Chapter 8
My mother died in a car crash. She’s dead.
The woman’s words from the recent phone call ricocheted through Dom’s mind as he stared at the empty seats within the restaurant.
He couldn’t believe the hospice nurse was gone.
And he found the timing of the poor woman’s death suspicious.
Had the crash been accidental or intentional?
Had the hospice nurse been brutally murdered?
If so, why? Because she’d passed along Stuart Ramsey’s confession?
Or because she was given a Krugerrand? It seemed ludicrous that she would have been killed over a measly four thousand dollars.
Not that other innocent victims hadn’t been killed for less.
He hadn’t wanted to press the distraught daughter, but he was curious about whether Helen had the Krugerrand coin in her possession at the scene of the crash. Or if it had been stolen.
“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Kendra’s low voice managed to penetrate his thoughts. He shifted his gaze to her.
“It feels like it.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Do you think Helen’s death was a random event?”
“No.” Kendra’s expression turned grim. “I think the fact that she took Stuart’s confession put her on the gunman’s radar.”
Dom wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or upset that his thoughts and Kendra’s were aligned. “Okay, but if that’s the case, how did the gunman get from here, to Denver, and back here so quickly?”
Her brow furrowed. “That would be impossible. Denver is seven hours from here. Round trip would be fourteen. There’s no way the same gunman is responsible for shooting at us and causing Helen’s crash.”
He grimaced. “That means there are several gunmen after us.”
“At least two of them,” Kendra agreed.
“I feel bad for Helen’s daughter.” He stopped talking when their server headed toward them with two plates of food. His appetite had been ruined, but he forced a smile as she placed their plates on the table. “Thank you.”
“Looks great.” Kendra’s smile didn’t reach her eyes either. “Thanks.”
He picked up his fork, then dropped it when Kendra stretched her hand across the table. Belatedly remembering she always said grace, he took her hand in his.
“Dear Lord Jesus, please bless this food we are about to eat. We ask You to keep Helen’s family in Your loving arms, offering them comfort despite their loss. And, Lord, please keep us safe in Your care. Amen.”
“Amen.” The response came without conscious thought, and he found himself thinking about what Kendra had said about her parents being together in heaven.
He hadn’t thought much about his own death until recent events.
Now that he had faced the gunman several times, he realized he wanted eternal life for himself too.
He continued to hold Kendra’s hand for a long moment.
“Thank you, Kendra. I know I have a lot to learn when it comes to prayer.”
Hope bloomed in her blue eyes. “I would be happy to help you with that, Dominic. Maybe once the danger is over, you’ll consider attending church services with my family.”
The distance between Billings and Cody was an hour and forty-five minutes on a good day, depending on the weather, yet that didn’t seem too insurmountable. He nodded and forced himself to release her hand. “Thanks. I’d like that.”
Kendra’s smile was genuine, and there was no denying her prayer had lightened his despair. If Helen Gingrass was a believer, she was in a better place now. Like Kendra’s parents.
And his own? He wasn’t sure but decided to remain hopeful that they were together again.
His omelet and breakfast potatoes tasted great. His appetite had returned, which was a good thing. He ate quickly, realizing he needed fuel to face whatever lay ahead.
He finished his coffee, glad when their server quickly came to provide a refill.
“I’d like to call my sister-in-law Raine and maybe talk to my brother-in-law Griff too,” Kendra said, once they were alone. “Helen’s unexpected death changes things. We need law enforcement’s help on this.”
He tried to read her expression. “You’re thinking these guys are getting desperate.”
“Yep. And that they’re getting rid of all the loose ends.” She cradled her mug in her hands. “You and I are the biggest loose ends of all.”
Dom had wanted her to go back to the safety of the ranch, but now that Helen was dead, he realized that wouldn’t work. If they were loose ends, Kendra would be targeted regardless of where she was.
“I agree it’s time to call Raine and Griff.” If a former US Marshal and current FBI agent couldn’t figure this out, they were sunk. “Maybe they can help put the puzzle pieces together.”
“It’s almost six now. Not too early, especially since Justin is usually the first one out to the stable each morning to care for the horses.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and made the call.
“Raine? It’s Kendra. We need your help, Griff’s too.
” He listened as Kendra explained the events that had taken place over the past several hours.
“I wish I knew how we were found at the rental property since we didn’t even pay to stay there.
Dominic thinks maybe he didn’t reroute our ISP address as well as he’d thought. ”
Dom grimaced, hating the fact that he’d failed to keep them safe. Thank goodness for Smoky who had alerted them to the danger. He leaned back to look at the K9 lying at their feet. The dog was so quiet he didn’t even know she was there.
“The only way we’ll meet with Andrew Levy is if someone is with us,” Kendra said firmly.
“Whoever hired these guys has some major resources. Not only have we been dodging the gunman here in town, but we suspect the hospice nurse who took Stuart Ramsey’s confession was murdered last night in Denver too. ”
Kendra listened for a long minute. Feeling his gaze, she sent him a reassuring smile.
“Okay, that sounds good. Please bring extra supplies for Smoky, okay? We’re at the Sunny Side Up Café. Oh, that reminds me. Ask Justin or Joel if we can stay at Grady McFarland’s place for the next several hours. We left our SUV parked in his driveway and walked to the café.”
Another pause as Kendra listened. Their server refilled their cups, then hurried away as customers began filling the restaurant. Even at this early hour, people were out and about. Dom scanned the faces of the newcomers, hoping the gunman wasn’t hiding in plain sight.
“Thanks, Raine. Appreciate your help.” Kendra pocketed the phone. “Raine and Griff are on their way. And I have a feeling Chase will accompany them.”
“Great.” He forced a smile, but deep down, he was worried that associating with him would get Kendra’s family killed. Law enforcement or not, bullets could strike at any time. “I hope they can help us figure out who these guys are.”
“They will. And Raine agreed that we shouldn’t meet with Levy alone.” She eyed the restaurant. “Looks like the place is getting busy.” Kendra drained her coffee, then rummaged in her backpack. “I’ll feed Smoky, but if the tables fill up, we may need to head back to Grady’s to wait for my family.”
“Whatever you think is best.” He was hardly in a position to argue.
Kendra dumped her water glass into a collapsible bowl. He pushed his over too. With a grateful smile, she added his water to the bowl, then set it down. Smoky didn’t move toward the water, but the K9’s amber eyes were locked on Kendra.
After she filled another collapsible bowl with food, Kendra set that down on the floor too. Smoky still didn’t move. Only when Kendra said, “Come get it,” did the dog crawl out from beneath the table and begin to eat.
He wondered how many hours of training it had taken for Smoky to respond like that.
He searched the faces of the restaurant patrons again.
He’d felt safer when the place had been empty.
Now he was seeing a potential gunman everywhere he looked.
Granted, there were a few older patrons that weren’t likely suspects, but that didn’t make him feel any better.
“When Smoky is finished eating, we’ll head out.” Kendra had noticed his discomfort. “I feel exposed here too.”
“What about your family?” He dug for some cash, only to frown when he realized Kendra had beaten him to it.
“We’ll call them when we’re in the SUV.” She shrugged, then smiled as their server set their tab on the edge of the table. “They’ll understand.”
“Okay.” He set his empty coffee cup aside and stood. “May as well make use of the restrooms while we’re here.”
“Go ahead.” She waved a hand. “I’ll wait for Smoky to finish.”
Ten minutes later, they were back outside with Smoky trotting between them. He scanned the lot, noticing two large trucks. One was light in color, but the other was dark. It wasn’t a GMC Sierra, but he gestured toward it anyway. “What do you think?”
“We’re fine.” Kendra nodded at her K9 who had her head up and was sniffing the air with interest. “Smoky would growl if she scented the gunman.”
He shrugged, hoping she was right. The warning niggle along the back of his neck didn’t get any better despite being outside. He was still on edge, expecting the worst.
As they headed back toward Grady McFarland’s house, he knew the feeling wouldn’t go away until they had the gunman behind bars and he knew for certain Kendra and her family were safe.
The last thing he wanted was for anyone else to get hurt.
Dom’s shoulders were tense as he hovered beside her. Kendra glanced up at his chiseled features. Their brief kiss flashed in her mind, but she ruthlessly shoved the memory aside.
Dom didn’t live in Wyoming, and she wasn’t moving off the ranch. Not when there was a new generation of Sullivans soon to be joining the family. They’d always be friends.
Nothing more.
She couldn’t blame Dominic for being overly paranoid. She shared his concern about the gunman showing up again. The only good news was that reinforcements were on the way.