Page 46 of River Wild

He told himself that if Jay Erickson was guilty of the murder, then he’d tried to wash away any evidence.

But the pickup was an older model, and Stuart was betting that if Willow Branson had been in the bed of that truck, the crime team techs would find evidence of it—even if the bed was dry by the time Jay Erickson reached town.

Had he found the killer? The man who had assaulted Bailey? If so, it should be easy to prove given the marks Bailey said she left on him. As he climbed behind the wheel, his hands were shaking. Was it possible this would be over so quickly?

He started the patrol SUV, thinking about what Bailey had said about the man who attacked her. Someone would have had to help him cover it up. Pulling away, he glanced back to see the Ericksons, grim-faced, standing together, watching him go.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

HOLLYJOGROANEDwhen she saw Pickett’s truck and him standing next to it as the bus rolled up to let her off. This was all his fault for going to HH. She’d pleaded with him to let her ride with Buck, but HH had been adamant. She could go to the dance with him but had to be home by ten, and she would continue to ride the bus until further notice.

“What are you doing here?” she said as she crossed the road to where he was parked. Behind her, the school bus engine revved and pulled away in a cloud of dust. “I don’t need a ride. I’d rather walk.”

“Fine with me,” Pickett said. “The walk will do you good, but first I have something for you.”

She weakened. “What is it?” She saw him hesitate. She’d always liked Pickett. He felt like a big brother—not that she’d ever had one. Cooper was kind of like that, but Pickett was funnier, and he knew a lot of horseback riding tricks.

He seemed to make up his mind and handed her a plastic bag he pulled from his pickup. “I talked Holden into it.”

She recognized the logo on the bag. “A cell phone?” she cried as she pulled the box out, looking from it to him. “You’re not just teasing me, are you?”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Pickett said.

“I don’t understand. HH said—”

“It’s just for emergencies.”

She smiled at that.

“You know why he didn’t want you to have one,” Pickett said. “He was afraid you’d be on it all the time. So, use it wisely or lose it. I just want you to have it on you if you ever need to call someone for help.”

She couldn’t believe this. “For help?” She was so sick of being the kidnapped girl. Especially adults treating her weird.

“You get stuck somewhere, you know. Call me. I put my number in there.”

Holly Jo eyed him warily. “Just because I got kidnapped once—”

“It isn’t about that. This is about Buck.”

“Buck?” She shook her head. “Why can’t you just let me be a normal teenager?”

“That just it, you are. I know you Holly Jo. You’re smart and strong, but his is your first boyfriend. I was a teenaged boy, okay? I want you to be able to call if you ever need me. Middle of the night? Any time and I’ll come get you. You understand?”

“Not really, but okay.”

“You will if you need someone older you can trust to get you out of a bad situation. Just promise you’ll call if you’re ever in trouble.”

Holly Jo swallowed the lump in her throat, thinking of another time she was in trouble. She’d assured her therapist she’d been seeing that she was doing fine. She was—most of the time now. “I promise.”

“Now,” he said, smiling at her. “You still want to walk home, or would you rather have a ride?”

BACKATHISOFFICE, Stuart was more than a little surprised when Jay Erickson and his wife showed up with Alfred “Tick” Whitaker, a geologist originally from Texas.

“I have a law degree and even passed the bar in Texas,” Tick said at the sheriff’s raised brow. “I’m here only in an advisory capacity.”

Stuart figured they could get this over with quickly if Tick could handle Angie. “I need to see Jay alone.”

“Ain’t happening,” Angie cried. “Tell him, Tick.”

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