Page 10 of Lawman’s Witness

Her heart began to pound harder as she followed his trail, knowing where he’d gone even before she’d seen the spot where he’d pulled over and gotten out.

From where he’d parked, she could see the roofline of the farmhouse and wasn’t surprised that his footprints had headed in that direction. Her blood thundered in her ears as she opened her door and stepped out. Avoiding his footprints, she walked alongside them to the outcropping of rocks on the hillside where he would have hidden, but had a clear view into her house.

She shuddered at the thought of him watching her through the curtainless windows. They lived in the country, miles from another house. They had no reason to close the curtains even at night. Knowing he had spied on her felt more dangerous than him pretending to shoot her. She felt violated just thinking of him watching her where she’d been standing in the kitchen earlier.

This wouldn’t be the first time a killer had come to the ranch looking for her, she thought as she pulled out her phone and took photographs of his tracks in the earth.

But this time she knew the man was a killer—just as she knew that if she didn’t stop him, it might be only a matter of time before he came back for her.

CHAPTER SIX

Josie had never wanted her sister to be wrong about something so badly. “You’re sure it was Jack Marshall you saw on the road?” she asked after Amy Sue rushed into her office and told her what had happened.

“Really?” Amy Sue said clearly exasperated. “You sound just like the police. You think I’m mistaken again? He pretended to shoot me. Believe or not, not all that many people want me dead.”

“I’m sorry,” Josie said quickly. “I just don’t want to believe he would do something so…dangerous as to stalk his accuser.”

“I told you he was arrogant. He knows I can’t prove he murdered that woman, so he feels safe,” Amy Sue said as she paced, too upset no doubt to sit.

Josie couldn’t blame her. This was very upsetting news. Jack Marshall seemed, if not smart, at least extremely careful. Why would he chance being seen on their ranch by the eyewitness in an alleged murder? It made no sense unless…

“For him to take a chance like this, he’s worried you’ll make more trouble for him and that makes him dangerous,” Josie said. “It’s not against the law for him to come to the ranch, but it is definitely suspicious. Did you happen to get the license plate number on the car he was driving?”

“Dealer plates.” Amy Sue told her, adding the make and model of the large black SUV. “The same cars he sells at his dealership.”

“As your lawyer, I’ll let the police know. They might want a statement from you and to see the photos you took of his tracks.”

Her sister rolled her eyes. “What is the point?” she demanded. “You know he’ll deny it or have a good reason to be near Dry Gulch, let alone on our ranch.”

“They need to know in case we have to get a restraining order on him.”

Amy Sue shook her head. “You’ve always said restraining orders aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”

“I’m just trying to cover all the bases. It’s what I do.” Josie watched her sister finally drop into a chair across from her desk. Her voice also dropped as she said, “He’s going to come after me, isn’t he? That’s what he was doing. Scoping out the place to make sure he has an airtight alibi the night he comes to kill me.”

Josie rose from her desk to sit in the chair next to her. “He isn’t going to kill you,” she said, adding silently, not yet anyway, I hope. “Wouldn’t it look suspicious if the eyewitness to the alleged murder he didn’t commit suddenly ended up dead?”

“You seem to forget who we’re dealing with.”

“No, I haven’t forgotten,” she said. Amy Sue didn’t know about the pressure she’d been putting on the police to investigate her sister’s claim more fully. Now she wondered if it had backfired. Feeling pressure, Jack Marshall had come to the ranch to try to scare her sister off.

Was he the one running scared? Or was it more like her sister said? Was he planning his next murder? Josie didn’t want Amy Sue to become a problem for the man given how he’d dealt with the last woman.

“I’m going to get security for the ranch,” Josie said, surprised at Amy Sue’s immediate response.

“Don’t waste your money.” Her sister shook her head and rose. “I’m not going to be there. I’m going to Billings, and I’m going to find proof that he killed that woman. I won’t be safe until he’s behind bars.” She no longer looked scared or upset. She looked determined, which frightened Josie even more. She should be scared. Josie was.

“Don’t try to talk me out of it. I’m obviously not safe here, and I’m not going to sit around and wait for him to come for me.”

Josie understood her sister’s frustration only too well. She also couldn’t argue that she wasn’t wrong about not being safe. Just as she knew what the police response would be to Jack Marshall coming to the ranch and spying on Amy Sue. The most the cops might do was talk to Marshall, which could make it even worse for her sister. Jack Marshall would deny it and get away with it—just as he had the murder.

But she wanted it on the record in case this got worse. “I don’t want you to be another of the man’s victims. We need to at least give the police a chance,” Josie said reasonably. “Also if you could just wait until I’m finished with this trial up in Missoula, I’ll help you.” She had hoped that after a few days, a few weeks, her sister would change her mind. But after today, she could see that wasn’t going to happen.

“The only reason I’m telling you is so you know where I’ve gone and get me out of jail if I need a lawyer.”

“I’m more worried about you ending up dead than needing an attorney,” Josie said truthfully. “Let’s not forget that this man is a murderer. He’s gotten away with at least one murder that we know of. What makes me think that he might not have done this before? Look how well he’d planned this murder. If you hadn’t accidentally been there that night, no one would have seen anything and no one would have been the wiser.”

Amy Sue stared at her. “If you really think he’s done this before, then you know he’ll do it again. Even if he doesn’t come after me, he might have already found his next victim. I have to stop him. Someone has to nail the bastard.” Josie saw tears welling in her sister’s eyes. “The woman he killed? While I couldn’t hear what was being said, I could tell what was going on. She looked so young and hopeful, as though he was showing her a house where they were going to live together. She was excited. I know what it’s like wanting to believe in a man only to find out he’s lying, or worse, wants you dead. If I can get this woman justice…”