Page 60 of Killer on the Homestead
“No, Terry wanted to make sure everything was settled before he left. He couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes behind me though. Waited all day with me too. But they wouldn’t let us see Owen. Hopefully today.”
“Yeah, hopefully.” Duncan kept the smile in place and rejected the awful thought that wanted to take root. Sure, it gave Terry time to plant the map, but why would he? There was no reason. Not that anyone else had a reason. But the point was, anyone could have put that map there.
Anyone, including Terry.
Mom made the call, but Terry didn’t answer. “Must already be out and about. I’ll text his cell. You probably have things to handle this morning, Duncan,” she said to him. She moved for the counter. “Here. Take some breakfast back with you.” Mom handed him a big grocery bag full of food.
He frowned down at the amount. “Mom, this is enough for…”
“Two people?” Mom replied brightly. “I suppose it is. Would you like to discuss that?”
Since he absolutely wouldnot, he took it without any other discussion, or mentioning that Rosalie was already leaving, and went back to his cabin.
Once Dad pinned down Terry, got the information on who else might have not done their chores yesterday morning, he’d have a list. A list of suspects. He’d present Rosalie or the detectives with it. It was progress. Steps, like Rosalie said.
And he’d include Terry on that list, even though he didn’t want to.
They had to look at every angle, Rosalie had taught him that. So he’d follow every avenue, even when he didn’t want to.
Rosalie pulled intothe hospital parking lot. She’d made a quick stop at home for a clean change of clothes and was glad not to run into Audra and have toexplaineverything. Then she drove, faster than she should have, out to the hospital.
Maybe Owen really didn’t know anything, but surely he’d remember if someone shoved those pills down his throat. And that was a clearer answer than whatever theymightfind on some cameras set up inside the bunkhouse.
Ideally, though, she’d have time for both. If she hurried.
She screeched into a parking spot and hopped out, plan already in her head. A little fast talking at the nurses’ station, but she’d slip into Owen’s room without permission if she needed to, a few questions, then…something.
Something.
It was a lot better than thinking about Duncan’s parting shot this morning. When she got inside, there was a flurry of activity at the nurses’ station. A few discreet questions and she got the gist.
Owen had crashed again. There was a lot of confusion because no one knew why. He’d been in good shape one minute, flatlining the next.
Rosalie wanted to stay and find out what happened, but the hospital hustle reminded her far too much of her father’s unexpected death. She’d rather act than sit inthat.
So she went back to her truck, refused to think about poor Owen crying over his dead friend, and considered her options. No answers from Owen, so she’d have to go back to the ranch and plant her cameras.
Her phone rang as she slid back into her driver’s seat. It was Duncan. She thought about ignoring it. About finding some boundaries. When she was at work, she wasn’t going tocommunicate with him.
But her work right now washimand his family, and she should probably tell him about Owen. So she answered on speakerphone, so she could drive back to the office while they talked.
“Hey,” she answered. “Bad news.”
“About Owen? Mom was halfway to the hospital when her friend who works at the hospital called and told her.”
“They aren’t sure what happened, so I’m headed back to put up those cameras. You got that list from your dad yet?”
“He’s talking to everyone now.” He paused for a moment. “Rosalie… I don’t want to believe this is true. I know my dad doesn’t, but… Mom mentioned that she and Terry didn’t drive to the hospital together yesterday.”
Something cold trickled into Rosalie’s bloodstream. A few too many things clicking together with that simple fact. “So when did he?” she asked, careful to keep her tone neutral, even as her heart rate picked up.
“She said he was about twenty minutes behind her, making sure all the jobs were assigned for the day, and maybe he was. He could have been.” But Duncan didn’t sound convinced.
She found she couldn’t argue with him, even though she knew better. There were too many coincidences adding up to Terry being a problem. Maybe not the whole problem, but part of this.
And if he was, everyone at that ranch was in danger, including Duncan. He wouldn’t want to go to the cops yet. He wasn’t ready to fully believe Terry was the most likely suspect, but she was.
“Listen, Duncan, scratch the cameras. I’m going to head over to Bent County, talk all this through with Copeland,” she said. “You stay put with your parents. Keep an eye on everything there. Call if anything seems even remotely fishy, especially withTerry. You have to be careful, even if you want to trust your gut. Okay?”
