Chapter 8

Tyler

Monday 5.12am

I’m eating my breakfast when Liam breezes through the door, looking like shit. He’s never up this early unless he has guests to impress.

I down my coffee and push my plate away, unwilling to start the day off with another showdown with him.

He spies me and stalks towards me, giving me no chance to avoid him. “I have a job for you. I need it taken care of before anyone else arrives.”

His eyes flick around the empty dining room. “I’m getting rid of the dead weight.”

Every muscle tenses and I stop breathing. “What are you talking about? We’re running on a skeleton crew as it is.”

His eyes narrow and he rubs his chin showing me the scar on his knuckles. “I need Star moved.”

“To where?”

He looks at the kitchen where Kelly is prepping for the guests' breakfasts. “That’s not important. What’s important is that the animals cost too much to keep healthy.”

Cold spills through my body as I see why he’s making a point of telling me this before everyone arrives to start work. “You want to cull our animals rather than treat them?”

He picks up a knife and taps it on the table. “If we do it right we still make a profit.”

I push back from the table, sending my chair crashing to the floor. “You can’t just put them down. We have a responsibility—”

He jumps to his feet. “I have a responsibility to keep this place running. And right now, it’s either fire another hand or this.”

I shake my head. “That’s bullshit. No hand is going to stand by and watch you cull animals who could be treated.”

He checks Kelly isn’t nearby when he smiles coldly. “They won’t know. You’ll slaughter the sick animals. Starting with Star. Take her to the top field and shoot her.”

The last ounce of control I had dissolves. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

Instead of defending himself, he just smiles. “If you don’t like it. You know where the door is.”

If I ever thought Liam had any decency or desire to do the right thing, this proves he’s worse than I ever imagined.

This goes beyond greed. He’s doing this because he knows I won’t do it. He’s trying to force me to leave.

By the smug look on his face, he’d actually be willing to slaughter injured animals just so I’d go.

I take a breath and let it out slowly. “You can make all the changes you want, you can give me every last shit job there is, but if you try to make me do this, I will report you.”

Anger flashes across his face. “This is why dad gave me the ranch. You don’t have the stones to make tough decisions. This is a business. We do what we can to survive.”

I suck in a breath through my teeth, fists curling at my sides. Kelly picks that moment to step out of the kitchen with a tray of cinnamon buns. “Oh! Liam. You’re early.”

He switches his smile on and nods at her. “Could you make me one of your special coffees, darlin?”

By the flush that rises to her cheeks, and the way her shoulders stiffen, either Liam is already sleeping with her, or he’s planning on it.

I growl the second she’s back in the kitchen. “She’s married,” I remind him.

He lowers his voice. “That just makes the sex dirtier. Nothing tastes sweeter than doing someone else’s woman right under his nose.”

I don’t even think, I grab his shirt and smash my fist into his nose. He yowls, and grabs me around the waist, we grapple, grunting and cursing as we crash into the table.

I hear Kelly scream, and manage to get another few punches in before I hear feet trampling up the stairs and I’m pulled off him.

As Kelly runs to get a napkin for his bleeding nose and Gary is holding me back, telling me to calm down, Liam looks at me with such triumph, all the fight leaves me.

“Pack your things and go,” he chokes out.

I can’t speak. He goaded me into this. Pushed me into a corner and made sure there’d be witnesses to it.

When Kelly looks at me, eyes wide and terror etched on her face; I know she’ll believe whatever Liam wants her to.

No longer angry, numbness creeps through my body as I see how I just played into his hands.

I shake Gary off and stumble out of the kitchen in a daze. Instead of going to my cabin, I walk towards the stable.

I don’t know if he really intends to shoot Star or if he was bluffing just to get me to react.

But with Liam, I can’t take that chance.

When Gary catches up to me, I know I need to ask him for another favor before I pack up and leave.

“Can I borrow your truck again? I need to use the horse float.”

***

Monday 9.13am

Zoe

I’m on my third coffee for the morning and running on fumes when I drive into Silver Falls.

With screeds of emails to go through on the plane, I managed to get through a lot of them, but I’m still only through a third of Laughing Cat’s correspondence for the last twelve months.

I park in the basement garage and drink my coffee as I speed read.

When nothing of any interest stands out at a glance, I know I’ll need Christine to take a look too in case I missed something.

The cyber division has already been through Meg’s laptop, but I do a quick scan of her emails using trigger words just in case.

But there’s nothing. Not a trace. Like Liam Cooper’s record, his emails, all Meg’s correspondence is unremarkable.

Out of desperation, I drain my coffee and decide to look back over the last few months before Jack Carlson got sick.

According to the financial records, the ranch was flourishing. They were making a steady profit; animal losses were low, staff turnover was minimal, stock prices were holding.

Even when Jack was in hospital, everything appeared to be running smoothly. Tyler was doing a good job until Liam inherited the ranch and made a lot of changes in a small space of time.

Instead of revenue going back into the business, Liam was spending on advertising his new venture. And rather than keep the ranch hands on who’d been there for years, he fired several and hired less experienced cheaper hands.

I shake my head. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for Tyler. The ranch has been in his family for three generations.

Three months after Liam took over, they’d gone from making money to losing it even with the ridiculous amount of money Liam charges guests.

I lean my head back and sigh. Poor Tyler. He barely had a chance to grieve before Liam systematically stripped away everything that made the ranch profitable.

I can’t imagine how it must have felt to watch Liam take everything from him. And if the rumors about Liam and Meg are also true, he had more than enough reason to walk away.

I’m not entirely sure why he didn’t.

I rub my neck and roll my shoulders as I resume checking the emails until my eyes are blurring.

With a sigh, I close my laptop and stare out the window. Either I’m missing something or I’m looking for something that isn’t there, just because I want to help Tyler.

I’m too close to this. Too involved when I should be staying impartial. I shake my head at myself and make sure I have my badge and notebook before I climb out of my rental.

I’m smothering yawns as I walk through the doors into the busy ground floor. I follow the signs to the reception desk and wait until I have the red-haired receptionist’s attention.

I know I’m going to meet resistance when she’s less than civil when I ask to see the CEO. “He isn’t here this week.”

I smile and show her my badge. “I have a warrant, and I need access to all records pertaining to an active case.”

Her face blanches as she nods. “I’ll call administration. Celia should be in.”

I nod slowly. “You do that.”

Since I’ve made my point, I step back and look at the hospital, wondering if Burt is still here.

My stomach knots as I wait, checking my watch every minute until a dark-skinned, regal looking woman in a suit approaches me. “I’m Celia, head of administration. How can I help?”

I don’t want to start talking out here so I gesture to the elevators. “I’m working on a missing person case. One of your employees.”

Her lips press together but she nods and starts walking back to the elevator. “Meg Adler?”

I nod and wait until we’re inside and the doors are closed before explaining. “I’ve been speaking with the local sheriff. There seem to be some discrepancies regarding her employment status at the time she went missing.”

She frowns. “Well, I took over a few months ago so I didn’t know her. But as soon as I check with our lawyer I’m sure I can assist you.”

She shows me to her office and I hand over the official request, I check my messages while she confirms with the hospital’s attorney.

A dozen messages have come in, some related to this case, most not.

When I see a text message from Molly, I feel a twinge of unease I’m doing exactly what I promised I wouldn’t. I’m working when I was supposed to be relaxing.

It’s beyond crazy I left in a huff, went home, and barely stopped for breath before I started poking around. Even crazier than I jumped on a plane and came back again.

If I was thinking straight, I’d have stayed and done all this before clocking up travel miles.

By the time Celia returns, I’ve almost convinced myself I’m back here for all the wrong reasons.

She smiles uneasily as she hands back the paper, letting me know I’m on thin ice. “I convinced him he didn’t need to be here for this. I hope I wasn’t mistaken?”

I shake my head. “I’m just following a line of inquiry. Can you confirm Meg Adler was employed here as an ICU nurse on the eight November last year?”

She turns to her screen and taps away for a moment before answering. “No. She was suspended without pay.”

I nod, gaining more confidence as I finally get confirmation. “Why was she suspended?”

Her brow knits together as she reads. “There were some internal irregularities with drugs. And an anonymous complaint was received late October.”

I sit up a little straighter. “Was there an investigation into patient care?”

Celia nods. “She was suspended while the hospital carried out an internal investigation.”

I scrawl another note. “What kind of irregularities?

“A large number of breakages of Insulin. And a few pre-op meds.”

I tap my pen against my chin. “Did Jack Carlson require any of those meds?”

She shifts in her chair. “I’m not sure. He had surgery, and it looks like he was diabetic.”

I nod, trying to piece everything together. “What was Jack Carlson admitted for?”

“He collapsed on the ranch and was brought by ambulance. The original diagnosis was a cerebrovascular accident,” she says.

I frown. He died from a Stroke? “Were there complications?”

She reads and shrugs. “I’m not a doctor, so some of this is mumbo jumbo to me.”

I smile and ask her to print the entire case notes for me to study.

I can look over everything again. But with time against me, I need to cut corners where I can.

“Was there an autopsy on Mr. Carlson’s body?

She shifts in her seat and doesn’t look at me. “Yes. COD was organ failure.”

If I wasn’t suspicious she’s hiding something, I would be now. I ask her a question even though I know the answer. “Is it usual for an autopsy to be carried out?”

“When there are mitigating circumstances, yes.”

Mitigating circumstances mean the CEO should have contacted the Sherriff’s Department. I don’t say anything, but jot down a note.

She hits print and looks at me. “If you need the pathologist to explain anything, I can ask for him to come up?”

I shake my head and wonder if Tyler knew about any of this. “Not right now. I just have a final question then I need to look at the CCTV footage. Is it possible Meg was nursing Jack Carlson after she was suspended?”

Celia’s face slackens. “That’s not…Her suspension stipulated she not return until the investigation was concluded. Why would she?”

I have to force myself to remain impassive. “She was in a relationship with Tyler Carlson. Maybe she didn’t want him to know she’d been suspended?”

She swallows thickly. “I see.”

“Did she ever work on other wards?

Her eyes back on her screen, she taps away and nods. “She worked in the ER. Had been for three years. She requested and was granted a transfer to ICU in August.”

My stomach flutters and I know I’m getting closer. “I’d like to see admissions from August through to November on every patient Meg had contact with.”

Her eyebrows rise. “That will take some time.”

I nod and rise to my feet. Time is not something I have. “You can email it to me or my assistant. But while I’m here, I’d like to see the CCTV footage of the week Jack Carlson died.”

With any luck I’ll see Meg and Liam together and have concrete proof.

Her smile is weak as she gets to her feet. “Of course. Come with me.”

We walk down the corridor and get in the elevator and her nervousness becomes more apparent.

The second the doors close and we’re alone, she turns to me. “Look. This is a new position for me. I don’t know what was going on here before I arrived. I don’t want to get in trouble for something I had no part in.”

It’s such an odd thing to say my eyebrows rise. “Unless you’re willingly concealing information Meg Adler was negligent…”

She hastily shakes her head and I’m almost one hundred percent sure she knows something. “No. Of course not. Ever since I arrived people have been gossiping about Meg and her love life. Since the investigation was inconclusive. I was hoping it was over and done with.”

I frown hard. “If the investigation was inconclusive, why didn’t they reinstate her?”

“I don’t have an answer to that. I’d have to speak to my boss.”

It’s just another oddity that may or may not mean something. I need something solid. Something concrete other than a missing nurse and missing drugs.

“If you could call the CEO and confirm that I’d appreciate it. I’m low on time.”

Her brow knits. “He’s on vacation but I’ll leave a message for him. And it might take some time to find the footage. I’m not familiar with the system yet.”

I press the down arrow. “I’ll just take a quick look while I’m here. But I’ll need to see the footage as far back as August.”

She pulls out her cell and taps out a message. “I can do that. The cameras are motion-activated, so that may help?”

I smile. “It will. I’m sure my assistant will be glad.”

She chuckles and looks ready to say something else when the elevator doors open. My body goes rigid as I see a checked shirt and a handsome face under a cowboy hat.

Liam’s eyes lock on to mine and I can’t look away. His nose is swollen and I’m sure I see a faint bruise on his cheek. “Zoe?” he says.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

***

Tyler

After driving around on a futile mission to find stabling for Star, who, as everyone points out, belongs to Liam and not to me, I drive to Joel’s in a last desperate attempt.

I check Star is doing okay before knocking on his front door. I hear a dog bark from inside and prepare for his Staffy Lab cross to attack me when I hear giant paws scrabbling on the floor.

Joel opens the door, his hair sticking out at odd ends just as the mutt launches itself at me. “Ah, thought I might see you sooner or later.”

I scratch the dog’s ears as Joel looks past me. “What you’d do steal a few of his horses?”

I shake my head as I lean against the door frame to his clinic. “Just Star. She’s injured.”

He frowns. “I could have come to you?”

When I don’t answer, just keep petting the dog, he sighs. “You better come in. I’ll take a look at her in a minute.”

He leads me inside his office, and I take a seat, toes jumping in my boots as he closes the door. “How’s Burt?”

I tap my fingers on my thigh as I answer. “He’s recovering. But he won’t be returning to the ranch any time soon.”

He nods. “Neither will you by the sounds of things.”

I blow out a breath. “News travels fast.”

He shrugs. “Small place. Not that anyone’s surprised you’re leaving.”

I lean back in my chair and try not to sound like a crazy person. “He didn’t talk to you about his plans?”

Joel snorts a laugh. “No. If anything, he’s avoiding me. He hasn’t paid last month’s bill.”

I growl a response. “He’s running the ranch into the ground.”

Joel nods. “Looks like you got out at the right time?”

I try for a smile. “Maybe. But it goes beyond bad management if he’s going to neglect the animals.”

His face tightens. “I’ll stop by. Remind him he has an obligation of care. Not to mention he’ll lose his license if he breaks the Animal Welfare Act.”

I nod and know Joel will take it seriously. “Thanks. I need all the help I can get.”

“No problem. Happy to help.”

He pauses and his forehead crinkles. “You going to tell me what happened up at my cabin over the weekend?”

My chest tightens as I try to shrug it off. “We came looking for you. Got stuck. I’d tell you to bill Liam but…”

Joel raises his eyebrows. “Don’t worry about it. And sorry I missed you. I got a call from Jed O’Malley. One of his ewes had a prolapsed uterus and he had a sow with mastitis. Didn’t finish up until late. Interestingly enough we got talking while I was there.”

At least that explains where he was. “Oh yeah?”

He leans forward in his chair. “Jed seems to think Liam’s already subdividing the land?”

I swallow, ice trickling down my spine. “If he is, he hasn’t told me. But it makes sense since he’s started selling off the stock.”

Joel pulls a face. “At this time of year?”

I shrug. “He doesn’t give a shit. And now I know why. If he’s clearing the land to sell it. The stock would be in the way.”

Just like I’d be in his way.

Joel curses under his breath. “What the hell is he playing at? When he took over he was so adamant nothing was going to change.”

I have nothing to say to that. And getting angry now is pointless. I’ve spent a year trying to figure Liam Cooper out. And every time I think he can’t get any worse, he does something else that makes no sense.

“That lasted until he realized how much work it was. Much easier to provide luxury accommodation and take tourists on treks and leave the hard work to the rest of us.”

Joel’s face twists into disgust and he slowly shakes his head. “Your father would be turning in his grave.”

Pain stabs at my chest as I silently agree. But there’s nothing I can do. Whether I like it or not, I no longer have any place at Laughing Cat Ranch.

“I’m going back to get Gypsy. But I don’t have anywhere to keep her.”

Joel rises to his feet. “You can keep her here along with Star until you get settled. He can’t kick up a fuss if I say I’m treating her.”

Relief settles in as I find a smile. “That means a lot. Nice to know I have one ally.”

His eyes crinkle into lines. “I think you’ll find you have more than one. No one likes that smarmy ass.”

Despite myself, I chuckle.

At least Star and Gypsy will be fine for the time being.

As we walk back to the front door, I realize for the first time in my life; I need to find work and a place to live.

Thanks to Liam, I’m now homeless and unemployed.

As I reach the float and think back over the last year, it’s glaringly obvious that was Liam’s intention right from the start.

The only thing worse than knowing he’s selling is knowing how much work I put into the place to keep it running.

All the hours spent maintaining the property, all to watch it all be chopped into pieces and sold off.

I can only imagine that’s why no one was willing to take Star in. If Liam is selling, they stand to pick up cheap fertile land, and no farmer would turn that down.

Liam played me.

And it burns like fire to know there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

***

Zoe

Liam frowns at me as he steps out of the elevator. “Zoe? What are you doing here?”

I flick a look at Celia and step back, hoping she won’t blow it for me. I offer my hand and slip my card into her palm as she shakes. “Sorry I have to dash like this. I’ll be in touch about my friend’s insurance.”

I don’t give her a chance to speak, just smile at Liam and start walking back the way I came. “Are you visiting Burt? I heard he was in here too.”

Liam frowns at me, uncertainty written on his face. “Your friend?”

I laugh as casually as I can. “That’s why I left in such a hurry. I got a message a friend had been in an accident. Sorry if I was rude earlier. She’s my dearest friend. We’ve been through a lot.”

He doesn’t look convinced, and if he stops to think about it for too long, he’ll know I can’t have gotten a message while I was on the ranch since there’s no cell coverage.

As he looks at me I know I have an opportunity. It could take days to go through the footage and the admissions. If he thinks I’m just a guest looking for an adventure I may get him to talk about Meg.

I literally have nothing but time to fill, so I make sure my voice is husky. “Anyway, since I’m here and she’s fine, I’d still love to see that waterfall.”

In an instant, his expression switches to smooth. “It would be a pleasure, darlin. And don’t worry. Tyler can’t spoil the experience this time around.”

My heart starts to jump about in my chest as he looks me up and down. “Oh? Why’s that?”

He shrugs. “I fired him.”

I’m so shocked I have to remind myself to breathe. “Well, you’re the boss. I’m sure you had good reason,” I murmur.

He looks incredibly pleased with himself as he glances at me. “I can wait for you in the parking lot,” I say.

His eyes shift to my cleavage making me squirm. “Burt’s being discharged. I can see him when he gets to the ranch. Besides, I’d rather spend the afternoon with you, darlin.”

When he starts strutting like a peacock down the hall, I have no choice but to go with him.

By the time we’re in the elevator, I’ve started to pray Tyler doesn’t show up and blow this.

I slide my hand in my pocket and grip my cell phone. “Just need to call the office.”

He nods distractedly but doesn’t stop me when I call Christine.

The second she answers, I launch into a garbled mess of words I hope she’ll be able to decipher. “Hey. It’s Zoe. Sorry, I got tied up longer than I expected at Silver Falls Hospital. Vicky would not stop talking about this guy who trapped her.”

I keep my tone light as Christine sucks in a breath. “You’re under duress?”

I laugh. “Yeah, I am. There’s a cowboy going to take me to the waterfall up past that ranch I’m staying at. Did you get that information I wanted?”

“Yes, I contacted the DOC. But Zoe, which cowboy do you mean? Liam Cooper or the one who’s wanting for questioning regarding a homicide—”

It’s a struggle to keep my surprise from showing. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

“You must have switched your phone to silent. The deputy’s been trying to contact you. A body washed up on the rocks downstream from the waterfall. She’s been identified as Leah Waters. She’s a nurse in the ICU and she and Tyler Carlson were seen together yesterday.”

I’m so shocked I just stare at Liam’s profile as he watches the elevator descend. “There must be some mistake,” I mumble.

She sighs. “That’s not all. The Sherriff’s hotline on Meg received an anonymous call. Apparently, someone saw Meg and Tyler arguing the day before she went missing. And he just attacked his brother in front of witnesses, looks like he’s got a history of violent outbursts.”

I try to relax my face as Liam glances at me, and I keep my tone light. “That’s hilariously coincidental and so opportune considering. You should make sure everything was done properly. In the meantime, I can’t wait to check out this waterfall and to see more locals at the ranch real soon.”

“Got it. Calling the Sherriff right now.”

Sweat starts to trickle down my spine. “Perfect.”

She almost growls at me. “Make sure you take your gun, just in case they have the wrong brother.”

I’m ninety-nine percent sure they are planning on interviewing the wrong brother, but I can’t say that.

Liam shifts closer as the doors open and the other two passengers walk out. He’s so close I know I risk him hearing her, so I smile. “I’ll call when I can.”

I glance at him and he doesn’t even bother to hide his interest in my phone call. “You never did say what you do for a living?”

I slide my phone back in as he steps so close I see the dried blood in his nostrils. “That’s because it’s boring. Have you’ve been fighting?”

His hand closes over mine and he squeezes painfully. “It’s nothing. Just Tyler acting up again.”

My heart jumps painfully around my chest at the mention. “He hit you? I hope you pressed charges?”

His lip curls. “He’ll get what’s coming.”

He doesn’t elaborate and I can’t exactly press him on it, so I just offer a weak smile. “We’ll take my truck,” he says.

It wasn’t a suggestion. But my gun is in my car, not to mention a change of clothes.

I gesture to my dress as we step into the parking garage. “Let me get my bag so I can get changed into jeans.”

And make a call to find out whether the anonymous tip-off is traceable.

He shakes his head. “Rain’s on the way. We’ll make better time if we drive up, darlin. Get there quicker and we can take the back road. The scenery is something else.”

In one horror-filled moment of looking into his cold blue eyes, I realize I’m taking a gigantic risk.

He’s practically undressing me right here.

If he even takes me to the waterfall, it will not be to show me the scenery.

But if Tyler is going to be arrested, I may be his best shot at proving his innocence.