by Linda Lovely
Eva’s truck didn’t surprise me. I figured my aunt and Zack hadn’t waited for an all-clear signal and headed for Udderly as soon as Carol ended her conversation with Zack.
However, I was surprised to see Sala’s ride. Had she come to see if the thugs had succeeded in making Carol disappear for good? Or was she here to check if the Hummer contingent was in place? I didn’t feel confident enough to place a bet either way.
Outside a couple of deputies searched the ground by Duncan’s pen. Figured they were looking for any evidence to support our story of gunplay. Everyone else appeared to be inside.
“I’ll take care of Rita,” Andy said. “Give her a little treat and put her in her stall. You go on, join the crowd. I’ll come in soon as I get Rita settled and make sure Duncan’s corralled. I don’t imagine Eva wants that horny bugger on the loose. She likes to keep her breeds pure, while Sire Duncan doesn’t care one bit about a doe’s lineage.”
I slipped inside the cabin. No one noticed. The crowd was divided into two groups. The sheriff and the hospital-duty deputy huddled with Carol in the main living area, while Eva, Zack and Sala sat at the kitchen table.
I closed the front door and the motion caught Eva’s attention. She jumped up, hurried over and gave me a bear hug. “You okay?”
“Yes, thanks to Rita. I’m beginning to believe someone trained her as an attack mule.”
Eva loosened her grip. “When confronted with danger, horses always flee. With mules, it’s fifty-fifty. They’re just as likely to fight.”
“I have to check in with the sheriff,” I said. “Will join you as soon as I can.”
I owed Mason an I’m-here-and-accounted-for appearance. The sheriff had yet to see me since he sat with his back to the kitchen. He jumped when I tapped him on the shoulder.
“Want to talk with me now or should I come back later?”
“Now.”
Mason stood and nodded at Carol. “We’re done for the moment. I’ll take Miss Hooker’s statement and check on my men. See if they’ve found any spent shell casings. Even though Mrs. Lemmon has arranged for security, I’ll leave a deputy on guard at the gate for the next twenty-four hours. We will not have a repeat attack. I guarantee it.”
“Thank you, Sheriff,” Carol said. “I don’t want Zack’s or my presence to endanger our friends. Can we move back into my house tomorrow?”
Mason bit his lip. “Yes, but let me know when you want to make the move. My deputies and I will escort you.”
“Will do,” Carol said as she stood. “Thanks again.”
“Have a seat.” Mason directed me to the love seat. The sheriff and his deputy had rejected Udderly’s twin recliners in favor of rockers hauled in from the front porch. My guess was they wanted to sit closer to their interviewees, all the better to intimidate interrogation subjects.
“Okay, tell us what happened,” Mason said.
Step-by-step I relived the nightmare, from my shock at seeing the gunmen on my return from a run to our wild mule ride through the forest.
“Let’s go outside,” Mason said. “Show me where everything happened.”
I showed the lawmen where I’d stood when I first spotted the intruders and pointed to Carol’s location at the retail cabin. We visited the stump marred with the scuffs we’d made trying to mount Rita. I couldn’t remember all the turns in our frantic ride. But the broken gate on Duncan’s pen made me marvel once more that we’d stayed on Rita’s back.
The sheriff seemed solicitous. His questions endless but gentle. Wasn’t sure if that was his style of interrogation, lulling me into thinking we were friends, or if Carol had already convinced him we were the victims.
“Okay,” Mason said, after a final question. “That’s all I need. We’ve taken photos. Found a few pieces of brass the shooter missed. We also found a black van abandoned about a mile from here. Ran the plates. It was stolen yesterday.”
“Do you have any idea why those men tried to kill Carol and me?” I asked.
“I imagine you were just collateral damage,” the sheriff ventured. “But, no, I don’t know why they wanted to kill Mrs. Strong.”
My head hurt. Who was behind this? Why?
Carol was like family. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. And Eva? What if she’d been here, caught in the thugs’ crosshairs? I shuddered. Fear raised the hairs on my neck.
I shook my head. Don’t go down that scary road of “what ifs.” We’re alive.
We walked back to the cabin. The sheriff cleared his throat.
“For your safety and peace of mind, I’m going to share some information,” he said. “We have Chester Finley in custody. We arrested him shortly before those gunmen arrived at Udderly. We’re holding Chester on charges of obstructing justice and accessory to murder.”
“Accessory?” I asked. “You don’t think he killed Mick?”
“Only Mrs. er Ms. Strong’s fingerprints were found on her Cadillac and the knife that killed Mr. Hardy.”
Eva interrupted. “For heaven’s sake, Sheriff, you’re not giving a statement to the press. We know these people by their first names. Can’t remember some of these characters’ last names. Forget all the Mr., Mrs., Ms. nonsense, just tell your story. We’ll all be less confused.”
I wasn’t sure whether to interpret the look Mason gave Eva as one of gratitude or surrender, but he switched to a first-name narrative.
“As I was saying, only Carol’s fingerprints were found on her Cadillac and the knife that killed Mick. However, we were able to lift Chester’s prints off Mick’s belt and shoes. Chester clearly handled the body, probably dumped it in the trunk, and wiped down the car. But he has a solid alibi for Mick’s murder. Autopsy results put the time of death around midnight Sunday. Chester was definitely in Oconee County then.”
My head swam. But it kind of made sense. Chester must be covering up Mick’s murder for a friend. One of his CAVE men cronies must have killed Mick. But why?
“We tried to speak with Kate Lemmon after we learned about the Udderly shootout, since there appeared to be some suspicion she had a relationship with the former Aces employees who took part in the attack. But we learned she’s back in Vegas, no longer in Ardon County.
“We’ve mounted a full-scale manhunt for Gunter.” He tipped his hat. “If he’s hiding anywhere around here, we’ll find him.”
THIRTY-FIVE
Andy returned to the cabin as the sheriff and his deputies took their leave.
“I put Hank in his stall to keep Rita company and coaxed Duncan into the empty paddock and shut the gate. Wish I could stay, but my sister called. Someone brought in a badly injured dog. Gotta go. Walk me to my truck?”
“Sure,” I answered. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Was Andy going to ask me what my steamy kiss signaled?
When we reached his truck, Andy leaned against the door and snaked an arm around me. “I talked to the deputies,” he said as he dropped a kiss on my forehead. “They assured me Udderly is locked up tighter than a drum. You’re safe.”
“Yep, we’ll be fine.” I pulled back a smidgeon. “Call or text when you’re free and I’ll give you an update. Thanks so much for helping with Rita and Duncan.”
“My pleasure.” Andy gently kissed me again before he freed me from his embrace. The look in those green eyes said the kiss was a hurried one from a lover, not a friend. “I hope to collect my reward later.”
As he left, panic set in. What had I done? Had I made a commitment to Andy? A promise of exclusivity? I pictured Paint’s black Irish good looks—laughing mocha eyes, black as night hair, and that icing-on-the-cake dimple in his cheek. No, no, he’s like eggs Benedict with double servings of hollandaise. Delicious but not at all good for me. I shook my head as I headed toward the cabin. Maybe my unconscious had made my choice for me. But then why did I feel so nervous about seeing Paint again?
>
Carol and Eva didn’t notice me at first. They were returning the heavy front porch rockers to their usual spots. Eva turned and opened her arms wide.
“Come give me a hug. Carol says you saved her life. I’m proud of you, niece. But it makes me dizzy thinking those men might have killed you.”
I returned Eva’s hug.
Carol sighed. “I’m so sorry Zack and I put you two in danger. We’re leaving come morning. Already had Linda announce a press conference for noon tomorrow. We’ll hold it on my very own front porch. Don’t know if I have any chance of salvaging my campaign, but at least I can get the word out that Zack and I are back home and ready to return to normal life.”
Eva didn’t argue with Carol about her decision. If I weren’t living at Udderly, I bet my aunt would have used her many wiles to convince Carol and Zack to stay. But maybe the Strongs would be safer in town. Carol’s house sat on a small lot on a well-lit street. Much easier for the executive protection service and officers to safeguard.
Eva plopped down in one of the rockers. Carol followed suit, letting out a contended sigh. “Join us,” Eva invited. “We thought we’d give Zack and Sala a little privacy.”
I claimed the third rocker and nodded at the Hummer that was hogging parking space out front. “Did you meet whoever arrived in that monster machine or are invisibility suits the latest style for high-priced gunslingers?”
Eva chuckled. “We met them. A different breed than the no-neck jerks who came gunning for you and Carol. Former Navy Seals. Lean, mean, no-nonsense with ‘Yes, ma’am, no, ma’am’ manners. They decided to survey the property while the sheriff and his crew were still here. Imagine you’ll meet them soon enough.”
We rocked in silence a few more minutes. An angry yell broke the peaceful quiet. Our cabin windows weren’t thick enough to mute Sala’s outburst. “Damn it! Call up the damn video. I haven’t seen it either. We’ll watch together. Have to if we’re going to get past this. Doug claims it was my idea. Says I screwed him while Ray was dying. Well, I’m not afraid to look. Maybe it’ll even prove who’s telling the truth.”
Eva rose. “Think I’ll head over to the barn and see how Rita’s settled in.”
Carol jumped up. “I’ll come with you.”
The barn was just about the last place I wanted to go. All I wanted was to keep my buns parked right where they were. I was exhausted. But I couldn’t stay and eavesdrop on such a personal argument. If the situation were reversed, I’d hope anyone in listening range would get off their butts and move.
I didn’t exactly jump up, but I stood.
“I’ll head to the retail cabin and check inventory.”
That’s what I told Carol and Eva. What I meant was I’m going to the retail cabin to sit in a spot where no one can see or bug me. For the hundredth time since I’d come to Udderly, I was oh so glad we only opened for retail customers on weekend afternoons.
“Hi.”
I jumped at the baritone voice intruding on my dream. I’d fallen asleep. Head down, drool on chin, comatose-style sleep. I blinked. A man stood in the doorway. He wore neatly pressed khakis and a light-weight jacket with multiple pockets. I rubbed my eyes. Was he here to buy cheese? Then I saw the gun in his holster and remembered. I was hiding out, not minding the store.
“Didn’t mean to startle you, ma’am. I’m Jim Haas, one of the men assigned to protect you. It’s four o’clock. Your aunt asked me to escort you back to the cabin.”
“Good grief. It’s four? Lost all track of time. I’m Brie. Nice to meet you.”
Jim held the door for me. As we began the short hike back to the cabin, I asked if he and his partner would be joining us for dinner.
“No, ma’am,” he answered.
No idle chitchat. Not much of a conversationalist, but I appreciated his cut-to-the-chase operational mode. His cool, calm presence did make me feel safer.
As soon as we reached the steps to the cabin, Jim peeled off with a “Have a good evening” farewell. I didn’t see his partner. Probably setting up a sharpshooter nest on Udderly’s one sizable hill. I was surprised to see Sala’s car parked out front. Wasn’t certain if that made me more or less wary of going inside. If Sala was still here, the lovers must have made up, right?
“How’s the inventory?” Eva’s sarcasm was obvious, but she smiled. “Isn’t it kinda hard to count containers with your eyes closed?”
Sala hooted. “Give the girl a break. Not every day she gets to show off her rodeo skills. Know I’d be tuckered out by now if I’d ridden a wild mule bareback.”
The team owner sat in the recliner next to Zack’s, while Carol and Eva occupied the living room’s love seat. I once again dragged a chair in from the kitchen table to join the party.
I wanted to ask, “Did you watch the video?” and “How did you two patch things up?” With a little will power, I kept my lips zipped.
Zack smiled at me. “Mom told me you heard the start of our argument when you were on the front porch. Imagine you’re wondering why we haven’t killed each other or Sala hasn’t stormed off.”
Yep, that was exactly what I was wondering.
“Well tell her, Zack,” Sala said. “Everybody else knows what’s going on.”
Zack sighed. “We finally watched that horrid video. While I’d rather not have seen Sala with another man, the video proved Doug, a man I thought was a good friend, lied through his teeth. When Paint described the video, I knew the leading man was Doug. That Joker tattoo on his butt was a dead giveaway. But Paint never mentioned a smaller tattoo on Doug’s right arm. Saw just a flash of it in the video, but that’s all I needed. He got that tat two months after Sala’s husband died. That video couldn’t have been shot when Ray was alive. I know because I got the same tat at the same time. Our whole team did. A small Star of David for Stephen Gross, a Jewish teammate killed during a visit to Israel.”
Sala reached over and touched Zack’s arm. “Doug’s been filling Zack’s head with lots of ugly lies.”
Zack nodded and rolled his eyes. “My ‘buddy’ played it like he hated being the bearer of bad news, but what are buddies for? When I confided I was seeing Sala, Doug said he saw no reason to even mention their one-nighter to me. Then he claimed Sala sent him a copy and demanded a repeat performance. Threatened to release him from the team if he refused.”
Sala chuckled. “Well, Doug was right about one thing. I released him from the team. This very afternoon. In the off season, we picked up a really promising college quarterback in the draft. Told our coaches to get him ready for Sunday’s game.”
Zack sighed. “Doug’s a very convincing storyteller. Mixes a few truths in with his fiction, and reminds you how he hates telling you things that might be hurtful. He admitted conspiring with Kate, who hoped the video along with Doug’s testimony would convince the league that Sala’s ownership of the Aces could tarnish its image. Kate wanted the league to pressure Sala to divest her shares.”
Carol leaned forward. “That sanctimonious bastard. Every time I visited Vegas, Doug told me how lucky he was to have my son as his best friend. What a two-faced jerk. Makes me wonder if Doug didn’t hire Mick to attack Zack. Of course, Kate’s a candidate, too. But how would either of them even know Mick existed?”
Zack shook his head. “That’s easy. A few years back, Mick flew to Vegas for one of our games, and I introduced him around. Doug dazzled Mick. He has a knack for charming people who might have some future use. They both gambled on sports. Imagine that was a common bond. They must have stayed in touch.”
Zack paused, using his good leg to push down on the recliner’s footrest and sit up straighter.
“Doug begged my forgiveness. Said he happened to be chatting with Mick and casually mentioned he needed something on my phone. Doug shared his doubts I’d give it to him because some woman had poisoned my mind. My good pal swore he had no idea that
innocent conversation would prompt Mick to attack me.”
Eva snorted. “What a load of bull crap.”
“Agreed,” Zack said. “But Doug’s a great actor. Even squeezed out a few tears when he asked me to forgive him. Swore he didn’t realize Mick was unhinged.”
I rubbed my temples. I was totally confused. Maybe I was still groggy from my nap, but it seemed like big chunks of the puzzle were missing.
“Can we back up a little?” I asked. “Let’s review what we think we know. Doug planned to deliver the video to Kate Lemmon, but Doug’s girlfriend wiped all his devices and sent the only remaining copy to Zack’s cell. Doug cajoled or paid Mick to snatch Zack’s phone, but he failed.
“I get Kate’s motive. But what’s in it for Doug? Even if Kate ousted Sala from team ownership, Doug’s status wouldn’t change. With the team winning big-time with Zack, Kate would be insane to make Doug the starting quarterback. Then there’s Carol. Why kidnap her once it was clear she didn’t have Zack’s phone? Even as South Carolina’s governor, Carol couldn’t help or hurt Doug or Kate.”
Eva nodded. “Brie’s questions are good ones. Carol’s the biggest disconnect. I can’t think of a single reason Doug or the Lemmon brat would kidnap Carol or send Gunter and Vince to kill her.”
I sat forward in my chair. “Zack, did you tell the sheriff about Doug’s confession that he’d sicced Mick on you?”
“Yes, I made that call right after Sala texted Doug to let him know he’d been released from the team.”
“Good,” I said. “Wonder if the sheriff has put Doug in the hot seat? Demanded some answers?”
“Doubt it,” Sala added. “I knew Doug’s private plane was hangared at the county airport. I called to see if it was still there. His Cessna departed at four o’clock. Filed a flight plan for Vegas. Guess he saw little point hanging around Ardon County once he lost Zack as an ally.”
