Page 25 of Pitch for You

She paused for a moment before responding. “Actually, last week when we were filing some papers together, I overheard him making some phone calls and he was talking to someone about what to do if they didn’t agree to sell the land soon.”

My heart raced as I wrote down this new information in my notepad. “Do you remember who he was on the phone with?”

Angela thought for a moment before responding, “I couldn't hear the other person's voice, but I did catch a name. Bryson.”

“Bryson? Do you know who that might be?” I asked, hoping for another lead.

“I’m not sure, sorry.”

“Thank you, Angela. You have been a big help,” I said as I stood up.

“No problem. Just let me know if there's anything else I can do.”

I left the office building and got back into my truck. This new information could be key in solving this case. I drove to the Walters ranch to update her on my findings so far.

As I pulled up to the ranch, Sofia was sitting on her porch swing sipping on iced tea. She looked up and smiled as she saw me approaching. “Hey, I noticed you didn’t come to work today. You feeling okay?”

“I have some new information regarding the fire,” I said as I sat down next to her.

She leaned in closer with interest as I told her about Roger's car being caught on camera. “And his friend Bryson may also have some involvement.”

“Bryson… that name doesn’t sound familiar.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out seeing Angela’s name.

“Hey. Did you remember something else?” I put the phone to my ear, Sofia leaning forward as if to try to hear.

“Roger’s GPS in his car shows him on the road parked for twenty minutes on the night of the fire. He was definitely there, Brett. You know what this means, right? He is willing to do anything to get his hands on that land. You need to warn Sofia.”

A chill ran down my spine as Angela's words sank in. Roger Adams was more dangerous than we'd realized. I ended the call and turned to Sofia, who was looking at me expectantly.

“We need to talk. It's worse than we thought.”

I quickly filled her in on what Angela just told me. Sofia's face paled as she listened.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. “He really tried to burn the ranch down?”

I nodded. “It seems that way. And I'm worried he might try something even more drastic next time.”

Sofia stood up, wrapping her arms around herself. “What are we going to do? I can't sell this place, Brett. It's all I have left of my family.”

I stood and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We're not going to let that happen. We have evidence now. We can go to the police.”

Keeping her and Max safe had become my top priority. The police didn’t need to get involved just yet. Men like Roger Adams had to be dealt with in other ways. We just needed to even the playing field. “I’ve got a plan.”

15

Sofia

Brett and I strode toward the office. Determination was palpable, mirrors of each other in posture and stride. We spent all night gathering evidence, piecing together fragments of information that pointed to one man - Roger Adams.

As we reached the oak door, I paused just for a moment, eyes glistening with resolve. I glanced at Brett, seeking reassurance in his steady blue gaze. He gave me a slight nod, his unspoken encouragement fanning the embers of my courage.

“Let's do this,” I whispered. And with a deep breath, I pushed open the door.

Inside the office, Roger sat behind the antique mahogany desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the polished surface. His smug expression faltered slightly when he saw the fiery determination in my eyes. He underestimated my tenacity.

“Roger, we've come here because we have reason to believe you've been sabotaging our ranch so you can swoop into take it over.”

---