closer, anyway. Rafe thought he noticed something.
She trusted his instincts.
Not him.
But he’d always had good instincts. Like the time he’d shoved her back and to the ground, a seemingly mean thing to do, until she’d noticed the rattlesnake he’d prevented her from stepping near. He noticed things. Knew things. He always had…
What the…
“Rafe, look…” She was probably just seeing things. “Is that a trail over there? Leading to that cliff face across the way?”
When he came up beside her, she turned red. Hot. Embarrassed that she’d just been seeing things. Of course there was no…
“I’m not sure,” he said. “If it is, it’s covered over with all of those tumbleweeds.”
“Yeah.” She’d been overreacting.
To him. Which clouded her normally spot-on thinking. She could feel his body heat. He was that close. And could smell him, too.
It wasn’t possible that a boy of thirteen would carry the same scent as a man of thirty-six. Logically, she knew that. Her olfactory nerves were out of control.
“It’s kind of funny, though, that they’re all conglomerated around that one area, don’t you think?” She had to say something, even if it was stupid. Better than standing there letting the past take control of her present. Ruin her present.
“Not if the wind blew them. They stopped there because of the cliff face…”
Something sounded behind them. A crunch of something heavy on the hard ground. Hand to her gun, Kerry froze. If it was a bear, or, more likely, a mountain lion, their greatest hope was to keep it calm. To pray that it didn’t charge them before she could turn and get a shot off.
“What’re you two doin’ up ’ere?”
Not recognizing the voice, yet relieved to know that their intruder was human, Kerry spun around, her gun steady and pointing forward.
“Hey there…put that thing down. You ain’t s’posed to be huntin’ up here…”
The man was older than both of them by a good ten years. Maybe more. Rough looking and wearing a forest ranger uniform. Dropping her gun, she reached into her back pocket for her badge wallet.
“I’m Detective Kerry Wilder,” she said, aware of Rafe right behind her as she approached the man, showing him her identification.
“Yes’m, I know who you are,” the man said, pulling out his own ID. “Grant Alvin,” he said. “My wife and I transferred in with the Forest Service about five years ago. Used to be up at the Grand Canyon,” he said.
Kerry knew some of the forest rangers in the area by sight. Not all. Those near Mustang Valley usually lived in remote, government housing, someplace in national forest territory. And unless there was a matter in MVPD’s jurisdiction, they didn’t really cross paths.
But if he’d been in the area for five years… Shouldn’t someone have talked to him about Tyler’s death? She hadn’t seen his name in any reports. Getting excited as she faced a possible new lead, she said, “I’m investigating my brother’s death.” She named Tyler and gave the man the date and time of death that the coroner had given two years ago.
Staying silent, Rafe stood right beside her, like he was poised to jump to her defense at any moment. Fancy clothes and all. Like his slippery shoes would get anywhere near as far as her well-worn cowboy boots.
Still, she was glad he was there. If the ranger had been a bear—if she’d been about to die—having Rafe there, dying with him…
“You lookin’ at that old case agin?” Alvin looked at her like she was cow dung. “It was an accident. They all said so.”
“Maybe it was,” Kerry acknowledged, not wanting to get on the wrong side of the Forest Service. “I’d just like to be sure.”
“Seems like there’d be more important stuff for you to be doin’,” the somewhat-large man said, holding his ground, his arms crossed against his chest.
“I’m doing this in my own time,” she told him. And then asked, “You said you’ve been in the area for five years.”
“That’s right.”
“And you patrol this mountain?”
“Sometimes. Depends.”
“Were you here two years ago?”
“Off and on.”
“You ever notice any suspicious activity?”
“No.”
Something about the speed of his response put her on edge. Further on edge. The guy seemed pissed off. Put out.
She and Rafe weren’t doing anything wrong. The land was open to the public. They hadn’t even veered far from where they’d pulled the Jeep off the track.
“No one hanging around…no vehicles that visit frequently? Anything that might be big enough to haul guns in and out? Repeat visitors who only stay a minute or two each time they come?”
“Nothin’,” Alvin said, dropping his arms to take a step closer to them. “There’s nothin’. And now the two of yous need to be getting on down the hill,” he said. “It’s getting late, gonna be dark soon, and there’s all kind of wild animals out here at night. I sure don’t want to be having to come back up and git you down,” he said. And then, with a sour look added, “And them thousand-dollar leather shoes sure ain’t gonna keep that one from sliding off a cliff.” He practically spat the last four words.
Before either of them could respond, the man turned and then walked off.
Kerry could have called him back, but she was just as glad to see him go.
“What the hell was that?” she breathed, staring at Rafe. “Did he just threaten you?”
“Seemed that way.” Eyes narrowed, Rafe was staring after Alvin, who’d apparently come upon them on foot. There was no other vehicle in the immediate vicinity, which would explain why they didn’t know he’d been approaching.
“How’d he know we were up here?”
“I’m guessing he heard the Jeep. Came to check us out.”
Which would be his job. Still… “He seemed kind of paranoid, though. What’s it to him if I look into a cold case?”
“I’m not sure.” Rafe didn’t say much, but one look at his face told Kerry that he wasn’t blowing off the incident. He was going to find out more.
Because he had the clout to do so.
And for the first time in a very, very long time, she was glad that she knew Rafe Colton.
