Читать книгу Texas Midnight - Caroline Burnes - Страница 14

Jeremy shaded his eyes against the glare of the sun as he studied the tracks. For the past two hours, he’d been following Anna’s trail. She’d allowed her horse only a walk during the night, as any horseman would have done. Now the tracks showed she’d picked up her pace: she was trotting. He guessed that this was the point when daybreak had given her the advantage of sight.

His watch showed nine o’clock. By his calculation, she was three hours ahead of him. That wasn’t bad, considering that she’d had a good six-hour start. He was steadily gaining on her. With a little luck, he’d have her before the close of day. And this time he wouldn’t be foolish enough to underestimate her.

He urged his horse forward into a steady lope. The footing was good, and he intended to make the most of it. Ellie had provided him with two of her best horses. Things were definitely in his favor.

He heard the chirp of the cell phone in his pack and stopped to answer it.

“Lem and the deputies are at the campsite,” Ellie said without preamble. “He’s mad as a hornet and threatening to put me in jail. Once he saw all the flats, it wasn’t hard for him to figure that someone brought you horses.”

“If Lem tries to blame you, I’ll straighten him out. You won’t do more than a day or two of jail time.”

“This is no time to be flip.” Ellie’s voice rose in anger. “I overheard some of the men talking, Jeremy, and they weren’t shy about saying that maybe you killed Henry.”

“Me?” Jeremy couldn’t hide his astonishment. “Me?”

“The man is dead in your home, and you’re out chasing a woman. They’re saying this Anna Red Shoes may be your accomplice. They’re implying that the scene in the bookstore was staged. By you. A publicity stunt.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I wish I were.” Ellie sighed. “Lem is very angry, and there’s more bad news.”

Jeremy waited.

“Blane Griffin’s heading the tracking team.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake.” Jeremy wanted to crush the small telephone. “Has he called a press conference yet?” It would be just like Blane to try to capitalize on the horrible murder.

“You guessed it. The television crews are arriving right now. They’re doing a live feed at the campsite. And they’re listing you as a wanted suspect.”

“Well—” There wasn’t anything Jeremy could say that wouldn’t offend Ellie. “Lem isn’t buying into this, is he?”

“I can’t tell for certain,” Ellie admitted. “He’s mad about the way you handled it. Blane has been gnawing on his ear all morning. They’ve even got a national news crew coming in. It seems that the popularity of your novel, the fact that Henry was your editor—all of that is national news. Even the tabloid shows are scheduled to come in. Blane had the nerve to ask if I would host a show in the bookstore.”

Jeremy wanted to bite nails—and then spit them into the lid of Blane’s coffin.

“The sensible thing to do is come home and handle all of this mess,” Ellie said.

“No.”

“Jeremy, you pigheaded son of a gun, you’re only making matters worse. You’d better get back home and take care of this.”

“No.”

“At least talk to Lem.”

Jeremy hesitated. He needed to talk with the sheriff, if only to protest his innocence. But talking would do no good. Lem would order him to come back, and when he didn’t he would be in a worse situation than he was now.

“I can’t do it, Ellie. I have to finish this. I’m gaining on her. I’ll have her by nightfall. I’m sure of it.”

“When Lem asks me for the number to your cell phone, I’m going to give it to him, and you’d better have a pretty speech thought up. I’ve seen you charm the pants off ladies and convince the moon to shine just for you. This time, Jeremy, you’d better be at the top of your form—you’re in serious trouble.”

“I’ll be back with her before tomorrow morning.” He punched the Off button and put the phone in his pack. Now it couldn’t ring. It was the only way he had of making sure he didn’t talk to Lem.

“Come on, Jetta,” he said to the mare as he pressed his legs on her. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

Though the tracking absorbed him, Jeremy still had time to worry. He conceded that perhaps he was guilty of rushing off half-cocked in his pursuit of Anna. But never in his wildest dreams had he thought that he might be considered a suspect in the killing of his editor. It was one of the most absurd things he’d ever heard.

Aside from the fact that he wasn’t psychologically capable of murdering anyone, the physical evidence was against such a possibility. What about the small footprints? He wanted to call Lem up and ask the sheriff about that. What did they think? That he’d bought a pair of lady’s boots and painstakingly made the prints just to leave a false trail? It was ridiculous! His anger skyrocketed.

This was all Blane’s doing. Jeremy had to hand it to the man. Blane had seen a perfect opportunity to even the score, and he’d taken it. Now he would receive the national attention that he so desperately wanted. At Jeremy’s expense.

This was all a media game to Blane, and Lem was so simpleminded that he didn’t realize it. Ellie had said one theory was that Anna Red Shoes was his accomplice. What straight-thinking person could ever believe that? Why would he need an accomplice? And why her? It didn’t make a lick of sense.

Well, when he caught her and brought her in, he’d straighten it all out. And there would be hell to pay. If Blane thought he could turn Henry’s death to his advantage, he had had another think coming. He was going to burn him bad.

Jeremy came to a small creek and let the horses drink. He’d cross the Guadeloupe River in a few hours. By then it would be very hot and he’d be ready for a quick dip in the April-cold water. The horses would need a little break, too. They’d been pushing steadily.

He checked his watch and urged his horses forward. He was pushing them hard, he knew, but if he played his cards right, he’d have the woman he pursued, and then Ellie’s horses could be returned to the pasture for a good rest.

For the moment, though, he had to ride hard, fast and with extreme caution. He couldn’t afford to approach Anna Red Shoes with less than total concentration.

ANNA STOPPED at the river and unsaddled Calamity. It was time to change horses, but she also needed a break. It was well after noon and she hadn’t eaten all day. The horses, too, needed some grass.

By her calculation she was at least eight hours ahead of Jeremy. No matter how good a tracker Jeremy hired, they couldn’t travel any faster than she was going. In places the terrain was too rugged. The ground was dry and hard, and on the steep inclines, the shale broke loose under the weight of her horse. That made going slow. But it would be as slow for her pursuers as it was for her.

She had time for a little bite to eat and, maybe, to stick her toes in the river. The Guadeloupe was a beautiful crystal-green, and though she knew the water would be cold, it was also inviting.

Once she removed the saddle and packs, the horses rolled in the grass that was just turning green. For all of the trouble she was in, the sight gave her a rush of pleasure.

The land around her was not familiar, but Anna didn’t doubt her ability to find her way to Maria Gonzalez’s spread. It was due west. To confuse the posse that she knew would be after her, she’d zigged and zagged a bit, but she was still on course.

She gave the horses a meager ration of the grain she’d brought and took out a peanut butter sandwich for herself. She wanted a cup of coffee, but she had no intention of taking the time to build a fire. Later, when she camped for the night, she’d indulge in something hot.

Sitting on a flat rock in the sun, munching her sandwich, Anna had a twinge of conscience. Jeremy Masterson had gotten what he deserved, but it bothered her just a little. She wasn’t in the habit of tying men up and abandoning them.

She hadn’t had any choice. Still, it worried her. It was early spring and therefore unlikely that snakes would be out—but anything could happen. She shook her head. Jeremy was too tough to attract a predator. Not even a bear could stomach that man!

Still… She stood up, unable to relax. Ultimately she’d have to answer for her actions. And for the accusations that had been hurled unjustly at her. When she did, she wanted a good lawyer at her side. History was not going to repeat itself.

She forced herself to sit down and lean against her saddle. The sun was warm. She was content with the food she’d eaten. She closed her eyes and tried to summon the serenity to rest for a few moments. The horses needed a break, and it behooved her to try and grab twenty minutes, too. Then she could wash her face and get back on the trail.

Anna heard the call of a red-winged blackbird, and that was the last thing she remembered until she opened her eyes. She could tell by the sun that at least two hours had passed. Her first impulse was to panic, but then she realized she was still far ahead of the men who would be tracking her.

Calamity and Allegro were grazing peacefully only ten yards away. Everything was fine.

She walked down to the river and took off her boots and then her pants. Sticking her toes in, she realized the water was even colder than she’d assumed. Too cold for a swim, but perfect to wash the sleepiness away. She knelt down, cupped her hands and brought the water to her face.

She was beside a clear pool where the current gurgled and sang, and she listened to the tune of the river. Her grandfather had once told her a story about a young maiden who’d looked into the water and seen her lover’s face. It was a romantic but lovely story… Anna bent lower, staring into the crystal water.

She was completely unprepared when her feet slipped on the rock. Before she could catch herself, she tumbled into the icy water. The shock was so intense that when she came up for air, she was gasping.

Anna felt as if she’d been shot. Her flannel shirt, sopping, tugged her beneath the surface. She worked the buttons and slipped out of it, flopping it up on the rock.

The current was stronger than it had first seemed, and Anna clutched at the rock until she regained her wind and her composure. The moment struck her as funny, and she chuckled at the stupidity of her situation.

Now that she was over the initial shock of the water, she found that it wasn’t as cold as she’d first assumed. In fact, it was downright pleasant, even if the current was a little fast for her taste. She let go of the rock, swam to the center of the deep pool and began to swim against the current. After the long hours in the saddle, the free sensation of swimming was wonderful.

Realizing that she hadn’t packed additional clothes, Anna took off her under-things and threw them up on the bank in the sun. She wanted to dry them before she rode on. Naked, she gave herself to the cold water and the hot sun and memories of a childhood of freedom.

FOAM LATHERED Jetta’s neck as Jeremy pushed the mare harder. He was closing in on Anna. He could tell. On the top of a rise he pulled to a halt and scanned the small valley below him.

The Guadeloupe shimmered through a break of cottonwood trees. On his first examination, Jeremy spotted the Appaloosa grazing on the bank of the river. He had found Anna Red Shoes!

“Easy, Jetta,” he said to the mare as he backed her away. The horse he was leading had pricked up her ears and was getting ready to call out to the horses by the river.

“Shush!” he ordered, turning his mount away and heading both horses back down the hill. When he came to a grove of cedars, he got off and tied them up. The rest of the journey he’d make on foot.

He pulled the Marlin 30-30 out of his sheath, and checked it and his pistol to be sure they were loaded. Even as he did it, he felt melodramatic. Anna Red Shoes might be the granddaughter of a famous Native warrior and a murderer, but she was just a woman.

One that had bested him already, he reminded himself. She wasn’t someone to play around with. He hefted the rifle and a pair of binoculars, and started back up to the hillside.

He traveled north along the crest of the hill until he found several large rocks and some scrub cedars that made a good hiding place. He wedged himself among the boulders and pulled out the binoculars.

His gaze swept over the horses, grazing peacefully. Luckily his approach had been downwind or Anna’s horses would have smelled his. As it was, the little scene in the valley looked awfully quiet.

Anna was nowhere in sight, and he continued to search for her. She had to be nearby. She would never have left her horses alone.

Movement on the edge of the river caught his attention and he focused the binoculars there. His heart slammed hard against his ribs as he watched a tall, slender woman—dark hair dripping a curtain of water—climb up onto a rock. She was completely naked and seemed absolutely comfortable with her lack of clothing.

He held his breath until he thought his lungs would burst. Anna dove back into the river. It was a beautiful, controlled dive that revealed every inch of her perfect body.

Jeremy fought against the sensations that seemed to hit him with the force of a lightning bolt. He was a man who loved women, and he was always aware of their beauty. But he’d never had a reaction like the one Anna evoked.

He desired her. But he also held her in a certain awe. She was so much a part of the landscape. She belonged to the water of the Guadeloupe and the sun and the rocks in a way that he could only envy.

Jeremy wasn’t certain whether it was desire or envy that made him short of wind and dizzy. He lowered the binoculars and tried to rein in his imagination.

During the long, hot hours of tracking Anna Red Shoes he’d anticipated all kinds of trouble. He’d played out scenarios in which he had to lasso her and point a gun at her. Now all he wanted to do was kiss her—run his hands over her skin, now slick with water. He could almost feel the span of her slender waist, the swell of her hips.

He leaned back against a rock and closed his eyes. This was the woman who’d killed his friend and editor, Henry Mills. And he was having sexual fantasies about her. What was wrong with him?

He had to gain control of himself and the situation. He’d come all this way to do a job—his future depended on the way he handled this predicament. The only answer was for him to do what he’d come to do—take Anna back to the law.

His grip on the rifle tightened. He had several choices. He could send a few bullets into the river near Anna and frighten her good. That way she’d know he was armed and meant business. Or he could sneak up on her and take the up-close-and-personal approach.

He made his decision. Moving stealthily, he eased down to the river. Though it would put more of a personal strain on him, it was the safest bet in taking her prisoner. Anna would be distracted by the noise of the river.

He made it down to the river and quickly gathered up her clothes. Next he went to her horses. Releasing the hobbles, he slapped them on the rump and sent them running away. He’d just ducked behind a tree trunk, when Anna popped out of the water. She obviously heard the sound of hooves, and there was an expression of doubt and then despair as she watched her horses flee.

The expression that crossed her face next was one of wariness. She looked all around.

Jeremy could almost read her thoughts. She’d finally figured out that someone had taken the hobbles off the horses. Now she was looking for that someone.

He didn’t move as she crept up the rocky bank and eased from one rock to the next, slowly approaching her campsite and the place where she’d left her clothes.

The look of consternation on her face when she realized her clothes were missing was almost comic. But what happened next made his heart slam hard into his ribs for the second time.

Anna gave up her crouching position and stood tall and regal. “Whoever you are, come on out and face me,” she said, throwing down the challenge without a weapon or a stitch of clothes.

Jeremy was mesmerized. He couldn’t look away from her, and what he saw was a proud woman who refused to yield to fear or danger.

In that moment, he knew that he had never met anyone quite like Anna Red Shoes—and he felt a rush of regret that they were enemies.