Smokescreen (Pros and Cons Mysteries #2)

Chapter 47

CHAPTER 47

O live turned and saw the man holding a gun behind them.

Wayne Barrington.

Part of her wasn’t surprised.

After all, he was the one who’d started the rumor about the government trying to buy land in the area. He’d been trying to put the crazy ideas into everyone’s heads so no one would look at him.

“What are you doing, Wayne?” Reid stared at his old friend, surprise lacing his voice.

“I don’t know why you couldn’t have just gone along with everything.” Wayne’s voice sounded deeper yet duller than usual. “Why you had to make things so complicated.”

“Please, don’t tell me you’re behind this, Wayne.” Reid stared at the man in disbelief. “How could you do this?”

“This land should rightfully be my family’s.” Wayne’s voice rose with each of his words.

“What are you talking about?” Reid squinted with confusion as Cooper still lingered against the wall.

“Your family stole this land from my family over a hundred years ago. Your family was more powerful, which meant my family could do little about it. My great-grandfather pretty much just rolled over and let your great-grandfather take it.” Wayne sounded decidedly edgier.

Reid’s eyes widened with surprise. “That can’t be true. I’ve never heard any of that.”

“Of course, you haven’t.” Wayne narrowed his gaze. “Because things worked out in your favor.”

“Why would my family do that?”

“For the same reasons anyone would. Because they were selfish , and they thought that more was better.” Wayne scowled. “Now I want back what’s rightfully mine.”

More facts clicked in place in Olive’s head.

But, first, she glanced through the doorway.

Trick lingered just out of sight on the other side.

Just as she’d wanted him to. He needed to remain out of sight so they’d have the element of surprise on their side.

“So you’ve done all these horrible things and you’ve tried to run me off this property so you could buy it?” Reid shook his head. “You even went as far as to murder Andy? To start a fire that could have burned down this whole county? Have you lost your ever-loving mind?”

Wayne let out a sardonic laugh. “No, I haven’t. Andy wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t come upon us as we were surveying some of the land. He started asking too many questions, and I had no choice but to get rid of him.”

“And the fire?” Olive asked.

“I knew the winds would only be bad for a short time. I wasn’t scared the blaze would spread. Was it risky? Of course. But it was nothing we couldn’t handle.”

“You were the one who planted the idea in Lucy’s head that part of this land belonged to her, weren’t you?” Olive asked. “You were the one who made the fake will. You made Lucy think it was real. It was your smokescreen, your way of distracting Reid so he couldn’t see what was really coming.”

Wayne’s eyes lit with satisfaction. “I could tell from the moment I met you that you were a smart lady. It’s too bad you had to become involved in all of this.”

“What would you do with all this property?” Reid asked. “You’re a lawyer, not a rancher.”

“I have plans.” Wayne smirked. “You’ll see.”

“And you, Cooper?” Reid glanced back at his friend and shook his head with disappointment. “I guess Wayne needed an inside guy and that anyone can be bought.”

“It sounds cruel when you say it that way.” Cooper didn’t sound glib. Instead, he sounded torn between apology and loyalty to either Wayne or Reid. “It wasn’t an easy decision. He kept trying to convince me. Then he showed me how much my betrayal would be worth.”

“And you couldn’t say no?” Reid gave Cooper a death glare.

“I can do a lot with that money—including buying some land of my own. I wouldn’t always have to work under someone else. Those possibilities weren’t a reality working for you. But I didn’t know everything I was getting myself into when I initially agreed to help him.”

Reid shook his head. “This could have all been avoided if you’d simply had a conversation with me. I would have given you some property if I’d known you wanted it. You never seemed like you did. All you had to do was ask.”

Cooper lowered his head and pressed his lips together, not saying anything else.

They all knew the truth: It was too late to change what had already been set in motion.

Olive’s thoughts continued to race.

She turned to Wayne. “What would you do with all this property? Besides getting back what you say is rightfully your family’s, then what? You said you had a plan?”

Wayne grinned. “I’m going to start the largest hunting reserve in the US.”

“What?” Reid shook his head incredulously. “All of this so you can start a hunting reserve ?”

Olive remembered those photos she’d seen in his office, the ones of him on a hunting safari in Africa. He was the type who loved the thrill of the courtroom and of the hunt.

He’d used both of those passions to try and ruin Reid and drive him off this land.

Andy had just been a casualty, worth less than the moose and bears Wayne desired to hunt.

Wayne’s grin widened with pride. “It’s going to be like one of those in Africa where people can take safaris and hunt wild game. The amount of bear, moose, wolves, and mountain lions on this land makes it a highly valued area for hunting grounds. I can turn this place into a total experience, and people will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to come here for the thrill of the hunt.”

Olive had heard about people who went on those hunts. The thought made her stomach churn.

Reid let out a sardonic chuckle as he stared at Wayne. “You really think the Wildlife Commission will ever approve that?”

“For the right price, people will usually approve anything.” Wayne didn’t appear to be sweating that detail in the least.

Olive wanted to deny Wayne’s words, but she couldn’t. He was right. Too often, money was people’s bottom line.

“Cooper, were you the one who knocked me out in the stables?” Olive turned toward the man. “Why would you do that?”

“I’d brought some supplies to the ranch just in case we needed them. I was in the stables stashing some of them when you walked in. I ducked inside Bella’s stall. I couldn’t let you catch me.”

“You left the gasoline there?” Olive asked.

Was that what he’d used to ignite the fire in the forest?

She found that hard to believe, but it was a possibility, she supposed.

Or was there more to this?

“Now, enough talking.” Wayne tossed Cooper some zip ties. “Tie them up to one of the posts.”

Olive took a step back, not liking his tone. “What are you going to do?”

Wayne reached into his back pocket and grabbed something before shoving it toward Reid. “I need you to sign this.”

Reid stared at the paper and pen. “What is it?”

“It’s an agreement that says you’re giving me back the land that was rightfully my family’s. You won’t give me all of it, of course, because that wouldn’t seem realistic. I’ll buy part of it, but I can’t afford it all. Most people can’t.”

“You think I’m going to sign this?” Reid practically snorted. “And then I’m just going to walk away?”

Wayne let out a chuckle. “No. After you sign this there’s going to be a terrible accident, and this barn is going to burn down—with you inside. I only hope the flames don’t spread to the Homestead or any of the other outbuildings here. I’d really hate to see that happen.”

Olive swallowed hard as she imagined that playing out. That was why the gasoline had been in the stall.

They’d needed to stash it somewhere close in case this confrontation ever occurred.

She studied Wayne. His eyes looked crazed, like he’d gone off the deep end.

He really thought this plan was going to work.

She couldn’t let that happen.