Page 39 of Cold Case Murder Mystery

“I’ll just drop you off at your car.Thatcan ride with me from the cabin to ranch,” he said, jerking his chin toward the backpack. “I’ll follow you and make sure we’re in eyesight of each other.”

She didn’t look convinced that this was the best idea, but she didn’t argue, so he drove to the rental cabin. It wasn’t that far out of their way, and she should have her vehicle. Even if he didn’t like the idea of her having the means to leave without him watching out for her.

Royal had been following her though, and she still might be in danger, but until Zeke figured out whatkind, leaving her car at the rental just gave Royal the means to cause more trouble.

Zeke pulled up next to her car, not bothering to turn off the engine. She scrambled out of his truck with one last glance at her backpack, then pulled keys out of her purse and headed to the car.

It was fine. She’d lead the way and he’d follow in his truck. What bad could happen? They’d still be together, and they’d head for his ranch.

But before, in that diner parking lot, there’d been a tracker. He was pretty sure it had been Royal, but something in his mind whispered,What if it’s not?

“Wait.” He hopped out of the truck and began to inspect her car just as he had back at the diner days ago. Maybe he was paranoid, but he’d built most of his adult life on following instincts a lot of people called paranoia. Sometimes it was and sometimes...

“Do you smell that?”

Brooke frowned, sniffed the air. “I don’t know. Maybe? It just smells like... fertilizer.”

And maybe it was, but something buzzed along Zeke’s skin. A bad feeling that he’d honed from being in a lot of close calls in his life. He took Brooke’s arm and drew her away from the vehicle. “Look, I think—”

The sound of the explosion was small, but still a surprise. Brooke jumped and Zeke tried to shelter her. When he looked back at the car, flames erupted from under the hood. Zeke grabbed Brooke and pulled her behind him, propelling them both back and away from the fire.

It hadn’t been anything major. Unlikely to kill anyone, though it could have easily hurt someone near the car. There might be a second explosion if the fire hit the gas tank, so they needed to get some distance from it.

“Did it... overheat?” Brooke asked weakly when it was obvious that’s not what had happened.

The door of the cabin burst open and Royal, in his bare feet, ran out holding a fire extinguisher. For a second he stared at the blaze then turned to them.

“You okay, Brooke?”

“Yes,” she said firmly, but she was shaking underneath Zeke’s hand.

Royal moved forward and put out the fire with quick, efficient movements. Then he shoved his free hand over his short hair. “What the hell was that?”

“We don’t know.” Zeke surveyed the car, Royal, and Brooke behind him. He sighed, because whatever was going on wasn’t over. And it wasn’t just about Brooke.

“Get some shoes on, Royal. You’re coming with us.”

Brooke was still shaking, but could breathe with more ease when Zeke’s ranch came into view. Nothing bad had happened here. They were safe here. Everyone was going to be safe.

She had to believe that. So she’d repeated it over and over inside her head on the drive.

She was surprised Royal hadn’t mounted a fight about coming to Zeke’s. He’d simply gone inside, gotten shoes and a duffel bag, and returned. Zeke had helped her into the truck and handed her the backpack so she could hold on to it. Royal had climbed in the back.

She was riding in a truck, clutching a skull carefully packaged in a backpack, her brother in the back seat while her ex pulled up to his ranch house. After her car had... exploded. Kind of.

It was asmallexplosion, she kept telling herself. Nothing compared to some of the things she’d seen in North Star. And still, it had shaken her more because it had beenhercar. In front ofherrental cabin, even if she hadn’t been staying there.

She didn’t knowwhy, but this somehow felt centered onher. And worse, it probably wasn’t about the skeletal remains at all, because she’d been working on those for over a month now. Nothing had changed this week—not really.

Except Royal’s appearance in her life. So maybe it didn’t center on her at all. She didn’t want to feel this way, but she couldn’t help but think it focused on Royal. It had to. Nothing bad had been happening to her or around her until he’d started following her.

When Zeke shoved the truck into Park, they all got out. Viola bounded over, a low growl in her throat as she scurried up to Royal. It was a warning, but also clearly curiosity on the dog’s part.

Royal crouched, holding out his hand in supplication to the dog. Viola sniffed, tail stuck straight out, but after a few seconds, it began to wag and the dog let Royal scratch her ears. Royal grinned up at Brooke over the dog. For a moment, they were kids again and she hadn’t failed her brother and they weren’t in trouble.

“Someone will call that in before nightfall,” Zeke said, interrupting her little moment with peskyfacts.“Someone involved with the rentals will see there’s been a fire in that car and will callsomeoneabout it. Then Bent County is going to know it’s your car that got torched, Brooke. If we aren’t the ones to call it in, it looks fishy,” Zeke said.

“Itisfishy,” Royal muttered irritably as he straightened into a standing position.

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