Justice at Cardwell Ranch

by BJ Daniels

  “Then I’m wearing this,” Liza said, studying her reflection in the mirror. She loved the black-and-white polka-dot dress. “This is as dressy as this cowgirl is going to get.”

  Dana laughed. “Good for you.”

  As Liza changed back into her jeans, boots and uniform shirt, Dana said, “So have you seen my brother?”

  She shook her head. “Not since earlier. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him, either.”

  “He is still a suspect, right?” Hilde asked, sounding worried.

  Liza realized that her two friends were worried about her being taken in by Jordan. She had to smile, warmed by their concern.

  “I hope I don’t have to remind you that he was best friends with both Tanner and Alex and now they’re both dead,” Hilde said. “I grew up around Jordan. He always had a temper.” She shot a look at Dana, who nodded, though with obvious regret.

  “People change,” Liza said, instantly regretting coming to Jordan’s defense. She saw Hilde and Dana exchange a look. “What?”

  “It’s Stacy. I think she’s changed,” Dana said.

  “You hope she’s changed,” Hilde corrected.

  “Hud told me he was doing some checking into her past,” Liza said. “I assume he didn’t find anything.”

  “That’s just it, he found nothing and that has him even more worried,” Dana said. “Him and his marshal intuition.”

  Liza laughed. “Don’t be joking around about our intuition.” She’d been a green deputy six years ago, but Hud had taken her under his wing after seeing what he called an instinct for the job. Now he trusted her to handle this investigation and that meant everything to her.

  The three women visited for a while longer, then Liza said she had to get moving. “The cocktail party and dinner is tonight. I’ve studied up on the players. Jordan had a list of those attending. Surprisingly, or maybe not, all eight of the Big Sky senior graduates will be up at Mountain Village tonight. Everyone but Alex and Tanner, that is.” It was a small class twenty years ago. Although they attended high school down in Bozeman, they wanted their own reunion up here. Only in the past few years had Big Sky gotten its own high school.

  “Just be careful,” Dana said. “I know a few of those women.” She pretended to shudder. “They’re vicious.”

  “I don’t think they’re that bad,” Hilde said. “I work out at Yogamotion. They’re nice to me.”

  This time Dana and Liza exchanged a look. Hilde was petite, blonde and lithe. She would fit right in.

  Dana reached for Liza’s hand and squeezed it. “Just don’t forget that one of them could be a killer.”

  * * *

  JORDAN HAD SPENT THE REST of the afternoon writing down everything he could remember about his senior year of high school, especially what might pertain to Tanner and Alex.

  The trip down memory lane had exhausted him. When he glanced at his watch, he’d been shocked to see how late it was. He quickly showered and changed and drove over to pick up his date.

  What surprised him was the frisson of excitement he felt as he rang Liza’s bell. He realized with a start that he hadn’t been on a real date in years. Since his divorce he’d stayed clear of women.

  When he’d left the canyon, he’d shed the cowboy side of him like an old snakeskin. He’d wanted bright lights and big city. He’d wanted sophistication. He’d kicked the Montana ranch dust off his boots and hadn’t looked back.

  That was how he’d ended up married to Jill. He’d been flattered that a model would even give him a second look. She’d been thrilled that he came from Montana ranch stock, saying she was bored with New York City–type men.

  What he hadn’t realized was that Jill thought he had money. She’d thought the ranch was the size of Ted Turner’s apparently and couldn’t wait to get her hands on the funds it would bring in once it sold.

  He’d gotten caught up in trying to make her happy, even though she’d quit modeling the moment they were married and spent her days spending more money than he could make on Wall Street.

  Now he could admit that he had become obsessed with keeping her. Although he hadn’t acknowledged it to himself back then, he’d known that if he ran out of money, Jill would run out on him.

  And she had—just as Dana had predicted. He hadn’t wanted to hear it six years ago. Hell, he didn’t like to think about it even now. The truth hurt. He’d fought back, of course, driving an even wider wedge between himself and his younger sister.

  When Dana had discovered their mother’s new will in that damned cookbook at the ranch house, Jill had realized there would be no ranch sale, no gold at the end of the rainbow, and she’d split. In truth, she’d already had some New York male model lined up long before that.

  It had been some hard knocks, but he felt as if they had maybe knocked some sense into him. He saw things clearer than he had before. Mary Justice Cardwell had tried to instill values in her children. He’d rejected most of them, but they were still at his core, he thought as he rang Liza Turner’s doorbell again.

  When the door opened, he was taken completely off guard by the woman standing there. Liza took his breath away. She was wearing a black-and-white polka-dot dress that accentuated curves he’d had no idea were beneath her uniform. Her beautiful long curly hair had been pulled up, wisps of curls framing her face and she smelled heavenly.

  “Wow, you look killer,” he said when he caught his breath.

  “So to speak,” she said, sounding embarrassed as she quickly stuffed her gun into her purse. “My feet already hurt in these shoes.”

  He smiled at her. “You can kick them off the minute we hit the dance floor.”

  “Dance floor?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

  “Didn’t I mention I do one hell of a two-step?”

  She took him in, her gaze pausing on his cowboy boots.

  “Dana had a box of my clothes dropped off at the cabin,” he said, feeling sheepish. It was so like Dana to be thoughtful. He’d found the boots as well as a couple of dress Western shirts and a Western-cut sports coat. He’d been surprised when everything still fit.

  “You are a man of many surprises,” she said, sounding almost as if she meant it.

  He laughed. “You haven’t seen anything yet.” As he walked her to his rental SUV, he breathed in her scent, thinking he couldn’t wait to get this woman in his arms on the dance floor.

  * * *

  DANA SUCKED ON HER BLEEDING finger. Needlepoint wasn’t for her, she decided after jabbing herself another time. She surveyed her stitches and cringed. As Stacy came into the bedroom, she tossed the needlepoint aside, glad for an interruption.

  Earlier, Mary and Hank had come in and colored with her before their naps. She missed holding them on her lap, missed even more riding horses with them around the corral. All these beautiful fall days felt wasted lying in bed. But Hud had promised to take both kids out tomorrow.

  As Stacy came over to the side of her bed, Dana saw that her sister had the cookbook open to their mother’s double chocolate brownies.

  “Is it all right if I make these?” Stacy asked.

  They were Hud’s favorite. That’s why Mary Justice Cardwell had tucked her new will in her old, worn and faded cookbook next to the recipe. She’d wanted Dana not only to have the ranch—but the man she loved beside her.

  “Sure. Hud would like that,” Dana said, disappointed she couldn’t even do something as simple as bake a pan of brownies for her husband.

  “Mother used to make them for Dad, remember? Do you ever see him?”

  “On occasion. Usually a holiday. He and Uncle Harlan keep pretty busy with their band.” And their drinking, but she didn’t say that.

  Stacy nodded. “I might see them while I’m here. Maybe tomorrow if you don’t mind me leaving for a little while in the morning?”

  “Stacy, you don’t need to ask. Of course you can go. Hud will be here.”

  “I suppose I know where I’ll find Dad. Would you mind keeping Ella?
I won’t go until I put her down for her morning nap. I don’t want to take her to a bar.”

  “I would be happy to watch her. You can bring her in here for her nap. She’ll be fine while you’re gone.”

  Stacy smiled, tears in her eyes, and gave Dana an impulsive though awkward hug. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  Her sister drew back, looking embarrassed, grabbed the cookbook and left. In the other room, Hud was playing fort with the kids. She could see a corner of the couch and chairs pulled into the middle of the room and covered with spare blankets.

  Hud caught her eye. He smiled and shrugged as if to say, maybe she was right about her sister. Dana sure hoped so.

  * * *

  LIZA BRACED HERSELF AS JORDAN ushered her into the lodge at Mountain Village for the Friday-night dinner and dance. Tomorrow there would be a tour of Big Sky and a free afternoon, with the final picnic Sunday.

  A room had been prepared for the reunion party that impressed her more than she wanted to admit. A DJ played music under a starry decor of silver and white. The lights had been turned low, forming pockets of darkness. Candles flickered at white-clothed tables arranged in a circle around the small shining dance floor.

  A few couples were dancing. Most were visiting, either standing next to the bar or already seated at the cocktail tables.

  “Hilde was right,” Liza whispered. “I am underdressed.” The women were dressed in fancy gowns and expensive accessories. The men wore jeans and boots and Western sports jackets, looking much like Jordan.

  “You look beautiful, the prettiest woman here,” Jordan said, putting his arm around her protectively.

  She grinned over at him. “You really can be charming when you want to, Mr. Cardwell.”

  “Don’t tell Hud,” he said. “I’ve spent years cultivating his bad opinion of me. I’d hate to ruin it with just one night with you.” He put his hand on her waist. “Let’s dance.” He drew her out on the dance floor and pulled her close. She began to move to the slow song, too aware of her dance partner and his warm hand on her back.

  Jordan was full of surprises. He was light on his feet, more athletic than she’d thought and a wonderful dancer. He held her close, the two of them moving as one, and she lost herself in the music and him as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. He smelled wonderful and she felt safe and protected in his arms. The latter surprised her.

  The night took on a magical feel and for the length of several Country-Western songs, she forgot why she and Jordan were here. She also forgot that he was a murder suspect.

  When the song ended, she found herself looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. He appeared completely at home in his Western clothes. They suited him and she told him so.

  He smiled at that. “I thought I’d dusted the cowboy dirt off me when I left here. My mother used to say this land and life were a part of me that I could never shed.” He quickly changed the subject as if he hadn’t meant to tell her those things. “Looks like everyone is here except for Tessa, Alex and Tanner. That’s the nice thing about having a small graduating class. They’re fairly easy to keep track of. Shall we get a drink?”

  They’d done just that by the end of the next song when Shelby took the stage. She gave a short speech, updating anyone who didn’t know about the members of the class, announced who had come the farthest, who had changed the most, who had the most kids.

  “I thought we should have a few minutes of silence for Alex,” she said at the end. “Since he can’t be with us tonight.”

  Liza spotted Tessa, who’d apparently just arrived. There was chatter about the murder around the tables, then everyone grew silent. It seemed to stretch on too long. Liza found herself looking around the room at the graduates.

  She quickly picked out the main players Jordan had told her about. Shelby and her husband, contractor Wyatt Iverson; Tessa, who’d come alone; Whitney Fraser and husband and local business owner, Von; and Ashley Henderson and husband, Paul, had all congregated to one area of the room. Ashley and her husband and Whitney and hers appeared to be cut from the same cloth as Shelby and Wyatt. Brittany Peterson and husband Lee were visiting at a table of former students who were no longer Big Sky residents.

  As Liza took them all in, she knew that what she was really looking for was a killer.

  Wyatt Iverson was as handsome and put-together as his wife, Shelby. Liza waited until he went to the bar alone before she joined him.

  “Wyatt Iverson? I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Liza Turner—”

  “Deputy marshal in charge of the Alex Winslow case,” he said with a wide smile. “I know. I checked. I wanted to make sure someone capable was on the case. I heard great things about you.”

  “Thank you.” She recalled a rumor going around that Wyatt was considering getting into national politics. Right now he served on a variety of boards as well as on the local commission. Wyatt was handsome and a smooth talker, a born politician and clearly a man with a driving ambition. He’d brought his father’s business back from bankruptcy and made a name for himself, not to mention a whole lot of money apparently.

  Shelby joined them, taking her husband’s arm and announcing that dinner was being served in the dining room. “Everyone bring your drinks and follow me!” Ashley and Whitney fell into line and trailed after Shelby, just as Tessa did, but according to Jordan they’d been doing that for years.

  To no one’s surprise, Shelby had distributed place cards around a long table. Liza was surprised to see that she and Jordan were near the center, with Tessa and Brittany and her husband, Lee, at one end and Shelby’s inner circle at the other.

  She noticed that Tessa seemed surprised—and upset—when she found herself at the far end of the table. Clearly Tessa had done something Shelby hadn’t liked. Either that or Shelby was sending her friend a message. If Shelby had anything to do with Alex’s murder and Tessa knew about it, Liza feared that Tessa might get more than banished at the reunion dinner table. Whatever had Shelby upset with her could get Tessa killed just as it had Alex.

  Chapter Nine

  Jordan could have wrung Shelby’s neck even before dinner was served. They’d all just sat down when Shelby insisted everyone go around the table and introduce their dates and spouses before dinner was served.

  When it came Jordan’s turn, he squeezed Liza’s hand and said, “This is my date, Liza Turner.”

  “Oh, come on, Jordan,” Shelby said. “Liza Turner is our local deputy marshal and the woman in charge of investigating Alex’s murder.” She smiled as she said it, but Jordan couldn’t miss the hard glint in her eyes. “So, Deputy, tell us how the case is going.”

  “It’s under investigation, that’s all I can tell you,” Liza said.

  Shelby pretended to pout, making Jordan grit his teeth. “Oh, we were hoping as Alex’s friends we could get inside information.”

  Jordan just bet she was. Fortunately, the staff served dinner and the conversations turned to other things.

  “How have you been?” Brittany asked him. She was still as strikingly beautiful as she’d been in high school, but now there was a contentment about her.

  “Good. You look happy,” he said, glad for her.

  “My life is as crazy as ever with three small ones running around and…” She grinned. “Another one on the way. Surprise!”

  “Congratulations,” Jordan said, meaning it. She didn’t seem in the least bit upset to be seated away from Shelby and her other classmates. Unlike Tessa, who hadn’t said a word or hardly looked up since sitting down.

  Everyone offered their congratulations to Brittany, including Shelby, who seemed to have her ears trained on their end of the table.

  “How many does this make now?” she asked.

  “Four, Shelby,” Brittany said, smiling although Jordan could tell Shelby irritated her as much as she did him.

  Shelby pretended shock. “I think you get the award for most children and al
so our Look Who’s Pregnant! Award.”

  Jordan glanced over at Liza. He knew she was taking all of this in. Like him, he was sure she’d noticed the way Tessa had been acting since they’d sat down. Also, Tessa had been hitting the booze hard every time she could get the cocktail waitress’s attention.

  Jordan couldn’t have been happier when dessert was finally served. Shelby had been running the dinner as if it was a board meeting. He noticed that, like Tessa, Shelby had been throwing down drinks. Just the sound of her voice irritated him. He was reminded why he hadn’t wanted to come to his reunion.

  “Jordan, what was the name of your wife, the one who was the model?” Shelby asked loudly from the other end of the table.

  He didn’t want to talk about his marriage or his divorce. But he knew Shelby wasn’t going to let it go. “Jill Ames. She was my only wife, Shelby,” he said and felt Liza’s calming hand on his thigh.

  “Jill Ames is gorgeous. What were you thinking letting her get away?” Shelby said and laughed. She gave Liza a sympathetic look. “Jill Ames would be a hard act to follow.”

  “Shelby, you might want to back off on the drinks,” Brittany said, throwing down her napkin as she shoved to her feet. “Your claws are coming out.” She shot Jordan and Liza an apologetic look and excused herself before heading for the ladies’ room. Shelby glared after her for a moment, then followed her.

  * * *

  LIZA WAITED UNTIL SHELBY disappeared down the hallway before she, too, excused herself. She was within ten feet of the ladies’ room door when she heard their raised voices. She slowed, checked to make sure there was no one behind her, before she stepped to the door and eased it open a few inches. She could see the two reflected in the bathroom mirrors, but neither could see her.

  “How dare you try to embarrass me,” Shelby screeched into Brittany’s face.

  “Embarrass you? Seriously, Shelby?” Brittany started to turn away from her.

  Shelby grabbed her arm. “Don’t you turn your back on me.”