Page 44 of Homicide in Water Creek

With a nod, she followed him to the unit. After getting a shot of the number, he grabbed the bottom of the door instead of the handle and lifted it. The door was halfway up when he stopped, then lowered it again, his lips in a grim line. “Found the crime scene.”

“Seriously? You barely opened it.”

“I saw all I needed to see. That pool of dried liquid in the middle of the unit is blood.”

“King, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head and held up his hand. “I’m fine. We knew there was a crime scene somewhere. Now that we’ve found it, we have to call the emergency response team.”

When he ripped off his gloves and shoved them in his pocket, she could see he wasn’t ‘fine.’ Discovering the crime scene where your mother was killed would mess with you, no matter your relationship with her or how hardened your heart was. Jacks would support him the only way she knew how, by loving him through it.

Chapter Nineteen

Jacks hadn’t seen King since she left him in Fort Bridger late last night. He had to stay to deal with the ERT and crime scene techs who were coming to pick up the car. The Unita County Deputy drove her back to Water Creek, where she helped Maverick with correspondence for a few hours before heading back to the ranch to sleep. Unfortunately, once there, she ran into a situation she would have to tell King about. She was tired, so she could only imagine King was exhausted. He had texted her that he was back in town, so it was time to dump more rain on his parade.

Walking into the department, she found everything quiet. “King?” she called out, wondering if he was out on patrol.

“In my office.”

The timbre of his voice still held a hint of the boy she’d fallen in love with. It was deeper, but some of the boy-hero she’d worshipped was still there. Jacks stopped just inside the door when she laid eyes on him. He sagged as if the weight of the world was on him.

Walking to King, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “What can I do to help?” she whispered, her face buried in his neck.

“You’re doing it,” he promised, holding her tighter. “What are you doing here, baby? Maverick said you’d gone back to the ranch.”

“Where is he?” She leaned back to look out the door, but his office was empty.

“He’s on patrol for a few more hours, then he’s going home. He was here all night.”

“Everyone is exhausted,” she agreed, brushing her hand across his cheek. “You need sleep, too.”

“Won’t be a problem. I turned Vonita’s case over to Unita County today.”

“What?” she asked, springing up off his lap like a shot. “Why did you do that?”

He took her hand and let her lean against his desk so they were face to face. “Multiple reasons, baby. Mainly, the crime scene was in their county, not mine.”

“But we found her body.”

“We did, but the crime wasn’t committed here. It was committed there, so they technically have the right to the investigation.”

“You can’t just give up, King.”

He shook his head and let his chin fall to his chest. “It’s the right decision, Jacks. I’ve always been uncomfortable running this investigation. Even though I didn’t know her, she was still my mother. In my opinion, the water was extremely muddy, but there was no one else to work it. As soon as they approached me about handing it over, I agreed. It was time. Objectivity is hard when you’re dealing with family, even estranged family.”

“Are they going to keep you updated, though?”

“Yes. They’re consulting with me about everything they find. I’m totally okay with this, sweetheart. It’s just Maverick and me here, and we’re struggling to keep up. Letting them do all the work frees me up to keep the county safe. I haven’t even had a chance to deal with the Chinos situation.” She grimaced before she could stop herself. “What happened?”

“Earlier, I walked into the arena and caught Chinos in the office, digging through paperwork.”

“Was that at Jackson’s request?”

“I had texted Keene before confronting Chinos, who told me that Jackson had asked Chinos to look for an invoice so they could order the right feed for the horses.”

“As if Jackson needs an invoice to know the right kind of feed,” King said with an eye roll.

“Exactly what I was about to say when my phone pinged. It was a text from Granddaddy. He said it was a test and that I was supposed to leave Chinos alone.”