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“Twenty minutes. But you aren’t going to fuck with anything. Right?”
“Of course not.”
“Uh-huh. I’ll believe it when I see it. I’ll meet you there.”
Betty’s house was only a few miles away and when I pulled into her driveway, I sensed he was having second thoughts about agreeing to come. “Hey. What do you say when you come home, we plan your birthday party?”
He blinked several times, taking a full minute before turning his head. There was nothing more agonizing than seeing the confusion in his little eyes as he tried to process what I was saying.
Fuck the drugs. Fuck what Dahlia had done to him.
Anger swelled for the fiftieth time, almost pushing me over the edge. I’d had a meltdown of my own after I’d realized the full extent of what he’d endured.
“Okay.” The light switch had flipped again, and I exhaled as he reached for the handle.
Betty was already waiting on the stairs and God love the woman. She had a jar of bubbles in her hand, one of his favorite things.
I climbed out, grabbing his suitcase. He’d forgotten about the bear. As I walked closer, he was already running through the yard, happy as could be. “Thank you so much, Betty.”
“Well, it’s rare that you want to do something for yourself. Don’t worry. We’ll be just fine. I have a few surprises in store for him.”
“You’re an angel.” I waited to see if Justin would notice I was leaving. I’d found it was best to allow him to enjoy whatever he was doing.
Even if it ignited the ache inside.
As I headed for Shadowland, my thoughts returned to Wren. She was a spark of energy, but she was right. I knew almost nothing about her. Maybe it was best that way. I certainly couldn’t entertain getting involved with anyone and definitely not long distance. That would kill Justin. I wasn’t even sure whether I could bring her to the house. However, I had a gut feeling the rehearsal dinner might be explosive.
Laughing softly, as I made the final turn leading to the ranch, I forced my thoughts back to the recent arsons. Setting fires to cover up a murder certainly wasn’t unheard of but starting a forest fire was something else entirely. There had to be a connection between the recent murders and why the horses were shot.
The fire investigator had been working with the various fire departments and smokejumpers for years. Frederick Nelson was tough but given his background in fighting fires, he could sniff out an arsonist from a hundred yards away. That knack had given him a solid reputation. He also had no love for people, which was understandable after what he’d been through in his life.
At least we’d always had a decent relationship, both of us playing it straight. As I stepped out of my truck, the stench of charred wood assaulted my senses. I was also able to detect a hint of gasoline, but I had a feeling it had only been used as an accelerant after the fact.
I noticed his truck, but he was nowhere to be seen. After grabbing my flashlight, I saw Gage heading in my direction.
“Devastating,” I told him as I glanced at the horrific remains.
“Yeah. They were decent people.”
“There’s something brewing in town. I’m certain of it.”
He nodded. “You might be right. The medical examiner called. The weapon used to commit the murders was the same as what Marshall found.”
“A Ruger. Just like the horses.”
“I know. Marshall called with the findings. And I’ll bet an accelerant was used on the fire in an attempt to cover up the murders.”
“You know, I wonder if that’s what the assholes were planning on doing, torching my ranch. Maybe they had a change of heart and wanted to free the animals,” I suggested. There was a connection between the incidents. I just had to find it.
Gage frowned. “Or maybe the horses got scared, forcing the perpetrators to shoot them. Interesting theory.”
Theories meant shit in my mind.
“Anyway, let’s see what Frederick has to say,” he said as he started to walk away.
“Wait. I thought you should know that Wren is renting your old place.”
He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out. “Wow. I had no idea. I never pay attention. I have a real estate company handling the rentals.”
