Chapter 4 #2
She shifted, retrieving a small notepad and pen from the back pocket of her jeans. It was the same one she’d had on Wednesday. She flipped it open and the ballpoint pen hovered above the paper. “The trail up Indigo Ridge. What’s it used for?”
“Nothing these days. Before we bought the neighboring place, we used that trail to move cattle up the mountain. Even then it was rare. We’d only take it if we were having a drought and were short on grass.
There’s a cutoff that winds to the back side of the ridge where we’ve got about two hundred acres. ”
Her pen flew over the paper. “I think I saw that cutoff when I was up there.”
“It’s pretty overgrown now. After I bought the neighboring place, it gave us a direct road to the mountain.
We haven’t moved cattle on that trail since.
” Part of the reason that I’d pushed so hard to buy the neighboring property was because I hated moving cattle up that trail.
It was steep and required we go single file, following the cattle by horse.
“I believe I saw that road too. Though road is probably a generous term. It was more like two tracks through the trees.”
“That’s the one.”
“Does anyone go up there? Or is it strictly for cattle?”
“My uncle. He lives there now. After I bought the neighbor’s place, he built a cabin in the mountains. It’s right on the border with the forest service. He’s been there for about a year.”
Her pen scratched on the paper as she made a note. “And would he have recalled seeing anyone coming up or down the trail?”
“No. His place isn’t anywhere near that trail.” And Briggs was struggling when it came to recollection these days.
“Do people come out there to go hiking?”
“Not without permission. And even then, I wouldn’t give it.” Not to Indigo Ridge.
“So no one ever goes out there.”
“Kids sometimes,” I admitted. “Curious kids who know that’s where two girls committed suicide. I caught a group of them last fall. Haven’t seen anyone up there since.”
“Was Lily with that group of kids?”
“No, they were younger. In high school.”
Her pen scratched another note. “The medical examiner determined that the time of death was likely late Sunday night, into early Monday morning. Would any of your employees have been in the area at that time? Or perhaps your uncle?”
“You want alibis.”
“Call it alibis if you’d like. I’m trying to determine if anyone would have seen her go up there and if she was really alone.
We found her car parked off the highway.
From where it was parked to the place where she would have jumped, it’s seven miles.
I walked it yesterday, and it took me almost three hours.
I’m wondering if someone might have seen her during that time. ”
“No one who works for me.”
“If it was at night, she would have had to have a flashlight. We didn’t find one on the trail or by her body. We also didn’t find shoes.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Where are her shoes? If she walked it without them, her feet would have looked like ground meat. Her feet had some scratches but not seven miles’ worth. How did she get up there in the dark? By eleven it’s pitch black.”
“You said the medical examiner suspected it could have been Monday morning.”
“At the very latest. But again, that’s time of death.”
“Maybe she went up during the day. Stayed there for a while. I don’t know.”
Winn flipped to a new sheet on the notepad. “Would anyone have been around early Monday morning to see someone leave the ridge?”
“You think someone went up there with her.”
“Possibly.”
“And what? Killed her?” I shook my head and sighed. “It’s a suicide, Chief. Just like the other girls who jumped off that ridge. I don’t know why they did it. My heart aches for their families. But it’s exactly the same as the other two times. I know because I was there for all three.”
She blinked.
“Didn’t know that, did you?” I muttered. “Dad found the first body. I found the second.”
“And now Lily Green.”
I nodded. “It’s awful. Truly awful. What we need are more resources in town for these girls, not to go looking for a killer when there isn’t one. Which you’d understand if you were from here. But you’re not.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it before speaking. Her nostrils flared.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She sat a little straighter. “Is there anything else you can tell me about the other girls?”
“It’ll all be in a report, I’m sure.”
“Yes, I’m sure. But I’m asking anyway.”
“The girl I found was two years ago. She was one of Eloise’s friends. It shook us all up. Eloise knew she was having a hard time but didn’t think it would go this far.” So now my sister carried that guilt. We all did. “The girl Dad found was five years ago. She’d been friends with Lyla.”
“I’m sorry. That had to be hard on your family.”
“It was.”
Winslow closed her notebook, then stood. “Thank you for your time.”
“That’s it?”
“For now. I’ll show myself out.” Without another word, she strode out of the living room.
The smart thing to do would be to let her go. Keep some distance. Let her walk out the door while I stayed right here on this couch. But I stood, the manners my mother had ingrained in us from an early age nagging. We escorted guests out and thanked them for stopping by.
I caught up to Winn just as she was about to reach for the handle. I stretched past her, crowding way too close, and opened the door. Another manner. Men held doors for women.
She glanced up at me, her breath catching. Once again, that sweet scent of hers filled my nose. Her mouth parted but otherwise she didn’t move.
An inch, maybe two, separated our bodies. That tiny gap crackled, the electricity between us just as strong as it had been at Willie’s. She was more beautiful than I’d realized sitting in that dark, musty bar.
Winn’s blue eyes broke from mine, and the moment her gaze dropped to my mouth, I was done for.
I leaned closer.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“I have no fucking clue.” Then my lips were on hers.
One sweep of my tongue against her lower lip and we weren’t standing by my door. We were at Willie’s, locked in my truck. Our clothes were stripped and strewn on the floor. Our mouths were fused as she straddled my lap.
Days later and I could still feel the way she’d moved over me, rocking her hips up and down and up and down. The fingernail marks she’d left on my shoulders had faded, and damn it, I wanted them back.
I let go of the door to wrap Winn in my arms, pulling her flush against my chest.
She came willingly, her tongue tangling with mine as I savored her sweetness. Her lips were soft, yet frantic. Her hands gripped my T-shirt, balling it in her fists as I slanted my mouth over hers for a deeper dive.
My pulse throbbed in my veins. My arousal was like steel, as hard as the gun holstered on her hip. I was a second away from kicking the door closed and carrying her to my bedroom when the sound of a horse’s whinny broke us apart.
Winslow tore her lips from mine, our breaths mingling. Her eyes widened as she stepped out of my arms.
My chest heaved as I worked to regain my breath, and before the haze of desire had cleared, she was gone. She walked away without a backward glance.
I stood in the threshold, arms crossed over my chest, and watched her climb into her SUV and tear down the gravel road, disappearing into the grove of trees that surrounded my property.
“Shit.” I rubbed her kiss from my lips, then went inside for that second beer.
Anything to get her intoxicating taste off my tongue.
The second bottle didn’t work. Neither did the third.