Cowboy Country (90 page)

“Ouch,” the would-be killer cried. “Get off.”

Ava scrambled for the pistol, grabbed it and pointed it at the woman. “Are you okay, Levi?”

“Yeah.” He wrenched the twisting, clawing woman to her feet and tied her hands behind her back with a bandana he pulled from his back pocket. “You stay put, lady. We’re going to get to the bottom of this in a minute. You okay, Ava?”

“I’m fine.” Ava glared at the woman Levi held. “No thanks to you. What do we do now?”

“Let me go, or suffer the consequences,” the brunette said.

“Shut up.” Ava lifted the gun. “I’m calling the shots now.”

The woman seemed to have no fear. “You going to shoot me?”

“Maybe,” Ava said.

Levi glanced at Ava. “Is this another one of your dancers?”

“No. I don’t recognize her.”

He asked her. “Who are you?”

She tightened her lips and refused to answer.

“I think it’s time to call the police.” Ava looked between them. “What else can we do? We can’t turn her loose and we can’t take her to her home and hold her like a prisoner.”

Levi’s lips tightened, but he nodded. “Can you get my truck?”

“It won’t start,” Ava said. “I don’t know why.”

He looked at the brunette. “Are the keys in the ignition of your vehicle?”

The brunette once again refused to answer.

Levi opened the driver’s door, still holding the woman. “They are. Ava, get in the backseat with our friend in the front. Don’t take the gun off her for a minute. I’ll drive.”

“Do it.” Ava held the pistol with both hands and pointed it at the woman. Slowly, she climbed in, Ava behind her.

Levi slammed the door and rushed to the driver’s side, started the vehicle and spun it around and headed for town.

Ava leaned forward and spoke to the brunette. “Why would you do this? What have we ever done to you?”

She looked away and didn’t speak.

“That’s okay,” Ava said. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m done running. We’re taking you to the authorities. I’m sure the FBI or CIA or whoever gets involved in this sort of thing is done with you, you’re going to be sorry. Probably end up in prison somewhere. That is if the mob doesn’t kill you first.”

She paled. “Let me go.”

“No way. You held a gun on us.” Ava’s voice trembled with anger. “And you would have shot Levi and me, too. Why would you want to kill us? What do you owe Dario that you would murder innocent people?”

“He’s my brother. And he’s going to tear you apart limb by limb.”

Ava shook her head. “What? No way. You’re making that up.”

“No, I’m not.”

Ava was sure the woman was lying. She’d never heard of Dario having a sister. There was a strong resemblance around the eyes and jaw, though. He’d brought a whole lot of hurt into her life and she’d had enough. “Where is he?”

Her lips pinched together.

“What’s your name?”

She shook her head.

Ava steadied the gun as the vehicle fishtailed. “You think you’re the only one who can shoot people? I’ve been pushed to the end of my rope. So have my friends. Start talking.” Her stomach felt like it might erupt any second from all the nerves dancing in it. She’d never been part of any violence in her life.

The brunette lifted her chin. “Lisa Abruzzo.”

“That’s a start. Now, where is Dario?”

The lights of Settler came into view and Lisa clammed up again. Levi drove two blocks and turned west toward a squat, brown brick building with a sign over the door—“Sheriff’s Office.”

“Just let me go,” Lisa pleaded.

“Sorry.” Levi untied Lisa’s right hand and held the bandana like a leash. “”Get out.”

Lisa complied, although not very fast. When she stood on the sidewalk, Ava followed and pressed the gun to her back.

“Move it.”

Levi untied Lisa’s hands. “Don’t try anything funny. Now march your behind in there.”

She glared at him, but followed his directions and they walked into an old brick building with the date of 1881 over the door. “This is it.”

“You’re going to parade me in with a pistol pointed at me?”

Ava waved it at her. “That’s right. Now move. Try anything and I’ll shoot you.”

They moved to the front door and Levi pulled it open, allowing the women to enter first. In front of them stood a long hall with a polished wood floor, and offices on both sides and the far end. Their footsteps echoed in the dim hall as they walked toward the door at the end of the tunnel.

They reached a glass door with “Sheriff’s Office” painted in gold on it. A lone woman sat at the desk facing them. When Ava opened it, she stood. “Can I help you?”

“I hope so,” Ava said. “I need the sheriff.”

She lowered her gun and the woman’s hand went to her own holster as her gaze flew between them. “I’m the sheriff. What’s this about?”

“Murder, intimidation and a whole lot more,” Ava said. “Can you handcuff this woman? She tried to kill me. And so did her brother.”

“Not true,” Lisa said. “These two attacked me.”

The sheriff shook her head. “I’m not handcuffing anyone until I know what’s going on. Hand me that gun real slow and sit down, please.”

Ava handed her the pistol, butt first. “Thank you.”

The sheriff took the gun and carried it into a glass-walled room and locked it in a safe.

“The nice lady said to sit.” Ava pushed Lisa onto one of the straight-backed chairs to wait.

She fought back her guilt. The entire Callahan family distrusted the police, but she had no choice. She’d brought trouble to their door and she had to make it right before someone else got hurt or killed. Liberty had almost died today because of her. Travis and Paco had been badly injured also.

If something else happened because of her, Ava didn’t think she could endure it.

Keeping Levi and his family safe mattered more than betraying them. Her heart twisted into a tight knot and it hurt to breathe. He’d been nothing but good to her. She felt terrible. He wouldn’t get over this easily.

But he’d be alive.

And that was all that mattered.

Her breaking heart was inconsequential. It simply didn’t matter. His safety, his life mattered more than anything she might feel. She had brought all this agony on him and she had to make it right.

As soon as she told the sheriff her story, Ava would make plans. Maybe she’d follow Tiffany’s lead and go to New York to try to her luck there. There wasn’t anything left for her in Vegas.

There wasn’t anything in Wyoming either.

How had she fallen so hard so fast for a cowboy with twinkling eyes? How was she going to forget him?

The pain in her heart was unbearable.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The lady sheriff returned. “Okay. Anyone else have any weapons they want to turn over?”

Before anyone could answer, a fresh-faced deputy came in the side door, shaking snow off his uniform coat. “What’s going on?”

When everyone opened their mouth to speak, the sheriff held up a hand. “One at a time, please. Who is the complainant here?”

Ava raised her hand. “Me.”

“Follow me.” She looked at her deputy. “Harlan, take one of these other people in the conference room and interview them there.”

“Wait.” Ava looked at Lisa. “Don’t leave her alone. She tried to kill us.”

The sheriff sighed. “Harlan, keep an eye on the gentleman. Lock up the lady until we sort this all out.” She indicated Ava. “I’ll take her.”

Lisa gasped in outrage. “You’re taking her word for it? How do you know they didn’t try to kill me?”

“I don’t,” the sheriff said. “But we’ll hear your story, and if you’re telling it straight, I’ll turn you loose with the department’s apologies.”

“Come on.” Harlan took Lisa by the arm and guided her to a cell at the far end of the room where he locked her inside.

She wrapped her fingers around the bars and pressed her nose against them. “I want an attorney.”

“Harlan, let anyone who wants to call their attorney.” She pinned an icy stare on Levi. “You, sit tight. Harlan will take your statement in a minute.” She addressed Ava. “Come in my office.”

They entered a small room where the sheriff moved to a coffee pot and poured herself a cup. She held one toward Ava. “Want some? Why do I feel like this is going to be a long night?”

Ava nodded. “Yes, please.”

They sipped in silence for a minute before the sheriff put aside her cup and sat behind a massive oak desk. Her nameplate said “Sheriff G. Faraday.” What did the G stand for?

She picked up a pen and paper. “Start from the beginning and tell me what’s going on.”

Ava took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I saw a murder…”

An hour and a half later, she finished her story. “That’s everything up until now.”

Sheriff Faraday studied Ava over the rim of her cup. “Why come in now?”

“Because, like I told you, I don’t want to be on the run for the rest of my life. Levi doesn’t trust this office, but I have to if I’m ever going to be free.”

“You don’t have any faith in LVPD,” Sheriff Faraday said flatly.

“I don’t know if they’re dirty or not,” Ava said. “But it made me leery to see Dario Abruzzo standing on my doorstep talking to one while my house was trashed.”

“Did it occur to you that the cop may have been questioning him about that?” the sheriff asked.

“No,” Ava admitted. “Are you going to lock up Lisa Abruzzo or not?”

“I don’t know,” the sheriff said. “I need to interview Mr. Callahan and Miss Abruzzo. For all we know, she may have a legitimate reason for being in town. Send in Mr. Callahan, please.”

Dismissed, Ava stood and moved to the door. She opened it and said, “Levi, you’re up.”

As they passed, she noticed his stiff posture and downturned lips. Mad already, and he hadn’t even spoken to the sheriff.

With a sigh, Ava took the seat he’d vacated.

Lisa glared at her from the confines of her cell.

Ava ignored her and went over her conversation with Sheriff Faraday. Had the woman believed her? She hadn’t seemed overly excited about a possible witness to a mob hit being in her town. Ava couldn’t really blame her.

She’d brought a lot of trouble to a lot of people.

~*~

Levi sat without being asked.

The sheriff studied him with cool green eyes. “I understand you have quite a problem on your hands.”

“Like you give a damn.” He didn’t even try to hide his disdain.

 “I’m paid to care.”

He snorted. “Right.”

“You want to lose the attitude and tell me what I’ve done to get your shorts in a bunch?” She met his steely gaze head on. “So I can get to the bottom of this and figure out what to do?”

He leaned forward. “Who are you kidding, sheriff? You don’t plan to help me any more than the last time a girl needed protection from this office.”

“I don’t recall seeing you in here before, Mr. Callahan, so maybe you could come down off your high horse long enough to tell me what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about Beth McMillan.” He paused, but she gave no indication of knowing who he was talking about. “The girl who was stalked, tortured and killed by her ex-boyfriend three years ago.”

She winced as recognition dawned across her delicate features. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you knew her.”

“Know her? I was engaged to marry her.” Levi heard the old bitterness seeping into his voice. “We might as well cut to the chase right now. My old man was Clyde Callahan, and he murdered Moe Browning. No one from this office has had a lot of use for us Callahans ever since.”

“I’m not interested in old history,” Sheriff Faraday said coldly. “If you’re a victim of a crime I’m going to solve it.”

“Even if my old man murdered one of your own?”

She nodded. “Even if the murdered man was my dad.”

It was Levi’s turn to flinch. “What? Moe didn’t have any kids.”

“None he acknowledged, anyway.” She stared at him with an unwavering stare. “Not that it has any bearing on this case, but I didn’t grow up with my dad. I never knew him.”

“So you came here to find yourself?” Levi didn’t know why he was baiting the woman who might be able to help Ava, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “Follow in the old man’s footsteps?”

“Something like that.” She stood and poured herself a cup of coffee. “So, you want to continue walking down memory lane, or do you want to tell me your side of this story?”

Levi ran a hand over the back of his neck and reined in some of his hostility. “I can’t tell you what Ava saw in Vegas, but one of our hands had a wreck and Ava swears they were rammed.”

“Does your hired man concur?”

He hesitated. “No.”

She threaded her long, slender fingers together. “So you didn’t witness the murder or the accident?”

Did she doubt their story? For all her talk of finding the truth, was she going to dismiss him, too? “No, but I sure had a gun pointed at me a few hours ago by that lady out there in your cell.”

A light knock on the door prevented her from answering him. “Come in.”

The deputy stuck his head inside. “I need to speak to you for a minute.”

She rose and left Levi inside her office. He could hear her voice, but not her words. In a minute, she came back. “Miss Abruzzo’s attorney is here. For now, we’re letting her go.”

Although he hadn’t expected anything less, shock reverberated through Levi. He grabbed his hat and crammed it on his head. “I’m telling you here and now what happened to Beth isn’t going to happen to Ava. I’ll protect her by any means necessary.”

“I hope you’re not telling an officer of the law that you’re going to break that law.”

He ignored her and stomped through her door. Ava stood watching as a short, portly man in an expensive suit ushered Lisa by them.

Ava looked sick to her stomach.

Lisa smirked as she passed.

Levi stiffened his spine. “We need to get out of here before they set up a hit on Ava.”

“Go out the back door. Deputy Morris will take you to your vehicle. If it won’t start, he’ll take you home,” Sheriff Faraday said. “Let me know immediately if something else happens.”