“That’s because you’re a dude.”
“Yeah, well ... .” His gaze drifted to the swinging doors when he heard steps on the wooden floors. He wasn’t surprised to find Boone entering their domain. He often stopped by to chat ... or talk about his newest case. He was a regular fixture at Casper Creek. “Good morning.”
Boone merely grunted in response and headed straight for the coffee pot. Becky was busy glaring at Hannah, to the point where Hannah had to put up an invisible wall so she could pretend it wasn’t happening.
“You don’t look good,” Hannah noted. “How late were you on the scene last night?”
“Late enough to confirm you were right,” he replied. “It was June Dutton. She’d been gone for more than a week. No one had seen her since then.”
“And now she’s dead,” Cooper mused.
“Who is June Dutton?” Becky asked, confused.
“One of the missing women,” Hannah replied. “The ones they’re talking about on television. She showed up out of the blue last night and jumped off the roof of a bank. We were there and saw everything.”
“On your date?” Becky challenged on a scowl.
Hannah ignored her. “Have you notified her next of kin? That’s got to be rough.”
“I notified her parents over the phone,” Boone replied. “They’re not local. She has a boyfriend who works here. He’s my next stop.”
“That’s awful.” Hannah made a tsking sound with her tongue. “Did they give you any idea why she might’ve done what she did?”
“No.” Boone shook his head. “They said she was a bright, happy, and bubbly girl. They don’t understand how this could’ve happened. They’re basically wrecked.”
“That’s just ... terrible.” Hannah heaved out a sigh. “Where do you have to go to talk to the boyfriend?”
“I just told you he works here.”
Hannah, who had just shoveled a huge forkful of hash browns into her mouth, swallowed hard. “I thought you meant he was a local guy. You mean he works here? At Casper Creek?”
Boone nodded. “That’s why I stopped in here first.” His attention was fixed on Cooper now. “I was hoping you would go with me to talk to him. I expect it to be an emotional interview. You know him.”
“Who are we talking about?” Cooper asked, wiping the corners of his mouth. He’d largely lost his appetite over the course of the conversation.
“Jon Dillane.”
Cooper stilled, surprised. He wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Who is Jon Dillane?” Hannah asked finally. She was still getting to know the workers at Casper Creek and that was a name she didn’t recognize.
“He’s one of the trick riders,” Cooper answered, rubbing his forehead. “Young guy. In his twenties. He’s pretty enthusiastic and serious about what he does.”
“He’s kind of an idiot,” Becky countered. “He loves this place.”
“I don’t see why that makes him an idiot,” Hannah countered. “I happen to love this place, too.”
“As do I,” Cooper agreed, his tone cool. “Jon is a nice guy. I didn’t realize he was dating one of the missing women, though. He took two days off last week. I guess we know why.”
Hannah couldn’t ever remember meeting the individual in question and it made her feel guilty. “Do you want me to go with you when you inform him?”
Boone shook his head and patted her shoulder. Now that he had coffee in his system, he was perkier and could read Hannah’s tense body language. “That’s not necessary,” he reassured her. “This is something I have to do. I want Cooper with me because he knows the guy and I think he’ll be a soothing presence. It’s not necessary for you to be part of it.”
“Because I’m not a soothing presence?”
Boone’s lips curved down. “I feel as if I walked right into that one.”
Cooper snorted. “You kind of did. Don’t worry about Jon, though. I’ll go with you. Are we thinking he doesn’t know what happened yet?”
“I’m not sure. The only reason I know he was even part of her life was because he was all over her phone ... and I read some of their texts. He was worried sick when she disappeared and he begged her to text him back. She never did, even though she had her phone on her when she died.”
“The phone survived the fall?” Cooper queried, surprised. “That was a lucky break.”
“It was all because of the way she fell.” Boone took another sip of his coffee. “Finish your breakfast. I would like to get this over with now rather than drag it out. I don’t want him to find out from someone else.”
“You’re right.” Cooper put his focus on his remaining breakfast. There wasn’t much left. “I just wish I’d known Jon was going through something. I would’ve tried to help.”
“Maybe he didn’t want to make his problems someone else’s problems.”
“Probably.”
The only sounds in the saloon for the next two minutes were those of chewing. When Hannah glanced up, she found Becky watching her with evil eyes. After that, she avoided looking at the woman. The atmosphere in the saloon was so uncomfortable that Hannah welcomed the sound of additional footsteps, especially when she realized it was Tyler coming through the door.
“Hey,” she beamed at him. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told Cooper to get you breakfast. I didn’t even think about it.”
Tyler waved off the apology. “It’s fine. I have another issue, though. One of my goats is missing.”
Jinx, who had been sprawled out on the floor, raised his head. It almost looked as if he understood what Tyler was saying.
“One of the little jerks that likes to terrorize Jinx?” Cooper asked on a smile.
Tyler nodded, although he didn’t return the grin. “I don’t know how he got out of the paddock. He’s gone, though, and I need to find him. I was hoping you could help.”
Cooper felt caught. “I have to help Boone with something first. It’s important. I can help you after.”
“I guess that will work.” Tyler looked morose. Even though he complained about the goats, he loved them. It was his adoration of animals that propelled him into this business. “I’m going to head out myself and at least try to find him. I’m afraid, if he wandered too far away, a predator might’ve got him.”
Hannah’s stomach did an uncomfortable roll. “I don’t start my shift for another few hours,” she offered. “I’ll help you look. We can take Jinx. If the goat is out there, Jinx will likely be able to find him ... even if he is afraid of them.”
“Actually, that’s a good idea.” Tyler brightened considerably. “Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t mention it.” Hannah ate the last of her breakfast and turned to Cooper. “Thanks for the food. I ... um ... guess I’ll see you later.”
Cooper grinned at her uncertainty. “You’ll definitely see me later.”
“Maybe for lunch.”
“Three meals in a row? I think that sounds just crazy enough to work.”
Becky scowled. “I’m going to head over to the dry goods store and get set up for the day. I think I’ve had about all of this that I can take.”
Cooper didn’t as much as glance in her direction. His gaze was firmly fixed on Hannah. “Be careful when you’re out looking for the goat. There are snakes out there ... and other things.”
“I can take care of myself,” she reminded him.
“I know, but maybe I like taking care of you. Have you ever considered that?”
She went warm all over. “I’ll be careful. You do the same. I think your job is going to be harder than mine.”
Cooper sobered at the thought. “Yeah. We should probably head out.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’m not looking forward to this, but it has to be done.”
Boone was grim. “Then let’s do it.”
5
Five
Jon Dillane was a friendly and affable guy under normal circumstances, all smiles and hearty guffaws. He looked worried when Boon
e and Cooper approached him, however, and the sense of dread that Cooper had been carrying around since the previous evening expanded exponentially.
“Hey,” Jon straightened when he saw who was approaching. “Do you have information on June?”
Boone nodded solemnly. “I do. You’re the one who filed the missing-person’s report on her, correct?”
“Yes.” Jon’s voice was unnaturally low, as if he already knew what was coming. “You found her, didn’t you?”
“We did.” Boone licked his lips and prepared himself. It was best to just throw the information out there, like ripping off a bandage. It was the kindest thing. “I regret to inform you that June Dutton died last night after jumping from the Lennox Savings and Loan building. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Jon stood there for an extended beat, blinking but silent. Finally, all of the oxygen whooshed out of his lungs. “I don’t understand.”
Sensing that the man’s knees might go out from under him, Cooper moved closer and grabbed Jon by the arm, directing him toward the bench a few feet away. “Sit down,” he prodded, being careful not to grip him too tightly. “Get your breath.”
Jon let himself be led to the bench and when he sat, it was with a heavy grunt. He looked exhausted, as if he’d been up for a week straight, and the fatigue that was lining his face had yet to give way to grief. “I thought you were going to tell me that she’d been found in a field or something, discarded like trash. I don’t understand what you’re saying to me.”
Boone was gentle as he addressed him. “We’re not sure what happened. We just know that at some point, after nine o’clock last evening, she found her way onto the roof of the bank. She then yelled nonsense that nobody understood, about good and evil, and jumped to her death.”
“But ... no.” Jon vehemently shook his head, as if he were trapped in a nightmare and could somehow dislodge himself if he was determined enough. “June wouldn’t kill herself. She was a happy person. She ... was a good person.”
“I’m not saying she wasn’t.” This wasn’t the first time Boone had to deliver similar news, and he knew that remaining calm was the most important thing. “We need some information from you.”
“From me?” Jon’s eyebrows practically flew off his forehead. “Are you trying to blame me for this?”
“Absolutely not.” Cooper was firm as he drew Jon’s fatigued eyes to him. “We know you weren’t there. The thing is ... I was.”
“You were there?” Jon’s confusion only grew. “I don’t understand what you’re saying to me. None of this makes sense. Absolutely none of it.”
“I didn’t realize she was your girlfriend until a few minutes ago,” Cooper explained. He wasn’t a police officer, but he’d delivered more than his fair share of bad news during his time in the military. Much like Boone, he was well-trained and knew when to take things slow. This was one of those times. “I was at the restaurant at the lake for dinner. Then I went for a walk downtown. I heard her yelling, although I had no idea who she was at the time.”
“What did she say?” Jon’s voice cracked. “Did she ask for help? I mean ... none of this makes sense. Where was she for the last week? Why did she just up and disappear out of nowhere?”
“We’re trying to figure that out,” Boone reassured him. “We’re not sure where she was, or what she was doing during her time away. We’re trying to untangle this mess, and that’s why we need your help.”
Jon merely blinked and nodded. He was too raw to do anything else.
“What can you tell me about your relationship with June?” Boone pressed. “When did you meet? How long were you dating? When was the last time you saw her?”
“We were happy,” Jon replied, rubbing his hands over the knees of his jeans. “We met about six months ago. She worked as a manager at the grocery store out on the highway. She started in the meat department but was head of the entire produce department within a few months. She was a hard worker.”
Boone nodded kindly. “She sounds like a wonderful woman.”
“She was,” Jon insisted. “We met when I was shopping one day and then flirted for two weeks. I was nervous about asking her out, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Have you ever met someone and thought ‘she’s the one’?”
Cooper nodded. That’s how he felt about Hannah, although it was way too early to admit that. “Sometimes things just fit.”
“They do.” Jon’s voice was getting stronger. “I asked her out and our first date was a total disaster. I took her to a sushi restaurant and she hates fish. We laughed about it hard after the fact, but I assumed I blew it that night. She went out with me again, though.”
“So, you were casually dating?” Boone queried.
“At first. I’d say we went out once or twice a week for a few weeks and then we started going out like four times a week. Then we were seeing each other every single day. We also talked and texted. We were ... in love.”
Cooper swallowed the lump in his throat. He was surprised when he felt it, but Jon’s earnest nature and obvious heartbreak were enough to get to him. “I’m so sorry. Tell me about her disappearance.”
“It was eight ... no, nine days ago now. She left my place in the morning. She was supposed to meet some girlfriends after work for an exercise class. I know she made it to that because I messaged her friends. After that, though, she just disappeared. She didn’t go home ... or to my place. She never showed back up to work. She was just gone.
“I called the police right away,” he continued, his eyes flicking to Boone. “I called that night. They said I needed to wait twenty-four hours.” His voice turned brittle. “I knew that something was wrong, but they wouldn’t believe me. They thought I was freaking out over nothing, and look where we are now.”
Boone didn’t take the criticism to heart. Missing-person cases were always tough. “I’m sorry. We started investigating as soon as the twenty-four hours was up. That was as quick as we could intervene.”
“I thought it was already too late by then,” Jon admitted, rubbing his hand over his cheek and staring blankly at Cooper’s boots. “I assumed it was some sort of serial killer or something, especially after that other woman went missing this week. June was the second. I just thought ... maybe I watch too much television.”
His eyes cleared and he focused on Cooper. “That’s what my mother said. She insisted I watched too much television and that June was probably fine. She said women were flaky and I shouldn’t get too worked up over it. If June was willing to walk away that easily, then she wasn’t the woman for me.
“I told her to shut up — my own mother — and hung up on her,” he continued. “I thought she’d been taken and something horrible happened to her. Now I find out she was wandering around and ... doing something else. I don’t understand any of this.”
He was close to the breaking point. Cooper read that and exchanged a quick look with Boone, who only nodded in silent agreement.
“We’re going to figure it out,” Cooper promised him. “For now, I think you should head home for the day. I’ll make sure they know in the front office. We’ll get you home and keep you updated when we have more information. Until then, you need to rest.”
Jon’s eyes filled with tears. “What am I supposed to do without her?”
Cooper felt helpless in the face of the question. He honestly didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know. You need to rest, though. That’s the first order of business. We’ll figure it out from there.”
“SO, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR date last night,” Tyler prodded as he walked the well-worn trail that led to the river with Hannah and Jinx. The former seemed to be in good spirits despite the upheaval of the morning and the latter was busy chasing butterflies as he happily barked and bounced.
Hannah slid him a sidelong look, amused. “What do you want to know? I’m not going to get into any of the gushy stuff, just for the record.”
“Oh. There was gushy stuff, huh?” He bobbed his head knowi
ngly. “I’m never going to let Cooper live this down. Did he spout poetry? Did he tell you he liked the way the moonlight bounced off your hair?”
Hannah snickered at the suggestion. “He did neither of those things.”
“Did he at least open your door for you and hold your hand?”
“He did ... although I’m not sure that he would like that we’re talking about this. I’m guessing he would be angry if he knew.”
“Oh, he’ll get over it.” Tyler let loose a lazy hand wave. “Cooper’s biggest problem is that he feels he has to be a man, and part of that is not admitting when he’s excited or nervous. You should’ve seen him before your date yesterday. I thought he might faint or something he was so worked up.”
Even though she felt guilty for talking about him behind his back, she was intrigued enough about Cooper’s state of mind to press Tyler on the issue. “What did he say?”
Tyler’s eyes gleamed as he turned back to her. “Oh, you’re just as cute as him. You want to know if he’s said anything of note about you. That’s just so ... adorable.”
Instead of smiling, Hannah frowned. “You kind of make us sound like middle-schoolers or something,” she complained. “We’re adults ... and we went on an adult date.”
“One I interrupted when I couldn’t keep Jinx in check. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I can’t help but wonder if breakfast for you and Cooper would’ve been an entirely different affair if I’d managed to keep Jinx all night like I promised.”
Hannah hesitated before responding. “I think it worked out okay.” She wasn’t sure she should confide in Tyler. He was Cooper’s best friend after all, and it was likely he would share whatever she said. She’d yet to find someone to confide in other than her dead grandmother, though, and she was too excited not to gush. “It was actually pretty great. We’re trying not to rush things so Jinx arrived at the exact right time.”
“See ... that’s adorable.” He smoothly evaded the elbow she sent in his direction. He was serious when he started speaking again. “Honestly, I think you guys are doing things the exact right way. You’ll know when it’s time to take the next step. Even though last night was technically your first date, you’ve already spent a ton of time together and bonded.”
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