AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I got the horse statue secured,” Vance told Leigh as he drove. He opened his mouth, probably to continue to update his boss, but then the deputy cast a wary glance at Cullen.
“It’s okay,” Leigh assured Vance. “Keep going. Tell me what’s happening at the ranch.”
The deputy gave an uncertain nod but finally continued. “I put crime scene tape around the patio and on the front door of the house and marked the area where the shrub had been trampled. There’s an umbrella over the spot in case there’s a print we didn’t see right off.”
“Good. What about Dawn and Rocky?” Leigh asked.
“Dawn’s still with the body, but I told Rocky to keep on working to get statements from the ranch hands. Oh, and the CSIs are on the way, but they’re having to go slow because of the weather. The roads out of Lubbock are already pretty bad.”
That meant it’d be hours, maybe even days, before the CSIs were done processing his house. Cullen could go to his dad’s place, but he preferred to be closer in case something broke on the investigation. He’d use either the bunkhouse or else get a room at the inn in town.
“Once you’re back at the ranch, call Rocky and have him ask the hands about the SUV,” Leigh instructed. “It’s dark blue, has heavily tinted windows and will have some front end damage. The license plates have been removed. I don’t want the driver lying in wait at the Triple R.”
Cullen sure as hell didn’t want that, either, and he whipped out his phone to send a text to his top hand, Mack Cuevas. He told Mack to be on the lookout for the SUV and to assist Rocky and the other deputies with whatever needed to be done.
“I’ll also need the CSIs to take a look at my cruiser,” Leigh continued as they approached the ranch. “There’ll be paint transfer from the SUV.”
Yeah, there would be, which meant the driver would likely ditch the vehicle as soon as possible. Of course, there was always the possibility that the driver would leave traces of himself inside the SUV. Traces that the lab could use to ID him.
“Rosa mentioned that a lot of the guests were taking pictures at the party,” Vance went on, pulling to a stop in the driveway in front of the house. “She thought they were posting them on social media. Might be worth having a look at them and any other pictures on the guests’ phones. If you want, I’ll do that first chance I get.”
“Yes, do that,” Leigh agreed.
Cullen went back over the night, something he was certain he’d be doing until Alexa’s killer was caught, and he did indeed remember lots of picture-taking going on. However, he was pretty sure he would have remembered if anything wasn’t as it should be.
“This way to the garage,” Cullen told Leigh when they stepped from Vance’s truck.
They started in that direction but had only made it a few steps when Leigh’s phone rang again. Judging from the huff she made, she expected it to be her father again. But it wasn’t.
“It’s the hospital,” Leigh muttered, hurrying to answer it. She didn’t put the call on speaker, but Cullen had no trouble hearing what the caller said.
“Sheriff, this is Dr. Denton. I figured you’d want to know that Jamie Wylie has regained consciousness.”
Leigh released another of those hard breaths. “Is he okay?”
The doctor didn’t jump to answer that. “I haven’t finished the exam, but I should know something soon. In the meantime, Jamie’s insisting that he talk to Cullen and you right away. He says he needs to tell both of you about what went on with Alexa tonight.”
