“I want to go back to Pete’s place,” Charlie announced, surprising him.
He sat up straight. “No way. Boone confirmed someone had been back at the cabin while no one was watching the place.”
She didn’t back down. “We can take backup with us. I can’t help but think we missed something.”
“Which the suspect probably found.”
“Maybe. But something’s been nagging at me. That last call with Pete—he kept bringing up my old bedroom, over and over. What if that was on purpose? He said he had to replace some floorboards under the bed because they had gotten warped. I thought it was strange considering why would there be a leak there?”
“You think he was trying to tell you something? I’ll have Boone check it out.” Ryan grabbed his phone, but she stopped him.
“I want to go myself, Ryan.”
He looked into her eyes and understood. Pete was gone and she’d been too busy trying to stay alive to mourn him.
The former sheriff didn’t want a funeral. Just to have his ashes spread over the land he loved. After the autopsy was run and all the tests taken, Pete had been cremated, his ashes were waiting for Charlie to pick up. That would have to wait.
“Alright. I’ll clear it with Boone. We can take a couple of deputies with us.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
That smile made him want to do whatever she asked. Charlie went to the kitchen for something to eat.
Once Boone picked up he asked the sheriff about Will.
“Got a concussion but he’s going to be okay. How are things there?”
Ryan told him about Charlie’s request. “She needs this,” he said quietly. “I’ll take a couple of the officers here with us.”
Boone begrudgingly gave in. “Okay. But I can’t stress enough how dangerous this is. Be careful, Ryan. Every moment you’re out in the open with Charlie her life is in danger.”
The words settled around him like an itchy wool blanket. “I will. Anything new there?”
Boone told him the fire marshal confirmed that gasoline was used as an accelerant. “I’m hoping now that we’ve switched your phone there won’t be any way for the suspect to track you. Still. . .”
Ryan understood what Boone didn’t say again. This was deadly serious.
“I read you loud and clear.” Ryan ended the call as Charlie came back to the table.
“What’d he say?”
“He’s allowing it but he’s worried. I’ll speak to the two officers out front and have them come with us.”
Charlie reclaimed her chair and continued studying the whiteboard without answering.
Ryan stepped out into the crisp morning. Nothing about it felt like Christmas despite the weather. This morning if there wasn’t an additional foot of snow on the ground you would never have known a storm had blown through. The crisp clean air and severe blue skies were what he would always associate with Colorado.
The first officer spotted him and came over. “Everything okay?”
Ryan told him yes. “We’re going to head up the mountain to Charlie’s Uncle Pete’s place. I need you and your partner to come along.”
Officer Warren didn’t hesitate. “You got it. We can be ready when you are.”
Ryan nodded. “Give us five minutes. Charlie and I will ride with you two.”
Warren confirmed and Ryan went back inside to where Charlie had slipped into her coat.
He grabbed his handgun and went outside to where the two officers stood near their cruiser. Ryan hoped that if the perp was watching the place, seeing the patrol car coming would scarehim off. Still, to be safe, he’d have the officers pull around the back of the cabin.
