Page 76 of Guarded Secrets
While she munched on her sandwich, she focused on the endless sky where the glint of silver shone from a plane flying overhead. Below, canyons cut into steep mountains, and spindly trees clung to outcroppings of rock.
“It’s so beautiful here. The eastern slopes are drier than the western side, and there’s a wilder look.” She studied him. “You ever think of hiking the John Muir Trail? It’s a dream of mine.”
“I’d like to, but it’s hard to take that much time away from the bar. Some day.” He filled the cup with coffee for himself. “You in the considering stage, or the making it happen stage?”
“I’m not in the making it happen stage yet, but I want to explore the backcountry.”
He nodded. They ate in silence until Owen remarked, “You think Romero and Demaris were seeing each other after you broke up with him?”
She munched on a Frito. “It’s possible. Pam made her interest known at that staff holiday party. Jax was flattered, so maybe.”
“I agree. What if he’d hid the drive in your purse and was counting on you not discovering it. You break things off with him so he gets Demaris to go after your purse so he can get it back.”
“Why wouldn’t he simply ask for it?”
“He didn’t want you to know anything about a flash drive. He didn’t want you suspicious.” Owen sounded like he was thinking out loud as he reasoned through the evidence.
“So first try is with a kid Demaris knows and it goes south and the kid’s arrested. He’s a juvenile so it’s not a big deal. She tries again, and that time is successful. She’s killed that night and your purse was found nearby.”
“Do you think the Ravagers killed her?” The thought brought a chill to her bones.
Nero had seemed reasonable, almost friendly, but it wasn’t much of a stretch for members of outlaw motorcycle gangs engaged in drug trafficking and guns to commit murder.
She didn’t like knowing the caring grandfather could also be a cold-blooded killer.
“I don’t see the motive for them. I’m not saying it isn’t something they would do, but murdering a schoolteacher and leaving her body in a Dumpster? That’s going to get a lot of attention.”
“What if Nero and his crew confronted Jaxon and he told them the flash drive is in my purse, and by the way, my new girlfriend is stealing it for me tonight. They wait until Pam has my purse andgrab her and get what they’re after. They kill her so she can’t identify them.” Whatever Pam had done, she didn’t deserve to be killed in cold blood.
“Possible,” Owen said, frowning. “But it doesn’t fit. Whoever killed her would’ve taken the flash drive, but it doesn’t sound like it was in your purse. If it had been, Romero wouldn’t have been at your door, and the Ravagers wouldn’t have stopped us today. Romero thinks you found it, and the Ravagers, at least before today, think you’d found it.”
She swallowed hard, not liking the direction of his reasoning. “Then who killed Pam?”
Owen’s gaze leveled on hers. “Romero. He lets her send the kid for the purse. That’s illegal shit, but he’s plausibly clear of it. When that doesn’t work, he gets Demaris to go after it herself. Her motivation? Residual jealousy, and a desire to please a new boyfriend.
“But there’s no flash drive. He’s pissed, she’s used up her usefulness, and he’s afraid she’ll be arrested and point the finger at him.” He shrugged. “So he kills her.”
“But remember she wanted to meet for lunch? That was after Fernando tried his hand at armed robbery. How does pretending to be my friend fit?”
“My guess is she wanted to orchestrate a scenario where she’d have access to you and your purse. She might’ve thought you’d invite her to your house and she’d have the opportunity to search for the flash drive.
“If Romero told her where he’d stashed it, she’d know exactly where to look. That’s easier than tracking you down and assaulting you to get the purse.”
“From her end, it might’ve seemed worth a try.” She shook her head. “But I can’t see Jaxon murdering Pam.”
“That’s because you’re too sweet and think the best of people. Reality is, you can never tell.”
She stared at him as he stuffed the remnants of their picnic lunch into the bag and walked it over to a trash can. She needed to keep reminding herself that he didn’t want to be with her.
Back on the road, they descended the eastern slopes, and were soon using the Bronco’s GPS to navigate around South Lake Tahoe to the address of the short-term rental Owen’s cousin had given him.
They pulled into a driveway next to a hybrid minivan.
A tall, lanky man with dark hair stood in the driveway. He had a little boy perched on his shoulders, and another smaller boy clamped around his leg like a starfish. A short curvy woman with a mass of dark curls turned at the Bronco’s approach, a huge smile on her face.
That smile brightened even more when she spotted Owen. They exited the vehicle, and she launched herself at him with a fierce hug.
Keeley smiled at the man. “Hi, I’m Keeley. You look like you have your hands full.”
