Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

CJ S TAFFORD FELT as if he could explode. His heart jackhammered in his chest, each beat like a blow to his chest. That damned Treyton McKenna. He’d kill him when he got out of here, he told himself as he pushed his way through the group waiting to use the prison phone.

After having to bribe and threaten and almost fistfight his way to get the phone, he called Ret. “What happened?” he demanded from between gritted teeth.

“The sheriff showed up when we were about to kick the crap out of Treyton.”

He gripped the phone hard. “The sheriff followed you?”

“No, why would he? Treyton seemed as surprised to see him as we were. Wasn’t even about us, Treyton said when I called him later. Something about some girl.”

“Bailey?” She’d always been trouble.

“Naw, not Treyton’s sister. That Willow chick who got herself murdered. They found her naked in the river. Didn’t you hear about that?”

CJ couldn’t care less. “Whatever. All I care about is what I told you to do to Treyton.”

“We talked when he called. He’s doing what you told him to. He said he would pay your lawyer and send you some money so you could buy yourself a chill pill.”

CJ swore. If he could get his hands on that McKenna son of a—

“Seriously, CJ. You need to relax and stay out of trouble. Isn’t your trial coming up?”

“Thanks for reminding me.” If it went the way his lawyer said it would, he’d be going to prison for the rest of his miserable life.

“Hire yourself a better lawyer with the chill pill money. I know you. If anyone can beat this, it’s you.”

His time was up. He was going to be cut off anyway, so he merely swore and threw the phone at the prisoner waiting impatiently behind him. All he could think about was that if his mother had gotten him a decent lawyer, he wouldn’t be sitting in a prison cell waiting for trial. He would be out running his business, where he should be.

Charlotte Stafford hadn’t been taking his calls for months. He hadn’t even tried his sisters. Neither Tilly nor Oakley would have taken his collect calls anyway. On a clearer-headed day, he might have admitted he couldn’t blame them. He’d almost killed Tilly in his pickup while running from the law. Oakley...well, almost killing her on purpose was why he was headed for trial.

With his mother and sisters not taking his calls, he knew better than to try his two younger brothers, Brand and Ryder. He’d spent years tormenting them both. Which meant he had to depend on the kindness of—not strangers, but criminals he couldn’t trust.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected his siblings to turn on him. They’d hated him for years for being their mother’s favorite. But he’d never expected his mother to turn on him since he was the one most like her. He’d been the one she’d loved the most because of it, which told him that she wouldn’t let him go to prison for the rest of his life.

One of these days, she’d come back to Powder Crossing and the ranch. Because if she didn’t help him, he feared what he would do when he finally got out one way or the other.

T HE SHERIFF CHECKED in at his office. It had been a long day. Tomorrow, he’d drive out to Jay Erickson’s ranch and talk to him. He’d have to wait to catch up with Richard “Dickie” Cline, the last name on Bailey’s list until he returned. He hated how little he’d learned today. He felt as if he was spinning his wheels, time running out. Bailey wasn’t safe until he found the man who’d killed Willow and assaulted her. He desperately needed a break in the investigation. He couldn’t stop until he got it.

As he sat down behind his desk, he went through his messages and thought about what he’d learned. He’d talked to staff at the hotel, the owner and some of the bartenders, especially Luke Graves, who he was told often got Willow to work the bar for him.

Graves had admitted that it was true he got Willow to take his shifts at the hotel bar on occasion. But as far as who she might have visited with at the bar during that time, he had no idea.

“Did she spend time in the bar when she wasn’t working a shift for you?” Stuart had asked.

“I never saw her in the bar with anyone, if that’s what you’re asking,” Graves said. “She’d stick her head in after her desk shift was over. I’d make her soda to go on the house, but she never stayed around.”

“When she’d stop in for a soda, did you see anyone at the bar leave shortly after that?” the sheriff asked.

Graves hesitated, and Stuart saw that he knew about Willow and AJ. “Was AJ Plummer the only one who left right away?” he asked. When Graves still didn’t answer, he added, “I’m trying to find out who was close to Willow. Who might know who killed her.”

The bartender swallowed and said, “AJ’s the only one I noticed leave right after Willow did.”

“They were seeing each other secretly?”

The bartender nodded. “He was separated from his wife, but still married. I suppose that explains the secretiveness.”

When asked about Willow’s hair color, he said that she did ask him what he thought. He’d liked her blonde and had said as much, so he was surprised when she changed it. As to who told her she should go back to her natural color, he didn’t know.

Tomorrow Stuart would talk to Jay Erickson first thing. Then if Richard “Dickie” Cline was back from where his wife said he’d gone, he’d talk to him. Right now, he wanted to bring AJ Plummer in, but he knew Plummer would lawyer up quickly if he tried without more evidence.

The sheriff knew he couldn’t ask any of the men to disrobe so he could check for scars—and a small horseshoe brand. It was going to take more than suspicion. He needed proof to make the arrest first. After that, it should be easy to either prove one of the men was guilty—or exonerate all four.

That thought made him feel queasy. Bailey was so sure it was one of them, but what if she was wrong? Then he would be back to square one.

He shook off the thought. All four fit the description. All four had been invited to the barbecue.

Almost grateful for the interruption, he took a call from the crime lab to let him know that the items collected along the riverbank had arrived. The tech promised to get back to him once the items were tested.

Stuart doubted any DNA would be found in the trash found along the river, but he knew enough about forensics to hold out hope something simple and small could bring down a killer.

He was on his way home when he spotted AJ Plummer’s pickup parked in front of the hotel. “Just saved me the drive,” he said to himself as he pulled into the lot and went inside.

No surprise, he found AJ at the bar. It was early so he was alone, the bartender nowhere in sight. “Thought you said she was too young for you,” Stuart said as he took the stool next to him.

The rancher had the good grace to look shamefaced.

“You failed to mention that the two of you dated for a few months.”

“It was only a couple of months,” AJ said. “I liked her, okay?”

“You lied about your age with her.”

“I never told her my exact age. She knew I was too old for her.” AJ looked down at his drink on the bar.

“Did she know you were still married?”

“I assume so,” AJ snapped, “since everyone knows everyone else’s business around here.”

“You took off your wedding ring, but now it’s back on.”

“What are you getting at? Faith and I are trying to work a few things out.”

“Now that Willow’s no longer in the picture?”

AJ took a drink. “I don’t have to put up with this.”

“You’re right. You could come down to the sheriff’s department, and we could make this more formal. You should have mentioned you had a relationship with her.”

The rancher sighed. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Why don’t you tell me what it was like,” the sheriff said. Again, AJ looked embarrassed. “Let me guess. You knew better than to be seen with her, so the two of you never left the hotel.”

“She was of age,” AJ said in his defense. “It was consensual.”

“Did you tell her to change her hair color?”

AJ’s head jerked up. “What?”

“Someone at the bar told her she needed to go back to her natural color.”

“It wasn’t me. I thought she looked great as a blonde. I liked it better than way.”

“Did you ever notice other men flirting with her?”

“Sure.” AJ’s face flushed with anger. He was still holding his empty glass, his knuckles white. “All the time. They were like bees to honey.”

Stuart saw that the rancher had been jealous. So jealous that he stopped Willow from seeing anyone else? “Do you happen to know who got her to change her hair? She didn’t mention to you that she was changing it?”

“I told you, I’d broken it off and stayed away from her. We weren’t seeing each other the last month or so.”

“Why was that?” Stuart asked.

“She was too young for me and...and Faith and I were talking about getting back together.”

The sheriff studied him for a moment. It wasn’t adding up. What was he missing? “Was Willow seeing someone else?”

“How would I know?” he snapped.

“You don’t seem all that broken up over her murder.”

AJ met his gaze with a steely one of his own. “You’re wrong. It broke my heart. I cared about Willow. I wished like hell that I’d met her when I was closer to her age and not...married.”

“Did you know she was coming off of a heartbreak when she moved to Powder Crossing?” He nodded. “She talk about him?” A head shake. “But you knew she was vulnerable.”

A muscle jumped in AJ’s jaw. “Think of me what you will. Why would I kill her? I was in love with her.” With that he threw some money on the bar, slid off his stool and, picking up his Stetson, walked out.