Page 44 of Murder at Rescue Ridge

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Conrad clenched his back teeth so hard one of his molars might crack. Was Beau playing a twisted game? Or was he honestly attempting to be part of this family?

“I’ve heard back from the others, and it looks like everyone wants to meet over the phone rather than in person,” Kade said.

“Okay.” Conrad had figured that would be the most efficient way since not everyone lived at the ranch or near the property. He’d been so fixated on the investigation he hadn’t kept up with his siblings. Last he’d heard, the twins were out of town on a siring mission. The Austin billionaire owner of a mare had demanded nothing artificial about the insemination. “Are the twins still in Austin?”

Kade nodded.

The deal was reportedly worth a hundred million dollars if the foal’s first season turned out to be a winner. If not, the deal was worth two hundred and fifty thousand. Gambling was as much a part of horse breeding as hooves on the ground. The billionaire had lost the past three seasons to a rival that liked to gloat. So, the Austin billionaire had decided a hundred million dollars spent would be worth the bragging rights. An air-tight non-disclosure agreement had kept the Sturgess’s from reporting the deal or uttering a word to anyone outside the family. The billionaire hadn’t wanted to look like he was trying so hard to beat his rival. Beaumont had made the deal months before his death.

It was a good thing Kade was digging into the books. Beau had volunteered for the job, but Kade wanted access. Now, they knew why Beau had signed up for the job. He wanted to broker his own deals behind everyone’s back. Being secretive could also mean he was trying to keep the profits.

There was one way to find out if Beau was being honest.

“Call Lukas and put him on speaker,” Conrad said to his brother. “Discuss the deal you made with him and Harrison.”

“Why would I do that?” Beau asked.

“To prove that you’re being upfront,” Conrad said. “You tell us the agreement now and then call the trainer. If he tells the same story, you come out in the clear. If not, then I’ll know never to trust a word that comes out of your mouth again.”

A look of panic flashed behind Beau’s eyes. “I wish you’d trust me,” Beau said.

“Make the call and I might,” Conrad countered.

Kade was already nodding. “We don’t have anything else to do while we wait. Go ahead—unless you’re chicken.”

“I’m not,” Beau quickly said. Too quickly? Too defensively?

Or was Conrad reading too much into his half-brother’s reactions? Anyone in Beau’s situation would likely be on the defensive under the circumstances. Conrad noted that Nikki was intensely studying Beau. He wanted to hear her conclusions when they were in private. Speaking of which, she’d wanted nothing more than to eat and get ready for bed. Dark circles cradled her eyes, and she had to still be reeling from the string of recent events, kicked off by losing her father.

Conrad felt like a jerk for keeping her up. He leaned over and said, “No one would be upset if you decided to go upstairs and get some rest.”

“I’d rather stay,” she said, determined as she kept her gaze on Beau. “We’re getting close, Conrad. I can’t leave now.”

Was she right? This could be another dead end.

The sound of gravel crunching underneath tires diverted their attention toward the front of the house.

Someone had just pulled up.

“Everyone is present,”Kade said as he set his cell on the desk so everyone on the call could hear. He turned to Sandy and said, “Beau was just about to call Lukas Wayne so we could hear his side of the story.”

Conrad got the deputy up to speed while Kade worked on connecting everyone on a call.

“I can save you the trouble,” Sandy said. “I’ve been to the Wayne house twice now. His wife said he went fishing. Said he takes off without his cell every few months.”

“Does that strike you as odd?” Conrad asked, figuring the wife was probably lying.

“Mrs. Wayne claims he tells her taking a phone wouldn’t do any good since he goes to spots that have no cell coverage anyway,” Sandy said, nothing in her expression saying whether she doubted the information.

“Do you believe her?” Conrad asked.

“At this point, I don’t have a reason not to,” Sandy said. “Mrs. Wayne produced a cell phone, stating it was her husband’s. She even went so far as to call it while I was present. It rang and rolled into voicemail that was his voice.”

“The timing of him disappearing sure is a little too coincidental,” Nikki pointed out. Conrad agreed, as did the others.

“I disagree,” Beau said. “There’s no reason for Lukas to stay in town. He wasn’t needed for the sale. The man has every right to go fishing since he’s innocent.”

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