“It’s a tarp.” Zeb laughed. “What’s wrong with you?”
Dane picked up the end of the blue tarp up with his fingertips and stared at it for a second. He glanced up, and for a fleeting moment Aura could see something in his face. Was it anger? Or was it something else? “Why is there blood on it?”
Zeb’s laughter stopped abruptly. “What are you talking about?”
“Right here.” Dane pointed at a brownish spot on the plastic. His face went stoic, the Dane she’d known earlier in the night was gone, only to be replaced by the no-nonsense deputy.
Aura and Zeb rushed to Dane’s side.
Zeb’s face lost its color. He leaned down and stared at the spot. “That’s not blood … It can’t be.”
“Sure as hell looks like blood to me.” The blue plastic moved as Dane sat it back down on the hay. The dried blood cracked and a small fleck fell to the floor. “Before the police show up, is there anything you need to tell me, Zeb?”
“No … ” His pale face turned green.
“You didn’t have anything to do with Angela’s death, did you?” Dane reached to his front pocket, like he was reaching for his notepad, but his fingers merely patted his jacket.
Zeb stepped back and leaned his back against the wooden wall. “I loved her, Dane … You know that.”
“I never assumed you didn’t. But you already admitted you were having problems. Then she shows up dead. Now this.” He pointed at the blood. “It’s hard to discount the evidence. So, either you had something to do with her and the other women’s death and disappearance, or you know who did.”
“I swear I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Save your statements until you have a lawyer present.” Dane pulled his cell phone from his pocket. The phone beeped as he pushed the numbers and pressed send. “Hi. This is Dane. You need to send a patrol car out to the Diamond. We have a suspect in custody.”
Chapter Thirteen
The sun had started to rise over the tops of the mountains, flooding the valley and the ranch with light. The horses were getting restless in their stalls, stomping and neighing as the group of officers and investigators filtered through the stable. They hadn’t found much besides the tarp, which the investigators had taken for samples and evidence.
Zeb was planted in the back seat of Officer Grant’s patrol car, waiting to be taken back to the station for questioning. They could hold him for forty-eight hours before they had to let him go; which they would have to, unless he admitted having a part in the murders. There was nothing conclusive that proved Zeb was responsible. At least not until the results of the blood sample came back from the lab. If the blood proved to be from Angela or the other woman, Dane’s brother would have a hard time proving that he was innocent.
There would be a lot of work to do to figure out exactly what had happened. Some things still didn’t seem to fit. Zeb hadn’t appeared to know anything about the second woman. Sure, he had motive and means to kill Angela, but it just didn’t make sense why he’d kill two women and take a third. And if he did take Natalie, then where was she?
Dane’s sergeant stepped up beside him and put his thumb in his utility belt. “Did your brother give you a confession?”
“No. Not yet.”
The sergeant shuffled some of the hay on the floor with the toe of his boot. “We need to figure out who’s behind all of this. The newspapers are beginning to go crazy. The Missoulian even made mention of a possible serial killer. It would be a real egg-on-the-face to have another murder. We can’t risk what that would mean for the department. To say nothing about your standing within the county.”
The man didn’t need to verbalize what he was already thinking. Of course people were talking … calling them, and him, incompetent. “I’m trying to follow all the leads, Sarge. You know how this is. One step at a time.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could start taking two. I even got a call from the governor this morning. We’re starting to make national headlines.”
Federal investigators were the last thing they needed. Sarge wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. They needed to get this under control. And they needed to put an end to the killing.
“Hopefully we have it taken care of.” Sarge gave a tight nod toward Zeb in the patrol car. “I’ll push on the crime lab. See if they can get the investigation wrapped up. Maybe we can get something more from the bodies and the tarp to pin this to Zeb. That would quiet the media’s talk about us if we could confirm that we have the killer in custody.”
His brother was crass and tough, but did that really make him a killer? Dane couldn’t come to terms with it. He and Dane had been close growing up. When they’d been boys, their dad had brought home a puppy, Charlie. It was about the cutest damn thing he’d ever seen. He and Zeb had played with it all day long, running around the fields, throwing sticks for him, and letting him swim in the creek that twisted through the ranch. At night, like any ranch dog, their dad made Charlie stay outside in a little doghouse he’d built.
One night, Dane had woken up to the dog yelping and screaming with pain. Zeb had been the first one out the door, carrying his little .22 caliber rifle. There, outside of the doghouse, two coyotes had attacked the puppy, tearing at him like he was nothing more than a chicken. When Zeb finished shooting, the coyotes lay dead in the yard, but Charlie was saved. Zeb had wrapped the dog in his coat and carried the little pup inside. He’d spent every minute with that dog, nursing him back to health.
Zeb couldn’t be a killer. He was just a rancher and a man, who’d, in the past, wanted the best for his animals.
But then again, he’d let Pat beat that damned horse in front of Aura. Had he changed? Was he capable of killing Angela?
“We’ll get this figured out,” Dane said. “I’ll make sure the real killer comes to justice.”
Sarge’s eyebrows rose. “You don’t think it’s Zeb? He’s not a real saint, you know.”
“I’m more than aware.” Had the sergeant forgotten what had transpired between him and Zeb? They were brothers, but they’d never again be friends. Not since their father’s death and everything that had gone on with Angela.
Aura pushed past an officer who was knelt down by the door, pushing through the hay that littered the floor.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Dane called after her.
She kept walking. “I’m not done with him yet.”
Sarge glanced over to him. “She seems like your kind of woman. Won’t take shit from anybody.”
The man kneeling down by the door laughed, but Dane didn’t see anything funny.
“Why don’t you just worry about watching out for horse shit?”
The man’s smirk disappeared. Dane smiled as he jogged out the door after Aura.
She threw open the door of the patrol car and thrust her phone in Zeb’s face. “Do you know Natalie? Have you seen her?”
Zeb looked down at the screen. The rancher’s eyes widened and his mouth opened like he wanted to say something.
“Please, if you have, tell me. I just want to find her.” There was a desperate edge to her voice that made Dane’s skin prickle. He’d been on so many cases throughout the years, but there was something about this one that was different. All families were desperate to help their loved one, to find answers, but it was as if Aura’s life was on the line, not just Natalie’s.
“Answer me!” She jabbed the phone at him.
Zeb twisted in the seat, readjusting his handcuffs. “There was a guy here last week.” He squirmed as he was talking, as if he was trying to think of lies as he spoke. “The guy said he needed a job. That woman, your sister, was with him. But I think they said they were headed back to Arizona or something.”
Dane walked to the door and leaned over the top, looking down on Zeb. �
�Wait. You saw her? She was still alive?”
Aura looked up at him like he was guilty of some crime just because he’d let his thoughts slip out. She couldn’t have thought Natalie was alive. Especially since they’d found the blood-covered shirt and her deserted pickup. And hell, as much as he’d like to hope, there was nothing to say that she was still alive now. A lot of things could have happened in the last week. It only took a second to take a life.
“The last time I saw her she was,” Zeb said. “But like I said, they mentioned they were leaving Montana.”
“Who was the man she was with?”
“His name was Shawn something … I don’t know much about him. I guess I’d seen him around town before … maybe at the ranch store. I can’t really recall.”
Aura gasped. “Shawn was the man from the video … ”
Dane reached over the top of the car door and took her hand. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll find Shawn. We’ll find her.”
The news of the murders had hit the town and the papers. If Shawn had anything to do with the murders he would be hiding out. Where would they be? If he were a man on the run, where would he hide? Or had Zeb been telling the truth? Had they left the state?
“Zeb, another officer will meet you at the station and will have some questions for you. I’ll make sure to let them know that you’ve been helpful.”
No matter what had happened between them in the past, Zeb was still his only brother. And no matter how much evidence pinned him to the murders and disappearance, Dane simply couldn’t swallow the fact that Zeb was capable of killing his wife or anyone else. Yet, he was a sheriff’s deputy and he had to follow the letter of the law. He would do his best to protect his brother, but he needed to do his job and follow all the leads wherever they led him. Time would tell whether or not his brother was guilty of any crimes.
“Thanks.” Zeb relaxed into the plastic seat and laid his head back.
“And hey, Zeb, I’ll try to contact the crime lab and see if they have anything more about the cause of death.”
“Just so you know, I didn’t have anything to do with Angela’s death. And as much as you don’t want to hear about it, I loved her. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”
It had been a long time since his brother had been so candid … so honest and it made his suspicion grow. Zeb was lying about something — but what?
“I know, Zeb. I know you loved her.” He slowly pushed the door closed. “I loved her too.” She just never felt the same for me.
The door clicked shut.
“Are you okay?” Aura looked at him — in her eyes there was a look of honest concern, almost as if she could sense his wavering emotions.
“I think I just need some sleep and to get away from the ranch.” There were just too many memories that wanted to elbow their way into his mind. He kept trying to push away the thoughts of them as kids, his mother and father, and the night he’d found Angela in Zeb’s arms.
“What about the barn? Has anyone looked in there for any evidence? Did they find anything?”
“Honey, it’s okay. They have the investigation under control.”
“Did you check the barn?”
How could he tell her that he would never enter that place? That there were things on this ranch that haunted him to this day, and every cell in his body wanted to get off the land and away from his memories. No matter how much concern she had for him, she wouldn’t understand.
“They’ve got it, Aura.”
She glanced back at the stables. “Why don’t you just take me back to my truck at the main house and then I’ll go to the campsite?”
So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours. He’d almost forgotten that they’d met here only with the intention of talking to Zeb about gaining access to the land. And there was still so much work to do.
“I’ll take you back to your truck.”
She nodded and pulled her torn coat down over her hands. Her face was drawn and tired. She’d had one hell of a day. He should have taken her back sooner, but he’d been so wrapped up in it all.
“How’s your arm?” Before she could stop him, he took her hand and pushed back her sleeve.
She jerked in his hands, but he held tight. The skin of her arm was pink and tight like a fresh scar, but there was nothing else. The teeth marks that had been bleeding on her arm only a few hours before were gone.
His breath left him like he’d been punched in the gut. “What the fuck?” He dropped her arm.
Aura glanced back over her shoulder. “Shhh.” She drew her finger to her mouth, motioning him to keep quiet. “We need to talk.”
• • •
Dane had begrudgingly given Aura his address, along with a promise to listen to everything she had to say. A knot of dread tightened in her stomach. Was she really ready to tell him everything? Everything about her and Natalie? Undoubtedly, he was going to freak out. He probably wouldn’t even believe her. He’d probably try to have her committed to a psych ward.
In her long life, she’d never told a man the truth of her condition. For the last few hundred years she had avoided any emotional entanglement. She’d lived a little hard, moving from one place to another, avoiding anything beyond short term relationships with men. But it used to be different. Marriage wasn’t always about love. It was most often nothing more than a business arrangement in which the man was the patriarch and the woman was forced into the subservient role. In the early days of the United States, this type of patriarchal society required that she had a man in her life. And whenever the women of the community found out she wasn’t married, questions of her capabilities as a woman always arose.
That’s how’d they’d found their way to Arizona. The desert had offered them something no place else ever had — in Yuma they had found a safe haven from humanity and a place amongst the wild horses that roamed the plains. Natalie had loved it. It was where she had completely embraced everything she was — horse, woman, and nymph.
It had been wonderful until the roundup of the wild mustangs by the Bureau of Land Management starting in the 1950s. Then even their safe haven had turned into hell on earth. The sound of hundreds of hooves pounding against the dry earth, the scream of frightened horses, and the yelling of men filled her memory. She shuddered and tried to blink away the image. She couldn’t think of the wounds of her past.
After a hot bath and less than a restful night, the next morning Aura pulled the truck down the road that matched the directions Dane had given her to his home. At the end of the short street sat a ruddy pine-colored house. Its windows were closed and the blinds were pulled shut, shielding Dane from the outside world. The yard was covered in snow, but the driveway had been shoveled in a perfect pattern and not a single extra bit of snow was out of place.
There were no decorations on the outside of the house except an aged, sun-bleached Welcome sign that had been put up beside the front door. It wasn’t hard to tell that the sign was a remnant from the days of Angela. A profound sense of sadness filled her. He had gone through so much that would have ruined most men, or at the least, left them closed to emotions. Yet he’d opened up to her and given part of himself to her. And she’d have to break his heart.
She knocked on his door, still not knowing what she was going to say. She tried not to think about the horrible things that could go wrong. He didn’t seem like the type of man who would hurt her; he loved helping people too much. But she couldn’t even guess how he’d respond. That was, if she told him the truth. Was there a way she could avoid telling him who she really was?
The sound of his footsteps grew closer and she stepped back and waited for the door to open. The footsteps stopped behind the door. It was silent for a moment. She waited.
If he didn’t let her in, she could understand. She was a freak of nature. A curse
d monster. He didn’t need her or her mess in his life. She turned and stepped off the porch.
He may not have needed her, but she needed him. Aura turned back. “Dane, let me in. Please.”
The lock clicked open and the knob turned. He slowly pulled the door open. Dane was staring at the floor like he couldn’t stand the sight of her. Her heart lurched in her chest with the thought.
“Can’t you look at me?” There was an edge of desperation and disbelief to her voice.
He looked up. “Hey. I’m sorry. I’m just tired.”
His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot, but he was lying. Just because he was tired didn’t explain why he hadn’t wanted to answer the door.
“You can be honest. You just didn’t want to talk to me.” She grabbed the door. “That’s fine. You can just listen.” She slammed the door behind her as she walked into his living room.
The place was a bit barren. A single chair sat right in front of a giant television. Against the far wall was a couch with a glass end table covered in outdoor and ammo magazines. She walked over to the couch and sat down.
Dane’s cell phone vibrated on the counter and a rock song filled the tense air between them. He looked over toward the phone like he wanted to run to answer it … anything to avoid what was happening between them.
“Why don’t you answer it?” she said, pointing at the phone. It would give her a moment to collect her thoughts.
Dane walked over to the small kitchen that connected it to the dining room and picked up the phone. “Hello?”
A woman’s shrill voice sounded from the phone, but Aura couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying, only the muffled tones. The two talked for about a minute, but Dane mostly nodded or used the typical male responses of “yeahs” and “uh-huhs.”
A strange flicker of jealousy fluttered through Aura. Who was the woman who would be calling him? She tried to push the feelings aside. He was a deputy, a civil servant. He talked to hundreds of women on a daily basis and he was probably around more than his fair share of women who were willing to give him everything they had to get out of a ticket or just to get a chance to fulfill a fantasy.
The Nymph's Curse: The Collection Page 31
