Page 18 of Cold Case Discovery

Jack nodded because he agreed with the assessment, but he didn’t say anything else because he could also tell Walker was fishing.

“The thing is, stuff like that only scares you if you know why you’re being threatened.”

Jack tried not to tense. Failed. “First of all, she wasn’t scared. Not nearly scared enough for the situation. Second, I’ve known Chloe a long time. She’s one of my best deputies. She doesn’t know anything, or she would have said.”

“What about the brother?”

Jack’s mouth firmed. He wasn’t any fan of defending Ry Brink. The guy had given Chloe a lot of grief over the years, and Jack figured he’d earned all the negative talk aimed his way. But... “I’m not saying Ry couldn’t be involved insomething, but those bones were buried on the Brink property a long, long time ago. ChloeandRy would have been kids when it happened.”

“Kids know things, too, Jack.”

Unfortunately, Jack couldn’t argue with that.

Chapter Six

Chloe didn’t sleep well. When she caught snatches, she had dreams of skeletons and snakes. Her subconscious wasrealsubtle.

The sun was only a faint glow in her window when she gave up and got out of bed. She’d check on Ry, go for a run and then figure out a way to sneak some coffee without having to sit down to a whole Hudson breakfast.

She considered tracking down her traitorous cat, but she had a feeling she knew exactly where Tiger would be this morning, and it was best if Chloe stayed away.

Satisfied with her plan, she got dressed in her running clothes, then quietly left the bedroom Mary had put her in last night. She knocked on the door next to hers—no answer. She eased the door open, but the room was empty. Dread curled in her stomach.

She thought she’d scared Ry enough into staying put, into not causing trouble, but when had that ever been the case?

She berated herself as she did her best tosilentlyhurry down the stairs. She needed to make sure he’d left and wasn’t wreaking havoc somewhere on Hudson property. Or sneaking around this house trying to sniff out some booze.

But when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she breathed a small sigh of relief. Ry was there, creeping toward the front door. Maybe he’d slept and was only now considering his escape. She certainly hoped so.

“What the hell are you doing?” she hissed at him.

He jumped and whirled. Then his shoulders slumped in relief when his eyes landed on her. “I wasn’t doing nothing,” he whispered right back.

She didn’t bother to correct his grammar like she might have ten years ago. Back then she’d been so sure she could change him, mold him, at least get him to graduate high school so he’d stop hanging out with their father andhisno-good crew.

No such luck there. Now she just hoped she could keep him sober for however long she put up with the Hudsons trying to protect them from whatever was being threatened. Then go back to the hands-off life her therapist had suggested was best.

How on earth had she gotten twisted up in this very complicated situation? She should have known all those years ago, when her father had been adamant about transferring his assets to them before he’d been arrested, that having her name on the ownership of Brink land was only ever going to bring her trouble.

So much trouble.

She got close to Ry and waved her finger at him. “You promise me,promise me, you don’t know what that snake thing was about?” She’d already had this conversation with him in the car last night, but he’d been a little drunk after finding her secret stash while she’d been out watching the sunset with Jack.

Because that was what a girl got for doing something she wanted to do.

But anyway, she wanted to make sure he’d still promise when he was sober.

“Nobody knew I was staying at your place, Chlo. Even if they did, they’re gonna steer clear of a cop’s house. Why would my friends want to mess with you?”

She believed him, mostly because for all the trouble she’d had with Ry before, it was nothing like this. Nothing that targeted her directly. He’d only ever asked her to get himoutof trouble. Or for money. No petty dead-animal games with her brother’s equally useless addict friends.

It really bugged her that the most reasonable explanation for the snakes was connecting it to the skeletal remains on the ranch. Bugged her because it meant she agreed with Jack, and it meant it would make sense for them to keep staying here.

But boy, was her brother the biggest liability.

“Morning.”

Ry let out a little yelp of surprise, and Chloe reached for the gun she was not wearing, thank goodness. But when she turned to face the source of the voice—Jack, of course—she noted his raised eyebrow like he knew exactly what she’d been doing.

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