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Janessa laughed. “I’d consider it, but we’re out of cobbler.” She took a deep breath, then shook her head. “No, nothing fun like that. But cheer up.” She put the car in reverse and began backing out of the driveway. “We’re going to the police station to see your boyfriends.”
The news really should have cheered me up. It would have on any other day. Anynormalday.
But things had stopped being normal a while ago. I just hoped myboyfriendswould go easy on us.
* * *
“You shouldn’t have gone there,” Prescott said, just like I’d known he would. We’d barely even started telling him about our visit with Nora before he cut in with that look and tone that they must train police officers to use in times like this. “I told you specifically to leave the investigating to me and my deputy.”
“I don’t remember you saying those specific words,” Janessa countered, earning a look that would have probably made most people shut up and sit down without another word. Not my girl, though. “But even if youdidsay something like that, you also said to be careful—and we were very careful.”
“We all stayed together,” I offered, hoping to back Janessa up and defend my own actions a little at the same time. “That had to be safer than any of us trying to go there alone…”
“You shouldn’t have gone at all,” Cole said from his desk. “We would’ve been worried sick if something had happened to you.” He gestured to the three of us. “Toanyof you. Please promise us you won’t do something like that again.”
I was ready to make that promise, but Janessa sidestepped it with another question of her own.
“Aren’t you at least a little bit curious about what Nora said?” She looked from Cole to Prescott. “Will you be less angry with us if we can help with your investigation?”
“We aren’t angry,” Prescott said. “But I can’t stand the thought of the three of you putting yourselves in harm’s way. I’ll never be okay with that.”
“Did she mention anything about Isaac?” Cole asked. “And did you happen to see if she had any maps lying around?”
“She was kind of cagey about Isaac,” Janessa said. “When I asked how they knew each other she faked a headache and threw us out.”
“It was pretty fishy,” I added. “He was definitely doing more than geological surveys with her.”
“That’s what we figured, too.” Prescott nodded, frowning. “But there’s definitely still a business aspect. Something to do with some maps we saw.”
“They were maps of this area?” Becca asked. “Could I see? My major is in environmental biology, but I took some basic classes in geology and geography. I might be able to help.”
“That makes you more of an expert than we are,” Cole said, fishing out his phone and walking over to show Becca. “Just know that I’m not showing you this in my official capacity as a deputy. Just as a… a friend. Strictly off the record.”
Becca nodded and we all huddled around to see as she scrolled through the photos on Cole’s phone. “I don’t know much about this area,” Becca said. “But there are oil deposits marked all over those maps.”
“Oil?” Prescott asked, his eyes going wide. “Really? Damn…”
“So there’s our business connection,” Cole said, a far-away look in his eyes as he was no doubt piecing together evidence in his mind.
“And if Nora thinks there’s oil on our land, that would explain why she’s been so pushy about getting me and the rest of the land owners around here to sell,” Janessa said.
“She even mentioned something about everyone wanting to sell their land if the attacks continued,” I added. “Do you think…”
“That she’s behind all of this?” Prescott asked, finishing my question. “I think our case just got a lot stronger, for sure.”
“She and Isaac may have even staged the attack to throw us off—and it worked, if that was the objective,” Cole said.
Janessa shook her head. “I’m not sure about that part. She said he’s still in a coma, and she really did look worried when she was talking about him. But maybe…”
“Or maybe she knew about the attack but Isaac didn’t?” I wondered out loud. “He obviously wouldn’t consent to being put in a coma.”
Cole and Prescott exchanged a look, then Cole nodded. “Okay, thank you for your help, ladies. You really have done a lot for us today, even if we would have preferred that you hadn’t.”
“Is that our cue to leave you to your official police business?” Janessa asked with a grin.
“Something like that,” Prescott answered, mirroring her smile with one of his own.
“Fine.” Janessa sighed. “We’ll take the hint and go back to the ranch. Unless you guys wanted to keep Daisy Lynn here under lock and key, of course…”
