by Kat Martin
McBride wolfed down his sandwich and wiped his hands on a paper napkin. He looked over at Meadows, who downed the last of his coffee and set the cup down on the table.
Both men rose. “We may have more questions,” Chief McBride said. “I hope you aren’t planning any lengthy trips in the near future.”
“Not at the moment,” Kade said. “I’d appreciate your keeping me informed.”
“As much as we can,” the detective promised. The men left the house, and a few minutes later, Ellie heard the sound of a helicopter lifting away.
“You think the murders are connected?” Kade asked, as they returned to the house.
Ellie’s mind was churning, running through the information they had just learned. “The police think so. There are certainly enough similarities to make it plausible. Both beautiful women who disappeared without a trace, then turned up murdered, presumably killed just days after they went missing.”
“The cause of death is the same,” Kade said.
She nodded. “Both beaten and strangled. And the timing is interesting.”
“How so?”
“Barbara Meeks disappeared three weeks ago. Your wife’s vehicle was found a month ago—a week before Barbara disappeared. If it’s the same guy, the discovery of the car could have been a trigger of some kind.”
Kade’s golden eyes darkened. “The story was in all the newspapers, at least in this area and Denver. They rehashed the murder, finding the body two years later, and then the car turning up in the lake.”
“So maybe the killer reads the article and remembers the way it happened. Remembers what it felt like to murder Heather—or why he did it. If he’s a local, it’s possible he was even there when they pulled the car out of the water.”
Kade’s jaw flexed.
“I’m not saying that’s what happened, or even that the murders are connected. But it’s a possibility we need to consider.”
Kade paused at the door to his study. “I’m glad you’ll be working the case full-time now.” He looked hard at Ellie. “I don’t want to see another woman turn up dead.”
* * *
Though it was Sunday and most of the hands had the day off, Kade needed to be working. While Ellie dug around on the computer, Kade changed out of his church clothes, walked out to the barn, and saddled Hannibal. He needed to do some physical labor, something that would keep his mind off Barbara Meeks and the man who had killed her. Possibly the same man who had murdered his wife.
The hands had been pulling wire and mending fence posts in the north pasture, so Kade rode in that direction and arrived twenty minutes later. Swinging down from the big buckskin’s saddle, he tethered the horse where there was graze and went to work.
It was a bright day, and the sun was warm on his back through his flannel shirt. It felt good to stretch his muscles, ease some of the tension in his neck and shoulders.
He was pleasantly tired, the sun riding low on the horizon, when he headed back to the ranch house. He was surprised at the way it cheered him to walk in and find Ellie in the kitchen.
“You’re home,” she said, smiling. Damp heat curled fine ruby strands of hair at her temples, and a soft red sweater curved over her breasts. She was female temptation personified. “You rode off by yourself,” she said. “I was starting to worry.”
Warmth spread through him. “It’s nice to have someone worrying about me, darlin’. But I’m fine. Better after a little hard work.”
Elle grabbed a potholder and pulled a tray out of the oven. This was her last night working with Maria in the kitchen, and both of their aprons were dusted with flour. Some of the hands were already seated at the table, back from wherever they had gone on their day off.
Alejandro stood near the window, his arm in a sling, but the bandage was gone from his shoulder or at least was smaller, hidden beneath his denim shirt. Kade didn’t miss the intense dark gaze that tracked Maria’s every move across the floor, or the soft look on the girl’s face whenever she noticed.
Damn.
Maria was destined for heartbreak, and aside from firing one of his top hands, there was nothing he could do.
Kade walked over to Alejandro. “How are you feeling?” Those dark eyes swung toward him. “Much better. I moved back into the bunkhouse. I think I’ll be able to return to work in a day or two.”
“Maybe. If you put in shorter hours and leave the heavy lifting to the rest of the men.”
Alejandro just nodded. Maria was laughing at something Ellie said, and Alejandro was clearly distracted by the softly feminine sound.
“You got something on your mind?” Kade asked.
Alejandro shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Kade’s glance went to Maria. “I don’t think it’s nothing. I think it’s a woman, and we both know which one. The question is what are you going to do about it?”
Alejandro’s jaw firmed with resolution, but there was something bleak in his eyes. “I’m not the man for her. She’s too innocent, too sweet. She deserves someone better than me.”
“I’m not going to argue with you,” Kade said. “Maria is everything good in a female. On the other hand, you shouldn’t sell yourself short. You’re a good man, Alejandro. I guess it just depends on how much the woman means to you, and if she were yours, how you would treat her.” Kade set a hand on the man’s uninjured shoulder. “Give it some thought.”
Kade headed for his seat at the head of the table, and Alejandro sat down next to Seth on one of the benches. The meal was served, pot roast, always a Sunday favorite. They ate and talked. Kade mentioned he had worked on the fence in the north pasture.
“I got that last stretch done just before it started getting dark.”
“You didn’t have to do that, boss,” Wyatt said.
Kade swallowed a mouthful of the succulent roast beef. “I’ve had a lot on my mind. I needed a little exercise.”
Wyatt nodded. The men all understood how tough it was to run a ranch the size of the Diamond Bar, the stress Kade was often under.
“Seth spotted some strays up on Bear Tooth Ridge.” Roy grinned. “We can always use an extra hand.”
Kade chuckled. “I’ve got another project I’m working on. Which brings me to a topic I’ve been wanting to discuss.” He stood and motioned for Ellie to join him at the head of the table.
“I want to introduce you men to someone. You already know her name, but not the real reason she’s here. Ellie’s a damn fine cook—as you all know by now. But that’s not why I hired her. After Heather’s car turned up in the lake, I decided to start digging again, see if I could find the man who killed her. Ellie’s a private investigator. She’s looking for the man who murdered my wife. That’s the reason she’s here.”
Nobody spoke.
Seth turned a hard look on Ellie. “You’re a private investigator?” He made it sound like a crime, and Kade felt the tension building in the air.
“That’s right,” Ellie said. “I work for a company called Nighthawk Security in Denver.”
“So you came here to dig up dirt on all of us?” Slate accused.
“I don’t appreciate being spied on,” Roy added.
“Neither do I,” said Riley.
Ellie raised her hand. “Before all of you go completely ballistic, I want you to know that I’ve been looking at anyone and everyone who knew Heather Logan. I focused on you men first because you live on the ranch. I checked you out very thoroughly—and I’m pretty good at finding pertinent information.”
“And?” Wyatt pressed, clearly not happy he hadn’t been trusted with the truth.
“I found out that Kade has some very fine men working for him. You aren’t perfect—nobody is. But near as I could discover, you guys are loyal, honest, and trustworthy. Kade’s lucky to have you.”
Silence fell.
“Ellie’s still looking for the killer,” Kade said. “She’ll be doing that full-time from now on. But none of you are on her suspect list. I want this guy. I want him to get wh
at he deserves. I hope you’ll give Ellie whatever help she needs.”
“That’s it, then?” Roy asked. “No more spying?”
Ellie smiled. “Where you guys are concerned, the spying is over. Anybody have any questions?”
“I do,” Wyatt said. “You been here a while. You got any idea who this guy is?”
“We got a little sidetracked with Frank Keller,” Kade explained.
“Now that Keller’s dead, Ellie’s back to work on Heather’s murder.”
Ellie surveyed the men, who seemed satisfied with her answers. She turned. “If that’s all, I think it’s time for dessert. Maria?”
The young woman smiled. “We have hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream.” She lifted the heavy tray and started walking. Turtle rose and took the tray. Anticipation wiped away the last of the men’s hostility. It was hard to stay mad when you were stuffing your face with hot apple pie.
Kade sat back down and returned to eating. Once the evening was over, he planned to persuade Ellie to join him upstairs in his bed.
A different sort of anticipation poured through him, making his body stir to life. He glanced at Ellie. He wasn’t sure what there was about her that fired his blood. He just knew he wanted her.
Tomorrow they would start working again to find a killer. Tonight he had plans for Ellie that had nothing to do with murder.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
THREE DAYS PASSED. THREE NIGHTS THAT ELLIE SPENT IN KADE’S bed. It was wonderful—and it was terrifying. She wasn’t an emotional risk-taker, and she was definitely taking a risk with Kade.
In the end, she was bound to get hurt, but the time she spent with Kade was worth it. In the meantime, she was a private investigator. She intended to do her job.
Now that a second victim had been found, she needed to know if the two women’s murders were connected, and if so, what that connection was.
She figured McBride and the Denver police would be working that angle, but she wasn’t sure how much information they would be willing to share.
Yesterday, Detective Meadows had phoned Kade with the coroner’s report on Barbara Meeks. Strangulation was confirmed as the cause of death, which made it a homicide. The victim had been badly beaten, and there were signs of recent sex, but no indication of rape and no DNA.
Nothing new there.
Kade had also heard from the lab in Eagle, which had called with the results of the water sample from the hole that had sickened his cows. According to the lab, the waterhole had definitely been poisoned. But the cows had recovered, and with Keller dead, it seemed a moot point now.
Late Wednesday afternoon, a deputy from Routt County showed up at the ranch to return the weapons taken at the scene of Frank Keller’s murder. Ballistics proved no shots had been fired from either pistol. Keller, left-handed, had been shot in the right temple. No powder residue on either hand. His death was officially a homicide.
Sitting in front of her laptop on Thursday morning, Ellie studied the screen, her focus once more on Barbara Meeks. There were dozens of articles written about her. Barbara was a well-known member of Denver society, the wife of the CEO of an important company. With her long brown hair, high cheekbones, and full lips, she was beautiful. According to the articles, she was charming, born into a wealthy family, accepted in the highest ranks of the Denver elite. The couple had no children.
Articles published after her disappearance focused on pleas from friends and family, including her husband, for any information that might help bring her home. After her body was discovered, the articles recapped her disappearance and speculated that she had been murdered. After the autopsy, the assumption was officially confirmed.
Ellie had just printed several photos of the woman when her cell phone rang. She grabbed the phone off the writing desk, recognized the number, and smiled.
“Hey, Zoe, I’m glad you phoned.” It was a FaceTime call. Zoe’s short blond hair and pixie features moved animatedly on the screen. She really did look like Tinkerbelle.
“Hey, girlfriend. How’s ranch life?”
“Kind of feels good to be back in the country after so many years in the city. I’m out of the kitchen now, working the murder case full-time.”
“That should speed things up.”
“I hope so.”
“So here’s what I’ve got. First, the bartender at the Elkhorn, Rance Sullivan? His father’s Irish, and his mother’s Italian. Not Native American at all.”
Ellie laughed. “So now we know Rance is a liar.”
Zoe chuckled. “I’m guessing he’s the kind of guy who’s willing to say anything to get a woman in bed. But aside from a few speeding tickets and a drunk-driving arrest ten years ago, I don’t see anything that looks suspicious.”
“I’m not surprised. He didn’t really strike me as dangerous, or the sort to get emotionally involved enough to commit a crime of passion.”
“You think that’s what it was?”
“That’s the theory I’m currently working.”
“Speaking of passion, you’ll be happy to know I didn’t find any indication of abuse in Heather Logan’s medical records. Your guy doesn’t appear to be a threat.”
Your guy. Ellie felt a pinch in her chest. Kade was hers for a little while longer; then she would return to the life she’d had before. She felt a pang at the thought.
“Kade’s kind of old-fashioned when it comes to women,” Ellie said. “Sort of a white-hat kind of guy, if you know what I mean. I didn’t expect you to find anything, but it’s always better to know for sure.”
“Have you come up with any new leads?” Zoe asked.
“Boulder police came out Sunday. The body of a woman named Barbara Meeks turned up. She disappeared not quite a month ago, was strangled and buried in a shallow grave. Lots of similarities between her death and Heather Logan’s. I’m trying to find a connection between the two women. So far without much success.”
“Eight years is a long time. You want me to take a look?”
“I do, but not yet. I need a little more information first. How’s it going with you and Chad?”
Zoe sighed. “We decided to take a break from each other. We’ll stay friends—with benefits, of course. I’ll still see him once in a while.”
Ellie smiled. “When you get the itch, right?”
Zoe didn’t laugh. “I guess so.”
“But cooling things down was your idea?”
“Sort of. Let me know if you need me.”
“Will do.” Ellie ended the call, a little worried about her usually carefree friend.
She went back to perusing information on the net. Barbara Meeks came from old money. She’d been married to Bryan Meeks, CEO of Red Tag Advanced Software, which specialized in designing programs for big international companies. In the early interviews, Bryan appeared to be devastated by his wife’s disappearance. After her body was found, he seemed more angry than grief-stricken.
It reminded her of Kade and the rage that still simmered inside him. Was there a chance that Barbara, like Heather, could have been having an affair? She wondered again if it were possible both women were involved with the same man. If that man could have killed them both.
It was a big leap without more information. But the police were certainly considering the possibility, and it fit the theory she was working.
She dug around a little more, searching for a link in the women’s lives, people they both might have known, business acquaintances, hobbies they both might have enjoyed. Neither had children, so there were no connections along those lines. She searched for something that would link Barbara to Coffee Springs but also turned up nothing.
And the eight-year gap made it even harder to establish a connection.
An article mentioned a women’s charity golf event at the exclusive Cherry Creek Country Club, in the neighborhood where Barbara and her husband lived. Barbara also played tennis, but Ellie didn’t think Heather had been involved in either of those sports, and there was
nothing in the articles about riding or anything to do with horses.
Ellie sighed, the task seemingly hopeless. She needed to make a trip to Denver to talk to Bryan Meeks. Maybe Barbara’s husband could help.
Ellie left the bedroom in search of Kade and found him behind the dark oak desk in his study. She knocked on the open door, and Kade rose.
“Come on in.” He shoved back his chair and rounded the desk, crossed the room in several long strides. Her eyes widened as he hauled her into his arms, bent his head, and very thoroughly kissed her.
“That isn’t . . . isn’t why I came,” she said breathlessly.
His golden eyes were hot. “No? Close the door, darlin’, and tell me what you want. I’m more than happy to oblige.”
Ellie laughed. “You’re insatiable.”
He chuckled. “Only when it comes to you.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “So what’s going on?”
“I need to go to Denver. I want to talk to Bryan Meeks, see if I can find something Barbara and Heather had in common, a way they could have met the same man, the man who eventually killed them.”
Kade tugged her over to the leather chairs in front of his desk, and both of them sat down.
“What have you got so far?”
“Well, we know both women were in their late twenties, beautiful, and childless. Both were married to wealthy, successful men, which gave them access to plenty of money.”
“Heather loved to go shopping in Denver. Maybe she and Barbara bought clothes from the same store.”
“An exclusive boutique is definitely something to consider. The Cherry Creek Mall is one of the most exclusive shopping areas in the city, and the Meeks’s family home is in the area. It’s certainly worth checking out.”
“What else?”
“I haven’t found any mutual friends or hobbies, but after I talk to Barbara’s husband, that might change. It’s going to take some time. I’m planning to stay overnight.”
Kade nodded. “All right. I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have to do that. I have an apartment there, so I have a place to stay. I know how busy you are.”
“I’ve got things pretty much under control around here, at least for the moment. When do you want to leave?”
