by Barbara Gee
“Their loyalty to you is impressive, Ryan.”
“They’re good people.” Ryan put some pizza in the microwave to warm up. “How’s Maddy doing?”
“Amazing. Our first anniversary is coming up in a month, can you believe that?”
“How could I forget? We had some pretty eventful days leading up to that wedding. What did you have, a five day engagement?”
“More like four days,” Tuck said, chuckling.
Both men were silent for a moment, remembering the night the two of them had taken on eight men on a big butte in the middle of the Full Heart Ranch.
“I’m glad everything’s going well for you, Tuck.”
“The only way it could be better is if there were more hours in the day to get things done. So what’s next for you? You headed to a tropical island for three months?”
“Nah, I’m not much for lounging in the sand,” Ryan said. “I think I’ll head down to Florida and pound nails for my brother for a while. I think some hard physical work might be a good way to deal with my pent up aggression.”
“Wait, are you serious?” Tuck asked, sounding suddenly excited. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re looking for hard work? If you’ve got a hankering to build something, get your butt out here to the ranch. I can keep you busy from dawn to dusk. We’re pouring footers for the first building of the retreat center, and I’d pay you in blood to come work on that project for a while. I trust my contractor for the most part, but I wouldn’t mind having my own guy on site every day. And it seems like they’re always short on men, so there would be plenty for you to do. Seriously, Ryan, you would be an answer to prayer.”
Ryan bit into his pizza, his brows drawn together as he contemplated the offer. Tuck’s ranch in Barlow, North Dakota was a little farther than he’d intended to go, but it would be great to spend time with his friend again, this time without a group of men trying to kill them. And he knew all about Tuck’s plans to build a veterans retreat center on the ranch, with the goal being to hold retreats for wounded vets and their families. It was a cause near to Ryan’s own heart, and helping with the project would without a doubt be a rewarding way to spend his leave.
As he mulled it over, Ryan couldn’t stop the slow smile that curved his lips. He wondered what Tuck’s sister, Libby, would say if she knew of Tuck’s impulsive invitation. He felt pretty safe in assuming she wouldn’t be quite as welcoming as her big brother, but that wasn’t much of a deterrent. He actually wouldn’t mind seeing those lovely blue-green eyes shooting fire at him again. Libby Simon was hands down the most beautiful woman he’d ever met, and if she hadn’t made it abundantly clear that she had no interest in him, Ryan would have definitely tried to get to know her better back when he had the chance.
“You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” Ryan said, blinking his eyes to clear the image of the gorgeous Libby.
“So what do you think? Does a few months in Barlow sound appealing?”
“I’m not totally opposed,” Ryan said thoughtfully. “I don’t know if your sister would go for it, though. It’s no secret I’m not her favorite person. I’d hate to be a thorn in her side for three months.”
Tuck laughed. “To tell you the truth, I think the distraction would be good for her. She’s so involved in this project it’s almost scary. I’ve never seen her so passionate and driven. She hasn’t been on a date since we got married, and Maddy’s getting worried.”
“Are you saying you want me to come take your sister out?” Ryan asked, grinning. “Because I can think of worse things.”
“Nah, I wouldn’t trust you with her,” Tuck drawled. “Just come be a thorn in her side for a while. And help me out in the process.”
“Let me think about it. I’ll call you in a day or two.”
“Sounds good. It really would be great to have you out here. I think you’ll be impressed with what we’re doing.”
“You aren’t starting to think about quitting the Agency are you?”
“No, I’m as committed to the FBI as ever, but getting this retreat center off the ground is important, too. I’d love to show it to you in person.”
“And I’d like to see it.”
“Call me soon,” Tuck urged. “And don’t worry about Libby. If you decide to come out, she’ll come around.”
Ryan promised to make a decision soon, then hung up the phone and picked up his plate, leaning back against the counter as he finished his supper.
Going to Barlow was tempting, and he admitted that having Libby there made it even more so. The girl had somehow gotten under his skin in the short time he’d spent at the ranch, even though she’d barely given him the time of day. She’d sent him a letter, though. In fact, he’d found it in a desk drawer when he was clearing out his office several days ago. He’d read it again and found himself wondering anew why Libby had said what she did about not liking the person she saw through his eyes. It was something he’d never figured out.
One thing he did know, however. If he headed out to Barlow for a while, he’d have to be careful. It was one thing to do a little harmless flirting with a beautiful woman, but something told him he’d be playing with fire when it came to Libby. His response to her had been immediate and potent, and finding the line between harmless and dangerous might prove to be tough. Bottom line, no matter how attractive she was, Ryan wouldn’t risk damaging his friendship with Tuck over a short term dalliance with the man’s sister.
And unfortunately, short term was all Ryan had to offer. He wasn’t looking for forever right now, and he doubted he ever would be.
CHAPTER 3
“Good morning, handsome!”
Ryan closed his front door and looked over to see his neighbor lady sitting on her porch, waving at him. He grinned and walked through his yard to join her.
“Mornin’, Clara. It’s good to see you out here again. You feeling better?”
“I feel like a million bucks,” the feisty seventy year old said with a wide smile. “I had my last chemo treatment two days ago and now I just have to work at getting my strength back.”
“Glad to hear it. The neighborhood is a lonely place when you’re stuck inside and can’t talk to me.”
Clara laughed. Their two houses were side by side, but there weren’t any other houses closer than a quarter mile away. Hardly a neighborhood.
Ryan took a seat in the wicker chair across from her. It was far from the first time he’d joined his only neighbor for a chat on her front porch, but it had been a couple of months since he’d had the opportunity, due to her health issues.
“What are you doing home this time of day on a Wednesday, Ryan?”
He grimaced. “Haven’t you heard? I assaulted a female employee and made racially charged statements at the scene of an arrest.”
Clara gave his shin a kick with her slipper clad foot. “Aw pish, Ryan. Do you think I’d believe that?”
“A lot of people did,” he said soberly.
When Clara frowned and looked confused, Ryan realized she hadn’t kept up on the local news while she’d been laid up. He gave her a condensed version of what had happened, trying not to show just how deeply he’d been affected. She looked more outraged by the second, and when he told her he’d lost out on the chief’s job, she was spitting mad.
“I’ve half a mind to go to the next city council meeting and give them an earful,” she sputtered. “Of all the nerve! And you still don’t know who spread those nasty lies?”
Ryan shook his head. “No idea. Since there haven’t been any more accusations, I assume their goal was to keep me from becoming chief. And they accomplished it.”
“Did you try to track them down?”
“Yeah, we did, but literally all we had to go on were those three anonymous calls to the radio station. And none of the numbers were traceable.”
“I’m so sorry, Ryan dear, and I’m so angry I could spit nails. I can only imagine how you feel.”
He nodded. “I h
ave to get past it, though, otherwise it’ll eat me up. As you know, I tend to spend too much time agonizing over things I can’t change, and I don’t want that to become a problem like it’s been in the past.”
Clara reached out and patted his arm. “I remember those times. When you first moved in next door, you were a haunted man. You’ve come a long way, my friend.”
Ryan looked over at his house. Buying that place five years ago and moving to Chandler had been the start of a new phase of life for him. And the day he moved in, Clara had shown up at his door with lemonade and homemade sugar cookies. The two had been fast friends ever since, and he’d shared things with her that no one else knew.
He looked back at her. “I’m taking a leave of absence from the department. I’ve got some decisions to make, and I think getting away for a while will be the best thing for everyone concerned. I’m sticking around for Chief Ashton’s retirement party tomorrow night, then on Saturday I’m heading out to a friend’s place in North Dakota.”
“Well, I sure will miss my good neighbor,” Clara said sadly, “but I think it’s probably best. Sometimes getting away clears the mind and gives us a better perspective on things.”
“That’s my hope,” Ryan said. He stood up and stretched. “I was heading to the mailbox. You want me to bring you your mail?”
“That would be lovely. Did you get the important letter you’ve been waiting for?”
“What letter?”
“The one you’ve been so eager to get you can’t even wait until you get home from work. I only know about it because I always send my home health aide out to get my mail, and she said a couple of weeks ago when she went out to the mailbox there was a young man there going through your mail. He said he works with you and you’ve been expecting a very important letter and you sent him to see whether it had arrived. I’ve seen him at your mailbox quite a few times since then. I’m usually sitting in my recliner by the window when the mailman goes, and your friend shows up right after he leaves.”
Ryan slowly eased himself back down into the chair across from Clara.
“What does this ‘friend’ look like?”
The elderly lady frowned. “Well you should know, Ryan. Unless—” her eyes widened.
“Unless he’s not my friend,” Ryan finished grimly. “Can you tell me what he looks like, Clara?”
Rattled now, she gave Ryan the best description she could, but their mailboxes were across the road and they both had large front yards, so she’d never gotten a close up look at him.
“Is your home health aide coming today?” Ryan asked. “The one who met the guy?”
“She should be here any minute,” Clara said.
“I need to talk to her,” Ryan said. “Let me go get my computer, then I’ll be right back.”
***
A half hour later Ryan was more confused than ever. The aide had described the man and said he drove a plain looking silver sedan, but she hadn’t paid attention to the make and model, much less the license plate. The man had dark hair and was of medium height, a little on the stocky side. Ryan used his computer to bring up photos of his colleagues to see whether any of them were the person she had seen, and he was relieved when she adamantly declared that none of them were a match. Unfortunately that didn’t rule out the possibility that one of them had hired someone else to go through his mail.
The car wasn’t much of a lead, either, as silver cars came a dime a dozen. No doubt that’s why the man had chosen one.
Ryan thanked both women for their help and went back over to his house, where he sat brooding. What in the world was the guy looking for? Most of the mail he got was either bills or junk—he certainly wasn’t expecting anything important. Was this strange development related to the rumors, or was there a new mystery in the making?
He decided there wasn’t anything he could do at the moment. His best hope was to wait until the mailman came the next day, and then watch to see whether the mystery man showed up at the mailbox. It was maddening to realize that the guy might have even been there earlier today, right under Ryan’s nose. If the mailman had been on schedule, he would have left the mail at least an hour before Ryan had gone out to get it, so the guy would have had plenty of time to go through what was in the mailbox, with Ryan being none the wiser.
Then again, since his truck was in the drive, the guy might have been afraid to risk it. Or maybe he’d already found what he was looking for. If that was the case, he’d never be back, and chances are Ryan would never know what he’d taken.
Angry and keyed up, he called Olivia and invited her and Kevin over for the evening. Ryan knew himself well, and he knew that being alone to stew over things wasn’t in his best interest. Before that blasted radio show, he’d have headed into town for the evening, but that was no longer an option. He didn’t know who he could trust, so he wasn’t going to take any chances.
Olivia readily agreed to come, and even offered to pick up some food. With that settled, Ryan started a load of laundry and then drove to the post office. He wanted to make sure all his mail would be forwarded out to Tuck’s ranch after tomorrow. It gave him at least some satisfaction to know that if his ‘friend’ was still looking for something, he would be greeted with an empty mailbox once Ryan was gone.
***
Ryan was spending his last night in Chandler at Chief Ashton’s retirement party. He was glad he’d come. It was important to show his support for the retiring chief, and it had been a good chance to spend a little more time with some of his closer friends in the department before he left. However, the party had been going for hours now, and he was ready for it to be over. He wanted to get home and get some sleep before catching his early flight.
He checked his watch and saw it was closing in on midnight. Even though a lot of people were still going strong, he decided to see whether Olivia and Kevin, who had picked him up and driven him to the party, were ready to go. He looked around for them, turning when he heard his name called from across the room. He frowned when he saw one of the junior officers, who had offered to skip the party and work the evening shift, hurrying across the room.
“Hey, Detective,” the young man said, sounding a little out of breath. “We just got a call. The fire department is headed out, and the address is your residence. Officer Trimble sent me over to tell you in person, and said if you’ve been drinking and can’t drive, I should take you out there.”
Ryan stared at him, the news so unexpected it took a moment to register. “You’re saying my house is on fire?”
“I’m sorry, sir. Hopefully it’s a false alarm. Do you need a ride?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. I haven’t had anything to drink, but I don’t have my truck here. I came with friends.”
Olivia walked up and heard the last part of the exchange. “Do you need to leave, Ryan?”
“The fire department is headed out to his house,” the young officer said before Ryan could answer. “I can drive him there.”
Olivia immediately went into first responder mode. “I’ll take him, Brett,” she said quickly. “Come on, Ryan, I’ll grab Kev and we can go.” She motioned for her fiancé to come over, filling him in as they headed for the exit. Moments later they were speeding toward Tuck’s house.
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Kevin said. “Maybe it’s just the garage.”
Ryan shook his head. He had a real bad feeling about what they were going to find. “It’s going to be arson. I’d bet my badge on it.”
“The same people who called the radio station?” Olivia asked from the back seat, reading his mind as usual.
“Yep, my guess is it’s all related. The calls, the guy who’s been at my mailbox every day except yesterday when I was waiting for him. And now this. But I have to say, burning my house down is ramping things up a bit.”
Olivia reached up between the seats and squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry, Ry. Let’s not assume the worst before we get there. Hopefully the call came in before the fire go
t too bad.”
Minutes later they saw the glow in the sky and knew that wasn’t the case. Kevin parked the truck a short distance away and they sat and watched as the firefighters fought a battle they weren’t going to win.
“It’s only things, right?” Ryan said bitterly.
“Who in the world would do this to you?” Olivia asked furiously. “And why?”
“I wish I knew.” Ryan watched the fire for a few minutes, his expression hard. “Guess I’d better change my flight to North Dakota. I’m going to need a couple days to get things squared away with the insurance company, but after that I’m out of here.”
“You don’t want to stay and work the arson case, if that’s what it’s going to be?” Olivia asked disbelievingly.
“The department can work it. I’d gladly stay and fight, but I can’t fight invisible people. I don’t have a single suspect, and unless we find some real obvious evidence from this fire, there’s no sense in sticking around here waiting to see what they do next.”
“I don’t want you to go, but I have to agree,” Olivia said. “I really thought this had ended when you didn’t get chief. I just wish we knew what they’ve been looking for in your mail.”
“Could be they already got it, but if they did, why burn my house down? I’m having my mail forwarded to North Dakota starting tomorrow, so I’ll watch for anything out of the ordinary.”
“I don’t see how burning down your house helps them. All it does is guarantee there won’t be any mail delivered here for a while,” Olivia said.
“Maybe that’s what they want,” Ryan said. “They haven’t been able to intercept it, so they’re trying to make sure it doesn’t get delivered.”
“That’s just delaying the inevitable, though. Obviously you’ll get all your mail at some point.”
Ryan was silent for a moment, then he looked back at his friend, his dark eyes intense. “They haven’t been able to go through my mail the last two days. Yesterday my truck was in the drive, so I doubt they had the nerve to go to the mailbox. And today I was going to put my truck in the garage where they couldn’t see it and then watch for the guy to show up, but the mail came more than an hour early and I didn’t have a chance.”
