“Head’s gone.”
One glance over his shoulder and she wished she hadn’t looked. He’d cleared the debris the cougar had raked over the kill to lay claim, and though the cat had clearly feasted on the carcass, it was obvious the animal’s head had been cut off. Her stomach churned, and she returned her attention to the forest as Joel began taking pictures.
“Judging by the smell, it’s at least a couple days old. The cat eating on it may have sped up the rate of decomp, so it’s hard to know for sure.”
“So, the tracks on the trail were probably the poacher’s. He knows about the meadow.”
Joel didn’t confirm or deny. A minute later, he finished with the photos and rose to his full height. “This is going to have to do. Let’s get out of here.”
She happily followed him back to the overnight camp, then found herself constantly looking over her shoulder as they completed the work necessary to get the site ready for ranch guests. She wasn’t sure if she expected to see the cougar or the poacher, but both were equally unnerving.
By early afternoon, they were able to pack up the horses and head back to Highlands. During the ride, she kept seeing the bloody, headless sheep in her mind. Her usual pristine Rocky Mountains had received an ugly stain, and she really hoped Joel caught the sonofabitch soon.
And then he’ll move on.
The dismay that accompanied the thought confirmed she’d better tread carefully.
They reached the trailhead near sunset, and she pulled her horse to a stop when Joel rode past his truck and trailer. “I’ll be fine from here, it’s only about three miles to the ranch.”
“I need the photos off your camera, and I want to talk to Mark.”
“Mark won’t be there, so just take my SD card with you. I can stop by the station to pick it up tomorrow when I’m in town.” The less time in his company, the better.
“Is Fuller working today?”
“Yeah, but he’s probably gone by now. If it’s about the investigation, you can tell me and I can—”
“No and no. Let’s go.”
She clamped her mouth shut and urged Paelo into a trot until they reached the barn. It was dark by then, just after eight-thirty, and she was surprised to see light spilling from the office window. Casey stepped out into the barn aisle as she led her stallion to a stall.
“Hey, Sunshine, everything go okay?” His voice was casual, but with his pointed glance outside where Joel was tying his horse to the hitching rail, Britt understood what he didn’t ask out loud. Understood and avoided.
“The trail’s all clear,” she said. “What are you still doing here?”
“Waiting for you.”
She jerked her chin toward the door behind him. “Well, good thing, because Joel needs to talk to you.”
Joel had entered the barn and Casey gave a dismissive wave toward the office. “I’ll be right there.”
When he turned back to her, Britt set
her camera bag outside the stall before pulling the saddle from Paelo’s back.
“Anything worth shooting up there?”
Really? She shoved the saddle into his arms, eyebrows raised as she jerked her own pointed glance toward the open office door Joel had just passed through. He would read so much more into that specifically worded question than Casey could imagine.
His answering shrug said he knew and didn’t care.
Bet he’d care if he knew what they’d found.
He held out his hand for the bridle and she passed it over. To get rid of the disturbing image of the bighorn sheep, she told Casey, “We saw a cougar.”
His brown eyes went wide. “No way.”
“Yes.”