by B. J Daniels
“Once this foolishness is over, I hope you’ll forgive me and let me spend some time with my granddaughter,” Mildred said.
As Sarah came out with a can of cola, Allie moved aside again to let her pass, hoping they would now leave.
Mildred looked in the yard at Nick’s pickup, where it had been parked since someone from the forest service had found it at the trailhead and had it dropped off. “Why are you driving that awful van of yours? You should either drive Nicky’s pickup or sell it. Terrible waste to just let it sit.”
Allie planned to sell the pickup but she’d been waiting, hoping in time Mildred wouldn’t get so upset about it.
“I’d like to buy it,” Sarah said, making them both turn to look at her in surprise.
“What in the world do you need with Nicky’s pickup?” Mildred demanded. “I’m not giving you the money for it and I couldn’t bear looking at it every day.”
“It was just a thought,” Sarah said as she started toward her SUV. The young woman took so much grief from her mother.
Her gaze went to Nick’s pickup. The keys were probably still in it, she realized. As Sarah climbed behind the wheel and waited for her mother to get into the passenger side of the SUV, Allie walked out to the pickup, opened the door and reached inside to pull the keys.
The pickup smelled like Nick’s aftershave and made her a little sick to her stomach. She pocketed the keys as she hurriedly closed the door. The truck was Nick’s baby. He loved it more than he did either her or Natalie. That’s why she was surprised as she started to step away to see that the right rear panel near the back was dented. She moved to the dent and ran her fingers over it. That would have to be fixed before she could sell it since the rest of the truck was in mint condition.
Just something else to take care of, she thought as she dusted what looked like chalky white flakes off her fingers. She looked up and saw that her in-laws hadn’t left. Mildred was going on about something. Sarah was bent toward the passenger seat apparently helping her mother buckle up. Mildred was probably giving her hell, Allie thought.
When Sarah straightened, she looked up from behind the wheel and seemed surprised to see Allie standing by Nick’s truck. Her surprise gave way to sadness as she looked past Allie to her brother’s pickup.
Was it possible Sarah really did want Nick’s pickup for sentimental reasons? Maybe she should have it. Allie had never thought Sarah and her brother were that close. Well, at least Nick hadn’t been that crazy about his sister. He’d been even more disparaging than his mother toward Sarah.
Allie met her sister-in-law’s dark gaze for a moment, feeling again sorry for her. Maybe she would just give her the pickup. She waved as Sarah began to pull away, relieved they were finally leaving.
Her cell phone rang. She hoped it was Jackson with news of his brother. She said a silent prayer for Austin before she saw that it was Dana.
“Is everything all right?” Allie asked, instantly afraid.
“Ford is still upset about his uncle. Natalie told him that you were picking her up soon...”
Allie knew what was coming. She couldn’t bear the thought. She wanted Natalie home with her. The way things were going, she feared she might soon be under arrest for Nick’s murder. She didn’t know how much time she and Nat had together.
“Natalie wishes to speak with you,” Dana said before Allie could say no.
“Mama?” Just the sound of her daughter’s voice made her smile. “Please say I can stay. Ford is very sad about his uncle. Please let me stay.”
“Maybe Ford could come stay with you—”
“We’re all going to sleep in the living room in front of the fire. Mrs. Savage said we could. She is going to make popcorn. It is Mary and Hank’s favorite.”
Allie closed her eyes, picturing how perfect it would be in front of Dana’s fireplace in that big living room with the smell of popcorn and the sound of children’s laughter. She wanted to sleep right in the middle of all of them.
“Of course you need to stay for your new friend,” she heard herself say as tears burned her eyes. “Tell Mrs. Savage that I will pick you up first thing in the morning. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mama.” And Natalie was gone, the phone passed to Dana who said, “I’m sorry. This was the kids’ idea.”
“It’s fine.”
“What about you? How did it go with the police?”
“As expected. They think I killed Nick. Or at least got someone to do it for me.”
“That’s ridiculous. Allie, listen, you shouldn’t be alone. Why don’t you come stay here tonight? I think you need your daughter. Do you like butter on your popcorn? Come whenever you want. Or take a little time for yourself. If you’re like me, when was the last time you got a nice leisurely bath without being interrupted? Whatever you need, but bring your pjs. We’re having a pajama party. Right now the kids all want to go help feed the animals. See you later.”
* * *
AS THE JET touched down just outside of Houston, Hayes got the call from their mother. Jackson watched his expression, waiting for the news. Relief flooded his brother’s face. He gave thumbs up and disconnected.
“Mom says Austin is out of surgery. The doctor says he should make it.”
Jackson let out the breath he’d been holding. As the plane taxied toward the private plan terminal, he put in a call to Allie. It went straight to voice mail.
He left a message, telling her the good news, then asking her to call when she got the message. “I’m worried about you.” As he disconnected, he realized he’d been worried the entire flight about both his brother and Allie.
“I can’t reach Allie.”
His brothers looked at him in concern as the plane neared the small brightly lit terminal. It was already dark here, but it would still be light in Montana.
“Call Dana,” Hayes said. “She’s probably over there.”
He called. “No answer.”
“They probably went for a horseback ride,” Laramie said. “Wasn’t that what Ford told you they were going to do the last time you talked to him?”
Jackson nodded, telling himself his brother was probably right. He glanced at Hayes. He understood what Laramie couldn’t really grasp. Laramie was a businessman. Hayes was a former sheriff’s deputy, a private investigation. He understood Jackson’s concern. There was a killer still loose in Montana.
The plane came to a stop. Jackson tried Allie again. The call again went straight to voice mail. He got Mildred Taylor’s number and called her.
“Have you seen Allie?” he asked. He couldn’t explain his fear, just a feeling in the pit of his stomach that was growing with each passing minute.
“Earlier. She wouldn’t even let me in her house.” She sniffed. “She was on her way to Cardwell Ranch to pick up Natalie the last I saw of her. Driving that old van. Why she doesn’t drive Nickie’s pickup I will never—”
He disconnected and tried Dana. Still no answer. He tried Allie again. Then he called the marshal’s office in Big Sky.
“Marshal Savage is unavailable,” the dispatcher told him.
“Is there anyone there who can do a welfare check?”
“Not at the moment. Do you want me to have the marshal call you when he comes in?”
Jackson started to give the dispatcher his number but Hayes stopped him.
“Take the plane,” Hayes said. “Mother said it would be hours before we could even see Austin. I’ll keep you informed of his progress.”
“Are you kidding?” Laramie demanded. “What is it with you and this woman? Have you forgotten that she’s the number one suspect in her husband’s murder?”
“She didn’t kill him,” Jackson and Hayes said in unison.
“Let us know as soon as you hear something,” Hayes said.
Jackson hugged his brother, relieved that he understood. He moved to cockpit and asked the pilot how long before they could get the plane back in the air. As Hayes and Laramie disembarked, he sat down again and buckled his seatbelt, trying to remain calm.
He had no reason to believe anything had happened. And yet...that bad feeling he’d gotten when her phone had gone to voice mail had only increased with each passing second. His every instinct told him that Allie was in real trouble.
Chapter Seventeen
Allie had taken a hot bath, but had kept it short. She was too anxious to see her daughter. She changed her clothes, relieved she was going to Dana’s. She really didn’t want to be alone tonight. She’d heard Natalie’s happy chatter in the background and couldn’t wait to reach the ranch.
In fact, she had started out the door when she realized she didn’t have her purse or her van keys. Leaving the door open, she turned back remembering that she’d left them on the small table between the living room and kitchen when she brought in her groceries earlier.
She was sure she’d left her purse on the table, but it wasn’t there. As she started to search for it, she began to have that awful feeling again. Her mind reeled. Mildred wasn’t still fooling with her, was she? No Mildred hadn’t come into the cabin. But Sarah had. Why would Sarah hide her purse? It made no sense.
Racking her brain, she moved through the small cabin. The purse wasn’t anywhere. On her way back through, she realized she must have left it in the van. She was so used to leaving her purse on that small table, she’d thought she remembered doing it again.
She started toward the open door when a dark figure suddenly filled the doorway. The scream that rose in her throat came out a sharp cry before she could stop it.
“Drew, you scared me. I didn’t hear you drive up.”
“My truck’s down the river a ways. I was fishing....”
The lie was so obvious that he didn’t bother finishing it. He wasn’t dressed for fishing nor was he carrying a rod.
“The truth is, I wanted to talk to you and after everything that’s happened, I thought you’d chase me off before I could have my say.”
“Drew, this isn’t a good time. I was just leaving.”
He laughed. “That’s exactly why I didn’t drive up in your yard. I figured you’d say something just like that.”
“Well, in this case, it’s true. Natalie is waiting for me. I’m staying at Cardwell Ranch tonight. Dana is going to be wondering where I am if I don’t—”
“This won’t take long.” He took a breath. “I’m so sorry for everything.”
Allie felt her blood heat to boiling. No one in this family ever listened to her. How dare he insist she hear him out when she just told him she was leaving? “You and your mother tried to drive me insane.”
“I didn’t know anything about that, I swear,” Drew cried. “Mother told me that you had already forgotten about Nick. It was breaking her heart. She said you needed to be reminded and if you saw someone who looked like Nick...”
“You expect me to believe that?”
He shrugged. “It’s true. I did it just to shut her up. You know how Mother is.”
She did. She also knew arguing about this now was a waste of time and breath. She glanced at the clock on the mantel. “I really need to go.”
“Just give me another minute, please. Also I wanted to apologize for the other night. I had too much to drink.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. But you have to know, I’ve always liked you.” He looked at her shyly. “I would have done anything for you and now the cops think I killed Nick for you.”
Her pulse jumped, her heart a thunder in her chest. “That’s ridiculous.”
“That’s what I told them. I could never hurt my brother. I loved Nick. But I have to tell you, I was jealous of him when he married you.”
“Drew, I really don’t have time to get into this right—”
“Don’t get me wrong,” he said as if she hadn’t spoken. “If I thought there was chance with you...”
A ripple of panic ran up her spine. “There isn’t, Drew.”
“Right. Jackson Cardwell.”
“That isn’t the reason.”
“Right,” he said sarcastically. His jaw tightened, his expression going dark. She’d been married to his brother long enough to know the signs. Nick could go from charming to furious and frightening in seconds. Apparently so could his brother.
“Drew—”
“What if I did kill him for you, Allie?” He stepped toward her. “What if I knew where he would be up that trail? What if I wanted to save you from him? You think I don’t know how he was with you?” He let out a laugh. “Jackson Cardwell isn’t the only knight in shining armor who wants to come to your rescue.”
She didn’t want to hear his confession and feared that was exactly what she was hearing. “Drew, I would never want you to hurt your brother for any reason, especially for me.”
“Oh yea? But what if I did, Allie? Wouldn’t you owe me something?”
He took another a step toward her.
She tried to hold her ground but Drew was much stronger, much larger, much scarier. With Nick, she’d learned that standing up to him only made things worse. But she was determined that this man wasn’t going to touch her. She’d backed down too many times with Nick.
“This isn’t happening, Drew.” She stepped to the side and picked up the poker from the fireplace. “It’s time for you to go.”
She could almost read his mind. He was pretty sure he could get the poker away from her before she did much bodily harm to him. She lifted it, ready to swing, when she heard a vehicle come into the yard.
Drew heard it to. “Jackson Cardwell to the rescue again?”
But it couldn’t be Jackson. He was in Texas by now.
Allie was relieved to see his sister Sarah stick her head in the door. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said into the tense silence.
“Not at all,” Allie assured her sister-in-law. Her voice sounded more normal than she’d thought it would. Had Drew just confessed to killing Nick? “Drew was just leaving.”
“We’re not through talking about this,” he said as he started for the door.
“Oh, I think we already covered the subject. Goodbye Drew.”
“Is everything all right?” Sarah asked as Allie returned the poker to its spot next to the fireplace. She stepped in and closed the door behind her.
“Fine. You didn’t happen to see my purse when you were here earlier, did you? Dana is expecting me and I can’t seem to find it.”
“No. You still haven’t picked up Natalie?”
“No, Dana invited me for a sleepover with the kids. I was just heading there when Drew arrived.”
“I didn’t see his truck,” Sarah said glancing toward the window.
“He said he parked it down river where he was fishing.” She glanced around the living room one more time. “I need to find my purse and get going.”
“Your purse? Oh, that explains why you didn’t answer your cell phone. I tried to call you,” Sarah said. “Do you want me to help you look?”
“No, maybe I’ll just take Nick’s truck.” The idea repulsed her, but she was anxious to get to the ranch. “I’m sure my purse will turn up. Oh, that’s right, I was going out to check the van and see if I left it there when Drew showed up.”
“So you’re off to a kids sleepover?”
Allie knew she should be more upset with Sarah for taking Natalie last night, but Sarah had always done her mother’s bidding. Allie couldn’t help but feel sorry for the woman.
“Nat wanted to spend the night over there for Ford. He’s upset about his uncle Austin who was shot down in Texas. His brothers should be at the ho
spital by now. No wonder I haven’t heard anything with my cell phone missing.”
“Natalie and Ford sure hit it off, didn’t they? It’s too bad Nat doesn’t have a sibling. I always thought you and Nick would have another child.”
Allie found Nick’s truck keys in her jacket pocket and held them up. “If you still want Nick’s truck, you can have it. I was planning to sell it. But the back side panel is dented.” She frowned. “It’s odd that Nick didn’t mention it. You know how he was about truck...”
Her thoughts tumbled over each other in a matter of an instant as her gaze went to her fingers and she remembered the white flakes she’d brushed off the dent. It hadn’t registered at the time. The dent. The white paint from the vehicle that had hit it. Pearl white on Nick’s black pickup.
Nick would have been out of his mind if someone had hit his pickup. So it couldn’t have happened before his hunting trip, which meant it happened where? At the trailhead?
* * *
ANOTHER VEHICLE MUST have hit the pickup. Allie’s thoughts fell into a straight, heart-stopping line. A pearl-white vehicle like the one Sarah was having repaired the day the call came about Nick’s death.
Allie felt the hair rise on the back of her neck as she looked up and saw Sarah’s expression.
“I knew you would figure it out the minute I saw you standing next to the dent in Nick’s pickup. Nick was so particular about his truck. One little scratch and he would have been losing his mind. Isn’t that what you were realizing?”
“Oh Sarah,” she said, her heart breaking.
“That’s all you have to say to the woman who killed your husband?” she asked as she pulled Allie’s .45 out of her pocket and pointed the barrel at Allie’s heart.
* * *
JACKSON HAD LEFT his rental car at the Bozeman airport. The moment the jet landed he ran to it and headed up the canyon. He tried Allie again. Still no answer. He left a message just in case there was a good reason she wasn’t taking calls.
