Body of Evidence (9 page)

“I'm on a strict budget. I hope to bring in money when things get back on track. I have to.”

“Your father wouldn't want you to work yourself to death on this place. You could easily go to work at the zoo in Austin. Didn't they offer you a job?”

Tempering her anger, Jennifer pulled away. “I don't want to work at the Austin Zoo, Bec. I want to work here. And I'm sorry you think I've been neglecting you.”

“It's not me I'm worried about,” Becky replied. “It's you. I mean, the only reason I was able to see you tonight is because you needed someone here with you while that security man looks around.”

Jennifer whirled to stare at her friend. “You think I'm using you?”

“Of course not. I was thrilled to be invited. But you seem to have a hard time asking for help. Or just asking a friend to come and keep you company.”

Jennifer couldn't deny that. “It has been a while since we've all had a girls' night out. I'll try to do better when this is over, I promise.”

“Do it for yourself,” Becky said. She reached out and hugged Jennifer close. “It's late. Let's go to bed. Things will look better—”

She stopped, stepping back to gasp, her finger pointing toward the window. “Jennifer, look.”

Jennifer pivoted around. “What?” Then she saw it. “Is that fire?”

Bright golden flames flared into the night. And they were coming from the barn and stables.

Jennifer started running toward the door, adrenaline and fear catching in her throat. “Becky, call 911. The barn is on fire.”

J
ennifer grabbed her cell phone, hitting buttons to bring up Anderson's number. Holding the phone to her ear, she ran toward the stables, the sound of frightened horses whinnying and thrashing sending her into a mad sprint.

“What is it?” Anderson said on the second ring.

“Fire. The stables and barn.”

“I'll be there. Don't go in—”

Jennifer put her phone in her shirt pocket and kept running, her heart colliding with her ribs, her breath hitching as she gulped in acrid, smoke-filled air. The lonely fire station a few miles down the road was manned mostly by volunteers with a pump truck. How long would it take for the pumper and a ladder truck to get here?

Glancing back, she saw Becky running toward her. “They're on the way,” Becky shouted. “I drove up and opened the gate.”

“I have to get the horses out.” Jennifer rushed forward, opening the doors just wide enough to squeeze through. The fire was taking over the back of the barn where she stored equipment and feed. If she hurried, she
might be able to set the horses loose before the flames touched on the hay bales closer to the stalls.

“Don't go in there,” Becky called, running toward the open doors. “Jennifer!”

“I have to.”

Jennifer scoped the fire on the other end of the long aisle and the distance between it and the last horse stall near the equipment barn—Sadie was in that one. The little mare was whinnying and snorting in fear. Pushing the door open farther so the other two horses could get through, she hurried up the alley.

“I'm coming, Sadie,” Jennifer called, grabbing a blanket from one of the stalls. Opening stalls as fast as she could, she breathed a sigh of relief as the first two horses rushed toward the slim opening at the doors and into the night.

Thank goodness Anderson had Chestnut. But Sadie was still in her stall and she could be shy and excitable at times. She might not want to leave. Big puffs of smoke rose, blinding Jennifer as the fire greedily tore through a stack of boxes and lapped at the upper rafters.

Jennifer finally reached the stall, her nerves tinged with fear and fatigue, when two strong arms pulled her back.

“Get out of here now,” Anderson ordered, grabbing the blanket from her. “Go, Jennifer.”

“But Sadie,” Jennifer said, tears forming in her eyes. “She's afraid.”

He put a hand over his mouth, the smell of burning hay and wood all around them. “I've got her. Go.”

Jennifer backed out of the stables, wiping at the soot
on her face, tears streaming freely now. She turned at the doors, searching for Becky.

Her friend rushed to gather Jennifer into her arms. “I managed to corral one of the horses. The other one ran for the hills. But they're safe.”

Jennifer nodded, holding on to Becky. “Anderson's trying to bring Sadie out.” The sound of sirens screaming brought her head up. “I hope they hurry.”

Then she heard a loud crash and turned to see a burning rafter on the other side of the barn shudder and crash to the floor, taking out a stall's gate with it. “Anderson?”

Jennifer moved toward the doors again but Becky held her back. “The fire department is here, Jennifer. Let them do their job.”

Jennifer sobbed a breath then motioned to the men rushing by with pick axes and fire extinguishers. “My friend is in there with one of my horses.”

Two firemen took off into the barn while the rest of the crew worked to set up their equipment. Jennifer noticed the local sheriff car coming up the lane, too.

“Where is he?” she cried out. “I shouldn't have let him go in there.”

“
You
went in there,” Becky reminded her, clutching her close in the chilly night air.

Jennifer closed her eyes and lifted her head. “Please, Lord, let him be safe. Don't let anything happen to Anderson.”

All she could do now was stand here and wait, her thoughts swirling in confusion just like the embers reaching up toward the stars. What if Anderson didn't make it? How could she live with that?

Then she looked up to see him emerging through the big doors, tugging Sadie with a lasso. He'd covered her head with a night rug but he yanked it off once they were clear, then he let the frightened horse go free.

Jennifer fell to her knees as she watched Sadie galloping by. Sadie went straight to where Chestnut stood, agitated and tethered, by a fence with the one Becky had corralled. The horses whinnied and stomped, their dark eyes wide with apprehension.

She turned to find Anderson kneeling to help her up. Jennifer looked him over, and, her knees trembling, rushed into his arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” After hugging him tight, she stood back and fisted his arm. “But you shouldn't have done that. You could have been hurt.”

“
I
shouldn't have done that?” Anger and adrenaline made his voice rise. His eyes looked golden in the firelight. “
You
were in there. You went in after I tried to tell you not to. What else was I supposed to do?”

Seeing the anger in his eyes, Jennifer stumbled back, her hands clutching the belt of her plush robe. “I'm sorry. I had to save my animals.”

“At what cost, Jennifer? When will you realize this thing is dangerous—especially to you? Next time, they'll set your house on fire, with you in it.”

Hurt by his harsh words, she looked down at her soiled slippers. “I know how dangerous things are around here, Anderson. But I don't know how to react, other than by taking action to protect what's mine.” With a shrug and a twist toward Becky, she said, “Thanks again for saving Sadie. I'm going to see if my barn and stables can be saved.”

A strong arm slipped around her wrist and brought her back. “I'm sorry,” he said, his gaze as full of fire as the barn behind him. “I didn't see you when I rode up. And when Becky told me you were in there…I had to do something.”

“And you did,” she replied, her tone going soft and breathless. “And so did I when I realized it was on fire. I'm okay and Sadie is safe, thanks to you. I owe you a lot.”

He tugged her close. “And maybe that's what's really bothering you. Maybe you don't want to owe me.”

“Maybe so,” she said, lifting away as the fire chief and the sheriff came toward her. “I need to see how bad the damage is.”

Anderson let her go, but his eyes held hers for a long minute before he stomped away and pulled out his phone.

 

“Setting the barn on fire. Not very original but very effective,” Anderson said, spitting the words into the phone. “They're escalating things, Ben. And I have to wonder if my presence here is the reason.”

“What makes you think that?”

Anderson watched as firemen wearing heavy turnout equipment came and went, busy carrying fire rakes and ladders to salvage what was left of the big barn. “She hadn't had anything this bad happen until I showed up.”

“Have you considered that she might not have noticed anything happening until you did show up, not to mention we have one of their men in custody and we took him in right before you were assigned to monitor that
site? They would have tried to get to her sooner or later and they've probably been watching her all along. Now they must think good old Eddie Jimenez spilled more than he actually did. You yourself said things would probably get worse. So now they have.”

Anderson looked over to where Jennifer huddled with Becky near the traumatized horses. At least the other animals—the cows and goats and that infernal llama—were out in the pasture. “For some reason they're not moving on to a new drop site. And that means there must be something around here they don't want us to find.” He told Ben his theory regarding the inactive security lights and cameras.

“Now that makes sense,” Ben replied. “How bad is the barn?”

Anderson looked past the two women. “The back half is gone and the rest is charred. I just hope she's got good insurance. The sheriff's here, too. I'll have to talk to him.”

“Talk to the fire inspector or the chief, find out if they can determine the point of origin and any signs of arson.”

“That shouldn't be hard,” Anderson replied. “Somebody walked right in the place and torched it.”

“Let the fire department do its job while you go over things with the sheriff. He knows Jennifer was attacked, too. I can send Cade or Oliver to help you sweep the place first thing tomorrow so we can file a report,” Ben replied. “And Anderson, remind Miss Rodgers that she might have to consider staying somewhere else for a while.”

“She won't do that with all these animals to care for,
I can assure you,” Anderson said on a testy note. “The woman almost got herself in a heap of trouble tonight, trying to save one of her horses.”

“Do what you can to find out what's so important that they'd set fire to the place. For all we know they could have drugs hidden all over her property. If they think she's been monitoring their comings and goings with security cameras, they'll keep targeting her.”

Anderson hung up, the edginess he'd felt all night doubled now. Something didn't seem right. Why set a fire in the barn if they were after something they'd hidden?

Then the fire chief walked up, shaking his head. “Looks like somebody threw a gasoline-soaked bag full of old rags right inside the back doors. The rags didn't burn up, but the straw around them sure caught up. The entire structure is unsound now. She'll need to tear it down and rebuild the whole thing.”

Anderson took in the grim news. “Can I have a look now?”

“Yeah, but be careful. We're checking for hot spots to make sure it's out but for now, it looks to be contained.”

Anderson gave the waiting sheriff a quick explanation with a promise to call him first thing in the morning, then walked over to Jennifer. “Guess you heard?”

She nodded, her arms wrapped around her body, her gaze slamming into his. “My barn is gone. These people need to leave me alone.”

“Yeah, they do. But they won't.” He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. “I've got to look
things over. Why don't you let Becky take you back to the house?”

She shook her head. “I have to take care of the horses. I'll put them in the shed out in the corral for tonight.”

“I'll help,” Becky said. “I'll run and get us both a warm jacket and some gloves, okay?”

Jennifer nodded again. “Thanks.” Then she turned back to Anderson. “At least it's not too cold tonight.”

“No, the wind died down around sunset, thankfully. Or that fire could have been a lot worse.”

She stared at the soggy, charred remains of her barn. “I guess I'll have to beg for help with this, too.”

Anderson hated the defeat in her voice. “Do you have insurance?”

“Yes, but I'm sure my premiums will go up now.” Pushing at her hair, she looked down at the ground. “Is there any way to get a message to these people? Tell them I don't know anything and I don't have anything?”

“Not a good idea. That would only confirm that you know about
them.
”

“So I just have to live like this? Wondering what will happen next?”

“No, you don't.” He put his hands on her arms. “I'm working real hard to figure this out, Jennifer. I need you to stay patient and not do anything foolish.”

She stared up at him, her eyes as dark as the night. “The only thing I plan on doing is protecting my property, Anderson.”

Anderson didn't like the challenge in her eyes. Or the force in her words. “Look, I'm going to go over every inch of this place until I find something, okay?
Tomorrow, I'll get the extra security measures in place and I'll talk to some of your nearest neighbors, including Mr. Chason.” He'd haul the neighbor in for questioning in a more formal setting if need be if he located the man.

She put a hand to her head. “The construction crew is coming back tomorrow to finish the new pen. I can't postpone that. They're on a timeline and so am I.”

“Let them get the work done. We don't have time to do checks on all of them so I'll be nearby and watching, once I get through questioning Mr. Chason. You'll have Becky here. And Jacob in the afternoon.”

“I'm going to carry a pistol, just in case.”

“Don't go anywhere by yourself, you hear?”

“I hear.”

Her friend came back with the jackets and handed one to her. Jennifer lifted Anderson's coat off her shoulders and handed it back to him. “Go. We've got to get the animals settled.”

Anderson took off with the sheriff toward the barn, sidestepping burned-out beams and mud spots, the smell of wet, charred wood and scorched hay assaulting him. He walked past the barn and took out his flashlight to search for tracks leading into the fence line and woods. It didn't take him long to find another tear in the chain-link fence not far from the big barn.

He'd managed to pry the earlier cut back together. Someone had cut the fence again. He held the flashlight down, finding footprint indentations in the grass and hard dirt. He followed the footprints up to the back of the barn where the mud and water from the fire hose had dissolved them.

Someone had come on to the property again, no doubt about that. He might be able to set a cast and get a shoe print, but finding the person wearing the shoe was another thing.

Maybe he should have staked out the barn instead of the new alligator pen.

Then he had a flash of clarity.

What if the fire had been a diversion?

A diversion to get him back to the house.

And away from that new pen and the cartel's drop site.

Stomping back toward the front of the barn, Anderson looked around and saw that Chestnut was still where he'd left him. Jennifer and Becky were busy inside the corral with the other horses. Not bothering to explain, Anderson tugged at Chestnut's reins and swung up on the big horse. Then he took off toward the unfinished gator pen.