Page 17 of Murder at Rescue Ridge

Hank threw his hands up in the air and widened his eyes. “I’ll be damned. I had no idea they were wanted by the law.” He placed the flat of his palms on the table. “See. It’s that easy.”

“Our memories can’t be relied on,” Irene interjected. “They aren’t what they used to be.”

Nikki was smiling and nodding her approval.

“We’ll stay long enough to get our bearings and figure out our next move,” Conrad said. “And not a minute longer. The less time we spend here, the better for both of your sakes.”

“While you’re here, we might as well put our heads together and see if we can come up with any ideas as to why someone would frame you,” Hank said to Conrad.

“The murderer would’ve already been on the property,” Conrad pointed out. “It happened so fast, and then they were gone.”

“Unless the person is hiding right underneath everyone’s nose,” Hank said. He paused. “What about the new one?”

“Beau?”

“That’s right,” Hank said. “The man showed up out of nowhere.”

“He was summoned by Harrison Guidry,” Conrad said.

“Was he in contact with Beaumont before then?” Hank asked.

“Not as far as I know.”

“The law will be securing a warrant to search your home and will ask for permission from the judge to examine phone records while they’re at it,” Nikki said. “Beau might be asked to volunteer his information, but since the law is focused on you, they likely won’t go there.”

“What does Beau have to gain by killing the family lawyer?” Conrad asked. “That’s the question that keeps looping in my mind. Another one is how Beau would benefit by setting me up for the crime.”

“And you can’t think of a reason?” Hank asked.

“It would add to his inheritance, but he’s already going to be a very rich man,” Conrad said. “Would he really be that greedy?”

“Only if you got the death penalty,” Nikki pointed out. “You can still inherit since the inheritance wasn’t something you came into because of the crime.”

Conrad conceded with a head tilt.

“What about selling the place?” Hank asked. “I’ve heard all kinds of rumors about discord running through your family about how to handle the ranch.”

“It’s true,” Conrad admitted. “However, we’ve reached an agreement for the time being.”

“Killing you would be obvious,” Irene surmised. “Sending you away for life gets you out of the picture.”

“Does Beau have any half-siblings that you don’t know about?” Nikki asked.

“None that he’s mentioned. Why?”

“Someone else could think they’re doing him a favor,” Nikki said. “They might even believe they could get a piece of the pie if something happened to each of you.”

“There’s six of us,” he said. “Wouldn’t they think the law would catch on at some point?”

“True,” Nikki conceded.

Irene threw her hands up in the air. “I wish there was something we could do.”

“You’re already doing too much,” Conrad said without hesitation. “Believe me when I say food and caffeine are more than enough.”

“How long do you reckon you can stay?” Hank asked.

“I wish we could wait until nightfall, but we should probably head out soon,” Conrad said.

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