find you soon. If ever.”
Her eyes widened. “Please tell me why.”
He looked over his shoulder at the car. “Do you want to let her know who it is, sweetheart?”
A heartbeat later, the rear door of the car opened and a woman stepped out.
“Phoebe.” The woman’s name almost stuck in Jessie’s throat.
“You little bitch. I told you that you would pay.” With a glare, Phoebe started walking toward Jessie. Rain pasted Phoebe’s blonde hair to her head. “You screwed everything up. Now we have to fix things.”
Phoebe didn’t have to tell her what she meant.
Zane. She wanted Zane back and she thought killing Jessie would make him go to her.
“Now Ed is going to have to take care of you.” Phoebe stopped beside the man she called Ed. “Zane will come back to me when they find your body. I’ll be there to comfort him.”
The man looked at Jessie again and smiled. “Once Phoebe marries him, he’ll eventually die. He might even get bitten by a rattlesnake that somehow gets into the house.”
Zane. Not Zane.
“And then the ranch will be mine,” Phoebe said with a devious smile.
It came to Jessie then. “That’s what happened to the other rancher you married.”
“You’re pretty smart,” Phoebe laughed. “For a soon to be dead woman.”
“You’re Phoebe’s boyfriend.” She straightened as a thought came to her. Maybe this would work. “I took pictures of the two of you the day I came over to photograph Phoebe’s home. You were on your back patio.”
Phoebe’s features froze but Ed’s expression didn’t change.
“So?” he said. “What difference would that make?”
“They’ll suspect you.” She hoped Phoebe and Ed would get scared enough to not kill her. “The cops will be all over it.”
Phoebe looked at Ed, her eyes wide. “Do you think they will?”
He shook his head. “She’s lying.”
“But she saw us.” Phoebe’s features started to redden as anger replaced her shock and fear. “Did you show the pictures to Zane?”
“Of course and I told him of your threats.” She was praying that they would believe her. “Why else would Zane break up with you?”
The fury in Phoebe’s eyes told her that her plan had just backfired. “We can’t make any mistakes here then. Kill her, Ed. If they find her body, they’ll never suspect me. As far as the pictures, I can tell Zane I had a friend visit and that was just a hug and light kiss.”
Jessie’s stomach clenched. “It sure looks like more in the pictures.”
“Shut up,” Phoebe snapped.
Ed started walking toward Jessie and she took a step back and then another. “With all she is saying we better use plan B that I mentioned. I saw an old place when I was exploring that is an accident waiting to happen.”
Jessie wanted to push her rain-soaked hair out of her face but she didn’t dare. She had to think of some way out of this. So far all she’d managed to do was make Phoebe even angrier.
“How did you find me?” Jessie asked, then the answer came to her. “You were behind me when I was talking to the station attendant.”
“We had to wait until you were far enough off that no one would see us take care of you,” Ed said. “Or we would have met up with you sooner.”
“They’ll see your tire tracks in the mud.” Jessie gestured to the car. “And your footprints.”
“Ed will be leaving town for a while and he’ll get another car,” Phoebe said.
“Besides,” Ed said. “It is supposed to rain hard. That will help to wash away the tracks.”
The situation seemed more hopeless than ever. Jessie swallowed past the ball lodged in her throat. But she wouldn’t give up. She’d think of something.
“Now get in.” He gestured with the gun toward the black sports car.
She walked toward the car, feeling as if the world was falling down on her.
When they reached the vehicle, he kept the gun on her as she scooted in the back seat. Phoebe slid into the front passenger seat and Ed handed
Her eyes widened. “Please tell me why.”
He looked over his shoulder at the car. “Do you want to let her know who it is, sweetheart?”
A heartbeat later, the rear door of the car opened and a woman stepped out.
“Phoebe.” The woman’s name almost stuck in Jessie’s throat.
“You little bitch. I told you that you would pay.” With a glare, Phoebe started walking toward Jessie. Rain pasted Phoebe’s blonde hair to her head. “You screwed everything up. Now we have to fix things.”
Phoebe didn’t have to tell her what she meant.
Zane. She wanted Zane back and she thought killing Jessie would make him go to her.
“Now Ed is going to have to take care of you.” Phoebe stopped beside the man she called Ed. “Zane will come back to me when they find your body. I’ll be there to comfort him.”
The man looked at Jessie again and smiled. “Once Phoebe marries him, he’ll eventually die. He might even get bitten by a rattlesnake that somehow gets into the house.”
Zane. Not Zane.
“And then the ranch will be mine,” Phoebe said with a devious smile.
It came to Jessie then. “That’s what happened to the other rancher you married.”
“You’re pretty smart,” Phoebe laughed. “For a soon to be dead woman.”
“You’re Phoebe’s boyfriend.” She straightened as a thought came to her. Maybe this would work. “I took pictures of the two of you the day I came over to photograph Phoebe’s home. You were on your back patio.”
Phoebe’s features froze but Ed’s expression didn’t change.
“So?” he said. “What difference would that make?”
“They’ll suspect you.” She hoped Phoebe and Ed would get scared enough to not kill her. “The cops will be all over it.”
Phoebe looked at Ed, her eyes wide. “Do you think they will?”
He shook his head. “She’s lying.”
“But she saw us.” Phoebe’s features started to redden as anger replaced her shock and fear. “Did you show the pictures to Zane?”
“Of course and I told him of your threats.” She was praying that they would believe her. “Why else would Zane break up with you?”
The fury in Phoebe’s eyes told her that her plan had just backfired. “We can’t make any mistakes here then. Kill her, Ed. If they find her body, they’ll never suspect me. As far as the pictures, I can tell Zane I had a friend visit and that was just a hug and light kiss.”
Jessie’s stomach clenched. “It sure looks like more in the pictures.”
“Shut up,” Phoebe snapped.
Ed started walking toward Jessie and she took a step back and then another. “With all she is saying we better use plan B that I mentioned. I saw an old place when I was exploring that is an accident waiting to happen.”
Jessie wanted to push her rain-soaked hair out of her face but she didn’t dare. She had to think of some way out of this. So far all she’d managed to do was make Phoebe even angrier.
“How did you find me?” Jessie asked, then the answer came to her. “You were behind me when I was talking to the station attendant.”
“We had to wait until you were far enough off that no one would see us take care of you,” Ed said. “Or we would have met up with you sooner.”
“They’ll see your tire tracks in the mud.” Jessie gestured to the car. “And your footprints.”
“Ed will be leaving town for a while and he’ll get another car,” Phoebe said.
“Besides,” Ed said. “It is supposed to rain hard. That will help to wash away the tracks.”
The situation seemed more hopeless than ever. Jessie swallowed past the ball lodged in her throat. But she wouldn’t give up. She’d think of something.
“Now get in.” He gestured with the gun toward the black sports car.
She walked toward the car, feeling as if the world was falling down on her.
When they reached the vehicle, he kept the gun on her as she scooted in the back seat. Phoebe slid into the front passenger seat and Ed handed
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