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Jarvis’s skeptical look had Asher scuffing the dirt with the toe of his boot. The other man was right to question. Genevieve would be the most difficult to convince, since she had the most to lose. But she also was Payne’s next of kin and could determine whether they would be allowed to move his father.
“I’ll talk to her tonight. I’ll make sure she’s on board.”
“So, do you want me to wait to call Spencer until you have her approval?”
Asher shook his head, fully aware that there would be hell to pay later that night. “No, go ahead.”
Immediately, Jarvis pulled out his phone, clicked on a contact and tapped the speaker icon.
“What is it, brother?” Spencer said the moment he answered. “I told you not to call me at work.”
Jarvis rolled his eyes. “Well, Sergeant Colton, this is official business, and I am calling as a Mustang Valley citizen.”
“Oh. What is it?”
Asher leaned toward the phone to announce his presence before a sibling battle ensued. “Hey, Spencer. Asher Colton here. Jarvis is calling on my behalf.”
“Our meeting wasn’t enough? Look, I know it’s taking a while, but the members of our department are doing everything we can—”
“This isn’t just Asher,” Jarvis said, interrupting him. “I came to him with an idea.”
Spencer didn’t respond for so long that Asher wondered if the call had been dropped, a common problem in an area with too many mountains and not enough cell-phone towers. But, finally, Spencer’s voice came through the line again.
“What are you two up to?”
“I just have an idea about how to flush out whoever shot Payne Colton.”
“Is that what you do while riding the fences on the ranch? Look for ways to do my job? I already know that Asher should have been a cop. If you’re vying for my position, too, who will be left at the Triple R?”
Finally, he let Jarvis share his idea. When he finished, Jarvis exchanged a look with Asher as they waited.
“It could work,” Spencer said finally. “It’s a good idea, Jarvis, but then I’m not surprised that you would come up with it since you—”
Spencer stopped himself, making Asher curious.
“Since he what?”
“Oh, it was nothing,” Jarvis answered for him. “With all these investigations happening at the same time, his brain has to be muddled.”
“You’ve got that right. It’s nothing,” Spencer said. “Right about the muddled part, too. This new plan is the only thing that matters right now. We need to stop this suspect. So, talk to your mother, Asher. Believe me, I wouldn’t want to be you when you tackle that subject with her.”
Asher lifted a brow over the abrupt change in topic, but Jarvis wasn’t looking his way. Did it have something to do with the guy’s past? Asher had always figured the guy had a right to his privacy, but now he wondered if he’d failed to ask enough questions of his employees.
“Sure you’ll have enough staff to constantly cover the decoy?”
“We’ll make it work.”
The conversation suddenly awkward, they ended the call. Jarvis made the legitimate excuse that he needed to get back to the barns and strode that way.
What had just happened? His distant cousin appeared to be running from questions Asher hadn’t even asked, scuffing up dirt as he went. What didn’t make sense was that Jarvis had come to him, offering to help. Should he trust that assistance?
Would the man have a reason to want to see Payne dead or to have created any of the mysteries directed at his family or him individually? His gut told him no. Absolutely not. If only that could have made him less suspicious, could have eliminated his sudden distrust of Jarvis and, by extension, Spencer, who happened to be the local police sergeant.
Just what did Jarvis have to hide?
Chapter 23
Willow startled as the doorbell to Tender Years triggered the buzzer in her apartment. Even knowing Asher would be dropping to settle his account that night didn’t prepare her for the sharp reality of his arrival. She’d managed to avoid him the past few days, sending Candace or Tori out during drop-off and pickup times, but this she would have to handle herself.
