Page 22 of Ranger Bravery

“We hung out a few days ago. Wally was upset cuz his girlfriend up and left with the baby. I took him out for drinks to forget about her at the Watering Hole.”

“What day was this?”

Todd scratched the back of his neck. “Must’ve been Wednesday. Wally met someone while we were there. Some tall beauty with a nice body. He took off on me. I ain’t seen him since.” He tossed back the rest of his beer, crushed the can with a meaty hand, and tossed it into the yard. “He’ll pop back up eventually.”

Wednesday was the same day Elena was murdered. Piper made a mental note to check with the Watering Hole and confirm the Hutchinson brothers were there. “What time did you and Wally go to the bar?”

“Around noon. He took off work early.”

“And what time did you leave?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know. Maybe six or seven.”

“What about Wally?”

“No idea. Like I said, he hooked up with some pretty young thing.”

“Happen to catch her name?”

“No. I was busy getting some action from a redhead who was crying over her own breakup.”

“Right, well, if you do hear from Wally, tell him to call me.” Piper locked eyes with Todd. “It’s important. I don’t want him to get into any trouble because he ignored me.”

He flashed a savage smile. “Sure thing, Piper. And hey, anytime you want to slum it with someone in your old neighborhood, give me a call.” He tugged at his pants in a lewd manner. “I’ll show you a good time.”

Jackson was standing close enough, Piper felt his muscles tense. His eyes weren’t visible behind the lenses of his dark sunglasses, but she imagined he was staring Todd down. To his credit though, his expression remained impassive. He stood back and let her handle it.

Piper simply rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the first time one of the Hutchinsons had made a pass at her. She’d grown up in this neighborhood and had dodged several of their advances. “Bye, Todd.”

“See ya around, Piper.”

Todd never glanced at Jackson. The screen door creaked, and he disappeared back into the dark house. Piper tilted her head to indicate they should walk back toward Elena’s house. Once they were out of earshot, she said, “Breathe, Jackson. You look mad enough to spit nails.”

He exhaled forcefully. “You handled it well, but the way he was looking at you… I’m not ashamed to admit, I wanted to toss him right over the porch railing and teach him some manners.” Jackson slanted a glance at her. “We went to high school with him.”

“Yep. He was a junior when we were freshman but dropped out mid-year and never came back. His brother, Wally, is about eight years older than Todd. Both of them have been arrested for drug possession, fighting, petty theft, and domestic violence. Neither man is anyone I’d meet in a nature preserve parking lot like Elena did. Especially Wally. She knew he’d beaten her friend.”

“We don’t know how the killer lured her to the parking lot.”

“True.”

Piper reached Elena’s front door. Using the key taken from the evidence locker, she undid the lock. Deputies had found her car and house keys in the field on the night she died. Piper then slid on a pair of gloves. Pinpricks of nerves traveled up her spine. She glanced over her shoulder at Todd’s house. There was no sign of the man, but she felt eyes on her all the same.

“Yeah. I feel it too.” Jackson rolled his shoulders and pulled on his own set of gloves. “Todd?”

“Maybe.” Piper wasn’t happy they were being watched, but it was a relief to know Jackson had the same feeling. Otherwise, she might question her own instincts.

She pushed open the door and crossed the threshold. The blinds were open, sunlight playing along the shag carpet and the 90s-style couch. An open floor plan enabled Piper to view most of the kitchen and the tiny dining room. The compressor on the ancient fridge fired up. It sounded like an airplane.

“Do you think Wally was hiding in his brother’s house?” Jackson entered behind her and shut the door. “I didn’t hear or see anyone else, but it was so dark inside the house, he could’ve been listening and we didn’t realize it.”

Piper half-heard him. Her attention was drawn to something under the coffee table. She stepped farther into the living room, tilting her head to get a better look at the black mass. “Jackson, what is that?”

He pushed past her and crouched down. His brow creased in concentration. And then, in the span of a heartbeat, fear widened his eyes. “Run, Piper!”

She didn’t bother to ask for an explanation. She bolted for the door and flung it open.

A blast of heat hit and a violent force blew her off her feet.

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