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The pain in her voice tugged at his heart. He took another step toward her. “And just how do you plan on finding the killer?”
“I’m going to look for a guy with missing fingers.” She raised the gun again. “You’ve had over three years to find him, and you haven’t. Now move over to that tree.”
She hit a nerve. “Look, I told you I tried. I couldn’t very well take over the investigation. Marshals don’t work that way. I did everything I could.” He stared at her stern face. She wasn’t buying his story. He couldn’t blame her. She’d been dealt a bad hand and needed his help. She just didn’t know it. Reluctantly, he walked to the aspen tree.
“Put your arms around the trunk.” She moved to the other side, waiting for him to do what she’d said.
“You’re not going to leave me here, are you?” He encircled the tree with his arms.
She snapped the handcuffs on him.
Not only was she digging her hole deeper, but she was humiliating him as well. Maybe he deserved it. He could almost hear the embarrassing jokes and jeers he’d take from his teammates when they found him—if he survived the night. Handcuffed to the tree, he’d become easy prey for a bear or mountain lion.
She came around behind him and tugged his wallet from his pocket. “I’m going to borrow some money. There are things I need.”
“Take all that’s in there.”
“You’re in no position to tell me how much to take.” She huffed.
He heard her going through his wallet, and then she shoved it back into his pocket. He had to stop her. “What about Jasper? Are you going to tie him up too?”
“No. He can watch over you.” She patted the dog and undid his leash. “Remember when you came and got him from me? It was such a cold and stormy night.”
Good. Maybe if he could keep her talking about that, she would change her mind about leaving him here. “You called really late and told me you had a problem only I could help you with. I was afraid something had happened to Matt, so I got dressed and hurried to find out what was going on.”
“I’m sorry I scared you. But Matthew and I had just bought our new house.” Her voice softened. “I knew if he saw the dog, he’d try to find the owner, but then if he couldn’t, he’d want to keep him.”
“You’re right.” He could still remember how Matt’s face had lit up around dogs, even though he’d been allergic. “He would have done whatever he could to keep Jasper.”
Moonlight played over Dania’s face as their gazes met. Sharing the remembrance of Matt seemed to thaw her slightly. She stroked the dog’s head. “I remember seeing Jasper sitting at the side of the road, soaking wet and looking so lost and alone in the rain. Matthew always told me you were one of the good guys, so I took a chance and called you. I was glad when you showed up at the hospital. You saw me coming and got out in the downpour.”
“I couldn’t very well have sat in the car, could I?”
“Guess not.” She chuckled. “As soon as I popped open the hatch, Jasper stood up and wagged his tail. He liked you right away.”
“He was just lonely. Truth be told, like Matt, I’d always wanted a dog. Before my mother died, we had to move a lot so Randy couldn’t find us, which meant no dog.”
“That had to be rough.” She moved to his side and stood so very still.
He wondered what she was thinking. Here she was a fugitive, and yet, it seemed she felt sorry for him. Her sympathy touched him for a moment, which caught him off guard.
She squared her shoulders. “I knew you’d do everything you could for Jasper. And he’ll stand by you tonight, won’t you?” She rubbed the dog’s ears and started away.
“Wait!”
She paused, turning slowly around.
“I helped you that night.” That felt right. Tie that night with this one. “And I’ll help you again. Trust me. The best thing for you to do is turn yourself in.”
“Trust? Believe it or not, Brett, I do trust you. But after spending years in prison, I know how the system works.” She shook her head. “That night so many years ago, when you came to my rescue, I was a different person.” She paused a moment. “I must say, you and Jasper make a good team.” She patted Jasper’s side. “Do you take him on all your jobs?”
“No. The chief came and got me at Gran’s cabin. Jasper was with me, and I couldn’t leave him there alone. Before Gran died, she kept him when I was on a job. Now I take him to doggy day care.”
“You took Matthew to that cabin a couple of times, didn’t you?”
He nodded. They’d had fun four-wheeling in the back country and fishing.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “When I get where I’m going, I’ll call your office and let them know where you are.” She hurried to his SUV, got in, and drove away.
