The man didn’t look Hispanic. He was tall and lanky with broad shoulders and blue eyes. The moment he’d climbed out of his car he’d had her thinking of Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke.
Now as she met his penetrating gaze, she thought again of the sheriff in the old TV series. Matt Dillon had been one smart man, and she had a hunch that Shay Alvarez was, too. As the silence stretched between them, Jordan finally felt compelled to say something. Anything. “Do you know who the driver of the van is?”
“Not yet. He wasn’t carrying any ID. Most professionals don’t. But we may be able to trace him through his fingerprints.”
“Do you think this incident might be related to the destruction of my studio?” Jordan asked.
In her peripheral vision, she could see Cash striding toward them. Relief surged through her. But it was short-lived.
“Perhaps. I might have a better idea about that if you’d tell me who you really are and why you’re pretending to be Maddie Farrell?”
Cash reached them in time to hear the end of Shay Alvarez’s question. With a grin he slapped the detective on the shoulder. “I was wondering if you’d figure it out.”
“Were you going to tell me if I didn’t?”
Cash shrugged. “Maybe.”
Shay shook his head. “Knowing her identity is pretty crucial if you expect me to find out why the man in the van tried to kill her.”
Cash’s expression sobered. “I think he was trying to kill Maddie.”
“Perhaps.”
“When did you figure out she wasn’t Maddie?”
Only then did Alvarez send him an answering smile. “It took me a bit. But she didn’t seem to remember that I came out to the ranch when Brutus’s hay was doctored.”
Annoyance surged through Jordan. “Hey. I’m here and I don’t appreciate being talked about as if I’m not.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The detective turned his charming smile on her and extended his hand. “I’m Shay Alvarez.”
Jordan took the hand. “I’m Jordan Ware, Maddie’s twin sister.”
Shay’s expression sobered. “Twins. That would explain the fact that you’re a dead ringer for her. But why the impersonation?” He glanced at Cash again. “Or was that just a little joke on me?”
Cash shook his head. “Always so suspicious.”
“The two of you have known each other for some time, I take it?” Jordan asked.
“Since high school,” Shay said. “I didn’t know Maddie had a twin.”
“Neither did Maddie until a few days ago. Neither did I.” Jordan explained her situation as concisely as she could.
“And I decided to pretend to be Maddie while I’m here because I want her jewelry show to be a success. I’m not sure her potential buyers would be as impressed if they discovered she’d skipped out on the show and they were left to do business with her twin.”
“In that case, I won’t rat you out,” Shay promised. “But who else knows about the switch?”
“Only my mother’s attorney, family members and the employees at Eva Ware Designs. Why?”
“Last night or this morning, Maddie’s studio was broken into and destroyed. This morning you’re nearly driven off the road. Clearly, the vandalism plaguing Maddie and her ranch has increased since you arrived in Santa Fe,” Shay said. “And if someone is determined to break the will, getting rid of either you or your sister would work.”
Jordan swallowed hard. “You think someone wants to kill Maddie or me because of my mother’s will?”
He jerked his head in the direction of the wrecked van. “It’s not the only explanation, but it does leap to mind. Money’s always a powerful motivator.”
“Jordan just found out this morning that her mother’s hit-and-run death is being investigated as a possible homicide,” Cash said.
Shay let out a low whistle. “You think there’s a connection between that and this.”
It wasn’t a question, Jordan noted.
“I’m not a fan of coincidence, but as you say, it’s not the only possibility,” Cash said. “What do you know about Daniel Pearson?”
Shay’s eyebrows shot up. “The real estate broker and wannabe mogul?”
Cash nodded.
“Mostly what I read in the society pages. He’s well-connected socially, serves on a couple of museum and gallery boards, and he’s using those connections to establish a thriving real estate business. Why?”
“Because for the last six months he’s been pressuring Maddie to sell the ranch.”
Shay thought for a minute. “I’ve met him a few times. He appears at all the events my mother bugs me to attend.”
While Shay went on to describe Pearson as a social climber who thought he had a great deal of charm with the ladies, Jordan studied the two men standing in front of her.
Physically, they were similar. Both were tall and dark haired. Shay was a smoother dresser. His khaki slacks were neatly pressed. Cash’s jeans were well-worn and fit like a second skin. Both radiated competence. In addition, the cowboy and the cop talked with the ease of old friends, their minds in tune, their respect for each other’s ideas clear.
“You think Pearson is involved in this?” Shay asked.
“I think it’s possible.” Cash glanced up the road to the skid marks. “He could have hired the guy in the van. The same guy could have destroyed Maddie’s studio last night and then waited around for us to go into Santa Fe. It was a good bet that she’d drive in today because of the big jewelry show tomorrow. And once Maddie’s out of the picture, it’s a pretty sure thing that the ranch will go on the market.”
“Could be,” Shay said. “But if he’s been pressuring Maddie for six months, why all the urgency?”
“Perhaps he’s under pressure, too,” Jordan said. If Pearson is so anxious to list the ranch, he must have a buyer on the line.”
Shay and Cash both turned to her.
“You’ve got a point,” Shay agreed. “It’s not enough for me to question Pearson. However, I could make some inquiries about who his buyer might be. My mother is on a couple of boards with Pearson’s broker.”
Cash smiled at him. “You do that.”
“I assume you’ll be sticking close to Ms. Ware.”
Before Cash could reply, Jordan said, “I’m Maddie, remember?”
“Point taken.” He took a step closer to her. “Cash won’t tell you, but you were lucky to have him behind the wheel today. He knows every inch of this road.”
“I know.”
When a uniformed officer approached, Shay said, “Duty calls,” and strode over to talk to the young man.
“You’ll get back to us?” Cash called after him.
“Soon as I have something.”
Turning, Cash took Jordan’s hand. “Do you want to call it a day and go back to the ranch?”
She shook her head. “I want to go to Santa Fe. I came here to walk around in my sister’s shoes, and I gave my word to Maddie that the jewelry show would go off without a hitch. I’m not letting anyone prevent me from doing either of those things.”
He gripped her chin and brushed his mouth over hers. “I like your style, Jordan Ware.”
7
CASH HANDED JORDAN a frozen cinnamon latte and set his coffee down on the table before he took the seat across from her.
She glanced up. “Thanks.” Then she shifted her attention back to the notes Maddie had given her. It had been her idea to stop at the small restaurant across the street from the hotel where the jewelry show was scheduled to open on the following morning. She’d wanted a chance to prep herself in case she ran into anyone she should recognize.He reached over to lay a hand on one of hers. “You’ll do fine.”
“I hope so.” She linked her fingers with his. “There are a lot of people I’m going to have to keep straight. Some of them Maddie only sees at shows, but there are others she runs into more frequently.”
“I might be able to help with some of them.”
“Do you know Joe Manuelo?”
He thought for a moment. “We’ve never met, but I believe he’s the man who cuts a lot of Maddie’s stones.”
“Yes. Maddie says he often visits the shows to see the end products of his work.”
As she shifted her attention back to the notes, he studied their clasped hands. Hers was slender, delicate almost, a stark contrast to the woman he was coming to know. And he’d nearly lost his chance to know her better.
As Cash sipped his coffee, he glanced around the small outside patio. He’d taken less than three minutes to fetch their drinks, yet as he’d watched her sitting in the shade of a potted tree with the sunlight dappling over her, nerves had knotted tightly in his stomach. They’d had a close call.
And it didn’t help that she was masquerading as Maddie. While he’d been waiting on their drinks, he’d considered pressing her to let him go forward with his idea of announcing their engagement. But there were problems with that plan. He was no longer sure it would be enough to protect her, and, more importantly, he no longer wanted to become engaged to Maddie. That was something he’d have to think about later.