Cardwell Ranch Trespasser (16 page)

Hilde stopped for a moment, smiled and said, “You know I actually believed her. She is that good. And then she grabbed my hand, raked my fingernails down her face. I was so shocked I couldn’t move. I jerked my hand back. That’s when she picked up a chunk of broken sidewalk from the side of the street and hit herself in the face. I know,” she said, seeing his disbelieving expression. “I had the same reaction. Right after that was when she began to rip her clothing. She said no one would believe me. So far, she’s been dead-on, hasn’t she?”

With that she turned and walked out, leaving Hud frowning after her.

* * *

O
NLY A FEW
miles out of Big Sky, Colt got the call that Dee was refusing to press charges, deciding to take out a temporary restraining order instead. He swore, anxious to get to Hilde and find out what had happened.

He found her at her house. She hadn’t been home long when she opened the door. He saw that she had a stunned look on her face. Stunned and devastated. It was heartbreaking.

Without a word, he took her in his arms. She was trembling. He took her over to the couch, then went to her liquor cabinet and found some bourbon. He poured her a couple fingers’ worth.

“Drink this,” he said.

“Aren’t you afraid what I might do liquored up?” she asked sarcastically.

“Terrified,” he said and stood over her until she’d downed every drop. “You want to talk about it?” he asked, taking the empty glass from her and joining her on the couch.

She let out a laugh. “
I
hardly believe what happened. Why would I expect anyone else to?”

“I believe you. I believe everything you’ve told me.”

Tears welled in her brown eyes. He drew her to him and kissed her, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry you had to go through this alone.”

She nodded and wiped hastily at the tears as she drew back to look at him. “You’re my only hope right now. We have to find out whatever we can about this woman.” And then she told him everything, from finding the shop vandalized to what led up to her being nearly arrested.

When she finished, he said, “We shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Surprised? I’m still in shock. To do something like that to yourself...”

“You knew Dee was sick.”

Hilde nodded. “What will she do next? That’s what worries me.”

Colt didn’t want to say it, but that worried him, too. “Maybe Hud has the right idea. Isn’t there somewhere—”

“I’m not leaving. Dee told me that I’ve never had to fight for anything. Well, I’m fighting now. I’m bringing her down. One way or another.”

“Hilde—”

“She has to be stopped.”

“I agree. But we have to be careful. She’s dangerous.” He felt his phone vibrate, checked it and saw that his boss had sent him a text. “Hud wants to see me ASAP.” Not good. “I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“I’ll be fine. Dee won this round. She won’t do anything for a while, and I’m not going to give her another chance to use me like she did today.”

He heard the courage as well as the determination in her voice. Hilde was strong and, no matter what Dee had told her, she
was
a fighter.

“Would you mind if I came by later?”

Her kiss answered that question quite nicely.

* * *

H
UD WAS WAITING
when Colt arrived. He motioned him into his office. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he said the moment Colt closed the door and sat down.

“I beg your pardon?” He had a pretty good idea what the problem was, but he wasn’t about to hand him the rope to hang him.

“Tell me about the unauthorized request to run fingerprints you sent to the crime lab,” the marshal said.

That’s what Colt figured. Someone had caught his friend. He hated that he’d gotten the man into trouble. Sticking out his own neck was one thing. Sticking out someone else’s was a whole other story.

“They’re the woman’s now staying at your house, the one you call Dee Anna Justice,” he said.

Hud swore and slammed a hand down on his desk as he sat forward. “What the hell were you thinking sending an unauthorized request to the crime lab?”

“I was trying to protect you and your family.”

“That isn’t going to wash and you know it. Well, let me give you the news. There are no prints on file.” Hud let that sink in. “That’s right. Dee has no record. Satisfied?”

So she’d never been arrested. That didn’t surprise him given what he’d seen of her maneuvers so far.

“This is about Hilde, isn’t it?” Hud demanded. “You did this for her. This is so you can get closer to her.”

Colt got to his feet. “If that’s what you think—”

“You’re suspended.”

This, too, didn’t come as a surprise. He met Hud’s gaze. “If you really think I would use law enforcement resources to try to get a woman in bed, then I think you should fire me.”

“Damn it, Colt, you’re a fine deputy marshal and I don’t want to lose you. Two weeks without pay. Get out of here.”

He left Hud’s office, knowing there was nothing he could say. He’d taken a risk. It had cost him. Worse, it had only made Dee look more innocent.

“Colt,” Annie whispered, as he started for the door out of the station. He could tell that she’d probably heard everything. The department was small, the walls thin. She motioned him over and secretly slipped him a folded sheet of paper. “I think you’ll want to see this.”

They both heard Hud come out of his office. Colt mouthed
Thank you
and quickly left. It wasn’t until he reached home that he finally unfolded the sheet and saw what was written on it.

He went straight to his computer. It didn’t take long before he found what he was looking for—and then some.

Chapter Twelve

Hilde knew things hadn’t gone well at the marshal’s office the moment she opened the door and saw Colt’s face.

“What happened?” she asked, as she let him in.

“Nothing to worry about.”

“He found out that you sent Dee’s fingerprints to the crime lab.”

“I knew there was a chance that might happen.”

“Tell me he didn’t fire you,” she cried.

“He didn’t. Suspended for two weeks. As it turns out, the suspension couldn’t come at a better time. I’ve got some news.”

They moved into the kitchen, where Hilde got him a beer and poured a glass of wine for herself. She had a feeling she was going to need it. “I hate getting you into trouble.”

“You didn’t. I’m in this just as deep as you are,” he said, and kissed her as he took the cold bottle of beer she offered him. He took a sip. She watched him, desire making her legs weak as water.

She dropped into a chair in front of the fireplace, curling her legs under her and taking a drink of her wine. She’d built a small fire since he’d said he would be back. She’d tried not to count the minutes.

Colt didn’t sit but stood in front of the fire. She could tell he was worked up, too antsy to sit.

“You have news?” she asked, afraid what he was about to tell her.

“Rick Cameron’s real name was Richard Northland. Cameron was apparently one of a number of aliases he has used. He was a small-time con artist, been arrested a couple of times, but nothing that got him more than a little jail time. The person he cheated tended to drop the charges.”

Hilde felt her eyes widen. “So he and Dee had a lot in common.”

“I’m sure Dee was shocked by the news when Hud told her.”

Hilde let out a humorless laugh. “I’m sure she was.”

“There’s more. Her fingerprints weren’t on file. But when I did some digging online, I found a story about Richard and his sister, Camilla Northland.”

“His
sister?
”

Colt nodded. “The two of them were the only survivors of a fire at their home in Tuttle, Oklahoma. Both parents were killed. Apparently there was some suspicion that one or both might have purposely started the fire. Richard was fourteen at the time, Camilla sixteen.”

“Are you saying what I think you are?” Hilde asked.

“I’m trying hard not to jump to any conclusions. All we know for sure is that the man lying in the morgue is Richard Northland from Tuttle, Oklahoma. I’ll know more once I get there.”

“Get there?”

“I’m flying to Oklahoma tomorrow on the first flight out.”

Hilde got up from her chair and moved to the fire as a sudden chill skittered across her skin like spider legs. “You think there’s a possibility that Dee is his sister?”

“A possibility based on nothing more than a feeling that the two of them knew each other longer than Dee said.”

She recalled how Rick had turned around when the naked Dee had gotten out of the lake. “Dana thought Rick was Dee’s boyfriend.”

“Probably because that’s what she told her. I haven’t been able to find out much of anything about Camilla because she dropped off radar right after the fire. According to a newspaper account, the two were going to live with an aunt since their parents were the only family they had.”

“She dropped off the radar because she’s not using her real name?”

“That would be my guess. While I’m gone I want you to stay clear of Dee.”

“If she finds out where you’ve gone...”

“She won’t. I’ll tell someone at the station that I’m going to Denver to see my brother. I’m sure by now they all know I’ve been suspended.”

“Colt,” she said, touching his strong shoulder. “I don’t want to see you lose your job.”

“I won’t. I think whatever I find out in Oklahoma will change things drastically.”

Hilde couldn’t help being nervous. “Be careful. I’m just afraid what Dee might do if she thinks you’re onto her. So far it’s just me she’s after.”

“Yeah, that’s what worries me. Look what happened to Rick,” Colt said.

Hilde shivered and he took her in his arms. “I just don’t want her moving up her plan, whatever it is.”

“I’m more worried about you. I wish you were going with me.”

“If we both went, it would look even more suspicious. Anyway, she’s accomplished what she set out to do. Dana and I are hardly speaking.”

“I hate seeing you like this,” he said, and kissed her. “It’s going to be all right. I know you’re worried about Dana. But we’re going to get this resolved.”

She nodded. “Hopefully before something horrible happens.”

“Hilde, I don’t think Dee is through with you, so be careful.”

“I will.”

“Promise?”

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. “I’ll be careful.”

“I’ll call you from Oklahoma as soon as I know something. I won’t be gone any longer than I have to. I’m going home to pack, but first...” He swung her up in his arms. “I don’t want you to forget about me while I’m gone.”

“Like that could happen,” she said with a laugh, as he carried her into the bedroom.

* * *

C
OLT TRIED TO
get on standby, but the earliest flight he could get on was that afternoon. He hated leaving Hilde. Last night he’d managed to talk her into letting Ronnie open the shop and man it until he got back. It had taken some talking, though. Hilde was one determined woman.

He tried not to speculate on what Dee might do. When he’d called Annie at the office, he’d told her he was flying to Denver to visit his brother. Of course, she knew he’d been suspended.

“Mrs. Savage was in earlier,” Annie told him in a hushed whisper. “She and the boss had a row over your suspension. Seems her cousin has booked a flight to New York City for Saturday.”

That had been news. Saturday was only two days away. If Dee was telling the truth. “I suppose there is no way to find out if she really did book that flight,” he said to Annie.

She chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

After he hung up, he wondered if this meant Dee was giving up. Maybe she’d realized that Hilde had her fingerprints and DNA, so it wouldn’t be long before they knew who she really was.
Best to leave town before that happened, huh, Dee?

His plane landed in Salt Lake City with a short layover before he flew into Oklahoma City, where he rented a car. It was too late to drive to Tuttle, so he got a motel. When he called Hilde, she sounded fine, anxious, but staying in the house. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Try to get some sleep,” he told her. “I won’t know anything until tomorrow at the soonest.” He didn’t sleep well at all and early the next morning set off for Tuttle.

The town had once been a tiny suburb. Now the buildings along the former main street were boarded up. It was one of many small, dying towns across the country.

Colt stopped at the combination grocery and gas station and wandered inside. A fan whirred in the window near the counter behind an elderly woman who sat thumbing through a movie magazine.

“Can you believe all the divorces they have out in Hollywood?” She looked up at him over her glasses as if actually expecting an answer.

“No, I can’t.”

She closed the magazine, studying him. “You aren’t from around here.”

He shook his head. “But I’m looking for someone
from
around here.”

Her eyes widened a little. “I figured you were just lost. Who are you looking for? I know most everyone since I was born and raised right here.”

That had been his hope. “Maybe you know them, then. Richard and Camilla Northland?

The woman’s expression soured in a heartbeat. She leaned back as if trying to distance herself from his words. “Well, you won’t find them around here.”

“Actually, I’m looking for their aunt, the one who raised them after their parents died.”

“Didn’t die. Were murdered.” She shook her head. “What do you want with Thelma?”

“I have some news about her nephew.”

“There isn’t any news she’d want to hear except that he’s six feet under,” the woman snapped.

“Then I guess I have some good news for her.”

* * *

H
ILDE TRIED NOT
to go down to the shop the next day, but Ronnie called to say there was a problem with the new sewing machine invoice and the deliveryman wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do.

“I’ll be right there.” She was thankful for the call. Sitting around waiting to hear from Colt was making her all the more anxious. She was also thankful that the sewing machines hadn’t arrived before Dee vandalized the shop.