Page 119 of Cowboy's Last Stand
“Two or three.”
“Who was shouting?Billy?”
“Billy and someone else.”
“A man or woman?”
“Man.”
“What did you do when you heard the shots?”
“I waited until it was quiet, and I left.I didn’t look at him.”Gabe moistened his lips.“I was scared.I ran toward the creek.”
“You’re lying,” Wade said.
“I’m not,” Gabe said.
Wade waited for him to say more.Sometimes, silence was the best strategy in interrogation.
Gabe’s eyes filled with tears.“I didn’t kill him.”
Wade believed this, if nothing else.“Who did?”
“I don’t know.Maybe it was that guy…”
“What guy?”
“The one Natalie is dating.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Natalie stayed upmost of the night, crying her heart out.
Jason didn’t hang around in hopes she’d change her mind.He left within the hour with all of his worldly possessions on his back.She resented his swift departure even though she’d asked him to go.
How could he have withheld the truth from her this entire time?Lies of omission were still lies.Her instincts had warned her not to trust him.If only she’d heeded that warning and kept her distance.Instead, she’d given herself to him, body and soul.She’d fallen head over heels in love with him.
As soon as he was gone, she’d climbed the stairs to the apartment and searched for remnants of his presence.Like an addict, already jonesing for the next hit.She’d found two envelopes on the countertop.One was addressed to her, the other to Marcus.She’d returned to her living room couch, set them on the coffee table, and stared at them.Although she longed to tear open the envelope and pore over every word, she restrained herself.She didn’t need to read his heartfelt confession, or professions of love, or anything else that might soften her resolve.She didn’t need any more lies or excuses.
She did study the handwriting, which looked nothing like Mike’s.She ran a fingertip over the slanted letters of her name.There were no curls or loops, no flourishes.Just a bare-bones scrawl in plain black ink, simple and unadorned.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she went to her bedroom and brought out the box of mementos she kept hidden.She had to look at Mike’s letters.Something about Jason’s insistence that he hadn’t read them bothered her.He was probably lying about that too.She untied the yellow ribbon, which didn’t appear to have been disturbed.Then she stared at the pile of envelopes.There was one she always avoided, set aside in the corner of the box.It was from Mike’s commanding officer.Stomach roiling, she removed the bereavement letter and scanned its contents.The name of Mike’s CO was typed at the bottom of the page.As she read the brief account of Mike’s death, another name jumped out at her.
EOD Technician Jason Reed.
Injured in action alongside Mike.Probably alive because of Mike.
She clapped a hand over her mouth to smother a sob.She’d glanced at this once, two years ago, and never looked at it again.Jason’s last name had niggled at her memory, but she hadn’t been able to pinpoint the reason.
She couldn’t believe she’d been so obtuse.
Maybe Jason had been right.Maybe she’d known all along who he really was.He’d told her everything she could handle hearing.She’d had her head buried in the sand about the details of Mike’s final moments, and the settlement, and everything else related to his death.It was too painful to process.She’d wanted to stay numb.
Sickened by the realization, she picked up another letter, and another.She read them all, searching for mentions of Jason.His last name appeared on two different pages.In the first one, Mike had referred to him as Reed, a man he admired greatly.Valiant in dangerous situations, Reed was quiet and reserved on base.He liked to scribble in his notebook and read novels while the other soldiers were carousing.
The second mention made her heart lurch.
“I know you want me to write more, baby.I’m trying.I asked Reed for help with ideas.Maybe I’ll get better at this with time…”
