Page 10 of Silos and Sabotage

“Could be.” Somehow, Gage doubted the truth was that simple.

Luke followed him to his Bronco to retrieve the glass of water and white porcelain bowl.

Gage wagged a finger at the two items. “Casey made it clear she wanted their glassware back.”

“That might take a while.” Luke didn’t sound very optimistic. “It’s evidence now.”

After he drove off, a couple of hours passed before he called Gage back. “Got some preliminary test results on the water glass.”

“Let me guess.” Gage could barely stomach the thought. “More xylazine?”

“Enough to kill a horse.” The sheriff didn’t sound too happy about it.

“So, we’re looking at attempted murder?” Gage felt his temperature rise.

“Looks like.”

“With Billy Bob Bolander as our top suspect.”

“Maybe. He wasn’t the only one in the room with her,” the sheriff reminded quietly.

Gage’s blood started to boil again. “He was the only one roughing her up!”

“I hear you, but we’re going to have to do this by the books.” Luke’s voice was cautious. “It’s the Bolanders we’re talking about. They’re gonna lawyer up the moment we bring Billy Bob in for questioning. We can’t afford to make any mistakes with them.”

“Okay.” Gage was pretty sure he knew what the guy was going to say next.

“It means the police will take it from here, Gage.”

Yeah, yeah.Though Gage was disappointed, he wasn’t surprised he was being told to back off. Gil had warned him not to take offense about it when it happened.

They’ve got their job, and we’ve got ours. Just stay in your lane.

“Understood.” In some ways, he didn’t mind being nudged off this particular case. He had no interest in viewing the unconscious woman beside him as merely part of the job. Nope. It was strictly for personal reasons that he chose to linger at her bedside. Ever since she’d called him by name, he’d been drawn to her.

“Our next step will be posting a guard at our Jane Doe’s door.” Luke’s voice turned sly. “If you’d like, I’ll give Lonestar Security a call and let them know you’re volunteering to take first shift.” Lonestar was the first place Luke always called when he needed to hire extra manpower.

Back on duty.Gage’s lips twitched. “That’s fine with me, sheriff.” On the upside, it would give him the perfect excuse for lingering past visiting hours.

“Thanks, Gage. I’m beginning to see why Gil and his team were so anxious to snap you up.” Luke ended the call.

Wow!Gage hadn’t been expecting a compliment. He tossed his phone in the air and caught it.

The woman lying on the bed beside him stirred.

He watched her eyelids flutter against her cheeks and grow still again. He scanned her still form worriedly.Who are you?He’d give anything right now for her to open her eyes and tell him.

As he studied her, he experienced the nagging sensation that he’d seen her before. Or someone who resembled her. There was something vaguely familiar about her classic oval features and ever-so-slightly upturned nose. Had he been wrong in assuming they’d never met before?

He leaned closer to the bed, searching for the scars the sheriff had mentioned. And there they were. The first one was a faint silvery-pink line just inside her hairline near her left temple. He located another scar between the bend of her chin and neck.

He leaned back a few inches to study her from a zoomed out angle and was struck by the symmetry of her straight nose, full lips, and rounded chin. They were perfect, almosttooperfect.

Settling back in the vinyl chair beside her bed, he tried to picture her without a facelift, nose job, and chin tuck. Her eyes would no longer have that slightly upturned look at the outer edges. Her nose might be slightly curved, concave, or even hooked.

It dawned on him that the roots of her hair were darker than the white-blonde wisps dangling against her cheeks and ears —a lot darker. She was a natural brunette. Not a blonde.

His heart thumped at the realization that a less symmetrical version of the facial features in front of him, if framed with darker hair, would most certainly bear a striking resemblance to someone he’d met before — to his former company commander, Mick Lawton. A woman who’d gone missing the same day he’d been murdered.

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