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“Do you know if Daniels contacted the wife for more information? I would have thought if the priest alerted her about her husband’s disappearance, she’d have called the office by now.” Kane turned the SUV onto a narrow road protected from the weather by trees, some little more than bare sticks blackened by winter. He followed a line of fir trees with limbs bent under the weight of the snow. “I didn’t see any mention of her in the notes.”
“I’m not sure.” Alton’s brow wrinkled into a frown. “I’ll call a meeting when we get back to the office to bring everyone up to speed. It’s pointless going over everything twice and the others will need to be kept in the loop.”
The fence surrounding the landfill came into view and Kane headed the SUV toward the gate at a slow speed, keeping a lookout for signs of a vehicle’s tire marks. “The snow would have covered any tracks. I don’t think we’ll find many clues here.” He pulled the car to a stop.
Leaving the engine running, they jumped down from the cab and waded through the snow then stopped to survey the area. Each post had snow piled up at least six inches high but the gate only had a dusting. Kane surveyed the drift on each side of the gate. On one side, the piled snow indicated the gate’s recent opening. Oh yeah, someone had been here in the last few days. He moved closer and found a chain in the snow. After conducting a search of the immediate area using his boot, he located a broken lock. He turned and waved to Alton. “Someone has used this entrance.”
“It looks like they backed a vehicle into that tree as well.” Alton’s blue gaze rested on him then she pointed to a raw patch on the trunk of a tall oak. “Take photographs of everything and bag that padlock.” She huffed out a cloud of steam. “Now we know how they got into the landfill without being noticed.”
Kane took the images then dropped the padlock into an evidence bag. “I doubt there will be any fingerprints. Only a fool would remove their gloves in this temperature.”
Kane caught a flash of sunlight on metal and, taking Alton with him, dove to the ground. Coming down hard on her back, he heard the whoosh of air escaping her lungs and a muttered wheeze of a curse. He rolled over her, covering her with his chest and arms. “Stay down.”
A crack rang out and a bullet shot over his head and smashed into the tree behind them, followed by a second. Wood exploded and a shower of splinters peppered the back of his jacket. He waited for some time but no more shots rang out. His attention shifted to the hillside and he scanned the area for any signs of movement. Where are you, asshole? He lifted his head and gazed down at her pale face. “You okay?”
“I will be as soon as you get off me.” Alton wriggled and pushed both small hands against his chest. “Move.”
“You’re acting mighty calm. I guess people use you for target practice on a daily basis, same as the hit-and-run, right?” Kane rolled off her, keeping low to the ground. “Who knew you planned to come here this morning?”
“I called Maggie and told her to inform Rowley we’d be checking out the back entrance to the landfill.” Alton rolled onto her stomach and picked leaves out of her black hair. “She does tend to yell out messages. Anyone in earshot would have heard her.”
Kane rubbed a hand down his face. “I’m starting to believe I’ve joined the Keystone Cops.”
Alton glared at him, her eyes flashing with anger. “I managed fine before you arrived. You must attract trouble.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Me? You are joking. This is the third time I’ve pulled you out of the shit in less than a week.”
“Right place, right time, is all.” She lifted her grazed chin in the direction of the shooter. “Looks like he’s gone. Are you going to let me up, or are you going to get all macho on me again? What’s it going to be this time? Are you planning to throw me over one shoulder and make a run for the car?”
“No.” Kane winced. “This time, you’re quite capable of walking but I’d advise you to belly crawl to cover before you stand up.”
“Did you see the shooter?” Alton wiped a mixture of ice and leaf mold from her cheek and rolled onto her belly.
“Yeah, top of the hill at two o’clock. I caught a glint. It could have been from a rifle or maybe sunglasses.” So, not a professional hit. “Stay here. I think he’s gone but if he is still up there, I’ll draw him out.”
He wiggled on his elbows to a snowdrift on the perimeter of the forest and made a pile of snowballs then pegged them at the bushes in the opposite direction to give the impression someone had run that way. Lying on the freezing ground, he waited; two minutes then five passed. No other shots rang out and birds returned to the trees en masse in squawks of displeasure at being disturbed.
“I think he’s gone.” Alton crawled expertly to his side. “It could have been a stray bullet. People do hunt in this area.”
Perplexed, he narrowed his gaze on her. He could not understand her disregard for personal safety. Her attitude must be an attempt to cover up an underlying concern because it sure as hell did not reflect the overkill of surveillance and alarms installed on her ranch. He crawled into the cover of the bushes with her close behind then rolled to a sitting position. Unable to believe his ears, he glared at her. “No way was the shooter a hunter. We have been here for some time and it’s been very quiet. I haven’t heard gunshots since we arrived and if someone was hunting they would be continuing now.”
She paled, and by the flash of panic in her eyes, she had come to the same conclusion. “This—” he waved a hand toward the tree shattered by the bullet “—was as sloppy as the hit-and-run. Professional hitmen don’t miss or drive away without finishing the job. Cleanup guys do not carry rifles which reflect the light, and we wouldn’t have heard the shot. A professional would have taken us out the moment we stepped out the car.”
“I am fully aware of their capabilities and that is why none of the so-called attempts on my life make any sense.” She knuckled her forehead. “If it is a local idiot out for revenge, what do you suggest we do? We can’t stay here forever.”
Oh my God, she is on somebody’s hit list. He wet his lips and swallowed the need to ask her for details. He could protect her but getting her to break her code of silence would be impossible. “We’ll need to get deeper into the forest.” He grabbed her arm and belly crawled to the trees. “This way and keep your head down.”
Twenty-Four
Once under cover, Kane continued to scan the top of the hill, pushed to his feet, and offered Alton his hand. He pulled her behind a tree. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on with you?”
“What do you mean?” She tried to pull away but he gripped
her arm tighter.
“It’s obvious you’re in Black Rock Falls for a reason and it’s not the overpowering desire to be sheriff. My guess is you are hiding from someone and it’s not an ex-lover. Maybe since you arrived you’ve taken the odd bribe or looked the other way?” He noticed her expression turn wary and she yanked her arm away from him. He shrugged. “I don’t care about your past but when things happen out of the blue, I need to know the person or organization I’m expected to deal with. If you’re into something dangerous and you want out, I have friends who can help.”
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Alton fisted her hands on her waist and stuck out her chin. The look she gave him could strip paint. “There are no drug lords or illegal syndicates of any kind in Black Rock Falls. I don’t take bribes or damn well look the other way. If I had stumbled onto anything dangerous, I would have told you. You’re way off base.”
