There was a long pause on the other line, and then Trace exhaled with a long and resigned sigh. “I can’t come right away. I have another case that just popped up while I was on this last tracking job. It’s high profile and I can’t walk away from it. I’ll come home as soon as I can.”
Relief flooded Miranda and she almost cried. “Thank you, Trace.” Her brother didn’t make false promises. If he said he was coming—he would. She would just have to tread water until he came. “Be careful out there.”
“Always.” He paused. “Sis...I’m sorry I haven’t been much help lately. I’ve been dealing with some stuff and work has been crazy busy.”
“I know,” she said, cutting him some slack. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Ditto, kid. Take it easy until I see you, okay?”
She smiled. “Okay.”
The line went dead and Miranda held the cell to her chest, so relieved that her brother was finally coming. He might not have any more luck than she’d had but at least he’d see for himself what she’d been up against with their parents. The knowledge that she wouldn’t have to face the situation alone any longer made her want to sob with gratitude. She hadn’t realized how much the weight of the responsibility had been suffocating her until recently.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Thank you,” she whispered. If this were her one grace...she’d take it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
MIRANDA FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS to Vivid Adventures and surveyed the surroundings. The business was located in an isolated area with a simple sign tacked into the ground advertising the location. She supposed she could look at their sparse presence in two ways: either the business was still too young to have a permanent footprint or they planned to be transient and didn’t care to put down roots. She hated to be so quick to judge, but Rhett had planted the seed of suspicion in her mind that was hard to shake.
Against Jeremiah’s advice, Miranda had chosen to come alone. Mary or Todd would’ve been her natural choice, but Mary hated fieldwork, and being as Todd was constantly on the prowl as a single guy, if Vee Walker was anything but a troll Todd wouldn’t be much help.
Miranda quickly grabbed her cell and snapped a few photos of the area. Before she had a chance to take too many pictures, an older attractive woman greeted her with a hard smile. “You must be Miranda Sinclair with Fish and Game. What do I owe this pleasure?”
Miranda didn’t like that Vee already knew who she was. “You have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am but we’ve never actually been introduced. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”
“Vee Walker, owner of Vivid Adventures.”
Miranda returned the smile. “Very nice to meet you. I’d like to speak with you about your operation. You’re new around here and Fish and Game likes to have an open communication with all the big-game operations.”
“Well, how sweet is that. Why don’t you come inside so we can chat.” Vee didn’t wait for Miranda and simply walked into the building, knowing Miranda would follow. Already Miranda didn’t like her, but just because she had a terrible personality didn’t mean that she was a poacher.
Vee led her into a small sitting room or lobby and gestured for Miranda to take a seat. “Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?”
Miranda shook her head. “No, thank you,” she said, getting right to the point of her visit. “I’m not sure if you’re aware but we’ve had some poaching problems here in the past. I’ve pulled your permits and you have a fair amount of volume considering how new you are, but I have to wonder how you’re able to keep your prices so low and still make a profit?”
Vee laughed. “Would you like a course in business management? Or are you asking if I supplement my income with poaching? I must say where I come from the welcoming committee is less accusatory.”
“I apologize if these questions seem a little impertinent. But poaching is a serious issue and there have been some leads that suggest whoever is doing it might be doing it under the guise of legitimate business.”
“Imagine that. How clever.” Vee shrugged. “I’m afraid I’m a fan of doing things the old-fashioned way. No shortcuts here. You can rest assured I am not engaging in any of that dirty poaching business. Out of curiosity, who tossed my name into the mix? Let me guess—Rhett Fowler?”
Vee’s lip curled with scorn and Miranda suffered an unpleasant twinge. “Why do you say that?” she asked, trying to appear nonplussed. “You’re new here. Any of the established outfits could’ve thrown your name in.”