Chapter Sixteen #2
“Hmm…maybe you should look behind you.”
“Huh?” She turns around, but before she can say anything, Brett beats her to it.
“Thank fuck. I’m in love with you, too.” And then he kisses her, and I don’t even pretend to hide the dopey grin on my face.
Sensing someone approaching from behind, I look over my shoulder and spot Jen. She takes the now-empty seat beside me, offering me a veggie burrito, which I happily take.
The teens break their kiss so the girl can look at me. “Thanks, Calliope.”
“Anytime.” I wink as they walk off hand in hand.
“Ah, young love.”
“You remember that far back?”
She elbows me in the boob, making me laugh.
“That hurt.”
“Good, you deserved it.”
“You ever feel sad you missed all that?” She nods to the retreating couple.
“Sometimes, but then I look at who I have now and my cauldron runneth over.”
She cackles at that, clinking her burrito to mine like it’s champagne.
“How they doing up there anyway?”
“Busy as hell, but that’s hardly surprising. I might be getting older, but there is nothing wrong with my eyesight, and those boys are fine.”
“I’m well aware, thank you. I’m more surprised that they’re all working together and there has been no bloodshed.”
“Well, they’ve managed to maneuver you around the bedroom without punching each other, so I’m guessing they’re taking the same approach.”
I shake my head and laugh before taking a bite of my food.
“Besides, they’ve not really had the chance to take swipes at each other.
As I said, they’re busy, and it hasn’t let up all day.
I give them another twenty minutes, and they’ll be out of stock.
Everyone is raving about those burgers of yours.
Whatever it is you’re feeding your cattle, long may it continue.
I heard a guy talking to Riggs about supplying a local restaurant chain, but he told them to talk to his boss.
Smart man, that one. Think that would be something you’d be interested in? There’s good money to be made in it.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I’m happy with what I have going on now, plus we have the shops opening soon. To keep up with demand, I’d have to bring in more cattle, which defeats the object of selling some off.”
“Well, if you change your mind later down the line, let me know. And regardless, I’ll take the recipe you used.”
“It was just something I found in a cookbook from the library. Nothing fancy.”
Before she can say anything else, I spot a man walking up the road.
He’s nowhere near me or my stall, and yet somehow, I know he’s heading my way.
I straighten in my seat and narrow my eyes as I take this guy in.
Tall, tan, wearing a dark shirt with dark jeans and a cowboy hat in white, a stark contrast to the rest of his outfit.
He’d fit in easily around here if it weren’t for the star on his belt declaring him a US marshal.
“You know that guy?” I ask Jen, who looks up from her food.
“No. And he doesn’t have the kind of presence someone forgets. The question is, what’s a US marshal doing here?”
“That’s what I’d like to know. Especially since he’s heading my way.” I get to my feet, Jen doing the same beside me as people start noticing the stranger in their midst. The once-bustling street quiets as they take him in and his approach to me.
“Miss Hart?”
“That’s me.”
The guy pulls off his aviators and slides them into the front pocket of his shirt. “I need to talk to you.”
“Okay, about what?”
“About your father, Martin Hart, and your former ranch manager Mr. Mark Porter.”
I bite my lip to stop myself from smirking.
I’m guessing news hasn’t reached them that Martin and Mark are one and the same.
I’ll be damned if I tell him anything. I’m happy to hand him the rope and watch him hang himself.
A quick glance at Jen tells me she’s feeling the same way.
“Well, I don’t know how I can help. Their business was none of mine. ”
“Now that’s where you’re very wrong. I have a warrant here to search Corvis Wing Ranch and its land.”
Jen yanks the paperwork from his hand and scans it as I take him in.
“Well, as neither Martin nor Porter owns Corvis Wing—”
“That doesn’t matter. We have evidence to suggest money was being laundered, among other things.”
“Other things?” I muse, not intimidated by this motherfucker at all.
“The property does not belong to either of the men listed on this warrant, and it never has. Not only that, but the main house was locked up tight the entire time my client was incarcerated,” Jen snaps as she reads.
“Your client?” He looks from me to Jen.
“Jenny Banks. Calliope’s attorney.”
“Be that as it may. I’m searching that property. I’ve been working with the feds and ATF. You won’t weasel out of this.”
Jen laughs. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
I look at Jen, who shrugs. “Up to you. I personally would tell them to fuck off, but they tend to frown on that. If it helps, while we’re still waiting for the governor to pardon you, this will add on a few zeros to the compensation I’ll be seeking.”
I sigh. “Fine. I was having such a good time, too.”
“There is one more thing.”
I turn back to the marshal and give him the fakest smile he’s likely ever seen.
“We’ve had reports of people going missing from this town—men predominantly—and too many for it to be a coincidence.”
“And you think that’s my fault, too? Wow, I’m not sure I should be upset you think I’m some criminal mastermind or impressed. And how, pray tell, do you think I’m making people, men predominantly,” I mock, “leave? With threats of intimidation or just my womanly charms?”
“I don’t think you’re making them leave, Miss Hart. I think you’re murdering them, and I think I’ll find them up at the ranch.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I don’t joke about murder. We’ve a credible tip, and I don’t plan to ignore it.”
A credible tip?
“You’re talking about Derek Andrews.” Jackie walks up to stand beside me, her face pale.
“I cannot disclose that information.”
“You don’t need to. We know. It baffles me that you’d take the word of a man who was dismissed from his job in law enforcement for assault, harassment, and behavior unbecoming of a police officer, impeding an investigation, and tampering with a crime scene.”
The marshal looks shocked. “Who are you?”
“I’m Jackie Andrews. Derek was my son before I disowned him. Would you like to know why I did that? Because he beat the crap out of a woman and tried to frame Calliope for it. His hatred for Calliope knows no bounds. You’ll be a goddamn fool if you listen to him.”
“I’m sorry to inform you, Mrs. Andrews, that Derek is missing too. He hasn’t checked in, and he didn’t arrive at our prearranged rendezvous point.”
Jackie laughs. “Because he’s done what he needed to do. He put the cat among the pigeons and ran away before he could get into trouble. My son is missing because he chooses to be, and I hope for his sake he stays missing.” She points at him.
I grab her arm gently to stop her. The last thing we need is Jackie getting carted off in cuffs.
“Jen and I will head back to the ranch. Can you let the guys know what’s going on, and then give David a hand with Hannah? I don’t want her coming back to the ranch until they’re gone. She’s been through enough.”
“You’ve got it, Calliope. I’m so, so sorry about all this. That boy…I swear I never knew his father had his claws in so deep.”
“None of this is your fault. It’s all on him.”
“I’m still sorry.”
I hug her as Sarah and Henry walk over. “What’s going on?”
“Jackie can fill you in. Any chance you could pack up my stall for me? I hate to ask, but…”
“No, of course. You go do what you’ve got to do.”
“Thanks.”
Jen takes my hand, and we head down Main Street as people start booing and jeering. My heart plummets until I realize they’re not booing me, they’re booing the marshal. For once, I’m stunned silent.
The marshal ignores them, opening the door to his car and nodding for me to get in. “Just you.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. Either we ride together in your car, or we ride together in mine. My client is not under arrest, and you’ve already fucked up with this bullshit warrant. Let’s not make it any worse by denying my client counsel,” Jen snaps before climbing in the back seat ahead of me.
I grin before I climb in and rest my head on her shoulder.
“You okay?” she asks softly.
“Yeah. Just worried.”
“They can’t do fuck-all to you.”
“No, I know. That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“Well, what’s bothering you then?”
“How postal my guys are gonna go when they find out what’s happening.”
“Ah. Well, I have space on my roster for a couple of extra clients. We’ll figure it out.”
And despite the clusterfuck this day is ending in, I don’t doubt her for a second.