Smokescreen (Pros and Cons Mysteries #2)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

“ O live?” Reid stared at her.

She heard him, but her thoughts still raced. Edgar shouldn’t recognize her. She looked different now than she had when she’d been hiding under that desk.

But there was still a chance—and that was a risk she couldn’t take.

No one here in the saloon should put two and two together and realize the woman in the picture was Olive. But if that man stared directly at her face, there was a chance he’d recognize her.

She glanced back at Reid, realizing he was waiting for her explanation. She had to make it quick.

“That man over there is looking for me—and I can’t let him find me.”

“What?” Surprise captured his voice.

“I’m going to run to the restroom. Don’t let him know you recognize me. I’ll explain more later.”

Reid’s face turned stony. “Go.”

Olive hurried away before the man got to their table. She quickly slipped into the restroom, which was thankfully designed for only one person. Instead of closing the door all the way, she left it cracked so she could see what was going on outside.

A few seconds later, Edgar approached Reid and showed him the picture. “You seen this woman before?”

Reid stared at the image before shaking his head. “No. Why are you looking for her?”

“It’s not important.” Edgar scanned the restaurant again. “Where’d the person go who was sitting with you?”

“To the bathroom. Why?”

“Maybe I want to ask her if she’s seen this woman.”

“I’m sure she hasn’t.”

Edgar glanced back at Reid. “Why are you so certain of that?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but she’s my girlfriend, and I just flew her in from out of state. She doesn’t know anyone around here but me.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “When did she get into town?”

“Yesterday.” Reid stared back at him.

Edgar simply grunted and stomped away, moving on to the next person.

Olive released her breath. But this wasn’t over yet.

Fourteen other diners were in this restaurant, plus three waitresses, one of them also acting as hostess. Edgar would probably want to talk to them all.

She’d wait here a little longer. She couldn’t afford to come out prematurely.

She couldn’t believe this guy was showing her photo around. Was he going from town to town trying to find her? Was he that desperate?

The person who’d hired this guy was clearly anxious to figure out who she was. Was that because she knew about the gun? But she didn’t know what crime it had been used in conjunction with. Was someone willing to kill to keep that information quiet?

Edgar finished questioning the diners and headed for the door.

In different circumstances, Olive would follow him. See where he was going. Who he was talking to.

But she was here with Reid. She didn’t want to drag him into even more danger.

The best she could do right now was to see if Tevin might be able to help her. Maybe he could put a tracker on this guy’s vehicle.

Olive and Reid finished lunch and headed out.

As they sat beside each other in the truck, Reid turned toward her. “Who was that guy?”

“He’s one of the two men I saw in Skip’s office at the livestock auction—the ones who left the gun in Skip’s desk.” She’d updated him on what happened before coming in.

“And now he’s looking for you?”

“Must be afraid I’m going to turn him in or something.”

Reid let out a grunt, and for a moment, they were each lost in their own thoughts.

There was a lot to comprehend between the meeting with Wayne and seeing Edgar in town.

The mere fact Edgar was in the area made Olive anxious to get somewhere she wouldn’t be spotted. The man could blow her whole cover, and that was the last thing she wanted.

Finally, Vulture Gulch was in the rearview mirror, and she and Reid started the fifteen-mile drive back toward the ranch.

“Most of the property you see here to the right of us is mine,” Reid said.

“I can’t even comprehend the true enormity of just how many acres you own. If I remember correctly, your ranch is bigger than Grand Teton National Park.”

He gave her a look, and she shrugged.

“I have a thing for numbers,” she explained. “I can tell you other national parks that are smaller than your property. And I can tell you that Rhode Island isn’t much bigger. I believe your place is just over six hundred thousand acres. That’s crazy to think about.”

“I’ve never thought to compare the size of my land to a national park. But I do know I’m a very blessed man, and I don’t take that for granted.”

“Good to hear. To those whom much is given much is expected.”

“And there you go quoting the Bible now. You continually surprise me.”

“My father was actually a pastor—but only for a year.” Why had she just shared that? She usually tried to keep personal things private.

Reid threw her a surprised glance. “Really?”

“It’s . . . complicated.” Olive didn’t tell him that she wasn’t sure if her dad actually believed in God or if he took the job as part of a power trip.

“Life usually is complicated.”

Olive glanced behind her, partly out of habit and partly out of instinct.

As she did, her eyes narrowed. “That truck has been behind us since we left town.”

His gaze shifted to the rearview mirror, and he studied the black truck with tinted windows. “Very observant. What should I do?”

“The driver’s not closing in on us, so hold steady for now. We don’t want to show our hand too quickly.”

“Do you think this driver is the one who’s been behind the happenings at the ranch?”

“Could be. Or it could be . . . Edgar, I suppose.”

Reid’s jaw tightened. “Either way, I don’t like this.”

Olive glanced back again. This time, she noticed the vehicle was accelerating.

The last thing she wanted was for the driver to collide with Reid’s truck and send them barreling off the road.

She studied the rugged landscape surrounding them, searching for a safe solution. “Is there anywhere we can turn off this road? Somewhere that’s not a dead end. We need to lose this guy.”

Reid was silent a minute before nodding. “I know of a place, but it’s another couple of miles up the road.”

“If that’s our only option, then let’s try it.”

“Here we go.” He pressed the accelerator harder.

Sure enough, the truck behind them sped up also.

Olive’s stomach tightened.

“Tell me about this turnoff we’re going to,” Olive said as she tried to calculate their next move.

“It’s a side road on my property. But you can only go so far before you reach a steel gate. If we have time to get past it, we can get away from this guy. He won’t be able to break through.”

“Let’s give it a shot then.”

Just then, Reid jerked the wheel and made a hard right.

Olive reached for the ceiling to steady herself.

A moment later, they were rumbling down a gravel road into the forest.

She blew out a breath. “Fancy moves back there.”

“You learn a few things living on a ranch.” He gripped the wheel with both hands, intent on the road in front of him.

Olive glanced behind her in time to see the truck turn.

Tension throbbed between her shoulders. “How much farther?”

“It’s probably a mile down this road. But I need to put some more distance between us and him so I have time to open the gate, get through, and then close it.”

“Go for it.”

Reid pressed the accelerator harder, and they zoomed down the road. Thankfully, there were no large drop-offs or anything else that made the road inherently dangerous.

But there was a stream ahead.

“Reid?” She gripped the armrest.

“The water is high today, so it looks intimidating. But I’ve got this.”

Olive was going to have to trust him on that.

They reached the stream, and Reid didn’t slow down. He drove right through the rushing water. Rapids splashed their windows, and the tires lost traction a couple of times.

But their vehicle kept going.

Just ahead, Olive spotted a gate.

Reid reached up to his sun visor and pressed a button on a small remote.

The large metal contraption began to swing open.

Please, let it open fast enough for us to get through by the time we reach it.

The King Ranch climbed the rocky bank on the other side of the stream and started toward the gate.

“What if he tries to drive through it?” Olive still attempted to think through different scenarios.

“Then his vehicle will get smashed,” Reid told her. “It’s made to withstand a handful of angry, two-thousand-pound bulls.”

Finally, the arm of the gate swung completely open. Reid drove through and yanked the wheel hard as he slammed on the brakes.

The back of the truck fishtailed until they faced the gate—and the approaching truck.

Reid pressed the remote button again, and the gate began to slowly close.

The truck continued to speed their way.

The gate moved forward at a snail’s pace, making Olive’s nerves tighten more and more with each second that passed.

She held her breath, hoping for Reid’s sake that the gate closed in time.