Page 30 of Shadow Sabotage
I wasn’t surprised, but it never hurt to ask. “She was in this area over Christmas break. Did you see her around town anywhere? Coming to events, hanging out with anyone…”
Naomi’s eyes narrowed. She tapped her cheek with her finger and hummed as she thought. “I can’t remember ever seeing her, no. Not at any of the town Christmas events. I’m almost always here at the ranch though. Beth, Jonathan, what about you?”
They came closer. Beth took the photograph from my outstretched hand.
Jonathan glanced at it quickly, then shook his head. “Nah. Never seen her.”
“You sure?” I asked, cocking my head. He’d barely looked at the photo.
“I’m sure. I’ve got to go, Mom. Travis is waiting.” He gave Naomi a quick peck on the check, then sauntered off without a backward glance.
Beth took her time studying the photograph. Watching her, I was struck by just how different she and Claire were. Claire’s hair was a mess of blonde curls; Beth’s was soft brown waves. Claire’s eyes were green like her mother’s, while Beth’s were brown. Claire was short; Beth was tall.
But it was more than that. Their demeanors were totally different. Beth was quiet and reserved. She seemed to take an extra moment to think before answering anything—I’d noticed that even when she’d checked me in and given me the key to my cabin.
Claire, on the other hand, seemed to let every thought bubble up out of her mouth before she even knew what they were going to be. And the Claire I’d seen riding that horse today was a free spirit, as wild and untamed as the Wyoming wilderness. I couldn’t imagine her sister doing the same.
Beth handed the photograph back. “No, I’ve never seen her in person,” she said softly. “But I feel so bad for her. I hope you and Claire find out what happened.”
“I will,” I answered, leaving Claire out of it.
It would be me and me alone working this case. There was noweabout it.
No distractions.
Chapter Eleven
Claire
I was fuming.Other than his brief appearance the day we’d gotten the official ID, Agent Weston had stayed away from the office, making it abundantly clear to everyone there that I wasn’t his “partner” at all.
Trey was loving it.
Meanwhile, I was miserable. Bored out of my ever-loving mind. Sheriff McGrath wasn’t assigning me any normal duties because he wanted me to be “available” for Agent Weston. I’d been stuck twiddling my thumbs for two days straight, on top of having to endure Trey’s taunts about the whole thing.
And now, Agent Weston was back, strolling past my pasture like he didn’t have a care in the world. No apology, no update on the case. Nothing.
I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought he was nice.
Rhett rode his horse over toward me, a lazy smirk on his face.
“Should I ask why you’re shooting daggers out of your eyes?” he drawled, leaning forward in his saddle. “And should I warn poor Agent Weston that he’s officially on your bad side?”
I clenched my fists. “That. Man.” The words came out with a venom I rarely used.
Rhett grinned. “Uh oh. Haven’t seen you this fired up in ages. What did he do?”
“I’m supposed to be his partner,” I complained. “But he’s kept me completely out of the loop.”
“I thought you hated working with him.” Rhett shot me a puzzled look. “Chey said you called him an arrogant prick. Shouldn’t you be relieved he’s letting you off the hook?”
I huffed, trying to figure out how to explain it. “Look, I would have been fine if Sheriff McGrath had partnered him with Trey. That’s what I expected. But he didn’t. He gave the case to me. And now it matters, you know?”
“Yeah.” Rhett plucked a piece of straw out of his horse’s mane and stuck it into his mouth, chewing the end of it. “I get that. It’s like if someone went missing near the county line and they called the other SAR team in, we’d feel fine about it. But if they call us, we’re going to see it through.”
“Exactly. I’m the one who found her.” I swallowed hard, my mind flashing back to images from that night. It was terrible to think that she had been strangled, dumped, and left out there to be eaten by predators. Whoever had killed her had a cold, cruel heart.
I shook myself, shutting the images out of my head, and took a deep breath. Rhett was watching me closely.
