Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Vance
Sheriff McGrath put out a statement on his social media account and called a press conference to let the citizens of Wildwood know what was going on. I watched the whole thing, observing on the sidelines.
You could learn a lot about people, seeing their reactions to something like this.
It was also interesting to note that Mayor Evans—father of Tony Evans, the apparent ex-boyfriend to the victim—didn’t show up at all.
Very interesting.
I told Claire to keep the tidbit about Tony to herself.
I didn’t want our knowledge of that information to spread before I could get down to the university and interview him personally.
The last thing I wanted was for someone to tip him off and give him time to prepare a story—or advise him to lawyer up.
As soon as Sheriff McGrath wrapped up, I headed to my SUV, planning to drive straight to Laramie. I could get there by nine —eight if I ignored the speed limit—and possibly speak to Tony that night.
The faster, the better.
As I opened my door, Claire caught up with me. “Wait,” she called, jogging down the sidewalk to where I was parked. She lowered her voice when she got close. “Are you heading to interview him now?”
“Yeah.” I closed the door and leaned against it, crossing my arms. “I want to talk to both him and the roommate.”
“Can I come?” She bit her lip, her normal confidence gone.
I was torn.
On one hand, she was supposed to be my partner on this case, and she was the one who had gotten this lead to begin with. But she had no training. No experience. And no filter on that mouth of hers.
A mouth that I found terribly distracting.
Besides, I always worked better alone.
“Laramie is outside of your jurisdiction,” I began, trying to let her down gently.
“Right.” She let out a breath, her shoulders sagging with disappointment.
I almost took it back and told her she could come observe. It would be good for her if she planned on staying in law enforcement.
But I didn’t. I left her behind.
One last case, I reminded myself. No distractions.
I arrived in Laramie at seven forty-five, beating my own estimate on time.
After talking at length with Tony, I grabbed a hotel so I could spend the following day on campus, interviewing Katelyn’s roommate and other students who had known her.
Next, I stopped by the police department to chat in person with the officers who had investigated her disappearance, then wrapped up my quick trip with a final stop at Katelyn’s mother’s house.
By the time I pulled back into Falcon Ridge Ranch, I’d been gone for nearly thirty-six hours and had only slept a few of them. The ranch was quiet and the rest of the cabins were dark, everyone else having settled in for the night hours before.
Fatigue hit hard when I let myself into the cabin. I fell into bed and slept like the dead, finally giving my brain the time it needed to process the information I’d crammed into it.
When the sky began to lighten, brightening the room with the first glimpse of dawn, I woke refreshed and ready to work. Needing fuel, I went to the kitchen and grabbed one of the protein bars I’d brought with me, but then I paused, remembering that the rental came with breakfast.
Anything Naomi Hawkins had cooked would be far better than a cold protein bar.
I locked up and started the walk toward the yard, appreciating the view as the sun rose over the land.
It made the vista a rainbow of colors: golden light set against hazy blue mountains, pink clouds with purple shadows, green sagebrush in the pastures.
I usually preferred the sunrise over the ocean.
But I had to admit, it was hard to imagine a scene prettier than this one.
Claire and one of her brothers came over the hill, galloping toward the stables on horseback.
I stopped in my tracks, unable to take my eyes off her.
She leaned forward in the saddle, her eyes laser-focused on the stables.
Her long blonde hair blew behind her in the wind, and her grin was so wide I could see it from here.
And suddenly I realized that the scene could get prettier after all.
Claire and her horse, a dappled gray mustang with a dark mane, flew over the ground like one. A cloud of dust rose behind them as they pulled ahead of her brother.
I thought they were going to blow right past the stable, but as they approached, she pulled to a sudden stop. Then she turned around, threw her head back, and let out a cheerful riff of laughter that reminded me of nimble fingers flying over piano keys.
Just like my favorite Mozart concerto.
“Sucker,” she called out as her brother—the long-haired one named Rhett, who I’d originally assumed was her boyfriend—came up beside her on his black stallion.
“You cheated,” he announced. “There’s no way your horse should have beat mine.”
“Bigger doesn’t always mean better.” She smirked, shaking her head.
I chuckled. Claire was a force to be reckoned with.
At the sound, she turned and watched me walking toward them. The smile dropped off her face. “Good morning, Agent Weston. I didn’t know you were back.” Her tone changed, the warmth gone.
“Call me Vance,” I said without thinking.
Another surprise. I never let deputies call me by my first name, especially if I was investigating in their county. But I’d said it, and I couldn’t exactly take it back.
Oddly enough, I didn’t want to.
She gave me a tight smile. “Do you need something?”
“No,” I said, tucking my hands into the pockets of my jacket. “I’m heading to grab some breakfast. I’ll see you at the office this morning. Unless—”
“Unless what?” Those deep green eyes stared at me, waiting for an answer.
I’d been about to suggest we carpool. But my whole plan was to distance myself. To stay focused.
Something about seeing her in her element had nearly made me forget it.
“Nothing,” I said. “See you later.” I turned around and walked away before I dug myself in even deeper.
She was pissed. Honestly, I couldn’t blame her. I was being exactly the kind of agent I’d always hated working with during my days at the NYPD—one who had no real interest in partnering with the local agency and just wanted them to get out of his way.
But this was different, I assured myself. Because unlike how I’d been back then, she wasn’t an experienced NYPD detective. She was a sassy cowgirl-turned-deputy who needed to have her hand held in order to work an investigation.
I didn’t have time for that.
The breakfast crowd was small. Only a handful of people milled around, drinking coffee and eating some sort of breakfast casserole. It didn’t look particularly appealing, but when the breeze brought a whiff of it my way, my mouth started watering.
Naomi Hawkins really could cook.
Speaking of Naomi, she spotted me right away and waved me over to the buffet table where she and Beth were serving. Claire’s kid brother, Jonathan, was next to them, filling a thermos from one of the carafes.
“Good morning, Agent Weston!” Naomi’s green eyes were bright. Sharp. They reminded me of Claire’s.
“Good morning. And please, call me Vance.”
She beamed. “I was getting worried we’d scared you off. Didn’t see your vehicle here at all yesterday.”
She was also nosy like Claire. It made me grin.
“No, you didn’t scare me off. Quite the opposite actually. Work took me away, but I’m thrilled to be back here instead of at a hotel. I’d like to commend you on your accommodations. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such a restful night.”
She smiled warmly. “I’m glad to hear it. Coffee?”
“Please.”
“How do you take it?”
“Black.”
She grinned as she gestured for Jonathan to pour me a cup. “Just like Claire. She’s over at the stables. Beth can take you over—”
I held up a hand, interrupting her. “That’s okay. I’m actually here to talk to you.”
Jonathan passed me the coffee, his dark eyes staring at me with marked curiosity. We’d never actually met the other night. He’d been too busy entertaining the girls who’d flocked to his side.
“Vance Weston,” I said, sticking my hand out for him to shake. “I’m working with your sister.”
Sort of. Guilt tried to creep in.
He grasped my hand with a strength that surprised me. “Jonathan.”
“Nice to meet you.”
He nodded but didn’t say the same.
Beth handed me a plate of casserole, then touched Jonathan’s arm gently, pulling him back to give me space to talk to their mother.
Naomi cocked her head. “So, what can I help you with, Vance?”
I took a sip of the coffee. Divine. It had a touch of woodsmoke in it, creating the illusion that it had been made over a fire and adding to the cowboy experience for the guests. Incredible.
“Nice coffee,” I said appreciatively before getting to my question. “Running this ranch, you probably see most of the tourists who come through this area.”
She nodded. “I do, yes. Some stay at the motel of course. It’s a lot cheaper. But we get the lion’s share of them. There are also a couple of longer-term vacation rentals nearby.”
I pulled a photograph of Katelyn Brown from my jacket. “I’m sure you’ve seen her photo on the news. Did she ever rent one of your cabins?”
Naomi’s face grew sad as she looked at the picture. “Poor thing. I saw Sheriff McGrath’s announcement. But no, she’s never stayed here.“
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. We interact with all of our guests. It’s part of the experience. You can’t just get a code and check yourself in here—we do it that way on purpose. We live here. We want to know the people staying on our property.” Naomi shook her head. “She’s never been here.”
I wasn’t surprised, but it never hurt to ask. “She was in this area over Christmas break. Did you see her around town anywhere? Coming to events, hanging out with anyone…”
Naomi’s eyes narrowed. She tapped her cheek with her finger and hummed as she thought. “I can’t remember ever seeing her, no. Not at any of the town Christmas events. I’m almost always here at the ranch though. Beth, Jonathan, what about you?”
They came closer. Beth took the photograph from my outstretched hand.
Jonathan glanced at it quickly, then shook his head. “Nah. Never seen her.”
“You sure?” I asked, cocking my head. He’d barely looked at the photo.
“I’m sure. I’ve got to go, Mom. Travis is waiting.” He gave Naomi a quick peck on the check, then sauntered off without a backward glance.
Beth took her time studying the photograph. Watching her, I was struck by just how different she and Claire were. Claire’s hair was a mess of blonde curls; Beth’s was soft brown waves. Claire’s eyes were green like her mother’s, while Beth’s were brown. Claire was short; Beth was tall.
But it was more than that. Their demeanors were totally different. Beth was quiet and reserved. She seemed to take an extra moment to think before answering anything—I’d noticed that even when she’d checked me in and given me the key to my cabin.
Claire, on the other hand, seemed to let every thought bubble up out of her mouth before she even knew what they were going to be. And the Claire I’d seen riding that horse today was a free spirit, as wild and untamed as the Wyoming wilderness. I couldn’t imagine her sister doing the same.
Beth handed the photograph back. “No, I’ve never seen her in person,” she said softly. “But I feel so bad for her. I hope you and Claire find out what happened.”
“I will,” I answered, leaving Claire out of it.
It would be me and me alone working this case. There was no we about it.
No distractions.