investigator in the family. But if desire and heart counted for anything, Colt would get the job done where others may have failed.
“You don’t believe Daddy did it, do you?”
Sam rubbed at his chin for a moment. “Naw. I don’t guess any of us thinks that. But do you have any other suspects in mind?”
Colt knew what his brother was asking. Nearly twenty years ago the Chance County sheriff had rushed through their mother’s murder investigation, convicted their father and sent him off to die in prison. And every one of the Chance boys had wondered about his true motives then—and now.
“Austin McCord still sheriff in this county?” he asked by way of answering Sam’s question.
“Yeah, he is. Just older. And even pricklier, if that’s possible. Gonna be tough getting any information from him.”
“Don’t think I’ll be asking him for info anytime soon.” Colt intended to begin in a much more indirect way rather than by head-on assault. “There’re plenty of people from back in those days still living in Chance that I can interview, aren’t there?”
“Some. But you’ll still need to see the old files, if any of them still exist. It’ll be important to take a look at the forensics done at the time and to read the sheriff’s interviews. Time dims memories. Eventually you’ll have to go through the sheriff to look at whatever he kept.”
The idea actually brought a smile to Colt’s lips. “Eventually. Maybe. In the meantime, I have a few ideas on how to get information that don’t include asking.”
Sam got to his feet and drilled him with a steely stare. “None of Chance County’s files from that long ago were ever put on computer. So I’m guessing I don’t want to know what else you have in mind, do I?”
“Probably not, big brother.” Colt stood, too, and even managed a half smile. “So, tell Grace I’m just fine. I’m healing nicely and plenty happy about not having anyone around to bug me.”
“I’ll tell her. But look, we’re actually flying to California with the kids tomorrow and staying with Grace’s grandmother for a couple of weeks. Why don’t you move to our house while we’re gone?”
Sam and Grace and their two little ones were living in the old Chance homestead, where the family had been raised. And where their mother had died. They’d remodeled the old place some, but as far as Colt was concerned the ghosts remained.
“I don’t think...”
“Tell you what, I’ll leave you my key and the security code. You’ll be a heck of a lot more comfortable at the house than you are here. And the hands will be available to cook and clean. No one will bother you. I promise.”
When Colt remained unconvinced and let it show, Sam added, “I haven’t had time to go through all of Mama and Daddy’s papers since we moved in. Daddy’s old combination library and office is still just like he left it. Maybe you can find something to help in your investigation there.”
Sam screwed up his mouth and then went on, “And everything you find in our house will be obtained legally.”
Colt held in the grin and nodded. “Maybe.”
But meanwhile he intended to work his own version of an investigation. Doing it legally was the least of his worries.
* * *
Deputy Lacie McCord stretched and yawned as she left the Chance County sheriff’s station for the night, heading out across the nearly empty parking lot toward her car. She’d just pulled a double shift, thanks to the Yardley boy who’d started a fire in his neighbor’s barn. And she was filthy and exhausted.
She didn’t really mind doing the extra duty. The sheriff’s staff and volunteer fire department both being short-handed was the reason she’d managed to snag this position in the first place. Her stepfather, the sheriff, would never have hired her had he not been desperate. The two of them hadn’t spoken since the day she’d fled town right after high school. Not until she’d applied for the job.
He didn’t hide the fact that he’d never much cared for her, and the feeling was mutual. But hating her stepfather with a passion that bordered on obsession hadn’t stopped her from wanting to work for him.
Too many questions remained unanswered in Lacie’s mind to stay away from Chance forever. And when her mother was committed to a nursing home after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and the deputy’s job happened to come up at the same time, she’d finally accepted that the only way to live a full life would be to return home and find her answers.
Settling into her ancient Subaru and belting in, she turned up her nose at the way the interior smelled. Like barbecue brisket and garden mulch. Not such a pleasant scent, but there wasn’t much she could do about it.
Next to her car, the sheriff’s department pickup she’d used on patrol today sat parked and locked for the night. It was a strong temptation to change over to the better-smelling county-owned vehicle for the ride home. Chance County only employed four deputies and three part-time dispatchers, and all of them but her drove county vehicles to and from work.
But to her mind, it just didn’t seem right for the sheriff’s stepdaughter to drive a county car for personal use. What would the townspeople think?
If she had to work for the bastard, which it seemed at least temporarily she did, no one would have a reason to complain about nepotism. Not if she had something to say about it.
She cranked the key while staring out the bug-ridden windshield toward the long, low brick building housing the sheriff’s department. When she’d come back to town to take the deputy’s job, she’d learned the “new” building had been erected five years ago. Constructed courtesy of Travis Chance, the head of the Bar-C and owner of much of the land in Chance County. His donation, in addition to a massive fundraiser the town had put together, gave them enough money to modernize the whole sheriff’s department.
Computers and air-conditioning and brand-new patrol trucks. Chance County had updated their sheriff’s office as if it were a department as large as one in the city of Houston. She knew about one of those, as she’d been employed there for the past few years before coming here.
Her Subaru wheezed, hesitated and finally rumbled to life. But still she sat and stared. Something seemed off.
Only Louanna, the part-time dispatcher, should be in the building at this hour. Yet a light had just gone out in one of the storage rooms in back. If it was Louanna moving around back there, that would mean she wasn’t doing her duty at the front desk. Didn’t sound like the woman.
Lacie tried to focus on the outside perimeter of the building, though deep pitch-darkness everywhere but at the front kept her from seeing too clearly. Was that something, or someone, moving through the shadows in back?
On pure instinct, her right hand went to the gun at her hip. Now she felt sure something was wrong.
Leaving her car running in Neutral, she quietly stepped out and headed across the parking lot toward the rear of the building. If this was an employee coming back to retrieve something they’d left at work, she would apologize and feel foolish.
But if this were someone breaking in...
Breaking
