in behind her. Where was Castaña? What had she thought when she returned and found him missing? Had she brought Staton with her? Jake hated the other agent’s involvement. It was bad enough Staton knew what had happened last time. He didn’t need the man’s cynicism now. Jake couldn’t afford another screw up if he wanted to stay with the FBI.
He had to bring Martin in. He had to solve this murder.
There was no room for his feelings for Castaña.
There wasn’t any other choice if he wanted to salvage his career.
At the rim of the canyon, Heather and Lacey pointed Jake in the right direction and vanished before he could properly thank them. He found his way down the trail and back to the canyon without any trouble. The cabin was dark and empty. Where was Castaña? The horses were gone, but the food and sleeping bags looked exactly the same. Was she on the trail of Martin? Or had she fallen into some other trouble?
Jake didn’t know what else to do but wait for morning. Even if he knew which way she’d gone, he didn’t think he’d make it back to the edge of the canyon without collapsing. He made a fire, opened a can of soup and boiled water for coffee. Digging around in the supplies, he found a bottle of Tylenol and swallowed three in a single, dry gulp.
He added coffee grounds to the water and lifted the soup and coffee off the flames. He found crackers and cheese then settled at the table to eat. Reminding himself to go slow because a couple of granola bars were all he’d had since last night, he savored his simple meal.
With a full belly and the Tylenol starting to take effect, he was beginning to feel human again. A long soak in a hot tub and a massage would really do the trick, but since neither of those things was available he’d have to settle for what he could get. A leggy brunette came to mind. Castaña. Somehow, Jake didn’t think she’d be offering him a massage any time soon. He wouldn’t turn her down if she did, though. No point giving himself an ache for something that was never going to happen.
He decided to check the body.
Limping down the canyon, he circled the flashlight’s beam over the spot where he left the body. He wasn’t surprised to find it gone. Castaña had obviously brought back help. Although several people had milled around and destroyed whatever evidence might have been there, Jake knelt and examined the ground. As expected, he didn’t find anything on the churned up earth. Why had the dead guy stood in front of a herd of galloping horses and tried to turn them? Or had he just been in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Frustrated by the lack of answers, Jake stood and headed back toward the cabin.
• • •
By mid-morning, Jake was walking across Castaña’s barnyard.
His body couldn’t take much more abuse. Nothing moved as he crossed the sandy stretch between the barn and the house. He stepped up on the porch and knocked on the front door. He hesitated when no one answered. Walking into someone’s house uninvited wasn’t his usual style.
As he waited, he replayed the last two days.
Beat up, rescued by Castaña, walked half the night through the forest, met up with two tree-hugging blondes —
Of course. He’d been so exhausted when he’d been with Heather and Lacey otherwise he would’ve seen it immediately. The resemblance between the two blondes in the forest and Briar Rose was striking. The three girls looked as if they could be related.
If they were kin to Briar Rose, they would have to know Martin as the father of her baby. But he had asked them if they knew Martin, even described him, and they had declared they didn’t know the man. Why would they lie? He’d have to go back and question them again.
Briar Rose appeared from the side of the house carrying a basket of strawberries. When she saw him, she stumbled to a stop. “Oh, hi.”
“Good morning.”
She darted a glance by him. “Did you find Martin?”
“Not yet.”
“Come in,”
He had to bring Martin in. He had to solve this murder.
There was no room for his feelings for Castaña.
There wasn’t any other choice if he wanted to salvage his career.
At the rim of the canyon, Heather and Lacey pointed Jake in the right direction and vanished before he could properly thank them. He found his way down the trail and back to the canyon without any trouble. The cabin was dark and empty. Where was Castaña? The horses were gone, but the food and sleeping bags looked exactly the same. Was she on the trail of Martin? Or had she fallen into some other trouble?
Jake didn’t know what else to do but wait for morning. Even if he knew which way she’d gone, he didn’t think he’d make it back to the edge of the canyon without collapsing. He made a fire, opened a can of soup and boiled water for coffee. Digging around in the supplies, he found a bottle of Tylenol and swallowed three in a single, dry gulp.
He added coffee grounds to the water and lifted the soup and coffee off the flames. He found crackers and cheese then settled at the table to eat. Reminding himself to go slow because a couple of granola bars were all he’d had since last night, he savored his simple meal.
With a full belly and the Tylenol starting to take effect, he was beginning to feel human again. A long soak in a hot tub and a massage would really do the trick, but since neither of those things was available he’d have to settle for what he could get. A leggy brunette came to mind. Castaña. Somehow, Jake didn’t think she’d be offering him a massage any time soon. He wouldn’t turn her down if she did, though. No point giving himself an ache for something that was never going to happen.
He decided to check the body.
Limping down the canyon, he circled the flashlight’s beam over the spot where he left the body. He wasn’t surprised to find it gone. Castaña had obviously brought back help. Although several people had milled around and destroyed whatever evidence might have been there, Jake knelt and examined the ground. As expected, he didn’t find anything on the churned up earth. Why had the dead guy stood in front of a herd of galloping horses and tried to turn them? Or had he just been in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Frustrated by the lack of answers, Jake stood and headed back toward the cabin.
• • •
By mid-morning, Jake was walking across Castaña’s barnyard.
His body couldn’t take much more abuse. Nothing moved as he crossed the sandy stretch between the barn and the house. He stepped up on the porch and knocked on the front door. He hesitated when no one answered. Walking into someone’s house uninvited wasn’t his usual style.
As he waited, he replayed the last two days.
Beat up, rescued by Castaña, walked half the night through the forest, met up with two tree-hugging blondes —
Of course. He’d been so exhausted when he’d been with Heather and Lacey otherwise he would’ve seen it immediately. The resemblance between the two blondes in the forest and Briar Rose was striking. The three girls looked as if they could be related.
If they were kin to Briar Rose, they would have to know Martin as the father of her baby. But he had asked them if they knew Martin, even described him, and they had declared they didn’t know the man. Why would they lie? He’d have to go back and question them again.
Briar Rose appeared from the side of the house carrying a basket of strawberries. When she saw him, she stumbled to a stop. “Oh, hi.”
“Good morning.”
She darted a glance by him. “Did you find Martin?”
“Not yet.”
“Come in,”
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