Cold Case Murder Mystery (Hudson Sibling Solutions #7)

Chapter Twelve

Zeke waited for Brooke to gather her stuff, and then he drove her into Bent and the sheriff’s department. She instructed him not to follow her inside. He was supposed to drive around, get some coffee or something, then come back at one and pick her up.

Her idea, and while he didn’t like taking orders from anyone, he found he didn’t mind Brooke being in charge. Besides, staying away was easier than trying to explain his presence to the deputies and detectives inside. He would likely raise a few eyebrows and questions that might make it more difficult for Brooke to do what she’d gone there to do.

He was still having a hard time believing she was going to essentially steal remains. Maybe she’d been trained in the North Star way of bending the rules that needed bending, but he’d certainly never seen her bend any rule with ruthless efficiency.

She wanted to be good, always, because the thing about Brooke Campbell was, no matter how she’d grown up, no matter how much time she’d spent in North Star, she was good down to her soul.

Still, she spent her days studying the remains of dead people. That had really never computed with her personality, either, and yet she did it, and well. Analyzed that gruesome data and put it together in even more grim reports.

Still she managed to be soft and lovely and her.

Zeke sighed and tried not to wonder if he’d never seen her again, would he have gone through life in denial of what was missing from it?

He returned to the station a little before the appointed time and just stood outside his truck, watching the comings and goings of a county police force.

He’d considered going to the police academy the past few months. He needed something to do, and he kept resisting the idea of actually trying to ranch. It left a hell of a lot of room for failure.

Police work? He could do that. Well . . . Following rules and laws had never been in his wheelhouse, even when he’d been in the army. He liked to do things his way. But he knew how to deal with people, with clear rules and expectations.

Sort of.

He could have joined the Hudsons like Walker had done. The HSS had invited him to become an investigator. Mostly he’d declined because being around all that family, marriages, babies, life made him more itchy than he cared to analyze.

He could have done lots of things. Gone lots of places.

And instead he’d stayed in Sunrise and bought a ranch.

It hit him at the oddest times that these past few months had been the calmest of his life and the most uncomfortable and unsettled he’d ever felt. And still, with all that internal upheaval, he hadn’t bolted. Because with Walker and Carlyle safe and happy and settling down, it didn’t feel right to leave them behind to worry about him.

Luckily he didn’t have to consider that any longer because Brooke walked out of the police station, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack. No doubt because she’d succeeded and there was a skull in there. Her grip was all nerves.

But she walked slowly and calmly to him, the sunlight dancing in the reddish strands of her hair. And there was that vise around his chest again, like a full breath would break him to pieces.

Like she would.

She got into his truck without looking at him, placing the backpack in the backseat with care.

He got into the driver’s seat, trying to focus on the problem at hand over his pointless, roundabout thoughts. She needed to take the remains back to the ranch and work in her lab.

But he had other ideas. “I was thinking we should pick your car up on the way back to my ranch. Keep moving it around. Just to be safe.”

“But Royal was the one following me. I mean I’m all for having my car back, but we have that,”

she said, nodding at her backpack.

Mostly he agreed with her. He’d even tossed the tracker he’d put on his truck the other morning because he was fairly certain Royal had been the one to put it on Brooke’s car. He had been the one following her, so nothing else added up.

But . . .

“I’ll just drop you off at your car. That can ride with me from the cabin to ranch,”

he said, jerking his chin toward the backpack. “I’ll follow you and make sure we’re in eyesight of each other.”

She didn’t look convinced that this was the best idea, but she didn’t argue, so he drove to the rental cabin. It wasn’t that far out of their way, and she should have her vehicle. Even if he didn’t like the idea of her having the means to leave without him watching out for her.

Royal had been following her though, and she still might be in danger, but until Zeke figured out what kind, leaving her car at the rental just gave Royal the means to cause more trouble.

Zeke pulled up next to her car, not bothering to turn off the engine. She scrambled out of his truck with one last glance at her backpack, then pulled keys out of her purse and headed to the car.

It was fine. She’d lead the way and he’d follow in his truck. What bad could happen? They’d still be together, and they’d head for his ranch.

But before, in that diner parking lot, there’d been a tracker. He was pretty sure it had been Royal, but something in his mind whispered, What if it’s not?

“Wait.”

He hopped out of the truck and began to inspect her car just as he had back at the diner days ago. Maybe he was paranoid, but he’d built most of his adult life on following instincts a lot of people called paranoia. Sometimes it was and sometimes . . .

“Do you smell that?”

Brooke frowned, sniffed the air. “I don’t know. Maybe? It just smells like . . . fertilizer.”

And maybe it was, but something buzzed along Zeke’s skin. A bad feeling that he’d honed from being in a lot of close calls in his life. He took Brooke’s arm and drew her away from the vehicle. “Look, I think—”

The sound of the explosion was small, but still a surprise. Brooke jumped and Zeke tried to shelter her. When he looked back at the car, flames erupted from under the hood. Zeke grabbed Brooke and pulled her behind him, propelling them both back and away from the fire.

It hadn’t been anything major. Unlikely to kill anyone, though it could have easily hurt someone near the car. There might be a second explosion if the fire hit the gas tank, so they needed to get some distance from it.

“Did it . . . overheat?”

Brooke asked weakly when it was obvious that’s not what had happened.

The door of the cabin burst open and Royal, in his bare feet, ran out holding a fire extinguisher. For a second he stared at the blaze then turned to them.

“You okay, Brooke?”

“Yes,”

she said firmly, but she was shaking underneath Zeke’s hand.

Royal moved forward and put out the fire with quick, efficient movements. Then he shoved his free hand over his short hair. “What the hell was that?”

“We don’t know.”

Zeke surveyed the car, Royal, and Brooke behind him. He sighed, because whatever was going on wasn’t over. And it wasn’t just about Brooke.

“Get some shoes on, Royal. You’re coming with us.”

Brooke was still shaking, but could breathe with more ease when Zeke’s ranch came into view. Nothing bad had happened here. They were safe here. Everyone was going to be safe.

She had to believe that. So she’d repeated it over and over inside her head on the drive.

She was surprised Royal hadn’t mounted a fight about coming to Zeke’s. He’d simply gone inside, gotten shoes and a duffel bag, and returned. Zeke had helped her into the truck and handed her the backpack so she could hold on to it. Royal had climbed in the back.

She was riding in a truck, clutching a skull carefully packaged in a backpack, her brother in the back seat while her ex pulled up to his ranch house. After her car had . . . exploded. Kind of.

It was a small explosion, she kept telling herself. Nothing compared to some of the things she’d seen in North Star. And still, it had shaken her more because it had been her car. In front of her rental cabin, even if she hadn’t been staying there.

She didn’t know why, but this somehow felt centered on her. And worse, it probably wasn’t about the skeletal remains at all, because she’d been working on those for over a month now. Nothing had changed this week—not really.

Except Royal’s appearance in her life. So maybe it didn’t center on her at all. She didn’t want to feel this way, but she couldn’t help but think it focused on Royal. It had to. Nothing bad had been happening to her or around her until he’d started following her.

When Zeke shoved the truck into Park, they all got out. Viola bounded over, a low growl in her throat as she scurried up to Royal. It was a warning, but also clearly curiosity on the dog’s part.

Royal crouched, holding out his hand in supplication to the dog. Viola sniffed, tail stuck straight out, but after a few seconds, it began to wag and the dog let Royal scratch her ears. Royal grinned up at Brooke over the dog. For a moment, they were kids again and she hadn’t failed her brother and they weren’t in trouble.

“Someone will call that in before nightfall,”

Zeke said, interrupting her little moment with pesky facts. “Someone involved with the rentals will see there’s been a fire in that car and will call someone about it. Then Bent County is going to know it’s your car that got torched, Brooke. If we aren’t the ones to call it in, it looks fishy,”

Zeke said.

“It is fishy,”

Royal muttered irritably as he straightened into a standing position.

“Yeah. Do you want Bent County looking into it?”

Zeke asked somewhat pointedly. Like Royal might have a reason to hide. And he might. He probably did. He . . .

Royal looked over at her. “Did you tell him?”

“Tell me what?”

Zeke demanded, his eyebrows drawing together.

But Brooke ignored Zeke. She had to, or she might just . . . fall apart. And there was too much at stake. She had to get to work on this skull. She had to date it. She had . . . things to do that weren’t this.

First, Royal needed to know. “Dad is still in jail,”

she said to Royal and only to Royal. “Whatever you think he’s cooked up isn’t true. I had it confirmed yesterday.”

Royal frowned, not looking convinced.

“What do you think he’s cooked up?”

Zeke asked.

“I don’t know,”

Royal said, scowling. “That’s the problem.”

“And you didn’t think that you might mention to me that your father might be the issue here?”

Zeke said to her. Oh so calmly.

“No, because I confirmed with Thomas that he’s still in jail.”

She lifted her chin, met his calm expression, but saw the anger in his eyes. “So he’s not the problem.”

And it just broke whatever last piece of control or something she had within her, because she was just done. With both of them.

“Because you see, Zeke, I’ve been taking care of myself and my life for the past four years. Without you. I appreciate the place to stay. I even appreciate the interference, up to a point, but I won’t be made to feel guilty for taking care of myself.”

He didn’t say anything in response, but there was that old stony expression on his face she remembered all too well. She turned to her brother. “I didn’t have any problems with anyone until you started following me. Are you sure this isn’t a you problem?”

“You think I just lured people here to set your car on fire?”

he returned, a lot of belligerence covering up a hurt.

She felt guilty and knew she shouldn’t. So she just . . . let it all out. “I don’t know what to think. But I do know I sent you letters, supplied an attorney, did everything I could with the resources I had to find you, to help you, and I never heard a peep. And you’ve waltzed back into my life and suddenly there’s danger, and you’re giving me attitude. Frankly, I’m sick of both of you. I’m taking my skull and I’m getting some work done.”

And that’s just what she did. She took the backpack and marched over toward the barn, Viola at her heels. She unlocked the door then carefully knelt down to pet Viola.

“I’m sorry. No dogs allowed in the lab. And I’m about to institute a no men rule too. Maybe you could be my guard dog and keep them out.”

With that, she slid inside the barn, keeping Viola out. She hung the backpack up on a hook and then went to the sink to wash her hands. Everything was in working order. Just like her other labs.

She didn’t think about Zeke doing that for her. She didn’t think about her brother, or her brother and Zeke together. She focused on her work.

Because that was the only thing she’d ever been able to depend on. Human remains might be a mystery, but they were a set of data points. Not infuriating, obnoxious, changeable people.

Not people who expected you to rely on them, to trust them, to tell them the truth, but didn’t extend the same courtesy. Not people you let yourself depend on a little, who then disappeared.

Because you’re too much of a bother, Brooke. Best keep to yourself.

Since she wanted to cry, she carefully got everything ready, unpacked her skull, then got to work. Right now, her goal was to date the bones as best she could, particularly in relation to the other remains they’d found. So far, they’d uncovered mostly intact bodies. So this was new. It was different. It needed studying.

She didn’t know how long she worked. She left her phone off. If Thomas wanted to contact her about the cave . . . well, he’d have to hunt her down. When the door to the lab opened however many hours later, she saw it was dark out.

She blinked. A whole day in here. She’d gotten a lot done and no one had bothered her. Not even to get her to eat.

Somehow most of the mad she’d had at Zeke was gone. He’d done all this for her, and it wasn’t his fault . . . None of this was about him, but here he was.

“Any progress?”

he asked. No bringing up earlier. No being cold to her. Just a genuine question.

So she gave a genuine answer. “Some. I think this skull is fairly old. It’s also the only bone we’ve found that didn’t have an intact body with or nearby it. And I can’t help but think it matches a picture from that scrapbook Thomas uncovered.”

Zeke nodded. “That’s good progress, right?”

“It is.”

He stood in silence as she cleaned up for the day. She needed something to eat, to stretch out her back. She needed . . . Oh, she didn’t know.

“Brooke, I put this lab together, helped you get that skull, because I thought the stalking might be connected to the case, but now I wonder . . .”

Probably the same thing she did. “If they’re wholly unrelated?”

Zeke nodded. “Royal and I talked, and he agrees. He didn’t know anything about what you were doing here. When I explained you had a real human skull in your backpack, I think his opinion of you changed entirely. He was very perplexed.”

She wanted to laugh. She really did. But on the other side of her temper was always that awful guilt. And she knew what it stemmed from. You didn’t grow up in a gang and then get bounced around to foster homes without developing a certain amount of trauma responses. She didn’t want to be a bother, didn’t want to hurt anyone in case they might ditch her.

But he already had ditched her, so to speak. And still, she couldn’t resist the apology. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Royal’s theory about our father trying to . . . do something.”

“I thought you wouldn’t be made to feel guilty about not including me in something that was none of my business?”

This time she did laugh in spite of herself. He recited her words with such dry disdain it was just funny. “I tried. But I’m really good at feeling guilty. And the truth is, if you were anyone else, I probably would have told you. I’d probably be more comfortable involving you and asking you for help. But it’s . . . you.”

“What about me?”

he returned, eyebrows furrowed. Clearly confused, even if she thought he shouldn’t be. “I’ve helped you lots.”

“Yes. You have. In a North Star capacity. But not after. Zeke, I was so desperately in love with you then. I didn’t hide that. Surely you know that.”

She wouldn’t say he looked uncomfortable with her saying those things, but he certainly wasn’t going to interact with the idea of love, even after he’d said all that stuff last night. For whatever reasons, and maybe they were good reasons, he didn’t want to deal with the idea of love. Then or now.

Still, maybe it was her turn to try to explain herself. Because he wasn’t doing it to be cruel. He’d never really been cruel to her. She knew what that was like.

“Those are not just feelings that go away, and it took me a long time to . . . resituate myself once we broke up, once North Star ended. I don’t want to ever have to go through that kind of . . . upheaval again. I have been bounced around at other people’s whims my entire life. Finally, I have some . . . some agency. Some power. I can’t just hand it over because maybe something dangerous is going on. I can’t lose myself again. I have to stand on my own two feet.”

He was silent a moment and then nodded. “Okay.”

She blinked once. His easy agreement was the last thing she’d expected. She’d braced for a lecture about protection not being the opposite of agency and so on and so forth. She’d heard something of the like in North Star her entire time there. She narrowed her eyes at him. She did not trust Zeke Daniels’s calm acquiescence. “What do you mean ‘okay’?”

“I mean okay. That sounds fair and right, and the last thing I want to do is hurt you again. But I also want you to consider that I don’t swoop in because . . . I’m trying to inflict my whims on you. I’m trying to keep you safe, not keep you from standing up for yourself too. In fact, I’d like all four of us to work together to make that happen.”

Help was not the enemy. Brooke knew that from an investigative standpoint, but she was still trying to accept it on a personal, adult level. She’d always done everything on her own there. But she couldn’t handle whatever this was on her own, and she knew it. So why couldn’t she accept help from someone she trusted, even if he’d broken her heart?

Even if, worse, she still had feelings for him and was afraid it would lead her down the same heartbroken path?

Regardless, she had to set those feelings aside and be reasonable. “I’d like that too.”

She frowned. “But who’s the fourth person?”

“Hart. He came by looking for you so you could excavate. I haven’t told him everything, and God knows Royal hasn’t told us much, but between the four of us . . . Maybe we can get to the bottom of everything.”

Everything. She wasn’t sure it was possible, but she supposed now was the time to try.