Chapter 8
She felt the heat of Owen’s gaze, but she refused to let him sway her.
If he knew she kept a secret from him, Leslie doubted he’d feel as confident in her ability to tell him the truth.
In fact, she didn’t tell him about Tucker because he never returned.
Most importantly, if he walked away so easily from her, what made her think he wouldn’t hurt Tucker the same way? She refused to allow it to happen.
“When will we meet Tucker?” Elias asked. “Conner seems fond of him.”
Leslie froze.
“He’s somewhat shy. He doesn’t like meeting new people,” she replied lamely.
“I’m sure Conner will talk him into meeting us. After all, Owen bought him the biggest steak around,” Elias teased. “You got him good, Leslie. It reminded me of old times.”
“Yeah, real funny,” Owen said, trying to act perturbed, but the smile gave him away.
“You’re lucky I didn’t send you to Colorado Springs,” she quipped.
“I’ll count my blessings,” he huffed. “Conner gave it his best to finish the steak. I imagine he’ll put a dent in the grocery bill.”
“He’s worth every penny. Conner never complains about doing hard work or taking care of the animals,” she told the brothers. “He’s waited to meet you for a long time. I’m afraid your dad might’ve made you into something bigger than life. He has high expectations of you all.”
“Did Dad ever say why he kept tabs on us? He never contacted me,” Owen said. He tried to hide the hurt, but she knew everything about the man driving. “Did he contact you?” he asked Elias.
“I got a Christmas card and a birthday gift,” Elias admitted. “I imagine as a Navy SEAL, you moved around a lot. Maybe it got lost in the mail.”
Owen frowned. “Typical. Dad put me in charge but never gave anything back.”
Parking the truck in front of the coroner’s office, they got out, and Owen led the way inside. The receptionist, Daria, glanced up and smiled at them.
“How can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Owen Wolfe. I need to speak with someone concerning my father, Jeremiah Wolfe.”
She picked up her phone and spoke softly.
“If you’ll have a seat, someone will be with you shortly.”
Leslie took a seat near the window, leaving the two chairs sitting next to each other to the brothers.
A few minutes later, a large, rounded man came out to greet them.
“I’m Dr. Harrison. If you’ll follow me to my office, we can speak there.”
The trio followed him down the hall and into his tiny office. Owen motioned for Leslie to have a seat while he stood behind her. Elias sat beside her, and his shoulders tensed.
“I’ve sent off some blood work and labs, but the primary cause of your father’s death stems from a heart attack,” Dr. Harrison informed them.
Leslie felt Owen’s grip on the back of her chair tighten.
“How did you determine the primary cause of death?” Owen asked.
“My examination showed a blocked artery and inflammation. The heart showed evidence of damaged tissue. On appearance, your father appeared cyanotic, and a small amount of fluid appeared in his lungs,” he said matter-of-factly, disliking Owen’s questioning.
“When will his body be released to us for his burial?” Owen asked gruffly.
“The tests will return by the end of the week,” Dr. Harrison replied. “I’m not expecting the results to change my initial diagnosis. I’ll be able to release him by the beginning of next week.”
“Will the office call us?” Elias asked.
“Yes. I don’t foresee it taking any longer. We’re a small town, and it’s not often we have murders around here,” Dr. Harrison chuckled. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks,” Owen replied as he opened the door, holding it open for his brother and Leslie.
When they returned to the truck, he started the engine and drove a few blocks before turning into the Sheriff’s office. He turned to face Leslie and his brother.
“You’re right. Dr. Harrison has decided Dad died from a heart attack. Let’s see what the sheriff has to say.”
Entering the office, Leslie pointed at Sheriff Dalton.
The man stood and approached them.
“It’s good to see you again, Leslie. I see you brought two of Jeremiah’s sons with you. I’m sorry about your father. I’ve known Jeremiah for several years. He seemed like a good man,” he said, shaking their hands and nodding toward Leslie.
“They have some questions about the investigation,” Leslie said. “I thought you might be able to answer them.”
Seeming taken aback, the sheriff glanced at her.
“I’m sorry, there’s not much to tell. We investigated his death, and the coroner seemed to conclude he died from a heart attack, and he hit his head when he fell, Sheriff Dalton explained.”
“He fell?” Owen asked.
“I discovered loose rock above the canyon. Leslie told me your father hiked daily. It’s my guess, he stood atop to watch the sunrise and fell when the episode occurred. I can assure you, I saw no signs of foul play.”
“Did you know about the offer on the mountain?” Owen asked.
“We heard the rumors. Everyone knew how Jeremiah felt about Wolfe Mountain. He told them no, and they respected his decision. According to the executives of the resort, your father approached them and stated he changed his mind. Everything appeared legitimate,” he assured them.
“What about his best friend, Gunny’s, concern about my father showing up unannounced?” Doesn’t it seem odd to you?” Owen pressed.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree,” the sheriff explained. “People do odd things as they grow older. They start putting their affairs in order. It’s my understanding you haven’t seen your father in ten years. Maybe he felt he needed to make arrangements for Conner.”
“I see,” Owen said. “We thank you for your time.”
He turned, leaving Leslie and Elias to follow him. When they climbed into the truck, He turned onto the dirt road, heading back to Wolfe Mountain.
“What about the funeral home?” Elias asked, confused.
“I don’t like this,” Owen said in a clipped voice. “If they found him on the west path. Dad didn’t go see the sunrise,” he said. “Does the bench, Wyatt and Dillon made, still stand on the East rock?”
“Yes,” Leslie said, supplying the answer.
No one said anything. Each seemed lost in thought about what this meant.
When Owen pulled into the driveway, he faced them.
“I agree with Leslie. It seems they have already made up their mind. We’ll need to hike the west trail and have Leslie show us where they found Dad.”
“Then you might want these,” she said, taking out her phone. “I don’t want to sound morbid, but Jeremiah acted strangely, and it seemed too coincidental. I asked Conner to turn away because no boy deserved to see their father like this. But I took pictures. I don’t know why.”
“Because your gut told you to do it,” Owen said. “May I see them?”
She scrolled until she got the photos and handed the phone to him. “I don’t trust giving these to the police.”
Owen studied each image while Elias scanned them. His jaw ticked as he turned the device, taking in each angle.
“Let’s take a hike,” he said, getting out of the truck.
The three of them traversed the rocky trail. Leslie stopped when they approached the spot. Owen glanced at the phone again and studied the land markings.
“What do you think?” Elias asked. “I don’t see any way Dad climbed the ledge and fell off.”
“Me either,” Owen muttered. He passed her phone back to her and studied the trail, walking the area.
When he finished, he turned to Leslie and Elias.
“Can you keep Conner for a few days? I don’t know how long we’ll be gone.”
“Of course,” she said. “What do you plan to do?”
“We’ll find out who killed our father and why,” Owen said. “Thanks to you, we might find out the truth.”
“What will we be doing, Owen?” Elias asked.
Owen stared at his brother and replied. “We’re bringing our brothers home. It’s time they returned to Wolfe Mountain.”