Hard Evidence by Roxanne Rustand

little manly bonding over a hammer and pliers could be a good thing.”
    “Well…maybe just for a few evenings. No further obligations, in case Ian loathes that sort of bonding.” She grinned. “Deal?”
    “Deal.” He thrust out a hand.
    She accepted his warm, firm handshake and felt her heart skip.
    He was a good man, solid and true, and she found herself wishing that their circumstances were different. What would it be like to love a man like him? A man who would be a steadfast husband and a good father to a child in all the ways that really counted?
    Even after she withdrew her hand, she felt the reassuring warmth of Michael’s touch. “I…didn’t want to say anything earlier, with Ian or Rylie around, but thanks for your help with my mother this afternoon. I know she can be a little testy.”
    “Frankly, I think she was scared, finding herself heading in the wrong direction, then having those flat tires.”
    “A little frightened, but also still her obstinate self. About the flats—I don’t imagine they were a coincidence.”
    “I doubt it. The guys at the garage said they found identical nails in those tires. I asked a few questions at the café, but no one saw anyone lurking around her truck. Your mom parked at the side of the building, though, so someone could’ve crept up without being seen. Or, it could’ve happened at your place. Nails can cause a slow leak.”
    “But why would anyone do that? An old grudge against her, maybe? Surely this wasn’t just a random teenage prank.”
    “Last week you told me about a guy who threatened you when you were in town. Have you seen him again?”
    She shivered. “Nope. I tried describing him to the clerks in the grocery and drugstore, but he just sounded like a lot of other cowboys to them.”
    “If you see him, call me.” Michael set his jaw, and his voice dropped a good ten degrees. “If there’s anyone else nearby, see if they can identify him, but don’t approach him.”
    Janna nodded. “What about the cold murder case you’ve been checking—any luck?”
    “It’s strange.” Michael’s brow furrowed. “This is a small town, a sparsely populated county. Missing persons and suspicions of murder should stir up a lot of speculation, yet I haven’t found a single pertinent article in the local newspaper archives. Nothing in the files at the sheriff’s office that fits the bill, either.”
    Janna sighed. “So that’s it, then?”
    “We might not have that DCI report for many months. Back ten, twenty years ago, few small jurisdictions were computerized, and the most rural ones might never get all of their old records logged in.” He rubbed his jaw. “So the DCI doesn’t have records of every last missing person—and might not be able to identify the remains found on your property.”
    “But…”
    “I still have a hunch we’re going to find something. Why else would someone be digging on your property? I went out early this morning and took another look. It’s clear that someone tried to camouflage their handiwork—and that it wasn’t done long ago, either. The needles on those pine branches were still soft.”
    “Probably that guy I saw slipping through the trees with a flashlight.” Janna took a shaky breath. “And in the meantime, you and I both have children at the lodge and cabins—less than a hundred yards away.”
    “I’m going to alternate with one of my officers for the next week or so and maintain surveillance of that area. In the meantime I want Ian and Rylie staying close to home.”
    “Agreed,” Janna said fervently.
    It was a good plan. Far more than she would’ve expected, given the situation and the limited manpower in the sheriff’s department.
    But surveillance couldn’t last forever. The stranger might stay clear until he knew no one was watching…and he might have all the time in the world to wait.
    So how was she going to keep her family and guests safe?

NINE
    “S urely you don’t want to spend your