Murder at Granite Falls (17 page)

Logan watched the range of emotions play across her face. She looked so vulnerable that he wanted to pull her into his arms for a long, comforting hug. “I’m sure it doesn’t.”

By all rights, the man who’d been killed should have made it to old age, and no one should now have to live with the memories of seeing that grisly murder scene out in the woods—especially someone who had once loved him. Good marriage or bad, it had to be the stuff of nightmares. Even Logan had awakened at night, reliving the moment of shock when he’d first seen the man lying in a pool of blood, and he’d only met Billy once. So how did Carrie feel?

Penny surveyed the food on the table. “Looks like everything’s ready—let’s eat.”

They all sat at the picnic table and served themselves family style. When Carrie brought out a streusel-topped peach pie and ice cream, they moved over to the blazing campfire Logan had started while Carrie and Penny were clearing the picnic table.

“I’ve been doing some checking around town, over the past couple of days. Talking to people,” he said.

Carrie stilled, her face pale. “Any luck?”

He flicked a glance at Penny. “We’ve both been trying to find out if anyone saw Billy lurking around town, or if they saw him talking to anyone in particular. No luck so far.”

“And no word about any abandoned campsites, either,” Penny added. “A deputy found his pickup with just a blanket and
duffel bag in it, but it didn’t have a camper on top. There’s no record of him checking into any cabins, motels or resorts in the area, either. So he figures Billy must’ve been camping somewhere.”

Logan thought for a minute. “If he did, maybe there’d be clues left behind about who would want to kill him, and why.”

“You’d think. But the investigators have been searching everywhere without any luck.”

“It doesn’t surprise me.” Carrie pushed at her piece of apple pie without taking a bite. “He probably slept in the cab of his pickup. He did that plenty of times when he was rodeoing and said it saved a lot of motel bills. Though he did start keeping one of those high-tech backpacking tents behind the seat of his truck. A red one, I think.”

“You should call the sheriff’s office and let them know.”

She smiled sadly. “I’ll do that, though he was never one for backpacking and camping, really. I think he won the tent from someone in a card game and just forgot he had it back there.”

Twilight had fallen and embers from the fire crackled and shot upward like fireflies into the darkening sky when Logan stirred the logs with an iron poker. “Anyone up for fireworks? They ought to start in a half hour or so.”

Carrie looked up in surprise. “Wouldn’t they be half over by the time we got there?”

“We have a better place to watch. Quite a few townsfolk come up into the foothills, too—just a couple miles this side of Granite Falls. Do you two want to go?”

Penny finished the last bite of her dessert and gave a blissful sigh. “That pie was perfect, but now I just want to clean up here and then head off to bed. I’m beat.”

“Carrie?”

She glanced uncertainly between them. “You’re sure you don’t want to go, Penny?”

“You two should go and have some fun.” Penny stood and gathered up some of the leftovers, then looked across the table and must have caught Carrie’s hesitance, because she smiled. “Well…okay. Maybe I’ll stop there for a while, then head on down to Aunt Betty’s. Deal?”

Logan found himself holding his breath, waiting…not wanting the evening to end. He couldn’t hold back a grin when Carrie finally nodded. “I know Penny—once she gets there, she won’t leave until the grand finale. Let’s get this place cleared and bear proofed, so we can be on our way.”

The scenic overlook on the highway to Granite Falls was certainly no secret as a fireworks destination. By the time their two vehicles pulled in, there was barely enough parking space. Logan motioned for Penny and Carrie to take the last free area off the highway, while he parked along the shoulder.

“Looks like we got here just in time,” Penny said as she pocketed the truck keys and handed Carrie one of the three flashlights she’d brought from the boathouse.

“Or maybe not, given all of the parked cars here.” Carrie dutifully followed as Penny stepped over a guardrail and started down a short path leading to a long, rocky ledge high above a vast, deep valley.

Several dozen people were already settled on blankets and folding chairs along the ledge, some with picnic baskets, coolers and thermos containers. The scent of hot cocoa wafted on the chilly mountain breeze coming down from the high country. Down below, distant rows of sparkling lights revealed the street layout of Granite Falls, while colorful points of light marked the motels, restaurants and other businesses in town.

A rustle of whispers, marked by a few louder voices, spread through the crowd when Logan followed and helped spread out a blanket on a section of rock ledge well past the other people.

“That’s him…and to think he’s out here, free as a bird.”

“Sheriff isn’t looking hard for anyone else. Sorta gives you a clue, doesn’t it?”

“Makes you wonder what it’ll take.”

“But if they don’t have proof, they can hardly arrest him. And if there’s no proof, how can you even
suggest
he did anything wrong?” a softer feminine voice protested. “Now, just be quiet—the fireworks are starting.”

Carrie winced and glanced in the direction of the voices, then turned to Logan as the three of them sat down on the blanket, with Logan in the middle—probably by design, if the smug grin that Penny flashed was any clue. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. If you want to leave…”

He reached over and covered her hand with his. “Thanks. But this is nothing new.”

She savored the warmth and weight of his large, strong hand on hers and held very still, not wanting him to let go. “It still isn’t right.”

Penny leaned forward to peer around him. “The gossip never ended all last year. People were cruel, some were just snide—saying awful things aloud that we could overhear. And now it’s probably going to be worse.”

“Then maybe we should go.”

“And give these uninformed people that much power?” She whispered just loud enough that the people nearby must have heard her, because they all fell uncomfortably silent. “Hopefully they’ll be embarrassed and learn a good lesson when the truth does come out.”

“Easy, Penny,” Logan warned, his voice tinged with quiet laughter. He looked down at Carrie and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then let go. “She’s my guardian.”

“Someone has to be,” Penny shot back. “‘Judge not, lest ye be judged,’ the Bible says. And what about the Ninth Command
ment—on not bearing false witness against someone? Some people figure the Lord’s words don’t apply to them, I guess.”

Carrie looked up at Logan, wishing she could take away the hurt he must feel.

From down below came a distant thud, and seconds later a ball of green sparkles burst high in the sky. The crowd along the ledge collectively sighed in awe as it faded into falling emerald teardrops.

Carrie braced her palms on the rock behind her and leaned back to watch as a display of fireworks in dizzying colors began bursting across the sky. On and on, until every color of the rainbow glittered across the sky as part of the grand finale.

“Wow,” she breathed. “That was gorgeous. The prettiest I’ve ever seen.”

“I think so, too. Without a doubt.”

She blinked, suddenly more aware of her surroundings.

At some point during the fireworks she’d shivered in the cool mountain air and Logan had laughed, draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. And without a thought, she’d snuggled closer and rested her head against him.

Now, she pulled away to look up at him and found him studying her in return, his eyes like molten silver in the moonlight and the dimples bracketing his mouth deepening, and she suddenly wondered if he’d been watching the fireworks at all.

She’d
certainly been distracted by the lovely warmth of him next to her and the jittery sensation of awareness that had been dancing in her heart, than she had been over the firework display in the valley.

She glanced around and realized that the other people around them were gone, and just a few stragglers were heading up the path. “Where’s Penny?”

“She left a few minutes ago because she figured the truck was blocking other vehicles. Don’t worry, though, I’ll take you home.”

He rose smoothly to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. She ended up close—too close—and wavered between hoping for a kiss, and needing to step back into her own personal space.

The air between them felt charged. Expectant. As if the earth was ready to shift in a new and exciting direction…and then he released her hand and the moment was over.

“Um…thanks,” she murmured, suddenly feeling a little shy. “This was a great evening.”

They walked back up the path to the parking area, where a few families were still bundling children into seat belts. One of the moms glanced at him, then did a double take, and Carrie steeled herself for trouble.

But the woman just raised a hand in greeting. “Hey, Logan, good to see you. Say hi to Penny for me, okay?”

“Thanks,” he called back. “I’ll do that.”

At his pickup, he leaned in front of Carrie to unlock her door, then opened it for her and stood back, waiting for her to climb in.

She hesitated, feeling renewed empathy for this kind and gentle man. “I was afraid there’d be a scene back there,” she murmured. “I was ready to go toe-to-toe with her.”

He gave a low laugh. “Now you and Penny both, I guess. Thanks—but sometimes it’s just better to ignore those things.”

“Maybe.”

A faint smile touched his mouth. “I guess I just want the evidence to lead to the killer and the facts to be clear to everyone. End of story. I can’t possibly stop what everyone thinks in the meantime. And to paraphrase Shakespeare, if I protest too much, it just makes me seem all the more suspect.”

Startled, she turned back to him.
Shakespeare?

He gently brushed a hand against her cheek. “I just hope
this is all over soon, because I can only imagine how tough it is for you, not knowing what happened to Billy.”

Penny was already in the downstairs office, getting ready for the first group of passengers on Monday morning, when Carrie tapped on the door and stepped inside. “Here’s Murphy,” Carrie said. “And I’m off to school. Tell Logan that I still do appreciate the loan.”

“I will. He won’t be here today, though. He has errands in Billings, and might not get back until late. He said to tell you to keep Murphy tonight, unless you’re tired of his company and want to send him home with me.”

“I’ll be happy to keep him. I hadn’t realized how quiet that apartment was until I had a dog for company.” Carrie reached down to stroke Murphy’s head. “My cat completely ignores me. Will you need me to work this afternoon?”

“Absolutely, since Logan will be gone. We could actually use you to cover Tina’s float trips the middle of the week, if you could—afternoon and evening. And once Logan is cleared by his doctor, we’ll need you even more, if he goes off to rodeo again.” Penny looked up from her computer screen and leaned back in her chair, her voiced laced with worry. “I honestly don’t know what to wish for anymore. That he totally heals so he can go risk his life again, or that he doesn’t—at least until this season is over—so he has to stay here and be safe. But I guess it’s all in God’s hands.”

After hearing about Logan’s rodeo career, Carrie had tried to carefully distance herself, while still maintaining a friendly business relationship. But the more time she spent with him and his sister, the more she found herself being drawn into their world.
And
the more she found herself hanging on every word where he was concerned, wanting to learn more about this complex, caring man who had managed to come through false accusations and even a trial, without being embittered toward
the community that had so wrongly judged him. A man who had shown her nothing but kindness and concern.

“Logan has never mentioned how he got hurt,” she ventured.

Penny shook her head. “And he won’t, unless you badger him. He’s always been like that. Our dad tends to make quite a bit out of whatever ails him. Logan is just the opposite.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“I’d normally just leave it to him. But he probably isn’t going to, and you should know since you work for us now.”

Carrie looked up sharply. “Is it bad?”

“Bad enough. Severe headaches. Lower back pain like no other. That’s why he’s our last resort as a raft guide, but you won’t ever hear him complain. He doesn’t talk much about his success, either. Two years ago he was the reserve national saddle bronc champion. Not that he was after the glory, but he has tremendous drive and determination, and every win helped our parents get back on their feet.” Penny’s voice hardened. “Last year, of course, he was out much of the season because of the trial. I still can’t believe he had to go through all of that based on such circumstantial evidence.”

“After getting to know him, I can’t, either. And I wasn’t even here.”

“This year he wanted a stellar year on the circuit. We could use the money. But he drew a rank bronc at his first rodeo. He made it to the eight-second buzzer, but got hung up in the saddle, and the pickup men didn’t get there in time. The horse doubled back and crashed into the chutes, then kicked him in the head and lower back while scrambling to its feet.”

Carrie felt a sudden wave of nausea, knowing the tremendous power of a panicking horse. The terrible damage one could inflict.

“He received a severe concussion, needless to say—and a hairline crack at the back of his skull. A few millimeters
difference, and the docs say he would’ve been killed instantly. A couple of vertebrae were damaged. It’s why he only takes float trips when he has to and wears a back brace under his life jacket. You can bet that he’s taking Ibuprofen for a couple days after.”

“And he wants to go
back
to rodeo?”