Colton's Lethal Reunion (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

“No internal bleeding, not even any brain swelling,” she said as soon as he pushed through the curtain. She stood, reaching for the gun that the chief had taken from her holster when he’d visited her earlier, and then, not finding it, frowned. “Can you just drop me at the station?” she asked. “I need to get my Jeep and my gun.”

He planned to follow her home, too. To make sure she didn’t have any problems driving, not that he told her so.

“I was thinking, maybe since we’re here, we could ask around for some long-term employees, see if anyone remembers the fire from forty years ago, or knows who was working in maternity back then. Or knows someone who would know. If we can’t find Payne’s shooter in one way, we’ll go about it another.”

&nbs

p; He stopped at the end of the bed. “You know that the email couldn’t be traced?”

“Ainsley left a message late this morning,” she said. As Colton Oil’s attorney, Ainsley’s choice made sense. Rafe just didn’t like not being the one who gave Kerry Colton news.

He’d been sitting at that table. Had voted on the motion.

“I actually would like to question employees,” he said, “but I think we should wait until tomorrow.” When she looked ready to argue he glanced at her clothes. Her hair. And down at himself. “I think we’d get a better response after a shower and some rest.”

For once, she didn’t argue with him.

Or have a better idea.

* * *

“Detective! Detective Wilder!”

Kerry was just getting into her car at the station after a brief talk with the chief and Dane—assuring them both she was fine and would be at her desk in the morning, and retrieving the gun and cell phone the chief had taken into safe custody when he’d seen her at the hospital—when someone called her name from behind. Called it loudly. Demandingly.

Turning she noticed three things at once. Rafe’s truck was still where he’d parked it when he dropped her off. He was getting out of it and approaching her. And from a slightly different direction, so was Ace Colton.

“Mr. Colton,” she addressed Ace, ignoring Rafe’s presence for the moment, not sure whose side he was on for this conversation. Thinking he might have told Ace where to find her. “What can I do for you?”

“What can you do for me?” The forty-year-old intimidating man asked. Tall and leanly muscled, Ace had a reputation for being somewhat ruthless. Kerry wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Even after the day she’d had.

“That’s what I asked,” she said. “Did you need something?”

“Yeah, I need something.” The man, in a suit coat and tie, glanced at Rafe, almost as though just noticing he was there, and then back at Kerry. “You can tell me what’s going on with my father’s case. Three nights ago you haul me away from my family, while we’re all still in shock, you make me call my lawyer away from his family, ask me a bunch of questions, tell me not to leave town, and then...nothing.”

“When I have something to tell you, or need anything from you, I’ll let you know,” she said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Still not allowing herself to look at Rafe, she faced the ousted CEO with complete calm. Ace Colton had never been a threat to her. Only his father had been. Or rather, his supposed father. Truth be known, she kind of felt for the guy. Thinking he was one thing all his life, an elevated, important and very rich something, only to find that he might be as low as Kerry—the hired help.

She felt the sting of that distinction very clearly.

Could definitely relate.

“Can you at least tell me if I’m a suspect?” he asked. “I’d like to be free to head to Tucson if I choose to do so.”

While Ace had been removed from the Colton board, she assumed he was still working at the company. It wasn’t like all he did all day was sign CEO papers. But she could be wrong about that.

“At this time I can tell you that the investigation is ongoing and you’ve been advised not to leave town.”

“You’re wasting Mustang Valley Police Department time. You realize that, I hope.”

She wasn’t going to let him see that his insulting tone, more than his words, stung. Especially with Rafe standing right there, in between them, but closer to Ace than to her.

“You have no idea how I’m spending my time,” she blurted, and then hated that she’d done so. That she’d let him get to her. And wouldn’t the high-and-mighty Ace Colton like to know just what she’d been doing with her time the night before. All night long.

Of course, he might already know. News tended to travel fast in Mustang Valley. But from what she’d understood, news of the townspeople didn’t often reach the elegant offices of Colton Oil. Their interests were outside Mustang Valley.

But even if the Coltons had heard that Rafe spent the night at her house, she had said that he’d slept on the couch. She was pretty sure even the chief believed that one.