Page 39 of River Justice

He shook his head and turned to walk away, but not before he heard her last words.

“I love your father. I always have. I loveyou.” The last three words ended in what sounded like a sob. Except that he’d never seen his mother cry. And wondered if he’d imagined it.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

STUARTHADBEENhoping for a break in the case. There had still been no word from the kidnapper since the earlier call and Stuart’s demand for proof of life. Nor had he heard back on Holly Jo’s father’s death from the Billings police force. Area ranchers were still searching old buildings on their property. Still no sign of Holly Jo. With every passing minute, they were losing valuable time as well as losing hope of finding Holly Jo alive.

Was Holly Jo already dead? He had a BOLO out for a white pickup with a red camper that had been seen in the area the night before the kidnapping. So far nothing but dead ends.

He hadn’t slept well, the nightmares worse than usual. Even in daylight, he felt the weight of them, making the waiting for some kind of news unbearable. He felt angry, out of sorts, scared, knowing that he needed to keep his mind on the kidnapping case—not sort through the rubbish of his childhood. Lulabelle had hit a nerve, and she’d known it. Trying to prove to him that she had some gift?

He’d been digging through Holden McKenna’s past looking for dirt. He hadn’t found anything worth kidnapping an innocent girl over and he’d already worked his way through the list Holden had given him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the rancher hadn’t been straight with him.

At the McKenna Ranch, he found Holden in his office. “Tell me you aren’t holding back on me.”

Holden shot to his feet, his face twisted in anger. He didn’t look as if he’d gotten much sleep either. “Do you really think I would do something like that? If I knew who was behind this, no matter how bad it was for me, I would have told you the moment I saw those ransom notes. I don’t know who has her, let alone what he wants.”

Stuart could tell that the waiting was getting to the rancher as well. “If you really don’t know, then how are you going to make an announcement?”

Holden wagged his head. “It has to be about Holly Jo’s father. You’ve tried to find out if Bobby had any relatives?”

“I haven’t found any. But, Holden, I’m depending on you to keep your cool no matter what we find out.”

“All I care about is finding Holly Jo and getting her home safely.”

“What about the person who took her?”

The sheriff saw the change in the rancher’s expression. “I’ll let you handle that.”

It was a lie and they both knew it, but Stuart didn’t call him on it. They would find Holly Jo, then deal with the kidnapper.

In the meantime, they were all on pins and needles waiting for the proof-of-life photo. Then the clock would start running on Holden making the announcement. Stuart feared the reason the kidnapper hadn’t sent it yet was that Holly Jo was no longer alive.

He fought the fear, but if they didn’t get the photo soon...

Stuart’s cell rang, startling him. He shook his head at Holden’s questioning look. Not the kidnapper. Instead, it was the call he’d been waiting for from the Billings Police Department. Stepping outside for privacy, he quickly picked up.

“You inquired about Robert Robinson?” the cop asked. He rattled off Robinson’s date of birth—and death.

“He fell from The Rims, right?” the sheriff asked.

“Died on impact when his head struck a boulder, according to the coroner’s report. His death was ruled an accident since apparently he’d been alone at the time and his blood alcohol concentration was over the legal limit. At least, he appeared to have been alone, since no one came forward after the accident.”

“What about next of kin?” Stuart asked and listened to the man tapping on his computer keys.

“The body was identified by his wife,” the cop said. She was apparently pregnant at the time with Holly Jo, according to Holden.

“What about an obit? I couldn’t find one.”

“Sorry. I don’t believe there was one.”

Stuart considered that. No obit, no funeral? Odd since he did have a wife and child. “Where was the body taken?”

“Sanderson Funeral Home here in Billings.”

HOLLYJOWOKE, her mouth dry, her eyes caked shut. She rubbed at them. She’d been sleeping so much, too much. Her head hurt, and she felt funny. Realization came slowly. They must be putting something in her food or maybe the juice they brought her. With a start, she realized that the juice had always been opened when she got it.

The knowledge made her angry at her kidnappers, but even more angry at herself. Everyone said she was smart. Her mother, her teachers, Holden, Cooper, Pickett and Elaine. Even Duffy had said she was smart, although he seemed surprised that she might be smart.

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