Page 28 of Cold Case Murder Mystery

She just had to know the facts before she could proceed. And he’d want to proceed withnofacts. She needed data. He just went on instinct. This was too... big for that. Too personal. Too hers.

This whole morning had been nothing but instinct, and it was already a disaster.

When she turned into the drive of Zeke’s ranch, she slowed his truck along the drive because someone was in front of the house. Someone was outside, playing fetch with the dog.

At first, Brooke could make out the shape of what was a woman with dark hair. Something a little too close to hot twisting jealousy poked her right in the chest. That wasridiculous. Zeke had made it clear he hadn’t been seeing anyone.

Not that it mattered.

Something she could fully assure herself of when she finally got close enough to recognize the woman as Zeke’s sister. Maybe she was there to take Viola back? Brooke hadn’t left the dog outside this morning. That meant Zeke was awake, but still inside, and...

Now she’d have to explain her disappearance to both of them.Thatwas what she got for going on instinct and running out of the house this morning. If she’d really thought it through, planned it out, beencareful,she wouldn’t be in this mess.

Data, examination and the careful drawing of conclusions was always the answer. Go figure, proximity to Zeke once again left her making all the wrong choices.

She parked the truck and got out, forcing herself to smile at Carlyle. “Good morning.”

“Hey. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d check in on Viola.” She gestured at the prancing dog. Brooke frowned though. There was no car, no truck. How had Carlyle gotten here?

“How’s she working out for you?” Carlyle asked as Viola eagerly put her head under Brooke’s hand in greeting.

“She’s great,” Brooke replied with feeling. She gave Viola a pat. She did really enjoy having the dog around, not that she could let herself get used to it.

“Good.” Carlyle nodded and an awkward silence followed while Carlyle fidgeted. Stepping from side to side, rocking back on her heels, decidedly not leaving or saying anything else.

Until she finally blurted, “I don’t know why my brother would call me out here, because he knows I can’t keep my mouth shut. What’s the deal with you two?”

Brooke blinked. “Deal?”

“Yeah, like it’s all tense and weird between you two, or was before. Is it because you two knew each other before? When he was doing his secret spy stuff. That’s how he got a forensic whatever you are to come out here so quick when they found...” She paused and wrinkled her nose. “I never know what to call it, considering it was my fiancé’s parents.”

Right, because the connections here in Sunrise and Bent County were complex and complicated. Luckily, Brooke didn’t have to respond to whatever Carlyle was trying to get at because a very old not-in-good-shape car roared up the drive.

Brooke startled, but she noticed Carlyle didn’t so much as blink. Brooke might have grabbed for Carlyle, suggested they run, because clearly this was danger come calling, except she quickly realized Zeke was the driver.

Uh-oh.

The car squealed to a stop a little ways behind his truck, and he was out almost before the entire vehicle had stopped. He marched over to them, pointing at Carlyle, and, for a second, Brooke figured that was who he was mad at.

“Leave,” he said between clenched teeth to his sister, handing her off the keys he’d had in his hand.

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t mad at Carlyle. She didn’t know why he wasmadlike this ather. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen himmadlike this. Usually he was a controlled kind of mad. Icy.

This was... not ice.

Carlyle held up her hands in mock surrender and maybe she was trying not to grin, but Brooke didn’t think she was tryingthathard.

“And miss the show?” she asked Zeke.

He made a noise, close to a growl, which had Carlyle laughing and snatching the keys from him before moving for the old car. She paused next to Brooke though. “Oh, Brooke, he’s got itbad. I hope you twist the knife.”

Brooke wasn’t sure she understood Carlyle’s meaning, but then again, she wasn’t sure Carlyle understood what was really going on here.

And it didn’t matter, because now she had to deal with angry Zeke, which didn’t seem fair. “I cannot fathom why you’re this angry,” Brooke said, trying to sound bored and calm. “I just borrowed your truck for a quick errand.”

“An errand or a secret?” he demanded.

She wasn’t sure how he could see through her so easily, and she might have felt guilty, excepthe’dbeen somewhere.

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