Page 30 of Tracking Down the Lawman's Son

That surprised absolutely no one, not even Tara who sighed and slipped the phone into her pocket.

“Manny and you had a relationship,” he spelled out to Tara. She’d already started for the door, but she stopped. “He broke up with you and yet you still continued to work for him. Why?”

“Because I’m in love with him,” Tara admitted. “Because I want to be near him. Manny wouldn’t have killed that woman,” she repeated as she walked out.

“You think Tara believes that because she’s in love with Manny or because she was the one who murdered Brighton?” Luca asked, taking the question right out of Bree’s mouth.

“She’s definitely a suspect for all of it,” Duncan concluded. “And not just for the murder but for the cover-up attempts that I think are going on now.”

Yes, a cover-up. Bree thought that was what was happening as well. And if so, the cover-up had started with her mother’s kidnapping.

“Tara bears a strong resemblance to the sketch, and both Manny and she have means, motive and opportunity,” Duncan summarized, and then he looked up at Sonya. “Try to find out if either of them own a gun or have had firearms training. I also want their phone records to see if either made calls anywhere near Saddle Ridge yesterday.”

Sonya nodded and went back to her desk in the squad room.

“If we can get their financials, we can check and see if either bought burners or supplies we can maybe match to those taken to the cabin where Sandra was being held,” Luca suggested.

Duncan nodded and looked at Woodrow. “I can request a warrant for that. Everything we’ve got is circumstantial, but it might be enough,” Woodrow said.

“Go for it,” Duncan agreed, and Woodrow stepped to the side to make a call.

Duncan picked up the evidence bag with the memory stick. “You two want to work on this back at the ranch?” he asked, directing the question to Bree and Luca.

They both nodded. Bree was eager to get started on that since it might give them a vital clue. Of course, it could take a lot of searching to find anything, but it’d be worth it if only to close off that particular investigative thread.

“I’ll get this to the techs, then,” Duncan said, “and I’ll have them copy what’s on it and forward it to you as a secure email attachment.” He shifted his attention to Sandra. “I’d like for you to take a look at it, too, in case anything pops for you.”

Sandra nodded and made a soft groan. “Am I responsible for what’s happening? Are all of you in danger because I was digging into Brighton’s murder?”

“I was digging into Brighton’s murder, too,” Bree assured her, and because she hated seeing those fresh tears in her mother’s eyes, she went to her and pulled her into her arms. “We aren’t responsible for what a killer’s doing,” she added, hoping that she would start to believe that as well. It certainly felt as if she’d set all of this in motion, especially since she’d been investigating Brighton’s murder at the time her mother had been taken.

When Bree eased back from the hug, her mother attempted a smile. She failed miserably. So did Bree, but the moment still felt like some kind of turning point, and it was so very good to have her mother back.

“I love you,” she whispered to her mom.

Now Sandra really did smile. “I love you, too.”

Bree hadn’t actually forgotten that they weren’t alone, but then she noticed Luca, Woodrow and Duncan were all looking at them. Not with impatience though she figured they had to be feeling some of that. The investigation had to take priority. Had to. But Bree was hoping they could all have a proper homecoming once the danger was over.

“I’ll have Woodrow and Ronnie accompany all of you back to the ranch,” Duncan explained, motioning for Ronnie to come out of the squad room and into the office. “I want to wait here until the techs have picked up the memory stick, and then I’ll head home, too.”

“Not alone,” Sandra was quick to say.

“Not alone,” Duncan assured her.

He walked with them to the side door, opened it and glanced around the parking lot. He must not have seen anyone suspicious because he stepped back to let them all out. The cruiser wasn’t far, only about ten feet away, and Woodrow andRonnie went out first. Bree and her mother followed with Luca behind them.

When they reached the cruiser, Bree caught the strong smell of gasoline. The scene barely had time to register in her head before there was a sharp sound, like someone blowing out a huge candle.

And the flames shot up around them.

THEMOMENTLUCAheard the sound, he hooked his arm around Bree and yanked her back from the cruiser. Thankfully, Woodrow did the same to Sandra, and they fell back on the ground.

Not a second too soon either.

Because the fire blazed over the cruiser and the pavement beneath it. And the flames were spreading, too.

Ronnie, who’d been the closest to the cruiser, had a harder fall than the rest of them. The impact knocked him back, and Luca could hear his fellow deputy’s sharp groan of pain.

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