The Horseman's Son (12 page)

C
ollena glanced at the clock.

And paced.

Dylan had been gone over ten minutes. Not a lifetime, but considering the potential danger that was all around them, it felt like forever to her.

She checked Adam, who was still sleeping. Then Collena opened the door just a fraction to make sure the P.I. was still there. He was.

“Do you know what the deputy wanted with Dylan?” she asked the P.I.

He shook his head.

And that’s when Collena knew she’d waited long enough. Deputy Jonah Burke was their suspect, and by now he could have done all sorts of things to Dylan and the other P.I. She grabbed her gun and the baby monitor so she could keep an eye on Adam. She also ordered the P.I. to stay put and guard the baby while she went in search of Dylan.

Collena listened as she hurried down the corridor. There were no shouts, no sounds of violence. Nor was there any indication that Dylan was under attack. And she confirmed that once she made it to the foyer. Dylan was leaning against the wall, and he was staring at Jonah, who was only a few feet away from him.

“What’s wrong?” Collena immediately asked. She knew something had happened from their bleak expressions.

“Curtis Reese is dead,” Jonah announced. “Someone murdered him.”

Her breath clogged in her throat, and though she had a dozen questions about whom, when and how, she couldn’t ask any of them. She could only stand there and try to absorb what she’d just heard.

Curtis Reese was dead.

She hated that she felt even marginal relief over the custody issue. But Collena couldn’t feel any happiness that a man had been murdered. After all, Curtis might have been a pigheaded snob, but he wasn’t a criminal, and he didn’t deserve to die.

“A hunter found Reese’s body not far from here,” Jonah continued. “Only about an eighth of a mile from where your car was burned.”

Collena wondered if that was a coincidence. Had Curtis been there when he was killed, or had the killer deposited the body there as some kind of warning to them?

She walked to Dylan and touched his arm. The gesture brought his gaze to hers. Dylan was obviously as upset and shocked about this as she was.

“I was just telling Dylan,” Jonah went on, “that it’s hard to tell much of anything because Reese’s body was badly burned. But it looks like he was shot first and then set on fire.”

“He was burned?” Collena asked, though she had to say it twice for the words to have any sounds.

Jonah nodded. “Similarly to the way Abigail and Julie were killed. Except their accidents were caused by electrical fires. Reese’s car had been doused with gasoline that someone siphoned from the tank.”

Jonah didn’t add anything else. He just stared at them, and she soon realized why he was really at the house.

“Neither Dylan, nor I killed Curtis Reese,” Collena volunteered.

“So Dylan already said. He also said you were both here at the house all day and night. Is that true?”

“Yes. With Rodney Harmon on the loose, it wouldn’t have been safe for us to go out.” She paused. “How long has Curtis been dead?”

“Don’t know yet. The coroner might be able to pinpoint the time of death, but with the burns, that might not be so easy.”

“But you’re sure it’s Curtis?” she clarified.

Jonah nodded. “The sheriff got the name of Curtis’s dentist from his housekeeper, and we e-mailed him some pictures of his teeth. The dentist made a preliminary match. Plus, the housekeeper was able to ID his shoes and watch.”

That wasn’t one-hundred-percent proof, but on the other hand, she knew of no reason Curtis or anyone else would fake his death.

“We’re the only suspects,” Dylan told her.

“Then, you’d better find other possibilities,” Collena insisted, talking to Jonah. “Because if you’re sure this was murder—”

“We’re sure. And as for those other possibilities, perhaps you can suggest some.”

“Rodney Harmon,” she said without hesitation. “He’s out there somewhere, and he’s a killer. Maybe Curtis had the misfortune to cross paths with him. After all, they’re both in Greer.”

“And what motive would Harmon have to kill a perfect stranger?” Jonah didn’t wait for them to answer. “Because as far as I can tell, Curtis Reese didn’t have any connection to the Brighton Birthing Center or to Rodney Harmon.”

Collena opened her mouth, closed it and glanced at Dylan. Was he thinking what she was thinking? That maybe Ruth, Hank or Millie had done this?

Unfortunately, they had motives.

And that motive was Adam.

Collena wasn’t sure she could trust the three of them, but she had no doubts about their love for Adam. Could one of them have eliminated Curtis because he was a threat to Dylan’s claim to custody?

Mercy.

Was one of them a killer after all?

Dylan didn’t offer any speculation about his former nanny and the members of her family. Nor did Collena. It was best for her to do some digging before she pointed a finger at anyone.

“Once the coroner’s done with the autopsy,” Jonah continued, “I want you both to come to the police station for questioning.” He shifted his stance and eyed Collena. “Because the way I see it, there were only two people who had a reason to kill Curtis Reese, and those two people are you and Dylan.”

W
HILE
D
YLAN WAITED
on hold for a report from his lead P.I., he continued to review the surveillance videos taken around the perimeter of the ranch.

He’d set up a makeshift office in his bedroom. It wasn’t well equipped since the shooting, but he’d managed to salvage his desk and most of his computer equipment. Thankfully the security disks had been spared by the bullets so he was able to view the section of the ranch near the fence where they’d found Curtis Reese’s body.

Dylan saw the flames in the distance. But not the killer. The darkness had concealed his identity, giving them nothing new.

Now, on top of everything else, Collena and he were murder suspects. Not just in Jonah’s eyes, either. The brief conversation that Dylan had had that morning with Sheriff Hathaway was more than enough for Dylan to realize that since he and Collena had a motive, the authorities weren’t interested in looking elsewhere.

Dylan was.

That’s why he hadn’t refused Millie’s request when she phoned and said she wanted to come out to the ranch to talk to Collena and him. He didn’t exactly relish the idea of having Millie around right now, but he wanted to question her about Curtis Reese’s murder. Dylan only hoped that Millie didn’t know anything about it.

He wanted this pinned on Rodney Harmon.

Dylan opened his desk drawer and searched for a mint or some gum. His mouth was parched from the central heating and the fact it’d been a while since he’d bothered to eat or drink anything. When he found nothing in the center drawer, he went through the side ones.

And he found the condoms.

They’d been there for months. He’d bought them at a time when he was certain he was ready to risk having an actual sex life. The bulk of the box was still there. Sad. And it was probably dangerous to think of Collena and condoms and then pair them in the same thought, but he did.

He took one of the foil packs and slipped it into his pocket. Dylan thought of Collena again and grabbed a second one. Yes, there was something calculating about carrying around condoms, but he also wasn’t stupid. Sooner or later, they’d land in bed, and this time he was going to be prepared.

Dylan heard the doorbell and knew that one of the P.I.s would screen the visitor. He checked the surveillance monitor and saw Millie standing on the front porch. The P.I. let her in and, as Dylan had instructed him to do, the man led her toward the family room.

“Dylan,” the lead P.I., Mason Tanner, said from the other end of the phone line. “Sorry that it took me so long. I was trying to gather reports from all my men. I’ve got six working on this, including Angelo Cardona and Ron Cowan, the two at your house.”

Dylan hoped it was enough. “And has anyone found anything?”

“We’re going through the security disks that the bank manager and some of the store owners let us use. No more Rodney Harmon sightings, but using the disks, I was able to verify that Curtis Reese left his hotel room about eight o’clock last night. An eyewitness saw him driving in the direction of your ranch.”

That wasn’t really news, considering Reese had been found on the property bordering the ranch.

“The sheriff brought in the Rangers to go through the crime scene,” Mason continued. “That’s good news for us since I was able to get my hands on their preliminary report. Reese had some pretty expensive surveillance gear in his car. Binoculars, video equipment and even a long-range eavesdropping device. He went to those woods to spy on you, Dylan.”

And got killed in the process.

“Did the town surveillance disks show anyone leaving shortly after Curtis?” Dylan asked.

“Yeah. It could mean nothing though. Could be a coincidence.”

Dylan wasn’t sure he believed in coincidences. “Who was it?”

“Your employee, Millie Sayers.”

Dylan groaned softly.

“I was going to find Millie and talk to her,” Mason explained.

“No need.” Dylan glanced at the house surveillance screen again and spotted something he definitely didn’t want to see. Millie was in the family room, all right. But she wasn’t alone.

Collena was with her.

And it appeared the two were arguing.

“Call me if you find anything else,” Dylan said to Mason. He hung up so he could hurry. But once he got close to the family room, he realized the women weren’t arguing.

They were discussing him.

He stopped just outside the door and listened.

“So, you’re admitting that you’re in love with Dylan?” Collena asked.

Millie didn’t answer right away. “Yes. I’ve been in love with him for a long time.”

Well, that’s the first he’d heard of it. Millie had certainly kept her feelings hidden.

Or had she?

Dylan mentally backtracked and recalled the looks she’d given him. He also recalled how upset she’d been when he announced his engagement five years ago. Still, she’d never said anything about loving him.

“Mother was always trying to push me to get together with Dylan,” Millie continued. Her voice sounded heavy, as if she were fighting back tears. “I told her it was useless, that Dylan didn’t see me that way, that he thought of me as a sister. But she believed I could change his mind.”

Collena made a sound of understanding. “Is it possible that your mother decided to…eliminate Dylan’s fiancée so you’d stand a better chance with him?”

Until Collena had asked that, Dylan had been ready to end his eavesdropping and go into the family room, but now he paused a moment longer. Because that was the question he needed answered.

“My mother wanted me to come and talk to you,” Millie said. Which obviously wasn’t an answer to Collena’s question at all. “She said if I didn’t come clean with you she’d tell Dylan
today
how I feel about him. And she would. My mother believes if you know that I love him, that you’ll back away so that Dylan and I can have a chance at a real relationship.”

Collena shook her head. “Dylan and I are together because of Adam. I can’t back away. Besides, have you talked to Dylan about this? Because I don’t think he’ll back away from me, either.”

“You’re right,” Millie said a moment later. “Still, my mother thought I should try. She wants what’s best for me, and despite what you think of her, she wouldn’t hurt anyone. Neither would my grandfather.” She paused. “At least I hope they wouldn’t.”

Oh, man.

That was Dylan’s cue to make himself known, and he had every intention of pressing Millie to explain why she had doubts about her own flesh and blood.

“Dylan,” Millie said the moment she detected his presence in the room. “Thank you for letting me come.”

“I hope you came with answers.” Dylan crossed the room so he could stand beside Collena.

“Maybe.” Millie suddenly looked very uncomfortable. She glanced at Collena as if she might ask her to leave, but she didn’t. Instead, Millie reached in her coat pocket and took out something.

Dylan reached for his gun in the shoulder holster beneath his jacket.

Collena did the same.

Obviously alarmed, Millie’s eyes widened. “It’s just medicine.” And she lifted the plastic amber bottle so Dylan could see for himself.

She handed the bottle to Dylan. “The doctor prescribed these for my mother years ago. They’re antidepressants. And until this week, she’d been faithful about seeing the doctor and taking them. She stopped. And I’m worried about her.”

So was Dylan. And he was worried about what Ruth could have done without that medication.

“How worried?” Collena asked.

But Millie looked at Dylan when she answered. “I’m afraid she might have killed Curtis Reese.”

Dylan had to take a moment before he could speak. “Why would you think that?”