Present Danger

by Elizabeth Goddard

  Jack had grown up here, and had only been back in the area for about three months, working in his new capacity as a detective. While many of the same rules applied, the job was a lot different from his position as Special Agent Jack Tanner, or in his last assignment working undercover as a bodyguard to a high-profile criminal now behind bars.

  He shaved his whiskers and took in the scar on his midsection where the bullet had almost killed him. At least he’d saved the journalist that night. He’d been too late for—

  He gripped the edges of the sink and hung his head. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and steadied his nerves. He would be no good today if he didn’t put what happened behind him.

  He finished dressing, then rushed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where Aunt Nadine sat drinking coffee and playing with a dog he’d never seen. He chuckled to himself. Another stray.

  “Morning.” He kissed her on the cheek, then plated eggs, bacon, and toast that waited on the stove.

  “Morning, Jack. You busy today?”

  He paused. Uh-oh. The way she asked that . . . “Why? Did you need help with something?”

  “I want to put some lost and found posters up for Freckles, here.” She was looking to the new stray addition to the family, a copper-and-white cocker spaniel. “He has a boy out there somewhere. I just know it.”

  Aunt Nadine had a reputation for taking in strays—humans and animals alike. He couldn’t fault her for her soft, caring heart. After all, she’d taken in her granddaughter when her own daughter was spending too much time partying and was too high to care for her own child. That seemed to be a family curse. Drugs and alcohol. Then Aunt Nadine had taken Jack in too. Some might have expected her to do that since she was his aunt, but he was a lot of trouble for her and Uncle Barry, before he died.

  Jack downed black coffee. “I can help you with that, but I have something I need to do first, if that’s okay.”

  “You mean on that murder.”

  “Yep. I need to stay on top of it. That’s my job here, and you wouldn’t want me to mess up. You want me to find who killed Jim, don’t you?”

  “Yes. I know you’ll find that murderer. You were FBI before, after all. They can use your skills in the county. You’re the best thing to happen to the sheriff’s office in a long time.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” And that’s why he kept his secret from her. If she knew one of the reasons he left his former job, it would break her heart. He rinsed his plate and hers. “You wait for me to get back. We’ll put the posters up everywhere, I promise.”

  In his vehicle, Jack headed straight for Jim and Pauline’s home. Cars lined the driveway and the street. Relatives, families, and friends. Though Jack dreaded facing the bereaved widow, he needed to question her about Jim’s day and his connections. His home could be part of the narrative, too, since evidence or clues might be found there.

  Considering Jim knew everyone and was supposedly loved by everyone, this investigation could get complicated. But it was clear that at least one person didn’t love Jim Raymond.

  Jack received a text and looked at his phone. Terra. They’d exchanged numbers yesterday just in case he required assistance.

  I’m here with Pauline. Where are you?

  Confusion rocked through him. She wasn’t investigating the murder, so what was she doing there? Maybe she’d stopped in to give her condolences. He didn’t waste time responding.

  He hiked up the driveway, weaving between parked vehicles, then marched up the porch steps to stand at the door.

  He dreaded causing Pauline more pain. Maybe Terra getting here and going in first was a good thing and would help his approach.

  A stocky older man opened the door before Jack even knocked. Jack introduced himself and stated the purpose of his visit.

  The man’s face remained grim. “I’m JB, Pauline’s brother. Follow me.”

  JB led him through the home, down a hallway, and past closed doors to one in particular. Jack hoped those gathered at the house would feel his compassion and understanding for Pauline’s loss. JB opened the door to allow Jack inside. He stepped into a bedroom and found Pauline in tears and Terra at her side.

  Terra shoved her shoulder-length brown hair out of her face. “Pauline was sharing about the argument she had with Jim the night before he died.”

  Jack glared at her. What are you doing questioning his wife?

  Her brows pinched as she subtly shook her head.

  Now wasn’t the time to reprimand her, but he would make sure Pauline understood his role. “I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Raymond. My name is Jack Tanner, and I’m a detective with the county. I’ll be investigating your husband’s murder.”

  He drew out his pad to take notes.

  Pauline wiped the tears away with more tissues, adding to the pile. A fist grabbed his heart and squeezed.

  “I nagged him. I know I did. The washing machine had been causing problems for weeks now. And I was tired of it. I told him he could just wait for the repairman. I had to leave because my sister was having gallbladder surgery. I was going to stay with her overnight, but I got the call from the sheriff, so I came right home.”

  “Do you know if Jim had planned to meet someone that night?” Jack asked.

  Pauline blew her nose. “You do realize that Jim was in insurance? That meant he was often gone in the evenings meeting people to sell them more insurance. He was old school. Loved the personal touch, and his clients appreciated that. We lived on commissions and not a salary, so he was always working.”

  “Did he have a home office?”

  Pauline nodded. “He used to lease space downtown but recently decided to work from home.”

  “Could you show me?”

  Pauline rose slowly, and Terra supported her when she appeared unsteady on her feet. “His office is down the hallway. I already told the sheriff you’re free to look around and search wherever you need to. If you’ll excuse me, I want to wash my face.”

  Good. That meant they wouldn’t need a warrant. She stepped into the bathroom. Terra turned to Jack and spoke in hushed tones. “I’m sorry. I came by to drop off a sympathy card and gift basket from my grandfather. Pauline somehow thought I was official and started talking. Dragged me into the room. I told her to wait and that someone was coming.” Terra rubbed her temple. “I should leave now.”

  She turned to walk away. Jack should let her go, but he touched her arm, stopping her. “Pauline seems to be comfortable talking to you. Let’s not mess with the rhythm. Stay a little longer.”

  In Jim’s office, Jack pulled on gloves. A calendar was spread on the desk with handwritten appointments. Jack took a picture. The laptop was closed. He would leave that for a forensic tech. He didn’t see a physical filing cabinet.

  Terra sighed. “I should go check on Pauline.”

  Jack followed her out. Terra turned right, and Jack took a left to find himself in the last room down the hall—the laundry room. He stepped inside the space and spotted the washing machine. It appeared newfangled to him, but it could still be old. What did he know?

  Pauline, appearing to have composed herself, stepped into the space. She had guests to attend to, he surmised, even though they had come to comfort her. Terra stood behind Pauline.

  “Tell me about the day before when he called in about the Piper that crashed. Did he talk to you about that at all?” He remained focused on Pauline but didn’t miss the subtle surprise in Terra’s eyes. He’d only learned the news when Sarnes texted him with the information this morning.

  “The Piper?”

  “I mean the plane crash. He was the one who saved the pilot.” Coincidence? Or was his death related?

  Pauline’s eyes almost brightened within her swollen, red features. “Yes. He came home breathless. Excited that he’d helped someone out.”

  “What was he doing up in those woods?” Terra asked.

  Pauline stared at Terra. “I thought he was on a mountain road near the airstrip and saw
the plane go down.”

  “Right, but do you know why he was in the area?” Jack asked.

  Pauline frowned, and the tears came again. “I don’t know.”

  Jack wasn’t making much headway in getting answers from Pauline.

  “He was a hero, Pauline. You remember that,” Terra said.

  Pauline leaned into her. “I know. He saved someone, but now he’s dead.”

  The woman ran her hand over the top of the washing machine and released a heavy sigh. Jack stood back and took in the room where she’d had her last conversation with her husband. He glanced at the floor and spotted a small key.

  With his hands still gloved, he picked it up. “What’s this?”

  “That’s the key he kept in his wallet. It must have fallen out when he was looking for his credit card. He wanted to pay the man to make the repairs, and I wanted a new machine.”

  He kept a key in his wallet? “Do you know what it unlocks?”

  Pauline slowly shook her head, then covered her eyes for a few heartbeats before dropping her hands to stare at the washing machine again. Jack wouldn’t press her further, but she either knew something or ignored her husband’s secrets. Jack would have guessed the dropped key was to a lawn mower or a backyard shed, except Jim had kept it in his wallet.

  “Thank you for your time,” Jack said. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll just hold on to this key. Do I have your permission to look inside whatever it opens if I can find it?”

  She hugged herself and nodded.

  “Also, I’d like to look around the house some more.”

  “Of course. Take your time.” Pauline hobbled down the hallway, the grief weighing on her.

  Terra watched Pauline go, sorrow reflected in her eyes. Pauline’s responses, along with the uncertain key, left Jack with questions.

  What were you up to, Jim? Jack tugged off the gloves for now and stuffed them away along with the plastic bag containing the small key.

  Then he pulled out his cell and called Deputy Sarnes.

  “Deputy Sarnes speaking.”

  “Sarnes, I’d like to question the pilot. What can you tell me about him?”

  “Name is Chance Carter. I can tell you that he left the hospital.”

  “Where is he now?” Jack asked.

  “We don’t know. That’s what I mean. I can tell you he left the hospital without being discharged, but I don’t know where he went after that. The NTSB will need to investigate the crash. I have a call in to them to see if he’s contacted them already. Maybe we could catch up with him that way.”

  “Let me know when you find him. I want to be the one to question him about the crash as well as what he knows about Jim.”

  “He couldn’t have killed Jim, if that’s what you’re thinking. Carter was in the hospital when Jim was murdered. He was in bad shape after the crash.”

  “But not that bad if he left the hospital.”

  “Good point. We’ll get on it.”

  “And Sarnes, get me a digital evidence tech out here. I need someone on Jim’s computer.”

  “Say what?”

  “You heard me.”

  “You got a warrant yet?”

  “Pauline gave us permission.” Jack ended the call.

  Terra’s brows arched. “Because?”

  “There’s more going on here. I’ll look through the rest of the house to see if there’s anything that needs closer examination.”

  Crossing her arms, Terra slowly nodded, approval in her eyes. “You know, if the pilot was injured in the crash, he might not remember much.”

  “I know what you’re thinking. The plane crash could have nothing to do with Jim’s murder, but I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  “And you cover all your bases, Jack. I know you’ll find the killer. As for me, I need to get back to work. Take care of yourself. You know we’re here to help if needed.”

  Terra exited the laundry room. Would he ever see her again? Did he want to see her? He shoved those errant thoughts aside for another day.

  Sighing, Jack scratched his jaw, dreading his next task. He didn’t want possible evidence further contaminated. He needed to clear the house of all the guests, but Pauline wasn’t going to like it.

  His cell rang and he answered. “Tanner.”

  “You’re not going to believe where we found Jim’s vehicle.”

  NINE

  After leaving Jack at Pauline’s, deep in the thick of Jim’s murder case, Terra had struggled to focus on her own investigations for the forest service. She’d gone into the national forest supervisor’s office in Goode’s Pass to get on top of the reports and paperwork that seemed to grow exponentially.

  She didn’t like to spend a lot of time in the office and preferred the outdoors. She hadn’t imagined she would spend so much time at a desk, but that was the nature of the beast when working for the federal government in any capacity.

  That’s why, Jim’s murder aside, Terra had enjoyed being outdoors yesterday even if it had to be with Jack.

  Elbow on the desk, she rubbed her temple. He’d been serious and focused on the investigation, but at the end of the day, he’d started digging into personal matters. And for that reason, she should be relieved she wouldn’t be working with him. But every part of her wanted to be included in the search for Jim’s killer.

  Who would have thought sitting at a desk would leave her so exhausted when the biggest muscle she had used was her brain? She could literally sleep for a week, but she’d only get further behind. She’d made no real headway on the timber theft case she was working.

  But in all honesty, she wasn’t truly focusing.

  Her mind kept returning to Jim’s body.

  To Pauline’s tears.

  And to Jack’s face when he’d first emerged from the forest after descending that cliff. His expressions throughout the rest of the day. And especially the look he’d given her when he found her talking to Pauline this morning as though she had taken on his investigation.

  At five-thirty, Terra ended the tedious workday and stuffed paperwork back into drawers, giving her desk the appearance of belonging to a special agent on top of her game. Then she made the forty-five-minute drive to Gramps’s ranch where she was staying for the time being.

  She parked her forest service–issued vehicle along the circular drive in front of her grandfather’s home. Robert Vandine’s sprawling ranch house had been built in the middle of the almost ten thousand–acre ranch, though most of the acreage had been sold off over the years. Stone Wolf Ranch spread out in a small valley on the leeward side, or the eastern base, of Stone Wolf Mountain, which cast a rain shadow over the ranch that had been passed down through the family over the decades. The wealthy, especially movie stars, bought up the property in Montana and drove up real estate prices and taxes.

  Terra climbed out of her vehicle and strolled to the house that had gone through several renovation projects when Nanna—her grandmother, Alvine Vandine—was alive. Now the home seemed much too big for one aging man.

  His friends had been trying to talk him into running for office again. Terra wasn’t sure that was a good idea, but she wouldn’t interfere. Gramps had his finger in many pies—the local airport, grain storage, construction— and he still held on to a working farm, growing wheat and corn. He hired seasonal workers to drive the combines and take care of the harvest.

  A horse’s whinny drifted across the wind. Oh yeah, and Gramps had built a nice stable to house his horses.

  When she’d exited the NPS and moved back home from Colorado, she’d rented an apartment in Goode’s Pass near the office. She was close to family, but not too close. But she’d assured Gramps she would stay at the house since Owen had returned from the military hospital in Germany where he had spent months in rehab learning to use his prosthetic leg. He’d been through a lot, and it could take time for him to get settled.

  Except getting accustomed to Owen being around again and knowing how to act around him l
eft her unsettled.

  As she approached her grandfather’s home, she sucked in the fresh air and dragged herself up to the porch. She opened the door and the aroma of grilled steak wafted over her. Her stomach rumbled as she made her way to the kitchen.

  “Terr!” Owen grabbed her in a side hug.

  Okay, so he was in a better-than-usual mood.

  She winced. “You don’t know your own strength.”

  He released her. “I thought you weren’t coming back today.”

  “Are you saying you didn’t want to see me?”

  “Of course not. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “I’m staying for a while, you know that. Though I do need to check in on my cat once in a while.” She hadn’t realized she would be gone too much to care for a pet, even a cat, and was grateful for her neighbor Allie, who would probably end up keeping the cat. She couldn’t bring Sudoku here because Owen was allergic. That’s all he needed.

  “You don’t need to stay on account of me.”

  “Owen, please, I want to. It’s been so long. I want to be here with you and Gramps.”

  Maybe she should move back in. There was plenty of room. Gramps hadn’t liked that she’d rented her own place when she’d come back to the area a few months ago.

  Owen pulled out a head of lettuce.

  She dropped her bag on the counter. “I’ll let Gramps know I’m here. Are you making a salad?”

  “Yeah, I’m not much for rabbit food, but Gramps insists he needs a good steak and fresh vegetables to keep up his health. He has big plans, you know.”

  “I’m happy to do it.” She sidled next to him and stole the lettuce.

  He handed over the knife.

  She started chopping and immediately cut herself. Terra grimaced and peered at her sliced, bloody finger.

  “Let me see.” Owen grabbed her hand to look. “Good job, Terra.”

  She retrieved her hand. “I’ll be fine. Could you get me a bandage?”

  He nodded and disappeared.

  She ran her finger under the faucet, turning the water hot, and her thoughts went to Jim’s body again. Stabbed. By now the deputy coroner probably knew more about the weapon they should be searching for.