Chapter 9
Tyler
When I drive back into the ranch gates, the last thing I expect to see is the flashing lights of Sherriff’s department vehicles.
The last time I came and found this much going on, an ambulance was taking dad to hospital.
I jump out of the truck and Sherriff Brady immediately cut his conversation off with Gary and veers towards me.
It seems like a lot of cops just because I slugged my brother a few times. “There a problem, Sherriff?”
He flicks a look at me and places his palm on his gun. “You went to see Leah Waters on Sunday, want to tell me what you talked about?”
I frown. “I didn’t go to see her. I went to visit Burt. She was on duty. Why, what’s going on?”
It’s déjà vu. Only this time, I’m being questioned on the ranch, not the hospital and dad isn’t dying.
He shifts his gaze and looks decidedly testy. “Leah is dead. And you were among the last people to speak with her. You also attacked your brother earlier on today.”
My heart starts to thump about in my chest, cold spilling down my spine as I try to think. “He provoked me.”
He raises his bushy eyebrows. “And what about Leah? Did she provoke you too?”
I stare at him as I try to come up with a reasonable explanation for what must now look bad. “What happened between Liam and me has nothing to do with Leah or anything else.”
He sniffs. “We have a witness saying you went into a private room, and that you both looked upset when you came out.”
I swallow, wondering who the hell these witnesses are. “I was upset. She told me the hospital investigated dad’s death.”
His expression stays the same but he looks like he’s about ready to read me my rights.
“Did you know about that? It seems like something you should have?”
His brows knot together and he squints at me like I’m a bug he wants to squash.
I’m about to ask if I need a lawyer present when another County Sherriff’s vehicle pulls in.
The deputy jumps out and nods in my direction before he motions for the Sherriff to step away.
Gary decides to amble towards me as I try to figure out what’s going on. “What you’d do?”
I frown at him. “Nothing. They’re accusing me of murdering Meg’s friend Leah.”
He backs up a step, a wary look on his face. “Did you?”
I nearly cuss at him. “I barely knew her.”
He shrugs. “Don’t mean nothing. Serial killers don’t always know their victims.”
If I wasn’t in earshot of a half dozen armed officers, I’d be a little less restrained. “Fuck off, Gary, and where the hell is my brother?” I mutter.
His eyes flick to the officers closest. “He left late morning. Said he needed to go to the bank.”
I curl and uncurl my fists, toes tapping as the deputy gestures in my direction.
Beside me, Gary whistles low. “You want me to call you a lawyer?”
My stomach tightens as the Sherriff locks eyes with me and looks none too happy with whatever the deputy has been discussing with him.
Gary backs away and stands with his hands jammed in his pockets like this is all spectator sport.
I try to look as relaxed as I can when I’m once again under the spotlight. The deputy gives me a sharp nod. “I was at the hospital. A new security camera has been put in the carpark. It clearly shows Leah getting into Liam’s truck two hours before her body was found.”
The Sherriff looks more than slightly pissed as he glances at me. “Looks like you’re no longer the only suspect.”
I should be more relieved I’ve disappointed him. But there’s something else going on, I’m pretty sure has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Liam.
“You didn’t just come here for me, did you?”
They exchange a charged look. The deputy takes a breath, and the next words out of his mouth near knock me backward. “Agent Foster is with your brother and if he’s taking her to the falls, she’s in danger.”
***
Monday 3.12pm
Zoe
My entire body is trembling as we drive along the highway. He’s not saying much, but occasionally he’ll slide a look at my legs, or my breasts, making me squirm in my seat.
I wish I could have changed. I wish I had my gun. But wishing isn’t going to get me out of this.
I committed to it. I thought I’d been smart, but with every salacious glance, and every mile that passes, a little more of my confidence ebbs away.
By the time we reach a turnoff, and a dirt road, my nerves are on high alert and I’m so jumpy when he slides his hand on my knee, I smack his hand away.
A flickering of annoyance appears as he looks at me. I laugh lightly. “Sorry. I was a million miles away.”
The smallest of smiles twitches at his lips, but he doesn’t say anything just keeps driving up the dirt track.
I peer out the window, hoping to get some sense of where we are, but instead of the track running parallel to the lake, trees surround us, clouding out the sunlight.
I check my watch and am more than concerned about how late it is. To fill the silence and to distract myself, I clear my throat and try to sound casual.
“Is it far to the waterfall?”
Liam’s eyes stay on the track. “Just around this bend.”
I glance ahead and am marginally reassured when I see a signpost.
He slows the vehicle and pulls into a clearing complete with picnic tables, BBQs and a portable toilet.
When he stops and looks ready to paw me, I climb out and put a little distance between us.
I’m so conscious of him, of how fast my heart is beating, I almost miss the sound of rushing water.
He climbs out of the truck and gestures straight ahead. “Right through there.”
I manage to keep my distance from him for all of three seconds. When he places his hand at the small of my back, I let him guide me towards a narrow path.
He smiles at me, but it’s not a pleasant smile. There’s something hidden it in. A smirk that only grows as we step out onto a flat rock.
A barrier has been erected, but directly to the right, there’s a magnificent waterfall.
The sun is hitting the water droplets, creating a brilliant rainbow. With the backdrop of the mountain ranges and the lush green trees, it’s as stunning as he claimed it to be.
I take a deep breath of clean air and find myself in awe. I’m so enthralled for a moment; I don’t notice Liam’s still standing close until his hand slides down my back. “There’s a hut just up the track.”
I nearly groan aloud and plaster a smile on. “It’s such a beautiful location. You’re so lucky to live here.”
He stares at me, and his hand slides to my ass. “I’m lucky to be up here with you.”
I know he’s going to kiss me but nothing could prepare me for the revulsion that shudders through my body when he jams his tongue in my mouth.
I try to break out of his grip, but he squeezes tighter. “Whoa. Settle down, darlin,” he says.
He grabs my cheeks so hard I flinch. I lean back to avoid another kiss. “Anyone could be around.”
He releases me and jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “The hut is private. We won’t be disturbed.”
I swallow. Adrenaline rushing through me as my body tells me I need to flee. “Sure. But I really wanted to, uh, talk for a while first.”
His eyes narrow. “I didn’t bring you up here to talk.”
I suck in a gulp of air and have to restrain myself from slapping him when he gropes my ass. “And we have plenty of time. I know it’s inconvenient, but I was hoping I could pick your brain about house prices.”
He doesn’t look convinced, so I trail my finger down his chest. “You have so much business expertise and local knowledge, I was hoping you’d tell me where the best places to buy are?”
Appealing to his ego is a last-ditch attempt to wrangle some information from him before I knee him, steal his truck and go find the Sherriff.
But his expression switches to one I’ve seen too many times to count. Greed.
It’s possible he’s greedy enough to think I can do more for him than he thought. “What do you want to know?”
I smile as I try to come up with a list of reasonable questions. “I know it’s probably out of my budget but how much would say, a ranch the size of Laughing Cat go for?”
He scratches his chin and turns his charm up a notch. “You don’t want to buy a ranch. What you want is a smaller piece of land with enough room for a few animals.”
If I hadn’t already guessed that was his intent, he confirms it when he starts talking about how he’s already put his plans in motion to carve up the ranch.
I smile and nod. “Wow. That sounds amazing. And the tourism would still continue too?”
He shrugs. “That’s up to the new owner. “
I look around, feigning interest as I try to steer the conversation where I really want it to go.
“It does sound incredible. But I don’t think I could manage the land all by myself.”
I seem to be losing his interest, so I stick my chest out a little. “But are all ranchhands are rude as Tyler? I don’t know how you put up with him for so long. You must have the patience of a saint.”
His eyebrows rise and there’s so much false humility on his face I want to smack it off. “He’s my brother. I had to let him stay on.”
I nod slowly. “Oh, that’s right. I heard you inherited the ranch. That must have been quite the surprise, finding out you had a father and that he was dying.”
His smile fades and his shoulders stiffen. “Who told you that? Tyler?”
I feign confusion. “I guess so. I can’t remember. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. It must have been devastating, losing your father so soon after finding him.”
His sad smile is so practiced. “It was a shock. And I wish I could say Tyler was welcoming. And I guess I can’t blame him for being so bitter.”
I frown and nod in agreement. “You did what you could. He’s a difficult man. I can only imagine what his poor girlfriend went through.”
Liam’s eyes narrow slightly. “Meg. Yeah. She put up with a lot.”
I blow out a sigh. “I wouldn’t blame her for finding someone else. Someone new and exciting.”
Something flickers in the depths of his eyes, the slightest warning sparks in my brain, telling me I need to be careful.
I take a breath and lay it all on the line. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she found a real cowboy to satisfy her.”
When his entire body seems to go rigid, I lick my lip and look up at him through my lashes. “If I’d been her and you were around, I wouldn’t have hesitated.”
His chest is rising and falling rapidly and his cheeks are coloring letting me know I’m getting to him. “The way you kiss, the way you look, I bet she found lots of ways to be around you.”
His lips twitch into a cool smile. “Meg was a sweetheart. She didn’t deserve a loser like Tyler.”
I slide closer to him and look him in the eye. “I bet you made her forget all about him.”
He swallows as he grabs me around the waist. His fingers brush over my breasts, making my skin crawl. “I used to bring her up here when he was working.”
He grabs my hand and rubs it against his crotch. His fingers pinch into my wrist as I try to keep my breathing steady. “I bet he was too busy working to satisfy her,” I whisper.
Liam growls and rubs my nipple through my dress. “She was so sweet. So easy to control. I could have gotten her to do anything.”
He releases my hand long enough to unbuckle his pants. Panic floods through me. Letting him paw me is one thing, he’s hard and he’ll only take so much before he’ll expect me to have sex with him.
I want answers and I want them quick, but not that bad. I pull him closer and grab his ass so he can’t move. I press my mouth against his and endure another revolting kiss before I go in for the kill. “And what did she do, Liam?”
He laughs so cruelly bile rises to my throat. “Anything I told her too. Just like you will, darlin.”
I try to smile but I can’t seem to make my lips cooperate. “Tell me every dirty thing you did with her first so we can do it again.”
Liam shakes his head. “What? No.”
I lick my lip. “I want to do everything you did with her. I want to know how many times, where and when.”
I have no idea whether I’m convincing him of anything or digger myself a larger hole to climb out of, I just know, I’m so close to getting a confession, I can taste it.
I amp it up and make my voice as suggestive as I possibly can. “Maybe I could even dress up like a nurse. We could role play. You can be my patient.”
He stares at me so long I stop breathing. He steps closer and buckles his pants. “Did Tyler put you up to this?”
I thought I was prepared for this. But when my voice comes out shaky, I know I’m not. “No. Of course not. I barely know him. I just like a little role play and a bit of kink. I had no idea you were so vanilla.”
I flick my hair over my shoulder. “Guess I was wrong about you. I thought you’d be into it.”
Liam snorts. “Don’t bull shit a bullshitter, darlin.”
A dark look replaces his mirth. “Now tell me the goddamn truth. Who are you?”
I swallow and back away until I’m up against the safety barricade. “You’re scaring me. If you like that, fine. But we need a safety word.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re good. Really good.”
I flinch as he starts to pat me down thoroughly. I hold still and pretend I’m enjoying it as he slides his hand up my dress and between my legs. “Oh. Are we playing cops and naughty housewives? Officer, arrest me, I’ve been a bad girl.”
If I wasn’t so utterly terrified right now, I might even think it was funny. But all it will take for him to know who I am is to look inside my bag and find my badge.
When he finishes patting me down and grabs my bag off my shoulder, I sigh as though bored. “Oh, come on. That isn’t how it goes. You’re supposed to be reading me my rights.”
Liam steps back, taking my bag with him, a smirk on his face as he rummages in my bag. “You’re something else.”
My eyes on the bag in his hands, I pour everything into a last attempt to get him to quit searching. “Take me to the hut. You can strip search me thoroughly.”
But he’s no longer interested in me, and in one heart-stopping moment, I know why.
He tosses my bag on the ground and holds up my badge. His voice comes out chillingly calm. “I’ve never fucked an FBI agent before.”
He pockets my badge and his lip curls in a snarl. “Never killed one either. But there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there, Agent Foster?”
***
Tyler
It takes me a few heartbeats to put the title and the name together. “Wait what? Agent Foster? You mean Zoe? She’s back in Houston.”
He shakes his head. “She’s here. And she’s been looking into Meg’s disappearance. I’ve been speaking with her assistant, and we have reason to suspect Liam could be holding Agent Foster hostage.”
My eyes bug out. “What? Why the hell would he do that?”
The Sheriff looks at the collection of ranch hands all looking as bewildered as I feel. One minute I’m sure I’m going to be arrested, the next he’s telling me Zoe is with Liam.
“I’m afraid I can’t disclose the nature of Agent Foster's inquiries. We need to get to the waterfall. She told her assistant he was taking her up there.”
I shake my head. “Can you just back up? Zoe was investigating Liam? Since when?”
His brow furrows. “She called me yesterday and asked a few questions regarding the will. Looks like she found more evidence to suggest Liam is involved in Meg’s disappearance. Which means you’re off the hook.”
I run a hand over my face. Zoe didn’t leave. She stayed on and found something on Liam. Something that also clears me?
“What did she find?”
The Sherriff slowly shakes his head. “We can’t share that with you. And there’s a matter of urgency. We need to confirm Agent Foster is safe. When that’s done, you can ask her all the questions you like.”
I nod and blow out a breath any questions I have can wait. “How long ago did she speak to her assistant?”
He glances at the Sherriff before answering. “They left the hospital forty minutes ago. But they haven’t come back through here. Which means they took the back road.”
I curse. There are a dozen places he could have taken her.
“You drive up the track; he’ll hear it before you get a mile away from them. Let me go on ahead on a horse.”
“I can’t do that.”
I raise my hands. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He shakes his head. “My hands are tied. I could compromise the case against him.”
My fists curl at my sides. “That’s grade-A bullshit. I never pushed when you told me the will was airtight. And when you questioned me about Meg leaving and told me to stay out of it. I did it. But if Liam hurts her because she trusted him…”
I let my voice trail off and leave him to fill in the blanks. He releases a sigh and shakes his head. “Not a word to anyone else.”
I nod and fold my arms across my chest as I wait.
He lowers his voice. “Her assistant got confirmation from the DOC. A man fitting Liam’s description was released fourteen months ago. His legal name is Liam Jacob Cooper. He only had one visitor in jail. His mother Jane Cooper, who moved to the area for medical treatment in August last year.”
I stare at him. “DOC?”
“Department of corrections.”
I’m so stunned I just gape at him until my brain seems to kick start. “He’s an ex-con? Why didn’t you know this already?”
His jaw works. “He’s spent some time creating a fictional digital history. At first pass everything seems legit. But we’ve pulled some fingerprints and we got a match.”
He taps his knuckle. “He covered his tracks the second he got settled. His records show one of his identifying features was a prison tattoo of five dots across his right knuckle.”
Fuck. Liam said he’d had an accident with the band saw not long after he took over.
I frown at him. “What was he in for?”
It’s too much to hope it was just identity fraud. For Zoe’s sake and for mine, I pray to God it is.
The Sherriff shakes his head. “Armed robbery. Rape. Sex with a minor. I could go on. But you see why we need to get there ASAP.”
My veins heat as I try to think past my raging panic. “Is she armed?”
He works his jaw. “We found her car in the hospital parking garage. Her weapon was in the glove box.”
All my muscles tighten. “Let me lead you up the track. No one knows this area better than I do.”
The Sherriff blows out a breath. “I’ll give you a five-minute lead to get there before us. That’s more than I should be offering.”
I’m already preparing for the worst as I swing up on Gypsy. “That’s all I’ll need,” I say.
***
Zoe
I’m shaking so bad, I can barely speak. “Is that what you did to Meg Adler?”
He doesn’t even seem angry as he steps closer. “You’ll find out what I did to her soon enough.”
He grabs my arm and wrenches me towards him. “People know where I am,” I manage.
He only smiles, baffling me further. “By the time anyone gets here, I’ll be long gone, you’ll be dead and Tyler will take the fall.”
He yanks my arm and my feet skid on the mossy rock but I manage to scratch my nails across his cheek. “I am not going anywhere with you.”
I tug backward and this time he does get angry. He backhands me hard enough for spots to dart into my vision.
Before I can blink, his fist meets my stomach and I double over as I try to draw breath.
He grabs me by my hair and starts to drag me backward. “The barricade is too high for you to accidentally fall from here. But do that again and I’ll find another way for you to have a tragic accident,” he snarls.
I’m sliding back on the stone, pain screaming through my abdomen as he yanks me by the roots of my hair.
Despite his warning, I yell as hard as I can and am immediately rewarded with a swift kick to the ribs.
He releases me, and I curl into a ball to protect my ribs as he lands another kick.
Sobbing and frantically trying to think of a way out of this, Liam starts to rant as he grabs me and yanks me to my feet.
He’s so furious, so eager to tell me how smart he is, I shut my mouth and try not to flinch as spittle flies in my face. “I covered everything except for you.”
I whimper in his grip. “We found an email from Meg. She confessed to her part in Jack’s murder,” I lie.
He tugs me closer. “There’s no correspondence. I made sure of it. Just like I made sure her nosy nurse friend didn’t blab about me fucking her the night Jack died.”
Shit. Shit.
“But you couldn’t wipe her text messages.”
He snickers. “So what? So, we texted each other? That’s not a crime.”
My voice comes out shaky. “It’s a chain of evidence that supports you were colluding to commit a crime.”
He grips my chin. “You should have kept your nose out of it. Your friend said you can’t stop working. Too bad you didn’t listen to her.
I swallow. “Be smart. I go missing, it’ll be noticed. My assistant knows I was coming up here with you.”
He shakes his head. “But no one saw me come up here with you. And Tyler’s unbalanced and violent. I have witnesses to prove it.”
Despite the pain shrieking through my body, I can’t stop myself from asking. “You can’t possibly think you can get away with this.”
He chuckles. “Why not? I got away with it before. And it’s even better that is right under Tyler’s nose again.”
I flinch. “You did kill Jack Carlson?”
His smile is so warm I can see how he’s fooled so many people. “Don’t think about it like that. I just facilitated his early departure.”
“You’re insane.”
His answer chills me to the core. “I’m what Jack Carlson made me.”
