Present Danger

by Elizabeth Goddard

  Jack threw himself to the ground and rolled as gunfire rang out—the man had taken a shot at Terra and was now on the run. The guy dashed through the trees. Once again, the chase was on. Jack snatched up his gun and sprang to his feet as Terra rushed forward, gasping.

  “Let’s go.” He took off after him.

  After twenty minutes of running and searching the woods, he stopped to visually search the area as he caught his breath.

  “I think we . . . lost . . . him.” She spoke the words between gulps of air.

  “He was running for his life.” Jack still hadn’t caught his breath yet.

  “You want to keep searching?” she asked.

  “Yes. Let me call in search helicopters and K-9s.” Jack had a feeling it was probably already too late. He ground his molars. He had let the guy slip through his fingers.

  “Good.” Terra exhaled. “Because right now, it looks like he’s a murderer.”

  His stomach clenched at her words. He shot her a look. “Neva Bolz?”

  Terra gave him a grim nod. “When you ran after him, I had to check the house to make sure Neva didn’t need assistance, and . . . I found her in the kitchen.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “A police cruiser, responding quickly to my initial call for backup, appeared moments later, and then I left to find you. At first I thought I’d lost you, but I heard a lot of movement and followed that. Then I heard your voice.” Lifting her hand, she shaded her eyes.

  I’m sorry you had to be the one to find her.

  Jim, and now Neva?

  God, help us to catch him before someone else dies. Help us find him. Help us dig up the root of this whole mess.

  TWENTY-SIX

  The local police had locked down the crime scene and established the perimeter, as well as the path of contamination at Neva’s house, before Jack and Terra returned. They’d needed to sign the crime-scene security log. The county sheriff’s office would take the lead on the case since Neva’s murder was likely connected to Jack’s investigation.

  Terra and Jack had donned sterile crime-scene garb, and she stared down at Neva Bolz’s body on the wood parquet as they waited for the deputy coroner—Emmett Hildebrand—to arrive from the other side of the county.

  This felt all too familiar—Terra waiting with Jack for the coroner.

  Additional deputies and local police officers continued to search the woods and national forest on foot and by helicopter while the local police assisted in tracking down Neva’s next of kin.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, Terra released a slow breath. Jim Raymond, what did you get yourself into?

  When two techs entered the space, she stepped away from Neva’s body. Neva’s murder could be connected to the stolen archaeological items, and it was time for Terra to conduct a search of her own.

  Terra kept to the path of contamination marked by tape. Jack spoke with the police detective, and they compared notes. Relieved to be away from yet another body, she drew in a few breaths but failed to calm her nerves. Grief and heartache for the loss of life throbbed in her chest.

  She found herself standing in Neva’s cream-colored living room. Cream carpet. Cream walls. Cream chairs. And nothing more. Jack approached and stood next to her but said nothing as he peered at his notebook. She hadn’t seen him with it at Pauline’s house. She had an investigations notebook in her bag but often entered information later.

  Popping the notebook closed, he looked at her, catching her staring at him. He held her gaze a few moments longer than necessary.

  “I can’t help but notice this house is completely devoid of personality,” she said. “I can’t get a sense of who Neva was.”

  Jack stuck the notebook under his arm. “I thought Erin was the psychologist.”

  Terra shook her head. “You know as well as I do that getting to the bottom of any crime calls for understanding human nature. Who was Neva that someone would murder her? There are no pictures on these walls. No photographs of children or a husband.”

  He rubbed his chin. “Maybe she traveled for her job and wasn’t home much.”

  “Maybe. But usually when someone travels that much, they live near a bigger airport.”

  “You’re assuming she left the state. I was thinking she drove, sticking closer to home.”

  Terra shrugged. “I guess you need to find out what she did for Star Oil Company.”

  “She was a consultant,” he said.

  “What does that even mean?” Consultants could be hired for numerous reasons, including under-the-table kinds of reasons.

  Jack sidled up to her. “If we’re going to look around, we’d better get to it.”

  “Did the detective have any information for you?”

  “Just preliminary pictures, to establish the scene, and main evidence areas, which include only the kitchen and her bedroom. I’ll follow you through the house to look for clues, and then we’ll get out of the way so the evidence techs can find the invisible-to-the-naked-eye kinds of things.”

  “Right. You’re right.” Terra had a feeling that at some point other agencies might want a piece of this investigation. This could quickly outgrow Jack’s county and her national forest. But they weren’t there yet.

  She led the way down the hall and stopped at a coat closet. With a gloved hand, she opened the door and peered inside. Interestingly empty. Then into each bedroom. Only one room had an actual bed, and it was covered in a beautiful teal-colored duvet. The color instantly brought to mind the colorful Native American headdress they’d discovered in Jim’s cabin. A suitcase lay opened on the bed, revealing a few of Neva’s neatly folded clothes. Slacks and blouses suitable for a business trip.

  “Well, either she was just getting home from a trip, or she was heading out,” Terra said.

  “Or maybe she was running scared.”

  Terra opened the closet door to find a few business clothes, along with pumps. “We have a picture of her in the woods near that cabin with Jim. We should find hiking boots in here, or at least something besides pumps. She didn’t hike up that trail in heels.” Terra turned to find Jack staring at her. “What do you think?”

  “That we’ve only scratched the surface.”

  “If that.” She shared a look with Jack, and together they finished walking through the home.

  “What do you see?” Jack asked.

  “I see an oddly empty place.”

  “I agree.”

  “No love for art or family.” That in itself was a mystery that begged to be solved. “I don’t think this was her real home. Just a stopping-off point.”

  “We’ll be looking into everything we can learn about Neva Bolz, but I’ve seen all I need to see here for now,” Jack said. “We need to talk to her family, friends, and work and business associates. Get her phone records and her computer. Unfortunately, I didn’t see a cell, a laptop, or a desktop computer here, which is odd.”

  They exited the house and headed down the sidewalk, passing multiple deputies and police officers. The deputy coroner had arrived as well. This time, there was no doubt the woman had been stabbed to death. They didn’t have to speculate like they had with Jim.

  At the end of the sidewalk, they stood together at the grille of Jack’s vehicle.

  He hung his head. “Sheriff’s going to love this. The county is already stretched. He’ll need to call for assistance from other agencies. At the very least, the state.”

  “And that bothers you?”

  “Too many hands in the pie. Maybe we can find answers sooner. I don’t know. I just need to think. Give me a few minutes?”

  “I’m not going anywhere since you’re my ride.”

  He gave her a weak grin of appreciation. “I need to make a couple of calls.”

  She could do the same. Jack got on his cell. Terra guessed he was requesting the additional information on Neva Bolz. Terra called her boss and per usual got Dan’s voice mail. She left a message like she always did, and considering the murder and he
r work with the county detective, she wouldn’t make it into the office today, after all.

  She was a lone special agent in a huge region with her own forests to oversee. If she had to investigate this case alone—if she wasn’t working with Jack—it could take her much longer to get to the truth. Leads would grow cold while she searched.

  Jack stared at the house while he spoke on his cell. Terra heard parts of his conversation as he talked to his sergeant and then his sheriff, who were both on the way to the crime scene. Stubble had emerged on his cheeks. He’d rolled up his sleeves and thrust one hand into his pocket, while the notebook remained tucked tightly under his arm. She was so proud of Jack. She’d known he would go far in life. Terra was drawn to him before, and now, even after all this time, she remained drawn to him.

  He looked from the house to her, as though he knew she was staring at him. He’d caught her watching too often. Heat flooded her cheeks, and amusement danced in his eyes. A small grin crept into his cheeks. Did he know she’d been admiring him?

  She huffed and moved away from him. Walked around the vehicle and took in the silhouette of deep purple mountains against the darkening sky.

  Though she’d dreaded the idea of working with Jack, they actually worked well together. That moment she found out he’d left for his dream job without even a goodbye seemed so distant now, but if she thought too long and hard, those memories could bring back the pain. She should let herself forget how he’d hurt her. Forgive him. They had been youngish. He’d always been damaged and hurt, and maybe Terra was like his aunt when it came to strays or the lonely and wounded. Maybe it was that same kind of compassion in Terra that first attracted her to him. But Jack wasn’t some wounded forest creature that she could nurture back to health. And even thinking she could had been all on her.

  She wouldn’t be fooled again, except that Jack was different now.

  “What are you thinking about?” His husky voice so near gave her a start and at the same time sent warm tingles over her.

  She stepped away. “You startled me.”

  “Because you were a million miles away.”

  She brushed him off and moved to the passenger-side door, opened it, and got in. He climbed in on the driver’s side, bringing with him the smell of woods and masculinity. Terra glanced at the house as he pulled from the curb. Had Neva ever walked in those woods behind her house? Enjoyed the view? Considering how sparse the house was, Terra wondered if Neva had ever even made the place her home.

  “Will you please take me to my vehicle back at the hospital?” She needed time to decompress and think through everything.

  He shifted in his seat as if her question made him uncomfortable. “Sure. Of course. I was going to invite you to help me work on a crime board, but I don’t feel up to that. How about first we grab some coffee and talk through what we know?”

  “I have a better idea. You made a comment earlier that made me think of it. You mentioned that Gramps and his coffee and me with my pie, we should open a shop or something. I don’t know if I ever told you, but I actually do plan to open a pie shop when I’m too old to do this.”

  Jack jerked his gaze to her, astonishment and pleasure in his eyes.

  A laugh burst from her, and she quickly subdued it. She was losing it, laughing at a time like this. Someone had been murdered. Two someones had been murdered.

  “Don’t look so surprised.” Nanna had taught her to bake pies. At the time, Terra had wanted to please Jack. He loved pie. But who didn’t? In the last few years, she hadn’t had time to bake and missed the calm that came over her when she combined simple ingredients into an explosion of flavor. Early this morning, before Gramps and Owen had returned and while the chaos of the night still reigned over her, she’d baked one apple pie and one chocolate.

  “Terra.”

  “Oh yeah,” she said, realizing too late that bringing up pies probably wasn’t appropriate given their history. “Sorry.”

  “Well, finish what you started. You’re going to open a pie shop when you retire. Why bring that up now?”

  “I made two pies early this morning. If Gramps and Owen haven’t eaten them, we could have pie and coffee. That is, after you take me to my vehicle and if you don’t mind following me out to the ranch.”

  “You had me at pie. Let’s do it. While I hate to ruin a perfectly good pie with a conversation about crime, we should use the time to talk through what we have so far, while we’re waiting on background information for Neva and her known associates.”

  “The guy who killed her.” Terra touched Jack’s shoulder. “He’ll turn up. He won’t get away. Do you think he’s the guy we chased from Gramps’s?”

  “Why would you think he’s the same guy who supposedly was only after your grandfather’s safe? The two incidents aren’t related. Barely in the same county.”

  “You’re right. It’s just that when we were chasing him, I just had the feeling of déjà vu, that’s all. The incidents probably aren’t connected. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Because if they were . . .

  A chill crawled over her, and she rubbed her arms.

  “We got impressions of footprints at the ranch. I’ll make sure we get them in the woods behind Neva’s home, even though deputies and dogs have tromped all over the place. Right now, I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “You’re just saying that because you’re waiting to talk about it over pie.”

  “So? You got a problem with that?”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Rubbing his neck, Jack turned onto the road back to the hospital to get Terra’s vehicle. She’d chuckled at his remark, and he was glad that even during the harsh realities of working a murder investigation, they could find these humorous moments—and keep their sanity. That, and well, he hadn’t liked the direction their conversation had taken.

  Could the person who broke into Terra’s grandfather’s ranch be the same man who fled Neva Bolz’s home, leaving her murdered body on the kitchen floor? He hated the cold sweats erupting from his body.

  But maybe they would get the impressions, compare the footprints, and learn the two incidents were not related.

  A guy could hope.

  At least he would be following Terra back to the ranch. That would give him peace of mind, even if it was short-lived.

  A half an hour later, he pulled up to Stone Wolf Ranch, right behind Terra, and followed her into the house. Jack was relieved that Terra’s grandfather wasn’t at home at the moment. The last time he’d seen the man, he appeared ready to give Jack a piece of his mind. The man hadn’t gotten over the way Jack had left. He got that. Terra’s family and friends were protective of her, and Jack had broken her heart.

  He’d broken both their hearts. He’d also thrown every harsh word he could ever think of at himself, but it didn’t change that he’d hurt Terra.

  As for her—she appeared to have gotten over their breakup, if you could call it that. Either that, or she was the ultimate professional and had pushed those events out of the equation.

  Still, if the right moment ever came, he should apologize for his behavior. Like Aunt Nadine had suggested when she’d asked if he had made things right.

  Terra shrugged out of her light-tan jacket and hung it on a chair. “Owen’s around here somewhere. Working with the horses probably, even this late. He loves them so much. He’s a horse whisperer, I’m telling ya.”

  He did the same, suddenly feeling out of place and questioning his wisdom in joining her at the house. If her grandfather or Owen showed up, the awkwardness would only increase.

  Or he could choose to act professional—the county detective—and compartmentalize this investigation, separating it from his shared past with Terra.

  Could they forge something new between them? He shoved the errant thought away as he took in the large modernized country kitchen—granite counters and elaborate stained cabinets. Stainless steel appliances.

  Terra squeezed his shoulder as she brushed past him to ope
n the fridge. She pulled out a pie. “Surprise! They left us a pie.”

  Jack shoved his hands into his pockets. “Oh yeah, what kind?”

  She glanced up at him as she cut a slice. “Apple. I’ll warm it in the microwave. Do you want it à la mode? I have whipped cream or ice cream.”

  “No, thanks. Plain old apple pie is fine.”

  At the look she shot him, he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not saying your pie is plain. The opposite, in fact. I want to taste it without any fillers. My mouth is watering already.”

  She smiled and popped a plated slice in the microwave. “That’s better.”

  Terra started cutting the next slice. “I’m glad Owen found something he loves. And guess what?” She stuck the next plate into the microwave for fifteen seconds and handed Jack his pie.

  “What?” Snatching a fork from the drawer, he set the pie on the kitchen table as he took a seat.

  “Coffee’s on, so grab a mug if you like.” Terra explained about Owen’s idea for equine therapy.

  She grabbed her pie from the microwave and joined him at the table. She forked a piece of pie, then lifted her gaze to him. They shared a smile. The woman stirred feelings in him, and he found himself thinking of her much too often in unprofessional terms—even in the middle of a murder investigation. They couldn’t possibly go forward, explore a relationship, with all the baggage. Could they?

  Jack focused on eating the pie and let the warmth of the moment and the company relax him. Clear his mind.

  “How’s your aunt doing?” Terra took a sip from her mug.

  He swallowed the last bite and hoped she wouldn’t offer more, because he wouldn’t be able to resist. “She asked about you the other day.”

  “Oh, she’s so sweet.” Terra smiled, but her eyes filled with concern. “I should stop by and see her sometime.”

  Jack didn’t have the heart to tell her that Aunt Nadine hadn’t remembered Terra’s name. He was almost afraid she might not recognize Terra. “I think she’s doing great one day and then the next day, she can’t remember something. She’s taking medication, and right now she remains independent. But if things get worse, I’m all she’s got.”