Page 87 of Tessa's Trust

She shuffled papers in the background. “Not really.”

“Perfect. Would you run down to Smiley’s Diner and just make sure the place is still standing?”

“Sure,” she said slowly. “What are you doing?”

It didn’t occur to me to keep the truth from her. “I’m going to check out the place where Rudy Brando was staying. Apparently, he rented one of the cabins from the Frisky Trust.”

“I didn’t know that,” Anna said. “That’s a good idea. There’s a chance the sheriff has already cordoned off the area as a crime scene since Rudy died, though. You know that, right?”

Actually, I didn’t know that. I figured Sheriff Franco had searched the place. But I didn’t know that automatically made it a crime scene, especially since Rudy had been killed elsewhere.

Considering it was the dead of winter and the area really wasn’t in the best location to either go snowmobiling or skiing, the three cabins usually sat vacant all winter. I didn’t think I’d run into any problems.

“You should really be careful,” Anna said. “Believe me, every time I go on a journey like that, I end up falling out of a tree.”

As I’d never been good at climbing trees, I wasn’t too worried. “I’ll call you when I finish. I just want to see the place and get a feel for who he was and what he was doing,” I offered.

I also hoped there’d be a big clue on the front door. But considering Sheriff Franco hadn’t said anything, it was doubtful. Although I had also learned that Franco kept plenty of facts to himself, which I guessed was his job.

“I wish I could be there,” Anna said.

Nope. This was my mess, and I would clean it up without getting my younger sister involved any further. “No, no, no,” I argued. “I don’t need help. I just want you to go by the diner and make sure all is well. It’d ease my mind.”

“Sure,” she agreed. “Please, be careful.”

“I will. Love you.” I clicked off. The three cabins were about twenty miles past the turnoff for Bear Creek, and I was happy the local construction companies plowed this far out in the winter. Finally, I reached an unplowed drive with a beautiful, handcrafted, and snow-covered wooden sign on a pole that read Frisky Trust Land. I thought that was sweet.

The town had commissioned the piece after Frisky died, and I thought it was good to leave the tribute to him. It was unthinkable to me that somebody could die without any relatives or progeny, considering how many relatives I had. The idea saddened me. But it was kind that he had donated the land to the city and would always be remembered.

I changed the gear in my Rogue so I could make it down the road. Oh, it had definitely been plowed recently—no doubt, for the police—so it was easier going than it would have been. From the details my nana had been able to uncover, Rudy Brando had rented the second cabin from the road.

How she knew this, I had absolutely no idea. But I trusted her sources implicitly.

So, I bypassed the first dark and quiet cabin, noting that the snow had piled up all around it. It definitely hadn’t been used. I then reached the second cabin and turned, winding through white-covered trees to reach it. There was indeed yellow crime scene tape covering the door.

I turned off my engine and sat in the silence for several moments. The trees around me were thick with snow, and huge berms filled the spaces between them. There was no way anybody could come at me from the forest.

Boot prints were visible beneath a new layer of snow, and the walkway to the cabin was partially shoveled. The police had definitely done their job.

The oncoming storm had darkened the day, and it would be pitch-dark soon. I kept my headlights pointed at the cabin. It was a small, one-story, probably one-bedroom structure and used for tourists who came to town to fish or float the river in the summer. It was surprising that Brando had been out here during the winter. Maybe the man had needed privacy.

For what, I wasn’t sure. But considering he’d ended up dead, I couldn’t help but wonder. I steeled my shoulders to get out of my vehicle just as my phone buzzed.

“Hello?” I answered, hoping it was Anna with good news about the diner.

“Did you almost get my grandma arrested?” Nick asked without preamble.

I winced even as the low rumble of his voice licked across my skin. I shivered. “I kept her from getting arrested. Those women were going to Sadie’s cabin with or without me.” How often would I have to say that statement in the next few days?

He groaned. “Our grandmothers need to be separated.”

“Well, that’s on you, buddy,” I retorted instantly. “I’m not taking either of them on.”

He sighed. “Did you petit criminals find anything?”

“Not a darn thing,” I admitted. “It was a waste of time, and it ticked off Sheriff Franco.”

“When I talked to him, he was laughing,” Nick said.

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