her head inside. “I hope you didn’t start dinner without us.”
Auntie Mary came out of the small kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel, with Kelsey close on her heels. “We waited. Kelsey helped me set the table.”
Kelsey directed them to their places, putting herself opposite Rafe. The discovery of the ring had temporarily reduced Rafe’s anxiety over this meeting with his daughter. Now the lump returned to his throat and even the mouthwatering smell of the beef stew couldn’t jump-start his appetite. Even worse, Kelsey’s steady gaze had him picking at the meat and shoving the vegetables around his plate as if he was a five-year-old.
Kelsey obviously suffered no such anxiety. She chewed vigorously as she sized him up. Suddenly, she dropped her fork and Rafe jumped. “We don’t look much alike, do we?”
“Well—” Rafe wiped his napkin across his mouth “—you look very much like your mom.”
Kelsey sighed. “I know. People tell me that all the time.”
“You and your dad have the same mouth, the same smile.” Dana rubbed Kelsey’s arm. “I know that because you both smile a lot.”
Kelsey flashed her white teeth in a big grin, and Rafe responded with the identical grin. They both laughed, a similar sound of unbridled joy. The knot in Rafe’s chest vanished and his appetite returned.
He and his daughter spent the rest of the meal chatting and getting to know each other. They had a similar outlook on life, which both pleased and alarmed Rafe. Kelsey definitely didn’t possess her mother’s serious, studious nature. Kelsey had a carefree attitude, which probably allowed her, at the tender age of nine, to jump on a bus for a seven-hour journey to Durango.
Scary stuff, this parenting business.
The meal ended and Kelsey’s bedtime rolled around sooner than Rafe expected or wanted.
Kelsey got ready for bed and Dana came out of the bedroom with a smile from ear to ear. “Kelsey wants you to tuck her in.”
Rafe swallowed. Nine-year olds got tucked in? And what exactly did tucking in entail? “Sure.”
He crept into the darkened room, a bedside lamp throwing a small pool of light on Kelsey’s face. “I suppose you’re too old for a bedtime story?”
“Yeah, I can read myself.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t like to read.”
“I gathered that from our conversation.” He sat on the edge of her bed. “Maybe when you get a little older, I’ll loan you a couple of Mark Twain books. His stories are funny and full of adventure. You might like him.”
Kelsey surveyed him through narrowed eyes. “Maybe. You’re mad at Mom, aren’t you?”
“Not mad exactly, maybe a little upset.” Rafe rubbed his palms on his jeans. So much for having a shy, sweet little girl.
“Does that mean you’re going to go away?” She plucked at the bedcovers. “Does that mean you don’t want to see us anymore?”
Rafe grabbed her small hands and chafed them between his. “No. However I feel about your mom, you’re my daughter. I still have a lot to learn about you. I like you.”
He bit his tongue. Should he have said love? He loved her already. How could he not?
Kelsey’s wide grin split her face. “I like you too…Sheriff.”
Rafe exhaled. He’d made the right move. He didn’t want to rush her. He made a big deal out of tucking the covers around Kelsey and turning off the lamp. Then he kissed the top of her
head and tiptoed out of the room.
When he walked into the living room, Dana met his gaze with a crease between her brows. “How’d it go?”
Guess his ability to be a father still concerned her. “I don’t think my visit is going to give her nightmares, if that’s what you mean.”
“That’s not what I mean. It’s clear you two are like peas in a pod.” She laced her fingers together and clenched her hands. “I told Auntie Mary about my visions.”
His gaze darted to Auntie Mary’s face, creased with worry. “And?”
Auntie Mary took a sip of hot tea before she answered. “And I think you two should’ve come to me sooner. Dana is inexperienced in the use of the gift, which could lead to real trouble.”
“Did you tell Auntie Mary about the ring?”
Dana shook her head. “I didn’t get to that part yet.”
Dana explained how she felt the ring on the killer’s finger, and that Rafe had just confiscated a ring that had been the subject of a bet between Lenny and Joshua Trujillo and that Dana had identified it as the same ring the killer wore when he had strangled his victims.
Auntie Mary had gone very still and clutched her cane in front of her. “What kind of ring is this? Can you describe it to me?”
“We can do better than that.” He pulled the ring from his pocket, leaned forward and handed it to Auntie Mary.
She slipped it over the first knuckle of her gnarled index finger and held it in front of her. “I know all about this ring. It’s one of the seven sacred rings.”
Seven sacred rings. Dana squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lower lip. “Why does that sound familiar to me?”
“There was a time when you actually listened to the old stories.” Auntie Mary shook her finger at Dana, and the ring glinted in the firelight. “When the Spanish began to come into Ute land, they were eager to make peace with the Ute. One of the Spanish conquistadors brought seven rings with him from King Philip, and the Spanish leader gave a ring to the head of each of the seven Ute groups that existed at the time.”
Dana chastised herself once again for trying to shut out the mysticism of her culture. Instead of running from it, she should have been handing it down to Kelsey. Maybe Kelsey would be safe at home now if Dana hadn’t tried so hard to squelch her daughter’s natural gift.
The Sheriff of Silverhill Page 15