Dark Horse (Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  His phone dinged again and he checked the screen.

  What’s your ETA?

  He quickly replied, then glanced down at Sally. “You good for a ride home?”

  “Yeah, someone will drop me.”

  “Okay. Can you give my apologies to the family?”

  She nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “Have fun with Prince Oscar, Grumpy Xave and Stink Eye Emmett.” He winked, which made her smile as she pushed him out the door.

  He wasn’t going to bother saying goodbye to anyone—they’d probably be pleased he was leaving, and he didn’t want to see the poorly hidden relief on their faces—but then Oscar caught him putting his shoes on.

  “Leaving so soon?” He grinned.

  Nate looked up from tying his laces. “Yeah, actually. Work’s calling.”

  “Oh dear. Nothing too bad, I hope.” Oscar cringed.

  “Nah, just a little drug case. Nothing we can’t handle.” Nate stood tall and dug the keys out of his pocket.

  “I’m sorry you have to go early.”

  “I’m sure no one else is,” Nate muttered under his breath, but Oscar heard him anyway.

  The guy snickered and shook his head. “Well, I am…and I’m sure Sally is too.”

  Nate grimaced.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it.” Oscar brushed his hand through the air. “Your work is important, and it’s not like you can predict when criminals are going to do something stupid. I understand. And again, I’m sure Sally does too.”

  Nate gave him a grateful smile and turned for the door, but then quickly spun back around. “Oh hey, man, do you think you could do me a favor?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Could you give Sally a ride home after dinner?”

  Oscar smiled and nodded. “It’d be my pleasure. You go work and don’t worry about a thing. I’ll get her home safely.”

  “Thank you.” And he really was grateful. If he’d bumped into anyone else while he was trying to sneak out the door, he’d be leaving under a black cloud. But Oscar got it…and he’d take care of Sally for him too.

  At least he had one ally in the Richmond world.

  He slipped out and ran for his Harley, excited by the thought of work. It was always a thrill. And Oscar was right—his work was important. Catching bad guys made Nate’s life worthwhile. If he wasn’t a detective, he’d be nothing but useless.

  4

  Friday, April 27th

  5:15pm

  The little boy’s wails flooded the emergency room.

  “It’s okay, Joshie. Everything’s going to be okay.” His mother’s voice trembled, her fear stark on her face as she ran into the emergency room, cradling her son in a towel.

  Sally, who happened to be standing at reception, rushed around the counter to examine the child.

  “He fell through the window,” the mother said. “I don’t even know how it happened, but there’s blood. It’s everywhere. There’s glass. There’s so much glass.”

  Sally checked the boy’s vitals, peeling away the blanket to check out the wounds while the receptionist alerted the doctor. The cuts were nasty, but superficial. The boy would live.

  “Do you have insurance, honey?” The receptionist started clicking away at the keyboard, setting up a patient record.

  “Y-yes,” the flustered mother stammered. “I have my card in my wallet. I…”

  “Let’s get you set up in a cubicle first, and then you can come back and fill in the paperwork.” Sally smiled kindly and led the panicked duo to the first available cubicle. She directed the mother to place her child down and glanced at Janelle as she walked in with a clipboard and pen. She passed it to the mother and headed back out to reception. The woman held the pen like she’d forgotten how to write.

  Sally smiled down at the boy while pulling on a pair of surgical gloves. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

  His hiccupping sobs made it hard for him to talk, so the mother responded. “Joshua. His name’s Josh.”

  “Hey, Josh.” Sally kept her voice light and friendly. “I know you’re really scared right now, but everything’s going to be okay. The doctor’s gonna come and check you out, stitch you up, and you’ll be home in time for bed, okay?”

  “Really?” The mother sagged with relief, tears spilling over her bottom lashes.

  “He’s going to be just fine. You don’t need to worry.” Sally started prepping the equipment, and the tray of sterilized instruments was ready to go as soon as Dr. Spurgess appeared from behind the curtain.

  “So, what do we have here?” he asked in his soft, calm way.

  Sally explained what she’d observed but knew he’d be making his own judgment after assessing the child. He asked the mother a list of standard questions as he quietly got to work.

  He was an older man who had been looking after the residents of Aspen Falls for the last ten years. The younger doctors looked up to him, and all the nurses adored him because he was such a sweetheart. Quiet-spoken and never flustered, he was perfect for ER.

  Sally assisted until each wound had been cleared of glass, properly cleaned and stitched up.

  Once the boy had gotten over his fear and knew he wasn’t dying, he calmed down and was a brave soldier throughout the process. It took a lot of coaxing to keep him that way, and by the time Sally pulled off her gloves and got cleaned up, she was exhausted.

  Glancing at the clock, a relieved smile brushed her lips. Home time.

  She didn’t bother getting changed before leaving the hospital. Her pale blue scrubs would need soaking, but she’d strip them off as soon as she got home and jumped into a hot shower.

  The thought made her pick up her pace.

  “Happy birthday, Sal,” Robert called across the parking lot as he arrived for his orderly shift.

  “Thank you.” She waved back.

  “Sally Marie Richmond!” someone barked.

  Sally spun to see what the problem was and immediately burst into laughter.

  One of her best friends, Lena, dashed around cars, waving frantically. “You are not leaving without your birthday hug.”

  Sally spread her arms wide and caught the girl she’d known since high school. They’d gone to nursing school together and had been tight since ninth grade.

  “I love you,” Sally murmured into Lena’s dark hair.

  “Te amo, mi amiga.” Lena stepped back and smiled at her. “Mi hermana.”

  Sally loved it when Lena called her ‘sister.’ Although Sally came from a close-knit family and already had amazing siblings, she definitely had room in her heart for her three high school besties. They were family too.

  Lena was one of her favorite people. They played soccer together on a social team, worked together, had drinks together every week. She never got sick of the spunky Latina woman.

  “Now you make sure Nate gives you the night of your life.” Lena pointed at Sally. “I don’t want to hear some lame story of you watching a movie in your pajamas.”

  Sally grinned. “He told me to wear something nice.”

  “Well, that’s good.” Lena tipped her head to the side, her dark brown eyes glistening. “He better deliver, Sal. You deserve the best, because you are the best.”

  “I have the best.”

  Lena’s expression told her she wasn’t buying it. Sally had obviously moaned too many times about Nate’s constant working and the fact that she often felt like an afterthought.

  “It’s gonna be great,” Sally assured her. “You’ll see. I’ll be back tomorrow with all the juicy details.”

  “You better. I want to hear every single one of them. Even the dirty ones.”

  Sally snorted and shook her head. “Goodbye, Lena. Behave yourself tonight.”

  “You know I won’t,” she singsonged, tinkling her fingers as she spun and walked away.

  Sally giggled and sent up a quick prayer on Lena’s behalf. She always did.

  Sliding into her car, she started it up and grinned, a
lready calculating how long it’d take to get home and showered. Nate said to be ready by seven, which wouldn’t be a problem. Having to share a bathroom with Annabelle had taught her how to be fast. She could be showered, dressed and polished in twenty minutes if she had to.

  Knowing Nate, he’d be a few minutes late, so she’d linger under the hot spray and take her time getting ready.

  She’d earned it.

  Working in the ER was intense. Some shifts were a little quieter, only dealing with fevers and tummy pains. Others were the adrenaline-pumping kind that made Sally’s heart wedge into her throat. On the outside, she remained cool and collected, but her insides felt like chaos. Coming off that high was always draining.

  But she wouldn’t give up nursing. Not for anything but babies of her own.

  She loved helping people, saving lives, comforting the broken or afraid. It gave her such a huge sense of satisfaction.

  But another part of her was looking forward to motherhood too. She thought she’d make a good mother—attentive, kind, patient. At least she hoped she’d be all those things. She had a good example to follow. Her own mother had been everything they’d needed, always there to kiss the tears away and bandage up the scrapes.

  She wondered how long she’d have to wait to take that next step in life.

  She’d been with Nate for three years, but the longer they stayed together, the further she felt from becoming a family. He was obsessed with work, and was it really fair to bring a child into that environment? She’d be raising it alone with a father who was never fully there…in the moment.

  Gritting her teeth, she shook the thought from her mind.

  It didn’t matter.

  She wasn’t having a baby tomorrow. She didn’t even want one that soon. She was just dreaming ahead—a very dangerous thing to do.

  Parking her car, she grabbed her bag and headed down the path. Rusty’s nails scraped the back of the door when he heard the key go into the lock, and Sally reminded herself that she already had a baby.

  “Hey, boy.” She laughed as her excited golden retriever bounced in front of her. She dropped to her knees and hugged him, scratching his side. “It’s good to see you, buddy.”

  She always used a high, sweet voice with him. She wasn’t sure why; it just seemed natural. He was her baby boy and they adored each other. To Rusty, Sally was the universe, and whenever she was home, he followed her like a loyal companion.

  Unable to resist, she put her shower off for a few minutes and went outside to play. Their backyard was small, but big enough for Rusty to get a little exercise. They played catch and wrestled in the cold grass until Sally’s teeth started to chatter.

  “Shower time for me, buddy. I’ve got myself a date.” Rusty followed her inside and she kept talking to him, telling him all about her day as she got ready for her birthday dinner.

  Excitement flitted through her.

  Nate said it would be worth forsaking a party with her friends and family, which meant he had something really special planned.

  She couldn’t wait to see what it was.

  5

  Friday, April 27th

  6:35pm

  The phone on Nate’s desk rang, but he ignored it. He had to get out of there before something else came up. It was Sally’s special night. He hadn’t even had a chance to properly wish her a happy birthday. The few times he’d called her at work, she’d been too busy to talk and when he did finally catch her, their conversation was cut short by an interruption at his end.

  Sally had left for work before he’d even woken up that morning. Usually her movements in the house stirred him, but he was shattered after two full days of working Cam’s heroin case. The lead she was chasing fell through, but they did arrest the guy who had caused the car accident. He wasn’t giving up anything, even though his lawyer was trying to convince him to take a plea bargain.

  Stupid criminals.

  Nate rolled his eyes and reached for his keys.

  Nerves skittered through him.

  Would she like his surprise? He’d never mentioned it before, or tested the waters. What if she hated it?

  He cringed, berating his lack of confidence.

  It was Sally! Of course she’d love it.

  Straightening his tie, he put his jacket on and was heading for the door when Jessica appeared, blocking his way. Her dimples and short brown hair gave her a cute pixie look. She was like a dark version of Tinker Bell, and she had the spirit to match. Criminals were often fooled by her sweet smile. She was stronger and faster than she looked, and man, was she tenacious, which was why Nate didn’t mind picking her when he needed extra support on a case. If his half-brother Blaine wasn’t around, Jessica was the next cop he’d look for.

  “I’m kind of in a hurry, Jess.”

  “Sorry, but whatever you’re doing needs to be put on hold.”

  The spark in her eyes made him pause. “What?”

  “Dispatch just called, and you’re gonna want in on this one.”

  “On what one?”

  “Human remains were just found buried under the floorboards at the abandoned farmhouse on Fraser Road. Kellan wants you to take the lead.”

  The words “But I have a more important appointment” should’ve popped out of his mouth, but there was no way they’d make it.

  Human remains?

  Under a floorboard?

  A homicide?

  Those things were rare in Aspen Falls, which was why Nate had specifically requested to take lead whenever one popped up. In his career so far, he’d dealt with two—a bar fight gone wrong and a drug case from earlier in the year.

  For reasons Nate couldn’t explain, homicides felt like the most important cases he could work on. There was something about catching a killer that meant more to him than anything else.

  There was no way Nate could say no.

  Glancing at his watch, he quickly worked out how long he could spare. The dinner reservation wasn’t until eight. If he didn’t shower or spruce up, he could drive past the house on the way and pick Sally up.

  Pulling out his phone, he quickly texted to say he was running late but would pick her up at 7:45pm.

  If he didn’t get an immediate reply, it probably meant Sally was in the shower.

  Tucking his phone away, he followed Jessica out to the parking lot.

  The young officer walked backward as she spoke to him. “It’s 415 Fraser Road.”

  “Got it.”

  “See you there, Detective.”

  He gave her a two-finger salute and ran to the police-issued sedan.

  He gunned the engine, anticipation pulsing through him, making his heart rate accelerate. The intrigue of a new case always sent a nervous thrill through him.

  Human remains.

  Questions were already forming, taking over as he tried to paint a picture of the scene in his mind. Buried under floorboards suggested intentionality, which meant the victim’s death might’ve been covered up. He knew it was jumping the gun to assume it was a homicide, but he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind.

  He wondered how long the remains had been hidden there.

  Who could this mysterious victim be?

  6

  Friday, April 27th

  7:05pm

  He arrived on scene twenty minutes later and texted Cam as soon as he cut the engine. She’d want to know. And when she arrived, he could maybe slip away and not be too late for his date with Sally.

  Walking onto the property, he scanned the area, taking in every detail as he went.

  The farmhouse was an average size, probably three-bedroom, with weathered wood siding. Run-down. The front window, right of the door, was cracked in the bottom left corner. The porch was sagging, the second step caved in. The property looked about a hundred years old and had fallen into major disrepair.

  But when?

  How long had it been standing empty?

  An SUV was parked to the right of the house, next to Lucas McGowan�
��s car and a van that said Polaris Construction on the side.

  Nate’s eyebrows dipped together. The SUV must belong to Lucas’s girlfriend. Nate was pretty sure her name was Alaina. Blaine had told him all about her.

  The woman flipped houses. He paused by her vehicle and spotted drop cloths and painting equipment in the back, along with a ladder. Which meant she’d probably bought this place for next to nothing to renovate and turn over for a profit. With Aspen Falls constantly growing, it was probably a sound investment. The property was only ten minutes from a proposed elementary school—construction was due to start in the next few months. Within a couple of years, the area would probably be booming with new families moving in.

  There was bound to be someone who’d want a home with a little bit of land, some space to spread out and raise a family instead of squashing into one of those cookie-cutter houses in the newer developments.

  Rounding the corner of the house, he spotted one of the squad cars parked in front of a detached garage that looked ready to fall over. It had a definite lean to it. Nate could probably give a decent huff and it’d groan, then crash to the ground.

  Officer Bart McGregor stood next to Alaina, his notepad out as he interviewed her. Her petite arms were crossed, her blonde hair neatly tucked up in a ponytail. Lucas stood beside her, rubbing her back as she spoke to the officer.

  “Hey, Mick.” Nate softly greeted the officer by his nickname. Mick looked relieved to see him. The guy was a brilliant policeman, but useless at interviews. He hated being first on scene.

  Nate shared a quick look with Lucas and forced himself to shake hands with the guy. He was Blaine’s best friend, but he and Nate never really saw eye-to-eye. Lucas had once been a cop, but he’d quit the force to become a private eye. Nate was aware he’d been injured and taken off active duty, but he always thought it sucked that the guy hadn’t taken the desk job he’d been offered. It was a way to still help the community and he’d rejected it, instead branching out on his own to stick his nose into police business from a different angle. Nate found it frustrating, and wasn’t shy about hiding his feelings on the matter.