Chapter 9
9
A ustin leaned against the railing, sipping his coffee and watching the sunrise. He hadn’t slept well, which bothered him because he should have, considering how the evening ended. Being with Cinnamon again had been beyond his wildest dreams. It was as if they’d picked up where they left off. They’d been so young. He had been only twenty-one and she nineteen. They’d both suffered great tragedy in their lives. She handled hers well, but Austin had gone to a dark place and he’d lost the woman he loved.
He had only himself to blame for the last fifteen years.
Well, and Pete.
Last night should have marked a new beginning. A fresh start. Their love was even deeper than before, yet this black cloud hung over his head, waiting to be unleashed. There had been only two other times that Agent Belmont showed up without a story popping up in the news. The first time there had been an anonymous tip that someone had seen Austin dumping what looked like it could have been a body. There was absolutely no truth to it and after Belmont investigated, it turned out to be nothing. According to Belmont, that piece of information was going to be kept from the press and for about a month, there was no talk of it. But someone leaked it and Belmont had to comment.
It made Austin look as though he’d done something to Charity because of the close proximity to the ranch, but no body had ever been found. However, people still talked.
Which didn’t help Austin in the court of public opinion.
The second time was when some random woman came forward, stating she saw Austin driving Charity’s vehicle near the same location. That was damning because this woman was adamant and had a clear description. But there was not enough evidence to bring Austin up on charges.
Yet.
His cell buzzed. He glanced at the screen.
Tom.
In the last few months, they’d become friendly.
“Hey, Tom, what’s up?”
“Have you gotten a visit from Belmont?”
“I’m expecting him this morning, why?” Austin asked.
“I know we don’t always see eye to eye on things, but I have a bad feeling about this.”
“I take it you’ve spoken to Belmont.”
“He paid me a visit last night and asked me all sorts of questions like if I knew about any connections Charity might have had with a Pete and Cinnamon Thompson.”
“What the fuck?” Austin dropped the phone. He bent over and picked up, hitting the speaker button and planting his butt on the steps. “Are you shitting me?”
“Nope. He asked me if Charity could have been speaking with either of them.”
“That’s fucked up.” Austin swallowed. “But is it possible she could have known Pete?”
“When I look back on the last few months of the affair, I wonder why she moved there with you. I begged her not to. Please don’t take this the wrong way and I don’t say it to hurt you.”
“We’re past all that, Tom.”
“Okay. Okay. She kept complaining to me about how much she didn’t love you and hated the idea of living there. Once she got to the ranch, it was even worse. I didn’t understand why she did it if she wanted to be with me. She kept saying she owed it to you and I thought, not if she didn’t love you. So, if this Pete guy wanted to take you down for some reason, and she knew it, anything is possible.”
“Holy shit.” Austin jumped to his feet and raced into the house. “Cinnamon, I need your cell.”
“Cinnamon’s there?” Tom asked.
“Yeah. It’s a long story, but if my suspicions are right, there’s a timeline, and we might finally have some answers. Can I call you back?”
“Please do, but also, watch your back. And for the record, I’m sorry if I did anything to perpetuate this vendetta against you. I’ll also do whatever it takes to help.”
“I might just have to take you up on that,” Austin said. “I’ll be in touch.” He stared at Cinnamon who stood in the kitchen wearing his old football jersey and boxers.
He groaned.
“Why do you need this?” She placed her phone in his hands.
“Did you delete anything from Pete or from me over the last year and a half?”
“You told me not to in case we needed it in the divorce or his criminal trial.”
“Good girl.” He batted her nose. “I can’t believe I didn’t see this sooner.”
“What are you talking about?” Cinnamon asked.
“The timing of when we started talking. Charity moving here. Her disappearance. And someone trying to frame me.”
Austin’s heart pounded out of control. He paced on the porch, glancing at his watch every couple of minutes. Yesterday, he had no desire to speak with Belmont.
Now he couldn’t wait, he couldn’t wait.
“You need to relax.” Cinnamon stepped from the house and handed him a tall glass of lemonade. “Not only are you going to put a hole in those floorboards, but it’s not going to make this guy show up any faster.”
He set the glass on the small table next to the Adirondack chairs. “A million things are running through my brain and none are good.”
Cinnamon pointed down the long dirt road. “Is that him?”
“Looks that way.” Austin wiggled his fingers. “Why don’t you go inside for a while.”
“I didn’t take the day off work to sit on the sidelines.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Don’t push me away because you believe I can’t handle what you’re thinking.”
“It’s not that.” He inched closer, curling his fingers around her forearms. “I just don’t want him to question you.”
“Why not? Maybe I know something but I’m not aware that I do.”
Shit, that made way too much logical sense. However, he still didn’t like the idea. Not until after he learned why Belmont had made the trip. The secretiveness about this haunted him. “That’s possible, but I want to talk to him alone first. It has nothing to do with hiding anything from you or not believing you can handle it. I want to understand what he has or doesn’t have before sharing my thoughts. I need to know what’s going on and Brad won’t or can’t tell me.”
“Fine.” She spun on her heel and stormed off into the house.
Fuck. That’s not how he wanted her to respond. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at the approaching vehicle. Glancing over his shoulder, his heart ached. He hated that he’d hurt Cinnamon’s feelings. All he wanted to do was protect and shield her from what could be coming. Brad had warned him that the moment Belmont came unannounced could be the time he came with either a warrant to search or one to arrest. This situation was ripe for disaster.
Austin hadn’t done anything. However, he was the most logical suspect. He had motive and opportunity.
Tom did as well and had faced similar questioning from Belmont. It wasn’t until Tom and Austin decided to stop looking at the other as the bad guy and come together in the search for answers that they realized that Charity had been playing them both. She was only going to stay with whoever would give her the kind of life she wanted.
Austin had more money. He could provide the lifestyle she wanted but refused to lavish her with expensive gifts and let her spend whatever she wanted. However, he did cave on occasion.
The car.
Clothes.
But Tom had status in Boise. He was respected. He owned a business and everyone liked him. He might not have a bank account filled with a couple of million, but he did have the social life that Charity craved. Their love triangle became a contest that he wasn’t even aware he’d become a participant in until it was almost too late. But once he had, he’d given her walking papers and because she had her backup, she ran as fast as she could before Tom wised up to her game.
Belmont stepped from his vehicle and adjusted his suit coat. He always showed up in his standard dark suit and black tie. He looked like a typical federal agent. The first time Austin had met him, he’d been terrified, but that emotion came out sideways in sarcasm and frustration.
Not anymore.
“Good morning,” Austin said. “It’s been a little over a month since you’ve paid me a visit.”
Belmont nodded. “May I join you on the porch and have a little chat?”
“Of course.” Austin waved his hand. Most conversations were pleasant enough. It had only been the first two or three that had been extremely uncomfortable, or even painful. Belmont had a dry personality. His tone was even and controlled, but Austin could tell he cared about his job and this case in particular.
Belmont chose one of the Adirondack chairs, so Austin picked the one next to him.
“Shall we get right down to business?” Belmont asked.
“Sure.” Austin stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles, doing his best to relax. “Do you have any leads?”
“That’s why I’m here,” Belmont said. “We got an anonymous tip that Charity’s car was spotted not far from Whiskey Ranch.”
Austin arched a brow but said nothing.
“Does that surprise you?” Belmont asked.
“It does. Especially after all this time.” Austin wondered if the question was meant to bait him into a certain reaction. His attorney had told him to answer questions without adding too much, be polite, and stop talking the second he felt as though he were under the microscope. “Did you find it?”
“We did.” Belmont leaned forward. “Most of the time, these tips lead us on a wild goose chase. If we do find something, it’s not what we expected. Or it doesn’t give us a clear picture of what could have happened. This time, we found the vehicle exactly where the tip said it would be.”
“Are you going to tell me where that was?” Austin sat up taller. His heart hit his throat. Poor Charity. Whatever happened to her, she had to be terrified and that broke his heart into a million pieces. He’d failed her like he’d done so many other people in his life. Just because he didn’t love her or want to be with her anymore, didn’t mean he wished her harm.
“Five miles from the ranch. It was driven off a dirt road and hidden in a field.” Belmont held Austin’s gaze. “We’re going to take the car to our lab today.”
“When did you find it and how did we not know about it?” Austin made sure he kept his tone even. “Also, should I have my attorney present now?” He waved his cell. “Because if that’s the case, he’s ten minutes out and we’ll need to put this conversation on hold.” The one thing Austin had always been able to count on when it came to Belmont had been honesty about when Ted should be at his side.
This felt slightly different.
Belmont rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, glancing at the sky. “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place here. This case has been ice-cold for months. Every tip we get always points to you, yet it always comes up like I’m chasing my tail. This is the first time the anonymous caller’s information had any teeth. But I find the timing of it very suspicious.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t show you this.” Belmont tapped his screen, holding it up for Austin to see. “This was sent the same day we got the tip, two days ago.”
Austin clenched his fists as he watched the interaction between him and Pete at Boone’s bar. It showed a little different story than what actually happened. The version that had been shared with Belmont portrayed Austin as the aggressor, not Pete.
Fucking artificial intelligence.
“You should know this was posted to social media as of this morning,” Belmont said. “My boss is hot for me to wrap this case up now that we have Charity’s car.”
“This was altered. I can produce many witnesses.”
“That’s not necessary. I took the time to do some digging before I came out here. I didn’t want to question you without a bigger picture, so I contacted some key witnesses and they painted a much different story.” Belmont held up his hand. “Right now, I don’t want you to answer any questions or tell me anything. Not without your lawyer and that’s not because I think you had anything to do with Charity’s disappearance. I’ve been doing this job a long time and some things have me sniffing in a different direction. But again, my boss is ready to pounce on you, so I have to play along a little bit. I also want to make sure the investigation is protected as well as you.”
“I appreciate your vote of confidence, especially since in the beginning I thought you believed I did something to her.”
“I’m not sure I ever thought that, but I had to consider the possibility.” Belmont leaned back. “I will have to go through the process. Ask you all the tough questions—with your lawyer present—and I need to interview Cinnamon Thompson.” He lifted his thumb and motioned to the house.
“First, she’s changing her name back to Whiskey the first chance she gets. Secondly, why? And finally, what makes you think she’s here?”
Belmont laughed. “I can’t tell you why now, so I need a little trust from you, and come on, man. She was in that video, which is in the forensics lab, so if it was doctored, we’ll figure that out. But she’s your ex-girlfriend and I’ve done my homework. She’s the love of your life and everyone in this town is rooting for the two of you to get back together. Hell, after hearing the stories, I’m even hoping it happens.”
“You’re not talking to her without a lawyer or me present.”
“Lawyer is fine, but you will not be there. Sorry. That would be mudding waters, and I can’t afford to do that.”
“Can you at least tell my why—outside of that video—you need to converse with Cinnamon?”
“Nope.”
“I might have an ounce of trust for you, but I don’t for your profession,” Austin said.
“Ouch.” Belmont tapped his chest. “I’m sure you don’t feel that way about your brother-in-law.”
“Oh, we’ve had our differences of opinion a time or two.” Austin understood how the legal system worked but didn’t often agree with it. “Here comes Ted.” Ted Rosen had worked as JW’s lawyer since his situation with his ex-fiancée a few years ago but had also done contract work as needed for Whiskey Ranch before that. He was a good man and Austin wished he didn’t need his services. “Shall we do all this now?”
“I’d rather get through as much as I can, but I will have more questions as we process the vehicle.”
Austin waved Ted up. They were way past formalities, considering Austin had to constantly call him last minute to come out and handle this situation with Belmont. “Thanks for coming out.”
“Sure thing.” Ted stretched out his hand and shook both men’s hands. “I drove past a crew of local police and Feds pulling out a vehicle from the deep off the side of the road. Is that why I’m here?”
This was one of the reasons Austin appreciated Ted. He got right down to business and he didn’t sugarcoat things.
“That’s one of them,” Belmont said.
“What does that have to do with my client?” Ted asked.
“A number of things, beginning with the registration matches Charity’s car. The proximity of the ranch. The fact that we found two items that we believe belong to Austin and?—”
“What items?” Ted asked.
One of the many things Austin liked about Ted was that he didn’t let anything go by without demanding further explanation. He didn’t wait for anyone to finish their statement before digging for what he wanted to know. It often caused a rift between him and law enforcement, but that was the nature of the beast.
“A pair of men’s gloves, which have blood on them, and a belt with a Whiskey Ranch buckle much like the one he’s wearing now.” Belmont lifted his finger. “None of this is being released to the press.”
“Ted, am I allowed to speak freely?” Austin glanced at his lawyer.
Ted nodded.
“I’m not missing a belt. However, a few weeks ago, Gage borrowed a pair of my gloves.”
“I’ll need to speak to Gage,” Belmont said.
“He’s visiting his brothers in Twin City. He left a few days ago and we haven’t heard from him since he departed.” Austin didn’t want to bring Gage into any of this. He’d been through enough in his life. The loss of his family had tormented Gage for years. The dirty looks from the community because so many people believed he started the fire, which had been proven false, but that didn’t stop the gossip.
Gage was on the spectrum and many people didn’t understand what that meant. They viewed him as strange and off-putting, when in reality he was the kindest, sweetest man on the planet.
“I’d like his contact information,” Belmont said.
“I’m happy to give it to you, but you need to understand that Gage has some social issues. You can’t come at him like you would anyone else.” Austin leaned forward. “When you speak to him, it would be better if someone from this ranch—someone he trusts—is with you; otherwise, he’s going to panic.”
“I’ve spoken to him a couple of times. He’s very protective of you and everyone else on this ranch. I understand his personality and promise to handle the situation appropriately. However, I have to consider what you just told me about the gloves and the fact that Gage made it very clear he couldn’t stand Charity. I’m also aware he wasn’t a fan of Pete. Is that because of Cinnamon? Because I get there is more to that story and now I want to know why.”
“It mostly has to do with Cinnamon, but Pete did date his daughter before she died. Pete didn’t care about her. It was all to stay close to Cinnamon and Gage took it personally because it hurt Alyssa, but shortly after that, the fire happened.” Austin shook his head. “There is no way in hell Gage would have done anything to hurt Charity, no matter his feelings. He might wear his emotions on his sleeve and he can occasionally say things that are socially inappropriate, but he doesn’t have a violent bone in his body.”
“As opposed to you.” Belmont lowered his chin.
“I don’t pretend to be a saint. However, I’ve never once laid a hand on a woman.” Austin was so tired of this never-ending cycle. He wanted Charity to be safe, but deep down in his soul, he knew that wasn’t the case. It had been too long since she disappeared for that to be true.
Now all he wanted was answers and for whoever had harmed her to be locked up where they belonged.
But it wasn’t Gage.
“Are you willing to give a DNA sample?” Belmont asked.
Ted waved his hand. “If you find DNA in the vehicle, we’ll have that conversation, but I’m not going to allow my client to give it now.”
“Fair enough,” Belmont said. “Now I want to talk about this video.” He handed Ted his cell. “Austin had indicated he believes it was doctored. I have spoken to the owner of Boone’s Bar and Grill and a Ms. Welch as well as those she had dined with along with five other people I’ve been able to track down that were at Boone’s that evening. I’ve spoken with the local sheriff. They have all given me the same story, which doesn’t quite match up to that video.”
Ted handed the phone back. “I’m not sure what this has to do with Charity’s disappearance.”
“I can’t get into the details of the possible connection other than we got an anonymous tip the next day,” Belmont said.
“Still don’t get it.” Ted arched a brow.
“I want to know more about your relationship with Pete Thompson.” Belmont held Austin’s gaze. “Let’s start with how long have you known him?”
Austin glanced to Ted.
“Go ahead and answer,” Ted said.
“Most of my life. He grew up here in Buhl. We went to the same high school.” Austin had been trained to keep his answers short and to the point, so he left it at that.
“Were you friends?” Belmont asked.
“Nope.” Austin folded his arms. Any conversation about Pete tended to put him on the defensive.
“Why not?” Belmont took out his notebook and pen.
“In part because he had a thing for Cinnamon,” Austin said.
“She was your high school sweetheart, correct?” Belmont thumbed through his pad. He knew all this, so why he had to ask was beyond Austin.
“We were best friends and then became boyfriend and girlfriend,” Austin said.
“Was there any other reason you didn’t get along with Pete?” Belmont asked.
“Sure,” Austin admitted. “He was the kind of guy who thought he was better than the rest of us, especially anyone who thought being a rancher was a good way to make a living. His parents were divorced and he lived here with his mom who had married a man who worked at a neighboring ranch. Pete hated it and couldn’t wait to get the hell out and go work for his dad. That’s exactly what he did. He’s used money and power to get whatever he wants.”
“Is it safe to say that you and Pete have butted heads for as long as you’ve known him?” Belmont asked. “And have you been in any physical altercations with him?”
“It’s common knowledge that we don’t like each other and yes, we’ve been in a few brawls both in high school and once right before he and Cinnamon married,” Austin said. “Can you please tell me where you’re going with this?”
“Not yet.” Belmont glanced up. “Does Pete know Tom? Or did he know Charity?”
Austin thought he’d been prepared for this question, but hearing it made the acid in his stomach lurch to his throat. “I don’t believe so.”
“But is it possible?” Belmont set his notebook aside.
“I suppose. However, I don’t see how or why,” Austin said. But he did. Only, he wasn’t willing to be the one to verbalize that thought. That needed to come from someone else.
Ted leaned forward. “Are you suggesting that Pete could be setting Austin up to take the fall for Charity’s disappearance? Is there something I need to know to help my client navigate this new territory you’re heading in? Or is there new evidence I should have?”
“Even if that were the case, you know I couldn’t express that as the lead investigator in this case. Not while actively asking the questions.” Belmont tilted his head.
“Should we break out a beer and chat like old buddies?” Ted lowered his chin.
“Right now, everything I’m thinking is based on hunches and half information,” Belmont said. “Remember, my boss is gunning for Austin, but I’m taking a little different approach. Please let me do my job and have a little faith that I want truth and justice. This is more than wrapping up a case and getting it off my desk. I don’t want to see an innocent man go down for something he didn’t do. But I also don’t want to rush anything.”
“I can live with that,” Ted said. “But you’re forcing us to fly blind here, and I don’t like that. Austin has been through enough.”
“I agree.” Belmont sighed. “Now, I really need to speak with Cinnamon and I know she’s inside.”
“You’re not doing that without me present,” Ted said. “So, I need to have her hire me.” He stood. “Let me go take care of that. In the meantime, Austin, don’t answer anything else officially.”
“I know the drill.” Austin leaned back and watched Ted stroll across the porch and into the house. A theory formed in Austin’s head, and he didn’t like it one bit.