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“I know you won’t want it, but Bowen could put some pressure on Noble,” Cullen offered.
She gave him a thin smile. “You’re right. I don’t want it.” She paused. “But thanks. Right now, you and the three deputies who showed up are my biggest supporters.”
The sound of agreement that Cullen made let her know that he was more than that. Yes, he was. Even though they weren’t lovers, Leigh knew that would soon change. She’d land in bed with him, but she needed to keep her heart and the heat in check until after she’d finished this murder investigation.
Thankfully, the temps had warmed up enough that most of the ice was gone so the trip to Clay Ridge didn’t take that long. Good thing, too, because Kali didn’t live in town as Leigh had expected. According to the background data Leigh pulled up on her phone, Kali’s house was situated on ten acres where she had horses. And it wasn’t a sprawling, expensive place, either. The white frame house looked simple and cozy.
When Cullen pulled into the driveway, she spotted the cruiser and the lanky female deputy who was in the front yard with Austin. Leigh immediately looked to see if he was armed. He didn’t have a gun in his hand, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t carrying one beneath his bulky coat.
“The blood’s back here,” Austin said the moment Leigh and Cullen were out of his truck. He motioned for them to follow him. But Leigh took a moment to introduce herself and Cullen to Deputy Karen Wheatly.
“I haven’t been here long,” Karen explained, “but Mr. Borden’s right about the blood. There are some drops on the back porch.”
“Drops,” Leigh repeated. That was better than a huge amount, but it was still troublesome. “You haven’t been inside?”
“I was about to do that now. I’ve knocked on the door, and Kali hasn’t responded so that and the blood gives me probable cause to break the lock.”
It did indeed, but before Leigh could ask if the deputy had a crowbar with her, Cullen pulled out a utility knife from his pocket. “I can get us in.”
He didn’t wait for permission, either. With Austin right on his heels and telling him to hurry, Cullen went to the front door. He had the lock open within a matter of seconds.
“Nick,” Cullen said as an explanation.
Since his brother, Nick, was an ATF agent, Leigh figured that he’d taught Cullen how to get through locks. She was glad Noble or Rocky hadn’t been around to see him use those skills or they probably would have considered it more reason for her to arrest him.
They stepped into the house, and Leigh noted that no security alarm went off. Maybe Kali had disengaged it. It wasn’t a large place, but all the furniture appeared to be high-end. There also didn’t seem to be anything out of place. Definitely no signs of a struggle.
“Kali?” Austin called out, and he would have bolted toward the hall had Cullen not took hold of him.
“It might not be safe,” Cullen warned him.
“But Kali could be hurt,” Austin insisted.
He slung off Cullen’s grip. However, he waited, going with Karen, Leigh and Cullen as they went through the place room by room. Like the other parts of the house, there was nothing to indicate there’d been a problem.
Until they reached the kitchen.
There were what appeared to be drops of blood on the floor. Again, it wasn’t a large amount and there was no spatter on the walls or counters to indicate blunt force trauma.
“The back door’s locked,” Karen pointed out.
Yes, and that was puzzling. The blood clearly led toward the door so if Kali had been attacked or hurt, why would she or her attacker take the time to lock up behind them?
Karen unlocked the door, and stepping around the blood, they went onto the back porch. More drops here, and these would have been the ones that Austin and Karen had already spotted. Leigh hoped that Austin hadn’t compromised the scene by touching anything. As it was, he was going to be a suspect if anything had happened to Kali, and it’d be worse for him if he’d left traces of himself behind.
Leigh went down the steps, spotting a few more blood drops on the brown winter grass. She continued a few more feet, but when Leigh didn’t see any more blood, she stopped and glanced around.
Kali’s place was a lot like Leigh’s. There was a small barn, what appeared to be a storage shed and plenty of fenced pastures. There was a heavily treed area to the right and a creek on the left. Leigh felt her stomach tighten because she didn’t want Kali to have ended up in the icy water. Austin must have had that same thought because he started to run in that direction.
“I’ll go with him,” Karen insisted. “Why don’t you two have a look around the barn?”
Leigh nodded, but before she moved, she spoke to Karen in a whisper. “I’m not sure I can trust Austin so watch your back.”
Karen’s eyes widened a little when she glanced at Austin. “Thanks.” She slid her hand over the butt of her weapon and went after him.
Leigh continued to keep an eye on Austin until Cullen and she made it to the barn. Both drew their guns and stepped inside. She went still, listening, but didn’t hear anything. She also didn’t see any signs of blood.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Leigh muttered. She was hoping if she spoke her thoughts aloud that Cullen could help her understand what’d gone on here. “If Kali was taken, why would her kidnapper have brought her out through the back door? Why wouldn’t he have just put her in his vehicle?”
