Page 3 of Lie for a Million

The conflict wasn’t so much about the prize money as it was about loyalty. That issue was going to make his decision even more painful. Once it was in place, he feared that things would never be the same between him and Lila.

Could he live with that?

A groom was waiting with the next horse. Forcing himself to focus, Roper strode back across the arena, mounted up, and went to work.

* * *

In her haste, Lila had taken the wrong exit from the arena. She was still fuming over Roper’s attitude when she found herself in the stable wing that led back to the house.

She was facing an empty box stall, still festooned with yellow crime scene tape. It was One in a Million’s old stall, the place where Frank had been found dead from a massive injection of fentanyl in his neck.

The only witness to the crime had been the stallion. Removed to a different stall, One in a Million had been a bundle of nerves, trembling and snorting. Roper’s skilled handling had finally calmed him. But the memory of his master’s death would be imprinted on the big roan’s brain for the rest of his life.

Frank’s killer had yet to be found. Madeleine, Frank’s ex, had confessed to hiring a mob hit on him—a hit that had never been carried out because Frank was already dead. Someone else, probably someone Frank had known and trusted, had injected him from behind. His daughter, Jasmine, had found his body the next morning, lying face down in the straw.

After Madeleine’s confession, the FBI agent who’d stayed at the ranch had gone back to his office in Abilene. Tomorrow, he’d be returning to take up the investigation again. Maybe this time he would be able put Frank’s murder to rest—a murder that had made the national tabloids.

Everyone in the Culhane family and on the ranch was under suspicion, including Lila herself. Now it appeared that there might be a new suspect—Crystal.

If Frank had been told about her alleged pregnancy, and he’d refused to marry her, support her, or even believe her, that would have given Crystal motive to kill him.

Tomorrow Lila would be meeting Crystal at lunch. Would she be confronting a naïve young woman who’d been led astray? Or would she be facing a ruthless opportunist, capable of lying and murder?

CHAPTERTWO

From the window of his fourth-floor office, FBI Agent Sam Rafferty watched the setting sun cast shadows over the streets of downtown Abilene. It was time to leave for the day. But he needed to make sure his work was caught up before setting out for the Culhane Ranch in the morning.

The Frank Culhane murder case had become the albatross around his neck. When Madeleine Culhane had confessed to hiring a hitman, Sam had been sure he’d found Frank’s killer. Even after Madeleine revealed that she had a terminal brain tumor, it made sense that she’d dispense with Frank so her children could fight Lila for the ranch.

The discovery that someone else had already killed Frank had rocked Sam’s world. Something else had rocked his world even harder—falling in love with Frank and Madeleine’s free-spirited daughter, Jasmine.

“So you’re leaving tomorrow?” Nick Bellingham stood in the doorway of Sam’s office. Nick, a white-haired man a few months from retirement, had been Sam’s first boss at the Bureau back in Chicago. He had recommended Sam to replace him in the Abilene office, but only if Sam showed that he could perform the job.

“Yup.” Sam turned away from the window. “It’s back to square one for me.”

“At least you know the people you’ll be dealing with.” Nick walked into the room. “Who’s your money on? The widow? Or maybe the horse trainer?”

Sam shrugged. “It could be any of them, including Frank’s lawyer son and the creepy neighbor with the game hunting ranch.”

“You didn’t mention the daughter—Jasmine, is that her name? She had her differences with Frank, too.”

Sam shrugged again, trying to appear nonchalant. He’d broken the rules by sleeping with Jasmine—rules that could cost him his job. Nick didn’t know about that, unless he’d guessed. “She won’t be at the ranch this time,” he said. “She’s in Austin, looking after her sick mother.”

“Well, you can’t rule her out, either.”

“True.” Sam shuffled the papers on his desk, wishing his old friend and mentor would be on his way. “I’ve tried to leave things in good shape here,” he said. “The reports are up-to-date and filed. I’ve no idea how long I’ll be at the ranch, but I’ll keep you posted.”

“I know you will. And I know how badly you want to put this case to bed. I’ll be rooting for you.”

“How’s the Divino investigation going?” Sam changed the subject. Louis Divino, a known racketeer, had moved his operation from Chicago to Texas. Nick had been trying to arrest him for years. But Divino was slippery, with sharp lawyers and hired goons to do his dirty work. It was no secret that he was a friend of Madeleine’s and had helped her arrange the hit on Frank Culhane. But since the hit had never taken place, he was in the clear.

“Dead end,” Nick said. “I was hoping to nail the bastard before my retirement, but it’s looking like that job might fall to you.”

“You’re not retired yet, Nick.”

“We’ll see how it goes. Anyway, you’ll have your hands full dealing with the Culhanes. Go on, now. Get some rest before you hit the road tomorrow.”

“Thanks. At least I’ll be driving a decent car this time.” Sam picked up his briefcase and took the elevator down to the parking garage.

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