Page 4 of Murder at Rescue Ridge

No. They didn’t. But that wouldn’t stop Conrad from sticking up for others even when they didn’t appreciate it.

The office door burst open. A tall brunette stood in the frame. She pointed at the center of Conrad’s chest. “You are going to spend the rest of your life in jail.”

2

Hot on Nikki’s heels came the deputy she hoped wouldn’t follow. Combs was a step behind and almost smacked into Nikki’s back when she stopped to open the business office door in the barn.

Conrad’s lips compressed into a thin line. “Guilty as charged without a fair trial? Is that how your father would have conducted business?”

“How should I know?” Nikki shot back. “I barely knew the man.” She issued a sharp sigh. “In fact, you probably saw more of him than I ever did.”

“I didn’t do it,” Conrad said, plain as the nose on his chiseled face. He’d been skinny and tall in her memory, but Conrad had filled out. His thick, dark hair was cut short. Long black lashes framed espresso-colored eyes. His physical presence filled the room.

“I don’t believe you,” she fired again.

“Why should I care if you do?” he asked, but a moment of hesitation said he did care very much about others believing his innocence.

Nikki didn’t want to notice. She didn’t want to care. She wanted time with her father to fix their broken relationship or find closure.

The reality that it was too late wasn’t something she could accept. Not yet. Leaving their relationship unfinished, without any sense of closure, would keep her awake at night.

“According to witnesses, you were chopping wood before the murder,” Nikki said. Those unbelievable words bounced around the outside of her mind, unable to find a crack to seep into. She couldn’t believe the man who had been larger than life was gone.

“We’ve already covered this, but thank you for the reminder,” Conrad said, folding muscled arms across a broad chest.

“My fath— Harrison Guidry was murdered with an ax.” Again, those words didn’t seem possible.

“Are you a prosecutor?” Conrad asked.

“Law student,” she admitted. “Top of my class.”

“Well, guess what, Ms. Top Of Your Class, you aren’t welcome on Sturgess land, which means you’re trespassing. Since there’s ano trespassingsign posted at the entrance, you need to leave.”

“I was invited,” Nikki quipped.

“Not by me,” he said, straightening, “and certainly not by any of my family members.”

Nikki blew out a breath.

“I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am, but you don’t have a right to be here quizzing Mr. Sturgess,” Deputy Combs said. “Since Mr. Sturgess has asked you to leave, you need to get inside your vehicle and go.”

“No,” Nikki said for lack of anything better.

“I don’t think you understand, ma’am,” Combs said. “That wasn’t a question.”

Nikki fumed at the idea she was about to be removed from the Sturgess property when she hadn’t done anything wrong. “Why did you do it, Conrad?”

“I already told you there’s been a mistake.” The look in his eyes had her wavering. Was it possible someone else had picked up the ax and…

The image of her father dying in such a brutal manner stamped her thoughts. Tightly fisting her hands at her sides, her fingernails dug into her palms.

“The only mistake is me expecting to get the truth out of you,” Nikki ground out as tears pricked the backs of her eyes. Oh no. She wasn’t about to cry. She didn’t do tears. Crying in front of the suspect wasn’t professional.

This was personal, a small voice inside her pointed out. This was the father she would never be able to speak to again. This was the father she could never make things right with before it was too late. Too late was here. And she had to live with the way she’d talked tohim in their last conversation for the rest of her life.

Hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

In a surprise move, Conrad closed the distance between them in a few strides and held her. She didn’t resist. Couldn’t resist. A tidal wave of emotions pinned her arms to her sides. All she could do at that moment was lean in until the tsunami was finished with her.

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