Erin felt a wave of nausea. She knew where this interrogation was leading, but all she could do was tell the truth. “He took his gear and left,” she said. “When I came back to the house, he was gone. He left a note with Carmen for my father. It’s right there, on the desk.”
Harger unfolded the yellow note paper. “It’s just his hours and where to send the check—some kind of facility in Oklahoma. So far, at least, it doesn’t make sense that he’d plan to kill a man who owed him money.”
“Of course it doesn’t. Luke had no reason to shoot my father.”
“But what about you as the reason? Pretty young girl, in line to inherit a ranch, and her father standing in his way. That strikes me as reason enough.”
Erin’s heart plunged. Knowing the sheriff would want to see it, she pulled the other note out of her shirt pocket. “He left this for me, in the duplex where he was staying.”
Harger studied the note, saying nothing.
“See?” Erin’s desperation was rising to panic. There was no way Luke would have murdered her father. But the sheriff clearly thought otherwise. “Read the note again,” she pleaded. “He was saying good-bye. He never meant to come back here.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” The sheriff took two plastic bags out of his vest pocket and bagged each note as evidence. “Right now, there’s only one thing I can tell you for sure. I need to find Mr. Maddox and ask him some serious questions. If I don’t like the answers, he’s going to find himself facing a charge of premeditated murder.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE TV NEWS CREW ARRIVED IN THEIR VAN, SWARMING OVER THE yard, cornering the cowboys and the sheriff for interviews, and ringing the front doorbell again and again. Rose volunteered to go out and fend them off. Fierce as a miniature Rottweiler, she ordered the crew off the porch, informing them that there would be a statement later, and meanwhile they were to respect the family’s privacy.
Erin watched the nightmare from the office window, peering like a fugitive between the closed slats of the venetian blinds. The reality of Will’s death was just beginning to sink in. Never again would he walk in through the front door. Never again would she sit across from him at breakfast, sharing plans for the day ahead. The hundreds of things he did—the hiring and firing, the financial decisions, the supervision of the men, the marketing of the cattle and so much more—all would fall to her. But the avalanche of responsibility was nothing compared to her grief. She had loved her father. He had been her refuge, her rock. To lose him was unthinkable.
Don’t cry. You won’t be able to stop.
Through the blinds, she could see the sheriff talking to a reporter on camera. Was he mentioning Luke—putting out the word that he’d quarreled with Will and left the ranch? Had he already put out an APB on Luke’s rig?
Luke was an innocent victim of circumstance. Erin knew that. But the sheriff had zeroed in on the perfect suspect and showed no signs of backing off—while the real killer, whoever he or s
he might be, was getting away with murder.
The jangle of Erin’s cell phone broke into her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID. It was Kyle. Her first impulse was to ignore the call. But sooner or later, she’d have to talk to him. It might as well be now.
“Hi, Erin. Did you get my flowers?” His voice was cheerful. Clearly he hadn’t heard the news.
“Yes. Thank you. They’re lovely.”
“You sound a little off. Is everything all right?” he asked.
“No. My father is dead. He was murdered this morning.” For Erin, saying the words drove the reality deeper, like a hammer pounding in a nail.
“What?” Kyle gasped. “Did you just say what I thought you said?”
“He was shot, ambushed, at the turnoff to the lane. That’s all I was told.”
Kyle was silent as the news sank in. Then he spoke. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe it. Not Will. I can imagine what you’re going through. Don’t worry, Erin, I’m here for you. I’ll be right over.”
“No!” The last thing she needed was Kyle fussing over her, most likely pushing his own agenda. “The sheriff’s here. The press is here. Beau will be coming, and I’m still trying to reach Sky. I can’t deal with you right now, Kyle. I can’t deal with us.”
“All right. But you’re going to need a man in the time ahead. I want you to know I’ll be there for you.”
“I can’t talk now, Kyle. I have to go.”
Erin ended the call before he could say anything else. She couldn’t think about Kyle now. She was still in shock from her father’s death. And she had too many questions on her mind, such as who might have hated Will enough to set up an ambush, lie in wait, and shoot him when he stepped out of his truck. The person who’d done it was still out there, free and unsuspected; but she couldn’t count on Sheriff Harger to find the real murderer. Not when he’d already pinned the blame on Luke.
Finding the truth, and clearing Luke of almost certain charges, would be up to her. She would make it her job to find answers, starting with the mysterious, long-haired prowler who could still be haunting the ranch.
* * *
From Marie’s vantage point in the escarpment, the buildings and vehicles looked like miniature toys, the humans like insects. But even without the cheap, cracked binoculars she’d stolen from a thrift store, she could tell that something big was going on at the Rimrock.