by Vella Munn
Tight. Bailing her out? What kind of relationship did the two have? The answer probably didn’t matter when it came to the investigation, but Mia was far from just a source. He didn’t have a name for what she was to him, didn’t really want to think about it.
“Mia and I found a mess,” he said.
“Do you have pictures?”
“Yes. Unfortunately I can’t show them to you right now because they’re part of the investigation. One thing before I leave—if you do learn anything, I’d appreciate you telling me.”
“I’m not a stooge.”
“I understand, but shooting a nursing cow is about as bad as it gets. In essence, two animals were killed.”
Ram frowned. “Yeah.”
Ram cared about Mia, at least he had. Jeff would be a fool not to work that angle. “There’s something else. The cow was still alive when Mia found it. She slit its throat to put it out of its misery.”
“Ah, shit.” Ram pressed his palm to his forehead. “That sucks.”
Knowing he’d gotten to the man reinforced Jeff’s hope that his cop instincts weren’t as rusty as he’d thought they might be. He’d been nuts when he’d tried to convince himself he could close the door on that painful chapter in his life by leaving where it had happened.
Ram wasn’t a particularly tall man, a shade under six feet, but with wide, muscled shoulders. His arms and legs were a little short to be in proportion with his torso, but Jeff allowed as how some women would be attracted to his dark brown eyes and shaggy, curly hair. Ram was blue-collar through and through, physical from his stubble to his worn boots. He was solidly built and would probably gain weight as he got older. His voice was deep. That, among other things, might have appealed to Mia.
“What do you want from me?” Ram asked.
“Anything you can give me.”
The moment of semi-closeness between the men faded as Ram considered what Jeff had said. “And if I decide not to?”
Jeff returned Ram’s stare. “Okay, I get where you’re coming from. The success of your guiding business depends on recommendations. You’re reluctant to jeopardize that, but Mia wants to see justice done. So do I.”
“Mia,” Ram spoke slowly. “She’s special.”
I’m starting to believe she is. Instead of saying anything, he waited.
“She doesn’t need a man,” Ram continued. “Hell, how she dealt with the cow—a woman who looks like she does, at first, I figured she’d use that to her advantage if you know what I mean. Having sole responsibility for the farm, you’d think she’d be desperate for help. I was more than willing to be that man. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out between us.”
“Oh?”
Ram grunted. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
* * * *
“I’m not going to apologize,” Mia told Ram, less than an hour later. “I had no idea Jeff Julian was going to talk to you. Either you believe me or you don’t.”
“That’s for me to know and for you to try to figure out,” Ram replied.
This time of the year, just about the only people who came to the tree farm showed up to make a delivery. Now, between Jeff and Ram, it seemed as if she was always being interrupted by men who wanted something from her. She’d been in her office with the windows open when she’d heard Ram’s pickup. Her first impulse had been to look for something that might work as a weapon, but it was crazy to think like that. Yes, he’d grabbed her arms when she’d told him she was firing him, but then he’d backed away, apologizing as he did. Recalling the incident, she’d concluded that his reaction had surprised him as much as it had her. Just the same, she’d decided to talk to him on her porch, not inside.
He’d been holding a can of beer when he got out of his truck. Judging by what he was wearing, and the sawdust clinging to him, she surmised he’d just gotten off work. The beer, as long as he kept it to one, didn’t bother her.
“It isn’t my responsibility to try to sway you one way or the other,” she replied. “And, to point out the obvious, I have no idea what the conversation between Jeff and you was about.”
“Yeah. You probably don’t.” Ram took a long swallow. “I’m sorry I came on strong. The wildlife cop put me in an awkward position.”
“In what way?”
“If I hear anything, which I haven’t, I have to decide what to tell Julian.”
“I hope you make the right decision.”
“Yeah, well—I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“There you go again, being tough. Officer Julian told me what you did to the cow.”
“Oh.” She suppressed a shudder. “I didn’t feel I had a choice.”
“You could have shot it.”
“And risk the poacher hearing?”
“Yeah, you’re right. There’s something else I’m curious about. He wouldn’t show me pictures of the carcass. Did you take any?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Did the dogs do a lot of damage? He said they did. He also said you identified prints of something that wasn’t a dog.”
She’d unsuccessfully been trying to wipe her mind clear of what she’d seen both times she’d been on Dark Mountain. This conversation wasn’t helping, which was Jeff’s fault. The least he could have done was let her know he intended to talk to her former employee.
Unless Jeff’s agenda involved her in ways he had no intention of revealing.
As she contemplated that possibility, in addition to Jeff maybe not knowing about her history with Ram, her anger switched from Ram to Jeff. If Jeff was playing her—
“I took pictures when he did,” she said.
“What about when you were first up there?”
“I didn’t have my cell with me,” she lied. “I don’t think I should show you what I have. Jeff must have his reasons for—”
“What reasons? That’s what pisses me off. He wants me to help him while he keeps me in the dark.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m sorry I brought that up. I’m here in part to express sympathy. My old man raised terriers because they’re death on rats, so I have a pretty good idea what the elk looked like.”
“No you don’t.”
“Bad as that? I know you saw dog prints, but is it possible wolves got into the act?”
“No. Wolves get right at feeding. Most times they don’t play with a kill.”
He whistled. “And the body was played with?”
Darn Jeff. His thinking and acting like a cop was his business, not hers. “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll get my cell phone.”
To her relief, Ram didn’t offer to come inside. Either the beer was having an impact on him, or he understood she wanted to keep things casual between them. Because she’d already loaded all of the pictures onto her laptop, she deleted everything she’d taken while she was alone. Then she went back onto her porch and handed her phone to Ram.
“That body’s a mess all right,” he said after thumbing through the images. “I’m sorry you’re involved. Sorry we both are. Let Julian do what he’s getting paid for. Stay out of it.”
“I’m trying to,” she said, even though she wasn’t.
He studied the distance between them. “I’m sorry things went wrong between us. I admire you. I want you to know that.”
“Thank you.”
She should say something else, but she knew so little about what went on between men and women. Ram had invaded her space and tried to step into her world. In some respects, she’d reacted like a trapped animal when she’d thrown his toothbrush and other personal items into a bag and shoved it at him.
It had been awkward, embarrassing, but she’d felt relief after he’d left. Alone as she’d been for most of her life.
* * * *
“Why didn’t you show him the picture of the calf or Ice?” Jeff asked.
“Because I didn’t. Look, I didn’t call so you could critique my conversation wit
h Ram. I wanted you to know I don’t appreciate being made part of the investigation. The least you could have done was give me advance notice.”
“I’m sorry and surprised he came to you, but guessing he would have wouldn’t have changed how I’m handling things.”
She’d already suspected that, but hearing Jeff’s admission solidified things in her mind. The time she’d spent on Dark Mountain with him was a world apart from what was going on now. She’d spent the day waging war on aphids while he was knee-deep in trying to learn who the poacher or poachers were. She attacked tiny insects. He went after killers.
“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me what your plan is,” she said. “Let me know who your suspects are.”
“Even if I was free to, that’s fluid. Conversations take investigations in different and often unanticipated directions.”
He hadn’t answered her question about suspects, but really what did it matter? She probably wouldn’t know any of them.
“I would never tell Ram about Ice,” she said. “It might be too much of a temptation for him.”
“Plus it’s possible he’d tell his hunting buddies.”
It was nearly dark and a bottle of wine was in her refrigerator. However, instead of pouring herself a glass, she was outside talking to Jeff on her cell, wondering where he was, what he’d been doing when she’d called.
Another night was coming to Dark Mountain. Maybe there’d be nothing left of the cow elk by morning. Maybe whatever had been eating her would turn to the calf.
“I wouldn’t make a very good detective,” she admitted. “I’m not suspicious by nature. Also, growing up, I interacted with very few people. You have to have people skills for the job, right?”
He didn’t immediately reply. “Technically I’m not a detective, but you’re right. You don’t learn about motivation and instinct in a vacuum. Do you ever regret your upbringing?” he asked. “Wish it hadn’t been so isolated?”
She’d called to give him a piece of her mind, not talk about her past. “Not really.”
“You said your aunt and uncle raised you. Do you mind telling me where your parents were?”
“No, I don’t mind,” she told him, when she’d have preferred not to say anything. Between his deep, disembodied voice, the encroaching night, and thoughts that wouldn’t leave Dark Mountain, this wasn’t going to be easy. “My folks never married. My dad was killed crab fishing when I was five. A year later my mother was diagnosed with cancer. She lived just a few months after that.”
“Which made you an orphan. I’m sorry.”
People always said that, which was why she didn’t bring it up if she had a choice. Either Jeff really meant it—or being cut off from everything, and his low voice taking over was messing with her mind.
“My mother and uncle were siblings. His children were already grown and he was on his second marriage. He was there a lot before Mom died. I left the hospital with him after she was pronounced. He took me to the apartment where Mom and I’d been living, packed my belongings, and placed them and me in his truck. A few days later we were at his cabin.”
“Am I right that your relationship with your aunt wasn’t particularly close?”
“Oh, she was all right. A rugged, self-contained woman. She didn’t believe in showing emotion.”
“Not even for a child who has lost her only parent?”
No. “Ancient history, Jeff. And it has nothing to do with why I called. Can you tell me if you have plans to talk to Ram again?”
“Would it bother you if I did?”
“Why should it? All I care about is learning who shot the elk and making him pay for it.”
* * * *
Thanks to the cloud cover, it wasn’t as cold as it had been last night. Either Melinda had noticed and approved, or she was too tired to complain.
No, Kendall amended as she poked a fork into the foil-wrapped potato on the small camp stove. Melinda couldn’t be as tired as the others, because she’d spent most of the day here with their belongings instead of searching for the bull with Lyle, Summer and him. He didn’t know what she’d done for all those hours and didn’t care, beyond being thankful that she was in a better mood than she’d been in yesterday. The smell of marijuana explained a lot. Summer had shared a joint with Melinda while he and Lyle had opted for whiskey. He was buzzed, but not drunk. However, if he didn’t eat something and continued to drink, he’d soon be there.
Given how he was feeling, that might be a great idea. Finding the dead calf with a broken neck had made him sick.
“Watch it.” Summer indicated the flask he was holding. “The last time you finished one of those you barfed.” She sat cross-legged on their sleeping bag. “I don’t think we’re going to find him. I think we should pack it in tomorrow.”
By him she obviously meant the bull.
“That’s not what you said this morning.”
“So? Look, you better not laugh at what I’m going to say, but I don’t like it here.”
Neither do I. “Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Fine. I’m sorry I said anything.”
With just a single LED lantern as defense against the night, he couldn’t see his girlfriend’s expression, but he didn’t need to. Her fist slamming into his knee left him with no doubt about her mood.
“Hey, stop it.” He grabbed her wrist before she could slug him again and pushed her back against the ground. She struggled to sit up, but he straddled her waist. “What’s got into you?” he demanded. “What’s wrong with my saying I don’t understand?”
She thumped his chest. “That’s not what you said. Let me the hell up.”
“What for?” Her moving about under him was turning him on. “I’ve been watching you all day and getting hot and bothered. Time for you to do something about it.”
She went still. “Now? Dinner’s about ready.”
Even though she had hardly any meat on her bones, Summer could eat like a horse, something none of them had done since morning. No wonder her stomach was doing her thinking.
“I’ll let you up when you promise not to hit me.”
“Fuck you.”
“That can be arranged.” He didn’t give a damn whether Lyle and Melinda were listening, Summer had his full attention. Despite what his cock was saying, he needed to get back to her comment about not liking it here. What he didn’t need was her asking questions about the calf. “But not until you explain yourself.”
She bucked. “Let me up and—”
“No.” He pressed down. “First, you talk.”
“Fine. Shit. Fine. It doesn’t feel right here. Like we’re being watched.”
“By who?” Lyle asked from somewhere in the night.
“How the hell would I know?” Summer shot back. “That’s what makes it so weird. Don’t tell me the rest of you haven’t felt it? What if there’s cameras out there or a damn drone up where we can’t see it? Wildlife officers spying on us.”
That was too sophisticated, at least he hoped to hell it was. As far as he knew, wildlife officers had no idea what had gone on here. Even if someone had stumbled on the carcasses, there hadn’t been time to set up any kind of surveillance. Also, like his old man and other hunters always said, it took wildlife officers forever to get their shit together. It could be bad once they decided to do something, but until then—
“Calm down, woman,” he told Summer. “Get some food to go with that weed. Then you’ll stop thinking crazy.”
“Crazy?” she shot back. “Okay, you tell me this. Do you want to spend tomorrow clomping around this damn place, or get off the mountain?”
Away. Gone. No more being creeped out over his damned imagination.
“There’s going to be hell to pay if we don’t get the girls back to their folks tomorrow,” he told his cousin. “We’ve looked everywhere. Almost everywhere. The elk tracks keep petering out on rocks and shit. What if— We’ll
come back later. Bring reinforcements.”
“Yeah.” Lyle made the word last a long time. “We need more eyeballs on this search.”
Not saying anything, Kendall lifted himself off Summer and helped her sit up. She didn’t cuddle against him, but then that had never been her way. At least she didn’t move away.
He wanted it to be morning, which was weird since he’d spent hundreds of nights in the woods and not minded.
Chapter Eight
Lobo had used his fangs to keep Smoke, their offspring, and Gun away from the human invaders. Now, with her pups play fighting nearby, Smoke acknowledged her mate’s wisdom when it came to caution. In the time they’d been together, she’d learned that Lobo understood what it took to survive far better than she ever would. She didn’t always understand what drove him, particularly his deep distrust of humans. In addition, the hostility between Lobo and Gun made her uncomfortable, but thanks to Lobo’s hunting skill, their pups were thriving. Also, with every day, their wilderness skills grew.
What her mate didn’t grasp was her powerful need to watch the humans who’d invaded their sanctuary, a need that was deeply tied to the source. If she let Lobo have his way, the small pack would be deep in the forest, far from where a human had ended a life. But despite Lobo’s insistence on putting safety first, she’d insisted on staying near the human scents. She’d unsuccessfully tried to make Lobo understand that her actions were beyond her control, ruled by the source.
She and her brother were crouched on a rise that overlooked where the four humans had spent last night and appeared to be getting ready to do again. Three of the humans had walked about for most of the day. Thanks to the source’s wisdom, she understood they were trying to locate the herd of elk led by the big white bull. As long as they were unsuccessful in their search, the source was content to let the humans wander. Another human, a woman, had remained close to the belongings. Smoke had been tempted to reveal herself, to see how the woman would react, but every time she tried to come closer, an unpleasant stench had repelled her. The woman had spent a lot of the day putting a smelly stick in her mouth and dozing.
