Page 43 of Murder at Rescue Ridge

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.This saying resonated as true to the situation.

The hurtand disappointment in Conrad’s eyes struck Nikki hard. Conrad was a good human. He cared about giving people a fair shake even when they came at him angry like she had in the barn the other day. Being betrayed would hurt him more than he would ever let on once he gave someone his trust.

Despite the awful, abusive childhood he’d had, Conrad still managed to give people the benefit of the doubt, to trust them when there was no evidence supporting it. Did that make him naïve or noble? Nikki decided on noble.

“Looks like we’re going to be here for a while,” Nikki said to the trio of men in the room. “Should we take a seat or are we going to wait this out standing up?”

The second Beau shot bullets at her with his gaze, Conrad stepped in between them to take the heat. Definitely noble.

“You, sit behind the desk so we can keep an eye on you,” he said to Beau. Conrad’s tone left no room for doubt. It said,Move or I’ll move you myself.

Beau moved.

The resemblance between brothers was amazing, especially when it came to Kade and Conrad. Beau looked like Beaumont; he was his spitting image. In her opinion, though, Conrad was by far the hottest brother. Hands down.

“I wanted to surprise everyone by making a great sale,” Beau said as he took a seat, brooding like a teenager who’d had his iPhone confiscated. “Is it so wrong that I want to make my mark in my father’s world? Make the rest of the family proud?”

“It is when it undermines your relationship with your siblings, who happen to be your business partners,” Nikki stated, also leaving no room for argument. “It wouldn’t just be illegal. It would be a slight against the family you say you want to be a part of.”

“That’s not how I see the transaction,” Beau huffed.

The fact he’d been here a couple of months and decided to take matters into his own hands either made him ambitious, ignorant, or just a plain old asshole. Nikki couldn’t decide which.

“I didn’t mean any harm,” Beau said on a sharp sigh.

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Kade said with the snarkiest tone Nikki had ever heard. There was more than a hint of condemnation in his voice, too.

Kade’s cell buzzed while it was still in his hand. “The sheriff is sending Sandy to take our statements.” He tapped the screen a few times. Beau’s cell chimed a second later. “I’ll save you the time of reading the group text. I asked if our partners want to come in for a face-to-face tonight or discuss this sale via conference call.”

“Fine,” Beau stated, checking his cell anyway.

Kade walked over to a cabinet, produced a key, and unlocked the door. There was a lockbox inside that required an additional key. He produced it, then opened it.

Inside, there was a stash of cash, a handgun, and a couple of cell phones. He grabbed one of the phones, locked up the box and cabinet, and then took a seat next to Conrad. “Meant to give you this earlier.” He handed over a phone. “Number is here.” He pointed toward a piece of paper that had been taped to the back. “You’ll have to get used to a new cell number, but this should do you right until you get yours back from the law.”

Beau watched the brothers as they interacted. Was he jealous? Was he telling the truth about wanting to make a deal to prove his worth in the family? Or was he clever enough to come up with the lie on the spot? Had he cooked up the lie to cover his tracks if anyone caught him?

An even bigger question loomed. Was he a killer?

Nikki studied the man who looked so much like his father. Was that the only trait Beau had inherited?

“You’re aware that Conrad is being set up for murdering my father, correct?” she asked him.

“Yes, I am,” Beau said, and then the implication seemed to dawn on him. His eyes widened. “But this deal has nothing to do with what happened to your father.”

“How can you be so sure?” she continued, standing up so she could lean across the desk. Making herself taller than Beau was a power move she’d learned along with using other body language indicators to convey her message.

“I…uh, well…” Beau said, at a loss for words.

“Exactly,” she continued. “What if your actions are the reason Conrad is under suspicion? What if your business deal is the reason my father was murdered?”

Beau’s expression morphed to a solemn one. “Damn. I didn’t think about it in that light. Conrad has been nothing but welcoming to me when the rest of the family can’t stand the ground I walk on.” He seemed genuine. Though, she was learning how pathological liars worked and couldn’t rule Beau out as one. If you believed the lie, you could sell it. He shifted his gaze to Conrad. “I’m truly sorry if my actions have put you in a bad position. That was never my intent.”

Conrad was slow to nod. It was obvious that he was trying to figure Beau out after welcoming his half-brother into the family. “This is my life we’re talking about, Beau. I could go to prison.”

“I’ll do right by the family,” Beau promised. “Just give me another chance.”

Should he?

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