Dang Near Dead (An Aggie Mundeen Mystery Book 2) (10 page)

Twenty-One

As we walked to our cabins, the night air seemed lighter. The bright moon peeking through pewter clouds would reflect enough light off the river for me to scrutinize the area where Vicki fell. A short trip to the trail shouldn’t be too dangerous. If somebody caused Vicki’s fall, surely the perpetrator wouldn’t dare return to the scene. The backs of my thighs felt almost normal. When I thought about clues I might find, my feet itched.

This was my best chance to get evidence. Once everybody got in bed, I could slip out of the cabin. They wouldn’t even know I was gone.

To prepare for bed, I donned my Garfield nightshirt. I planned to slip back into my ventilated sundress for sleuthing. Wearing pants would irritate the backs of my legs, and I didn’t want extraneous stimulation capturing my attention while I scoured the scene.

Over the dress, I’d wear the jacket I packed; it had pockets for whatever I might find. I’d bought quart-sized Ziploc bags and sterile gloves at Walgreen’s and packed them in my suitcase to use in the unlikely event I was called upon to collect evidence.

As soon as Meredith slipped under the covers and turned her face to the wall, I tiptoed to my suitcase, changed, slipped gloves and Ziplocs into my coat pockets and sneaked out the front door. It was lighter outside than I’d hoped. There was no thunder. A gentle mist fell. I darted down the path toward the river, ignoring sounds of night critters foraging nearby in the brush.

When I reached the spot on the trail where Vicki fell, a glimmer caught my eye. Another piece of wire? Pausing, I squinted at the object to make sure it wasn’t attached to a snake. It was definitely a piece of wire. Pulling on a glove, I squatted to retrieve the specimen and eased it into a bag. This wire was thinner, different from the corral sample.

I spotted a snatch of fur nearby and bagged it separately. Had an animal spooked Vicki’s horse?

Hearing movement in the brush, I froze. A horrible musk smell wafted by me. I held my nose. Was that the odor Vicki’d described when we first walked to the cabins? A pack of javelinas must be padding through brush somewhere to my right. Javelinas had a keen sense of smell and nasty dispositions, but since the breeze had blown their smell in my direction, I doubted they could smell me. They were unlikely to attack me unless I provoked them, which I wasn’t about to do. As long as I stayed on the open trail, they were even less likely to approach. I hoped the sound of their teeth gnashing meant they were gorging on prickly pear cactus. Standing still as stone, I finally heard them pad away through the underbrush.

By the time I thought it was safe to breathe, my eyes had adjusted to moonlight. I saw something else lying in the path: a two-inch piece of rope with a tiny snip of wire stuck to it. The deputy either hadn’t seen it or considered it unimportant. Wire, rope, and animal hair were so common on ranches, he wouldn’t have considered these items unusual.

The lawman assumed Vicki’s horse threw her as a natural reflex to unexpected movement or sound…like a pack of javelinas moving through the brush. Why would he look for evidence of a crime?

Farther ahead, near the spot from where the deputy had retrieved a rock, I spotted a smaller rock dotted with red splatters. Had Vicki hit her head on that rock? Had somebody hit her with it?

Just as I slid the bagged rock into my pocket, a flashlight beam danced toward me through the trees. My heart leaped into my throat. I scurried backward into the brush, praying the javelinas were far away and that my poison ivy patch didn’t hit a branch.

Sunny came into view. Why was he here? His makeup looked smeared, as though he’d swiped his hand across it. He walked slowly, scouring the horse trail left and right with his gaze. He walked toward the spot where Vicki had lain and stared at the ground.

Beyond Sunny, from farther down the trail, George Tensel appeared. When he realized there was someone ahead of him, he stopped and shined his flashlight beam on Sunny. I backed deeper into the brush, terrified his light might reflect off the white of my sundress and expose me.

“What’s going on here?” George said.

Sunny squinted into the light and didn’t answer.

Tensel lowered his flashlight. Relieved, I watched him wave it over horseshoe marks slashed in the dust. Had Vicki’s horse danced in reaction to booming thunder? Had it spooked when it heard a shot fired? I saw another cluster of horseshoe marks closer to the rocks where I thought Vicki had hit the ground.

“What are you doing here?” George said.

“What are you doing here, Tensel?” Sunny snapped.

“Trying to figure out what happened to the girl.” They scowled at each other. George flashed his light in wider arcs over the ground, lifting it again in my direction. I eased farther back into the brush. George lowered the light back to the area where Vicki fell. They stared at the illuminated patch of earth. Neither man spoke.

Finally, George cleared his throat. “I can’t tell much here. Selma’s still in a frenzy. I need to get back and see if I can calm her down.”

Sunny wiped his hand across his face. “I need to check the campfire. Make sure it’s out.”

“I’m sure the girl will be fine,” George said. “People fall off horses all the time.”

“Yes,” Sunny mumbled. “She should be all right.” They turned and walked back the way they’d come.

When they were out of sight, I concentrated on getting my breathing back to normal. Had one of them come back to search for evidence of what he’d done? I fingered my pockets. I didn’t know the significance of what I’d found, but I was glad I found it before they did.

If George or Sunny had caused Vicki’s fall, I might find something incriminating in their cabins. But George was on the way to his cabin to calm Selma, and Sam occupied the adjoining cabin. Sneaking around that habitat was out of the question.

When their footsteps receded and I could no longer see flashlight beams, I eased out of the brush, listening for sounds of movement. The night was still. Even the animals must be hunkered down, awaiting the storm.

It occurred to me that Sam was apt to show up. I decided I’d better hightail it back to my cabin before he appeared and started lecturing me about being there. I wanted to evaluate my contraband, not relinquish it.

Sunny had said he had chores to complete. I remembered from looking at the map that his cabin wasn’t far from ours. Maybe I had time to check out Sunny’s cabin before returning to mine.

Twenty-Two

Just as I remembered, Sunny’s cabin stood between ours and the main lodge. The small building was nestled in a secluded grove of oak trees. A narrow limestone footpath led to his door. The windows were partially open, but the cabin was dark. I stood still in the brush long enough to ascertain Sunny wasn’t there. Then I darted for the door, opened it and tiptoed inside. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw a bureau across the room with a piece of paper folded on top. I scurried over, grabbed the paper and unfolded it. The words I read appeared to have been scrawled in haste: “Just in case. Fulfill your dreams. Vicki #0746.”

A map lay beside the paper.

I drew closer and recognized the Caribbean Sea. There was a dot on the sea north of St. Kitts. I squinted. Was it a reef? A tiny island?

Besides me, Sunny had appeared to be Vicki’s only friend at the ranch. At least, he’d taken up for her after the snake incident. Had she confided to him she wanted to disappear to a remote island near St. Kitts?

Now that Vicki was injured and might never be able to go, Sunny might be tempted to take advantage of the “just in case” scenario she’d scribbled on her note. Vicki had told me she deposited funds somewhere. Maybe the number in her note led to the funds she stashed.

Had Sunny decided he couldn’t wait to fulfill his dreams, whatever they were? With Vicki out of the way, maybe he could chase dreams in the Caribbean without her.

Cans of face paint were lined up in front of the map. I withdrew the bag from my pocket with the spattered rock and held it next to a can of red paint. As best I could tell in semi-darkness, the colors matched. The front door of the cabin slammed back against the frame. My heart catapulted to my throat. Slipping the bag into my pocket, I whirled around.

“What are you doing in here?” Sunny roared.

My heart skipped a beat. I backed up to his bureau.

He glowered. “How dare you come into my cabin!”

“I… I… went for a walk, got turned around in the dark and came upon your cabin. The girls twitter about you all the time… they think you’re so handsome. When I realized this was your cabin, I have to admit I got curious.”

I froze, awaiting his response. He was between me and the door. How could I get past him? While he considered what to do, I decided to make my move. I strode toward him, shaking my head apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come in uninvited. I’ll just go now and leave you in peace.”

It wasn’t that easy. Before I could reach the door, he grabbed my shoulders and leaned into my face. His fingers dug into my flesh.

“What do you want in here? What do you want with me? Do you think I scared Vicki’s horse? Is that it?” His eyes were fireballs. “How dare you!” He shook me.

I pressed against his chest with all my strength. My pushing was useless. He was bigger and stronger than I realized. Moonlight coming through the door lit the scar on his face like a slash of evil.

He gripped powerful fingers deeper into my shoulders. It hurt. I had to think fast. Quick as lightning, I poked his eye with my finger and scratched his face.

“Ouch!” He let loose.

I scrambled out the door and ran, praying he was too busy dealing with his eye to come after me. I was picking up speed when I crashed into Sam and nearly knocked us both down.

Twenty-Three

“Agatha. What in God’s name are you doing out here?”

“I couldn’t sleep after all the excitement,” I panted. “I was out walking, but it didn’t help.” I had to suck air between words. “I thought jogging…might make me… tired enough to sleep.”

He narrowed his eyes. “If someone spooked Vicki’s horse, whoever it was could still be out here.” The way he deliberately pronounced each word made my heart freeze. “Are you out of your mind?”

I hated it when he said that. He should know better. But he thought he knew everything and nobody else could figure anything out. He’d be impressed with what I’d found. If I decided to tell him.

I hadn’t forgotten what happened at the health club. Things got dicey when I exposed the killer; yet, Sam never once expressed appreciation for my help.

Right now, I didn’t want him checking my pockets. I needed to deflect his questions. Making an instantaneous decision, I clasped my hands behind his neck.

“I’m frightened,” I said, clinging there. Our faces nearly touched. I kissed him hard.

He was astonished. He was also a little damp from the mist. I loved the smell of his Old Spice Aftershave mixed with rain. I felt him relax. I think he forgot to be angry. He reached around my back and pulled me closer.

I hoped he didn’t lower his arm farther down than my jacket and discover the hole in my dress.

I knew kissing him to distract him was a crummy thing to do. But it was wonderful. The two of us. Alone. Under the night sky. I relaxed into him.

His whole body stiffened, and he backed away. “If there’s any investigating to be done, I’ll do it. You can’t get involved.”

I was afraid he might feel that way. Before he could crank up more indignation, I snuggled in closer and touched my mouth tentatively to his. He responded and held me even tighter.

My previous resolve to stall our relationship and concentrate on doing the right thing flew into the atmosphere. I could hardly breathe.

Unfortunately, I could still think. When I sensed his urgency, I felt totally ashamed for leading him on.

Then the backs of my legs started itching.

I thought about the goodies in my pockets.

It took all my strength to push Sam away. When I took a step back, we were both breathless.

“I’m scared to be out here,” I panted. “Like you said, somebody might be around.”

When he reached for me again, I straightened my arms. “No. You’re absolutely right. I shouldn’t be here.”

He blinked.

I knew I was acting like a first class creep, but I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t have the courage to be honest.

“We need to go to our cabins.” I spun around, holding my skirt closed in back, and took off.

“Hey, wait. What the…?”

No way was I going to wait. Even though I’d moved up to forty-five minutes on the treadmill, by the time I reached my cabin, I was heaving like a basketball forward.

I slithered inside, quietly locked the door and went straight to my suitcase. I retrieved the “Do Not Disturb” sign I’d snitched from a hotel and carried with me in case of emergency. There were times when a person did not want to be disturbed and did not want to answer questions.

Tiptoeing back to the door, I eased it open and peeked through the crack. When I didn’t see anybody, I slipped the sign on the door handle and maneuvered the door closed. Leaning against the door, I closed my eyes and asked God’s forgiveness for acting like an idiot. I tried to formulate specific promises about honesty and about my future behavior, but my heart wasn’t in it.

Careful not to wake Meredith, I lifted a chair and wedged it under the knob without making a sound.

Scraping Sunny’s face paint from under my nails, I flicked the spatters into a fourth Ziploc bag and dropped it with other bags into the empty suitcase under my bed.

When I went to the bathroom to wash and treat my poison ivy patch, I noticed that my face was still swollen. Maybe Sam would conclude I’d suffered an allergic reaction that caused temporary insanity. Hopefully, my kisses would not make his face swell.

I heard two of the girls snoring and Jangles talking in her sleep. I tried to make out what Jangles said. I’d have enjoyed hearing her babble about what she and Ranger were doing earlier in the evening. Unfortunately, I couldn’t decipher her giggly gibberish.

I finally crept to bed, easing sideways onto my bunk to let my itchy patch dry. When I thought about Sam, my lips tingled. He might be so angry he’d never speak to me again.

I made myself consider who would want to hurt Vicki. Why had Sunny returned to the spot where she’d fallen? Did his wearing makeup relate in any way to Vicki? Was he really an empathetic person? He sure didn’t seem like one when he was digging his fingers into my shoulders.

What was he hiding besides that scar? When Vicki signed the note I found in his cabin, what did she mean by “just in case?” Had she feared an attack?

What did the numbers on her note signify? Had Sunny promised to go with her to that dot in the Caribbean? Had he decided to do her in so he could abscond to the island by himself and get his hands on her “untraceable” money?

Maybe George Tensel had chased after Vicki and tried to get her to dismount. When Vicki refused, George jerked the horse’s reins and Vicki tugged back. Her horse, spooked from the jerking and yelling, threw her. George might have returned to the trail to look for evidence that implicated him, but he was thwarted by Sunny’s arrival.

Selma left dinner right after George did. What if she finally caught him trying to make time with Vicki, and she spooked the horse?

I could still feel the warmth of Sam’s arms tightening around my back. My skin prickled. I was finding it increasingly hard to think. How could I investigate without irritating him? I just wanted him to trust me. I thought he wanted to trust me. Admittedly, my spontaneous actions made it difficult.

I tried to concentrate on more suspects. Bertha hated Vicki’s youth and beauty and seethed with jealousy over the attention Ranger paid her, but she depended on the girl. Vicki’s accident made it hard for Bertha to keep everybody at the ranch.

I wondered, incidentally, if Bertha knew how much Ranger enjoyed having Jangles chase after him.

Had I found Ranger’s sculpting wire? According to Monty, Ranger had designs on this ranch, and Monty stood to benefit. Had they concluded they’d both be better off with Vicki out of the picture?

If Wayne Rickoff had fired his gun to spook Vicki’s horse, nobody could have distinguished a shot from all that thunder. Not even Jangles.

My mind flipped back to Sam. Having managed to keep the clues I’d gathered away from him, I’d dazzle him at the right moment with my crime-solving prowess. Assuming he still spoke to me.

I’d become invaluable to his investigation.

Meanwhile, I had to keep from infuriating him. My grabbing him, then running away, had undoubtedly ticked him off. Sometimes a person like me gets desperate.

That thought led me to River Rat. Had his addictions made him desperate? How far would he go to get his sister’s money?

My evaluation of suspects wasn’t productive. I couldn’t keep my mind off Sam. If only I could get him to trust me. I didn’t seem to be making headway creating trust.

Sunny Barlow and I both used facades. In the long run, I had to admit that our facades probably wouldn’t work.

Blessed rains finally came. As I listened to splatters hit the roof, I hugged myself. I imagined Sam’s arms wrapped around me and prayed to high heaven I hadn’t alienated him forever.