Smokescreen (Pros and Cons Mysteries #2)

Chapter 48

CHAPTER 48

“ I ’m never signing that.” Reid practically spit out the words. “Over my dead body.”

Wayne shifted his arm until the gun was aimed at Olive. “What about now?”

Olive saw Reid’s eyes widen. She gave him a subtle head shake. He remained tense but controlled.

“You wouldn’t do that,” Reid finally said.

“I don’t want to do it. She seems like a perfectly nice woman, though I really couldn’t find very much online about her except the basics.”

So he’d done his research, Olive mused. She shouldn’t be surprised.

“Then maybe this will motivate you,” Wayne said.

He nodded at Cooper. The next moment, the man Reid had considered his best friend reached into a metal bin and pulled something out.

A gas can. They must have placed them in various places on the ranch.

Cooper twisted the cap and then began to slosh liquid all over the barn floor.

The pungent, petrol scent of the liquid hit her, and her lungs tightened.

They needed to get this situation under control.

Because gasoline and guns did not mix.

She glanced at the doorway where Trick remained.

She nodded to signal him to act.

He rushed inside the barn.

His presence caught Wayne and Cooper by surprise.

Trick tackled Wayne. As he did, Wayne dropped his gun.

Olive lunged for it. As she hit the ground, gasoline soaked her pants and shirt.

She sucked in a breath as a moment of reality washed through her.

If anyone started a fire, Olive would go up in flames—and fast. She’d just made herself even more of a target.

That meant she really couldn’t let anyone start a fire or fire a gun.

She grabbed Wayne’s gun. As she did, someone catapulted toward her and landed on her back.

Cooper.

His weight pushed the air from her lungs and pinned her to the soggy, gasoline-soaked floor.

But she couldn’t give up.

She struggled against him, determined not to let go of the weapon.

He pinned her wrist to the ground, and pain ripped through her.

“No . . .” she said through gritted teeth.

But Cooper had rendered her immobile. He probably weighed twice as much as she did.

He reached for the gun, and Olive couldn’t stop him.

No!

Just then, the weight lifted from her chest.

Someone jerked Cooper off her.

Reid.

His fist collided with Cooper’s jaw, and Cooper reeled back into the wall.

As that happened, Trick turned Wayne onto his stomach, pinning him in place and putting zip ties on his wrists. “Sorry, but you’re not going to be getting away with this.”

Cooper growled and lunged at them again.

Before he could reach Trick, Reid clotheslined the man.

Cooper sprawled on the ground and let out a moan. Reid moved to keep him subdued.

Sirens sounded in the background.

The sheriff would be here soon.

For now, the situation appeared to be under control.

Olive released the breath she’d been holding.

Maybe they really had cut this situation off before it accelerated.

“I’m glad you stopped this before it escalated further.” Sheriff Freeman stood in front of Olive and Reid as Wayne and Cooper were led to the sheriff deputy’s cruisers in the distance.

“Me too,” Reid murmured.

It had been fifteen minutes since law enforcement had arrived. In the meantime, Olive had cleaned up and changed her clothes. She didn’t want to stay drenched in gasoline any longer than she had to. Besides, the fumes were starting to get to her.

Now, she stood outside in the darkness as the time neared midnight. Ranch hands and household staff had all come outside to see what was going on. They stood on the periphery watching curiously.

As did Tevin and Hannah.

Everything had taken place so quickly. Wayne and Cooper were arrested. Some type of substance was put on the gasoline inside the barn to prevent it from accidentally igniting. Olive and Reid had updated the sheriff on everything that had happened.

This situation could have been so much worse.

As the sheriff spoke to someone on his radio, Olive turned to Reid. “You recognized Cooper in that video footage. How did you know it was him?”

“When Tevin zoomed in on the video, I saw a gold earring in the man’s ear.” Reid’s jaw tightened at the words. “That’s when I knew it was Cooper. Everything made sense.”

“I’m glad you put that together—and that you found him in time.”

“Me too. They were close to getting away with everything. That would have been tragic.”

The sheriff lowered his radio. “Jon and Edgar have both been picked up. One of my guys questioned them, and Jon spilled the beans. It turns out, Jon is related to Wayne. Jon admitted to borrowing Skip’s gun. After Edgar used the gun to kill Andy, he freaked out. They put it back in Skip’s office and hoped no one would ever make the connection.”

“I’m assuming Wayne is the one who blacklisted me?” Reid said.

Freeman nodded. “We don’t know that for sure, but it makes sense.”

“He started that rumor about the government buying up land also,” Reid said. “And I’d bet if anyone looked into those shell corporations, they’ll somehow lead back to Wayne also.”

“That’s my best guess,” Freeman said with a nod. “It’s a real shame how far he took things.”

A moment of silence passed, and Olive glanced around.

She was glad this community hadn’t been destroyed, in spite of Wayne’s efforts to fulfill his dream of starting a hunting preserve.

Dippy waved to them from the distance, and Reid called him over.

He stood nervously in front of them. “I’m sorry for my role in all this.”

“Did you figure out who this Justin guy was who was talking to you?” Olive asked.

“I can only assume it was Wayne or one of the guys working for him.” Dippy frowned. “The truth is, the other night, I saw Cooper with these two men in the woods—one was tall and the other short.”

Jon and Edgar.

“I’m not sure what they were doing out there,” Dippy said. “But they saw me and made up an excuse about checking out some erosion. I didn’t believe them. But I knew if I talked that I’d be in trouble.”

“You’re probably right.” Olive gave him a nod.

“Why were they out there in the rain?” Reid asked.

Dippy shrugged. “They were discussing something. Had raincoats on and everything. Figured it must be urgent if they went through all that trouble to keep it private.”

They’d most likely been plotting ways to make sure this property became Wayne’s.

Olive mentally shook her head at the thought.

“Will Lucy be arrested?” Reid turned back to the sheriff.

“We’re still building our case. We’ll need to verify that she really was fooled by Wayne and wasn’t aware of what was happening.”

“Good to know.” Reid let out a breath. “Maybe this is all over. But it could have turned out so much differently.”

“Yes, it could have,” Olive muttered. “But it didn’t, and that’s the important thing.”

He cast her a grateful grin. “Yes, it is. Now, maybe life can return to normal.”