Читать книгу A Dangerous Inheritance - Leona Karr, Leona Karr - Страница 12

Alice’s Pantry was a mom-and-pop café crowded with town folks laughing, chatting and sitting, both in booths and at scattered tables in the middle of the floor. Nearly every eye in the place seemed to swing in the direction of the open door and its tinkling cowbell when Josh and Stacy entered.

The hum of conversation perceptibly lowered, and some man audibly swore. “I’ll be damned. Spencer’s got himself a new woman.”

Heat flared in Stacy’s cheeks. She shot a quick look at Josh. Was that why he’d brought her here? To show off the woman who’d spent the night at his house? She fought the impulse to turn on her heel and march out the door.

Josh must have read her thoughts because he put a firm hand on her arm and eased her into the first empty booth. She sat there stiffly, wondering why on earth she’d let him parade her around like this. Josh’s new woman, indeed. Never in her life had she felt so uncomfortably on display.

Almost immediately a tiny woman in her forties, who had been standing behind the cashier’s counter, came bustling over to them. Wisps of graying sandy hair framed a freckled face, and her eyes twinkled with a friendliness that matched her wide-tooth smile.

“Josh, what a nice surprise. What are you doing in town? Someone said you really got a pounding from the storm up your way. Is Gramps all right?” Her bright brown eyes darted to Stacy. “Who’s this pretty lady?”

Josh gave a deep chuckle and with obvious gentle amusement sorted out her barrage of questions. “Yes, Alice, Gramps is fine. Ornery as ever. The storm hit us hard, the river’s running high, and our bridge is nearly out. And this pretty lady is Stacy Ashford. She got caught in the storm, nearly lost her car in the river and spent the night at my place.”

“Land’s sake, sounds like it was a blessing that Josh was around.” Alice smiled at Stacy and held out her hand. “My husband, Ted, and I own this place, and we’re longtime friends with Josh and his grandpa.” Her eyes clouded slightly as she added, “And Glenda, too.”

“I’m glad to meet you,” Stacy replied, beginning to relax. Maybe Josh had been right about introducing her around. After all, she couldn’t very well hide herself away in an isolated empty hotel for any length of time.

“We stopped in for a cup of coffee before we head up the canyon to Stacy’s place,” Josh said casually.

Alice’s forehead puckered. “Oh, what place is that?”

Stacy replied quickly before Josh could answer, “My uncle left me some property, a small hotel. I understand it’s a few miles up Devil’s Canyon. The Haverly Hotel?”

Alice put a hand up to her cheek. “Oh my, oh my.” Her rounded eyes fixed on Stacy. “Are you…are you going to tear it down?”

“No, I’m going to see to its renovation.”

“But…but…” Alice stammered. “Josh, haven’t you told her about…about Glenda?”

“Yes, I’ve told her. Unfortunately, Stacy can’t claim her inheritance until she completes the renovations that her uncle started.”

An impatient customer standing at the cashier’s counter called out, “Alice, are you going to take our money or what?”

“Yes, yes.” Throwing Stacy a bewildered look, Alice hurried away.

“Alice and Ted invested a lot of their time and love in Glenda,” Josh explained grimly. “When she ran away from home at sixteen, they gave her a waitress job and let her stay with them in their apartment upstairs. As it turned out, they weren’t able to handle her any better than Gramps and I.” A deep hurt was in his eyes.

“At least she had people who loved her and tried to help,” Stacy offered.

“A lot of good it did. Glenda went her own way, finally ending up living at the Haverly Hotel. I’ve tried to tell Alice and Ted that what happened wasn’t their fault, but they feel that they failed her.” His mouth hardened. “Just the way Gramps and I failed her.”

“It sounds to me as if she made her own bed,” Stacy replied. “Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do with those who are determined to destroy themselves.”

“You sound as if you speak from experience?”

She avoided answering. She wasn’t about to share the still-painful memory of the night when two policemen came to her house and informed her that her fiancé, Richard, had died from an overdose at a party. It was then she’d learned that Richard had been a closet drug user, and, regretfully, she’d never known it.

The ill-fated love affair still haunted her, and she’d come out of the experience with a determination never to risk opening herself up to emotional turmoil again. It was lonely sometimes, but playing it safe, and keeping her guard up against any romantic involvements, had kept her life on an even keel.

Josh sensed that she’d been hurt, and badly. Probably by a man. Even her strong will and determination might not be enough to support her with the burden her uncle had put upon her. If the harsh challenges broke her spirit, another tragedy would be laid at the door of that wretched hotel. He knew it would be useless to argue. She’d just tell him to mind his own business.

When the waitress took their order for coffee, Josh asked her to fix them a couple of lunches to go: barbecue beef sandwiches, chips and a couple of pieces of Alice’s homemade apple pie. “You can order whatever supplies and groceries you need from the general store. Abe Jenkins, the owner, will make deliveries for a modest charge.”

As they drank their coffee, Stacy was aware of curious looks as several customers passed by their booth. A couple of older ladies greeted Josh with grinning familiarity, and he returned their teasing quips in the same light banter, ignoring their obvious desire to know who Stacy was.

It wasn’t until Alice’s husband, Ted, slipped into the booth that Josh introduced Stacy as the new owner of the Haverly Hotel.

Ted had the same incredulous expression as his wife. He was a sturdily built man with pleasant features and smile lines around his eyes. Stacy guessed him to be younger than his wife.

“I’ll be damned,” he said. “That monstrosity of a hotel seems to have more lives than ten cats. Everyone thought when Malo Renquist took off that the place would be torn down, and then your uncle came along and got it for back taxes…and now here you are.” He shook his head. “You’ll do better to tear the place down and put the land up for sale.”

“I can’t,” Stacy said and explained the stipulations in her uncle’s will.

“That sounds like Weird Willy,” Ted commented when she’d finished, and then quickly apologized. “I’m sorry. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but kind of—” He gave a slight twirl of his finger to his head.

“I know.” She sighed. “Uncle Willard was never close to my mother and me. We knew that he’d made a lot of money off of one of his inventions, but we had no idea he’d settled in Colorado.”

“She hasn’t seen the place yet,” Josh said. “I’m going to run her up there now.”

“Why don’t you let me do it?” Ted said quickly. “No need for you to put yourself through that kind of wringer.”

“No problem,” Josh said shortly.

It wasn’t until they were back in the pickup that Stacy realized what it might be costing Josh emotionally to revisit the scene of his sister’s death. She could tell from the set of his jaw that he wasn’t going to back down now. He’d said he’d drive her there, and that was that.

A narrow road mounted the side of the mountain, twisting back on itself in a slow but constant upward climb. The distance from Timberlane might only be five miles, but Stacy realized that for all practical purposes, she would be as isolated as if the mileage were triple that.

“Is this the only road to the hotel?”

He nodded. “There’s a jeep trail on the back side that comes within a mile of the property, but it’s in pretty poor shape. I think your uncle had new gravel spread on this one last year.”

Stacy took a deep breath and tried to keep the butterflies out of her stomach. At midmorning all hints of an early darkness in the cliffs and rocky caverns were gone, but a swath of sky overhead was still gray and foreboding.

Surely there wouldn’t be another terrifying storm so soon.

Stacy wanted to ask Josh questions about the condition of the hotel, but his stony silence discouraged her. When she had picked up the key from Mr. Doughty’s office, the lawyer had assured her that all the utilities had been put in service, including a telephone. Doughty had told her that the place was reported to be quite livable and continuing renovations only waited for her approval.

She clung to this reassurance when Josh shot her a quick look and said, as if to warn her, “Around the next curve, you’ll be able to see the hotel.”

Stacy didn’t know what she had expected the building to be like. Certainly not an antebellum southern mansion that looked utterly out of place set against a rough, rock-hewed mountainside. Built of gray stone, three stories high, the front entrance was framed by four pillars and a portico. A verandah and a series of small balconies and dirty mullioned windows accented the exterior. Steeply pitched lines of a roof, obviously designed to shed the heavy winter snows, made the Haverly Hotel look like somebody’s bad dream.

The gray day with its leaden sky blended with the dirty outside walls, streaked glass windows and the air of brooding desolation. Signs of a halted renovation were evident in the clutter scattered about the grounds.

“What a monstrosity,” Stacy audibly breathed, unable to hide her disappointment.

Secretly, she’d been fantasizing that the place might resemble one of those attractive mountain lodges with a warm wood exterior and rock fireplaces. With the remodeling her uncle had specified, she hoped that she might have herself a nice source of income. All such positive thoughts were brought up short as Josh pulled up in front of her inheritance.

“It’s a hellhole!”

She could feel the tension radiating from his rigid body. As her eyes unwittingly traveled along the second-story balconies, her stomach took a sickening plunge. She imagined a piercing cry and the deadly thud of a body hitting the ground below. She realized then how much it had cost Josh to bring her here.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know—” she began.

He brushed aside her apology as he got out of the pickup, took her suitcases out of the back and set them on the ground. He opened the passenger door for her. When she didn’t get out, he raised a questioning eyebrow. “Have you changed you mind about staying?”

She almost said yes. At that moment, the stipulation of her uncle’s will that she live on the property vibrated with a threatening foreboding. In time past, she had trusted her premonitions and been grateful for unexplained inner warnings.

“Do you want me to take you back to town?”

Common sense mocked her timidity. And then what? No car. Little money. And only unemployment awaiting her in L.A.

“No, of course not,” she said with false bravado and slipped out of the pickup. He picked up her bags, and they had started up the front steps when the front door suddenly opened.

Two men dressed in workmen’s clothes came out, and when they saw Stacy and Josh, they looked as if they might dart back inside and slam the door shut.

“What are you guys doing here?” Josh demanded. He recognized them as drifters, Chester Styles and Rob Beale, who had been hiring out to do an assortment of odd jobs around the town.

“We was working here, until Weird Willy kicked the bucket,” the burly, older Rob said. “We came back for our tools.”

“Yeah.” Chester nodded, a tall, lanky young man with straggly blond hair. “Our tools.”

Josh would have bet his last dollar the two of them were lying through their teeth, and he was about to tell them so when Stacy abruptly took charge of the conversation.

“I’m Stacy Ashford, the new owner,” she said pleasantly. “And I’m going to be needing some workmen. I want to continue the renovation my uncle started.”

“You mean Weird Willy dumped this place on you?” Chester asked, a smirk on his face.

“I inherited it, yes. And I’d like to complete the renovations as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Rob nodded his balding head. “I’m thinking we’re just the fellows to help you out here.”

“Good,” Stacy said. “Come around tomorrow and we can have a talk.”

“Willy was owing us some back wages,” Rob added with a gleam in his eyes. “You’d have to be catching up on our back pay.”

“Yeah,” Chester agreed. “He owed us plenty.”

Josh couldn’t stomach any more. Clenching his fists, he moved closer to the two men. “You better be damn careful what you say, unless you’re ready to back up your lies.”

“We’re just talking business with her,” Rob protested, taking a step backward.

“No, you’re talking business with me. Listen carefully. You’ll get paid the same as before—if you get the job. There are plenty of fellows who have their own tools. I’d like to know how you got into the hotel?”

“We got a key,” Chester answered pugnaciously.

Rob sent him a withering look, mumbling, “Blubber mouth.”

“Give it to Miss Ashford,” Josh ordered, wondering how many more loose keys were floating around. Changing all the locks in this barn of a place would be a mammoth job, but it was something she should do as soon as possible.

Sending Josh a belligerent scowl, Chester handed Stacy the key.

“How we supposed to get in the place when we come to work?” Rob demanded.

“I’m sure Miss Ashford will make an arrangement to let you in. She’s the one who’s going to be your boss.”

Chester’s smile showed clearly that he was pleased, and even Rob nodded his bald head in approval. “See you tomorrow.”

The two men ambled away, headed for an old car that had been parked at the side of the building. They still carried the tools Josh was positive they’d lifted from the hotel.

Slowly Stacy mounted the front steps and waited as Josh opened the front door of the building. A chilled, dank air touched her face. She hesitated. The premonition was there, loud and clear.

Once she crossed the threshold, her life would never be the same again.

Sensing her trepidation, Josh put a guiding hand on her arm as they passed through a foyer into a lobbylike room with a high ceiling. The spacious area was faintly illuminated by shadowed light coming in through dirty windows.

A wide hall stretched ahead like a tunnel into the depths of the building and a staircase rose like a curved specter against one wall. A series of doors were visible on both sides of the main floor, all closed.

“The electricity is supposed to be on,” Stacy said in a hushed voice as if some unseen presence was listening. “But where are the light switches?”

Josh set down the suitcases. Chester and Rob must have used a flashlight to get around, he thought, or they were familiar enough with the place not to need one. No telling how much stuff they’d been carting out while it was empty.

“Let’s check one of the rooms and see if we have electricity,” he suggested.

When she hesitated, he took her hand and was surprised to find it sweaty and trembling. He realized that for all her outward bravado, she was plain scared. His first impulse was to take her out of the blasted place as fast as possible. The very air was permeated with a dark evil that had claimed his sister’s life. He couldn’t believe that he was here with a woman who had crashed into his life less than twenty-four hours ago. He was tempted to pick her up bodily, carry her out of the building and slam the door behind them.

And then what?

Even as he asked himself the question, he knew the answer. Even though she must be cringing at the idea of staying here during the renovations, she wouldn’t give up meeting the terms of her inheritance. He’d already glimpsed a bone-deep stubbornness in Stacy Ashford that both impressed and annoyed him. Trying to talk her into leaving was a waste of breath.

As they crossed the marble floor, their footsteps set up a weird echo in the empty building. The first set of double doors had warped so badly, Josh had to put his weight against them to get them open.

As they stepped through the doorway, he found a light switch on the wall. Just as he flipped on the lights, the sound of cracking timber overhead assaulted their ears.

“Look out!” He shoved Stacy back out the door. A large beam came crashing down just inside the room where they had been standing.

“What in the hell—?” Josh swore.

Stacy’s heart was pounding loudly in her ears as the crash of the falling timber faded away and left a haunting, weighted silence. Bright lights showed a party room that at one time must have been furnished with small tables, matching chairs, and a dusty hardwood dance floor. Only a few scattered pieces of furniture remained.

Looking up at the ceiling, they could see that part of it had been stripped away and some of the rafters were gone.

“Looks like the job was left half-finished,” Josh muttered.

“That rafter must have been loosened and left hanging,” Stacy said. “The vibration of your slamming against the door probably brought it down.”

Josh wasn’t so sure. Maybe it had been positioned to fall? Chester and Rob must have had the run of the place since Willard’s death, and Josh was convinced they weren’t above booby-trapping the place to keep others out. He was more convinced than ever that Stacy should cut her losses and let the whole damn roof fall in on itself.

As they continued their tour of the building, he could tell that her anxiety was growing. The main rooms on the first floor consisted of the party room, a bar and lounge, a recreation room with card and pool tables, and an office. A kitchen and laundry were in the back of the building.

They turned on lights as they went, and he could see that all of the rooms were in various states of disrepair. And nearly empty. Apparently Stacy’s uncle had not been able to decide on priorities. As a result, every room on the main floor was in a renovation limbo. They found several telephone wall jacks, but no telephones. Josh couldn’t help but wonder if Chester and Rob had made off with them and sold them for a few bucks.

There was electricity in the kitchen, and a butane tank at back of the building supplied gas for heating. All of the appliances were connected, and probably working, but a large refrigerator was empty. A collection of mismatched dishes and tableware remained on a few cupboard shelves and in drawers.

The large laundry room was bare except for a single washer, dryer and several washtubs. Stacy prayed the washer and dryer were in working order.

Josh opened a basement door revealing steep wooden stairs disappearing into the darkness below. “Maybe there’s a wine cellar. Want to take a look?”

“No,” she said quickly as a rush of stale, cool air touched her face. “Let’s check the upstairs.”

A wave of despair swept over her as they started up the stairs to the second floor. If the whole place was in the same state of chaos as the downstairs, how could she manage to stay here? The stipend that the lawyer had promised depended upon her living on the premises and controlling an allocated amount for the renovation—an amount that seemed totally inadequate, considering the state of the place.

When they reached a landing halfway up the stairs, a large window looked out on a steeply rising mountainside. Thick drifts of pine and spruce trees and jagged rocks shut out any view of the sky. Stacy realized that in a storm like last night, thunder, lightning and lashing rain would be right outside this window.

And you’ll be alone, some mocking inner voice taunted her. Alone in this nightmare.

She turned away quickly, avoided looking at Josh, and climbed the remaining steps to the second floor. Small sconce lights on the walls lent feeble light as they walked the length of the upper hall from one end to the other.

Peering into rooms through open doors, they saw the area was empty of furniture. The windows were bare, the floors littered with boxes filled with discarded furnishings.

“You can bet all the rooms are like this,” Josh said gruffly. The sooner she realized the truth, the better. “This whole place is totally unlivable.”

“I want to check out everything, but there’s no need for you to stay. You’ve done enough already,” she assured him.

He gave a dismissive wave of his hand without answering, and she knew the hotel must be bringing back tortured memories of his sister’s death.

About halfway down the east wing, they came to a wide mahogany door, which was a startling contrast to the unpainted doors of the other small hotel rooms.

Josh tried the door, but it was locked. “I don’t think I can budge this one,” he said as he eyed the thick panels.

Stacy reached into her purse. “The lawyer gave me this ring of keys. Maybe one of these will work.”

The first two keys he tried didn’t fit the lock, but the third one turned with a rewarding click. He cautiously opened the door, and they waited for a few seconds to make sure it wasn’t booby-trapped. Then they walked in.

“I don’t believe it!” Stacy said in a stunned voice. After the ugly debacle in the rest of the place, the furnished apartment at the front of the building was a total shock.

“Well, I’ll be,” Josh muttered in total surprise.

Stacy walked around the rooms in a trance. Walls had been torn out to open up the spacious areas of a living room, dining alcove and modern kitchenette. The decor was definitely masculine: the walnut furniture was dark and heavy, plain beige drapes hung at the windows, and brown carpeting covered the floors throughout. All the pictures were prints of western scenes. No personal effects were visible in any of the rooms, and closets and drawers were empty. Even the bathroom was void of towels, soap and shower mat.

There was a telephone, and a blessed hum met Stacy’s ears when she checked the line. Good. Now she’d be able to call the car rental company, tell them what had happened and find out what she should do.

She wondered if the lawyer had arranged for her uncle’s possessions to be boxed and stored somewhere. It was as if the apartment had been stripped of everything belonging to an earlier occupant. Even though there was an eerie emptiness in the dusty rooms, Stacy couldn’t hold back the tears of relief. Thank God, she’d found livable quarters.

Josh’s reaction was at the opposite end of the scale. Up until now, he’d been certain that Stacy would have to find accommodations in Timberlane whether she wanted to or not.

As he stared out a glass door at the wrought-iron balcony, his chest tightened. The thought of any unprotected woman living in this abhorrent place alarmed him.

“Well, I guess that settles it,” he heard Stacy say in a relieved tone as she came out of the bedroom. “I can stay here and be very comfortable while I see to the renovations and arrange for—”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he interrupted her. “You should ask for legal permission to live elsewhere. At least, until you get some security measures put in place.”

“There’s a good lock on this door.”

“But what about the rest of the place? Anybody could wander in, night or day. It’s not safe for a woman to be staying here alone.” He glanced once more at the balcony. “Not safe at all.”

“Josh, I’m not Glenda,” she said quietly, reading his thoughts.

“No, and I’m hoping you have a lot more sense than she did.” He softened his tone. “Stacy, the whole stability of the building is in question—ceilings, walls, floors and the like. The entire place should be condemned and be done with it.”

“Thanks for your opinion. I’ll keep it in mind, but for the moment, I think I’ll bring my bags up from the lobby and get settled in.” She headed out the door and started down the stairs.

As he kept pace with her, he argued. “That ceiling beam that nearly crushed our skulls could be a warning that all kinds of accidents are waiting to happen.” If it was an accident, he added to himself.

“I have enough sense not to expose myself to unnecessary danger.”

“If you have a choice.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted truthfully. “I just don’t like the vibrations in this place.”

She nodded. “After what happened to Glenda, I can understand that. But my circumstances are different. Once the renovations are completed, I’ll get rid of the place and be free to get on with my life. I appreciate your concern, really I do.” As she looked at him, their eyes caught on some undefined emotional level that made them both look away quickly.

They had just reached the lower floor when sounds at the front door reached them. The light they’d left on in the party room dissipated the shadows in the foyer, and as the door opened they could see clearly the stocky, middle-aged man who stepped inside.

Dressed in a brown uniform, he wore a badge and a gun holster hung on one side. Giving his western hat a tilt backward, he centered a pair of probing eyes on them. “They told me at the Pantry that you two had been in earlier.”

“That’s right, Sheriff,” Josh said, forcing himself to use a civil tone. “What can we do for you?”

His ruddy face deepened. “I think you got it all wrong, young fellow. I’m here to see what I can do for…Miss Ashford, isn’t it?” He held out a weathered hand. “Mighty pleased to meet you. Sheriff Mosley.”

Stacy murmured a polite response, conscious of the hostility vibrating between the two men as strong as a head wind.

“Is that a key to the front door?” Josh asked abruptly as the sheriff fingered it with one of his hands.

“As a matter of fact, yes.” He scowled. “It’s really none of your business, Josh, but I’ve been seeing to the property at the request of this lady’s lawyer, Mr. Doughty.”

“Is that why Chester and Rob have had the run of the place? They were inside when we got here this morning.”

Stacy intervened quickly, trying to head off a building confrontation. “I understand that the two men were employed by Uncle Willard. I want to get the place in saleable shape as quickly as possible, and they seemed to be receptive to working for me.”

“I’m sure they would, ma’am. They aren’t the smartest yahoos in the world, but pretty good with their hands. Of course, there’s a need for someone to supervise them.”

“That would be me,” Josh stated, ignoring the slight intake of Stacy’s breath. “I happen to be free right now.”

The sheriff’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe Miss Ashford ought to take a little time before making any decisions.” Then he added, as if Josh was responsible for any lack of judgment on her part, “I heard she spent the night at your place last night.”

“Yes, I did,” Stacy answered herself, irritated that the sheriff was talking about her as if she weren’t there. Caught in an undercurrent between these two men, her temper flared. “I wrecked my car in the storm, as you probably know.”

She’d bet that Marci, Alice and Ted had spread the story faster than a television news bulletin. The whole town probably knew that Weird Willy’s heir was here to claim her inheritance and handsome Josh Spencer already had her in tow. “I appreciate your concern, Sheriff, but I assure you that I’m more than capable of handling my affairs.”

“And I welcome the chance to have myself a look into some of the things that Renquist might have left—before he took off,” Josh said, warming to the idea even as he spoke.

“Renquist had nothing to do with your sister’s death,” the sheriff snapped. “Everything that went on here was within the law.”

“Whose law?” Josh challenged. “Yours?”

Mosley slammed his right hand on his gun as if warning Josh that he was stepping into dangerous waters.

Stacy quickly intervened. “I appreciate your coming, Sheriff. I assure you that everything is under control.”

“I’ll be dropping by again,” he promised, sending Josh a threatening look.

“Yes, do that, Sheriff,” Stacy responded politely. Even though she didn’t like the man’s abrasive manner, she certainly wasn’t going to buy into Josh’s hostility.

“What in heaven’s name was that all about?” she demanded after the sheriff left.

“I just can’t stomach the way Mosley blew Glenda’s death off,” Josh responded angrily. “He didn’t even pretend to investigate, and he promptly declared it a suicide. I’m convinced he told Malo Renquist to disappear until the thing blew over. I believe the two of them were hand-in-glove when Renquist owned the place. Mosley probably lined his pockets, looking the other way when illegal stuff was going on.”

“I can appreciate your feelings, Josh, but I rather resent playing the part of a Ping-Pong ball between the two of you.”

“I’m sorry,” Josh apologized. “You’re right. No need to draw you into the history between us. I guess I just wanted to warn him that you weren’t without some protection.”

“Is that why you lied about working for me?”

“Partly.” He hesitated, and then added, “I’m exactly the guy you need for the job. I’ve had experience, supervising a crew that built the cabins and the facilities in our campground. Repairing the bridge is going to take a few weeks so I have time on my hands.”

“But you loathe this place.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “And you have responsibilities of your own. What about your grandfather?”

He waved aside the question. “Do you want to offer me the job or not?”

Her heart leaped with sudden relief. “Of course, the job is yours if you want it, but why are you even thinking about taking it?”

As she searched his intense, somber eyes, sudden warmth curled within her. In a moment of wild fantasy, she imagined him confessing, I have to stay. I can’t leave you here alone.

Thoughtfully, he focused on some point beyond her. “When I was sparring with the sheriff, I realized what I was saying was true. Renquist left in a hurry, even before Glenda’s body was discovered early in the morning. No telling what the bastard might have left behind. If I could find out what was going on here when Glenda lost her life, I might learn where Renquist is hiding out. I’ve talked to the state authorities, and if I can provide them with any reasonable validation for them to open the case, they will.”

“I see,” Stacy said as evenly as she could. Looking at him, she saw a man driven by a vendetta. Thank heavens, he had no way of knowing the direction her thoughts had gone when he’d asked to stay. If he even had a hint that she’d put his intentions on a personal level, he’d regard her as one of those needy females who were ready to play upon a man’s sympathy. Since pride was about all she had left in this situation, she certainly wasn’t going to let him stomp all over it.