TUESDAY, 3:45 P.M.
BRIDGER-TETON NATIONAL FOREST
Heath steered his truck toward the house where Harper grew up. He wanted to ask her about her conversation with her sister, but she had taken several deep breaths. She needed to process her thoughts.
He glanced in the rearview mirror. Had Liam heard any of that conversation? Maybe not. He sat in the back seat looking contemplative.
“I’m not going back.” Liam had said the words with conviction, but Heath harbored no hope that his brother would stay in the area. Regardless, he was glad to see him.
Liam caught Heath’s eye. “After we do this, please take me to get my stuff and then back to the ranch. Is it all right with you if I use your extra truck until I get my own vehicle?”
“Consider it yours, Liam.”
“Thanks, Heath. Just for a while though. I’ll stay at the Emerald M Ranch too, if it’s all the same with you,” he said. “Help Pete move the horses back. He didn’t look so good.”
“He’s been sick, but don’t say anything. He doesn’t like to talk about it.” Heath could hardly believe the man had continued to work. “I’m sure he’d appreciate the help. As for staying at the Emerald M, I think if you’re going to help solve this case, staying with us might be best.”
“Whatever you think, then.”
Liam had a defiant streak. He hadn’t liked how Heath had taken up the slack and acted like a father figure, or rather the one in charge, as their father drowned himself in the bottle even more after their mother’s death. Heath understood his father’s deep sorrow and might have succumbed to his grief too, but he had brothers to take care of. That responsibility kept him sober and responsible. Strange how having three sons hadn’t done the same for their father.
He reminded himself that though Liam was still his brother, he was no longer a child.
In his peripheral vision, Heath noticed Harper shaking her head.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I can’t believe this. Emily looked at public records about the house. Our uncle owns it.” Harper was silent a few breaths, then added, “Mom told us he’d died years ago.”
Heath shifted in his seat. “So you’re telling me your uncle lives in that house now and you thought he was dead? You never saw him? He didn’t contact your mother?”
Harper slowly shook her head. “No. If Mom was still alive, we could ask her. We could get some answers. She might have protested our trip here to begin with, knowing we would see her brother. He was much older than her, but still, I wonder what happened between them?”
“Maybe he can tell you. Sibling estrangement is not all that uncommon, Harper.” Heath and his brothers had gone long periods of time without speaking. Years. He and Austin were even estranged. It wasn’t the way he had wanted it, but sometimes emotions ran far too high to have a civil conversation and then the next thing he knew, time had slipped away.
He was glad Liam was back, but something was eating at his brother. Something had happened. What had driven him here and made him proclaim he wasn’t going back? Did that mean back to his job? Heath hadn’t gotten anything more out of him last night and wouldn’t press him. He would try his best to be there for him however he needed.
Finally, Heath stopped at the end of a drive where it met the county road. The house sat fifteen yards back. Emily stepped from Lori’s SUV. Heath, Liam, and Harper joined her. Lori waved from the vehicle.
“I’ll hang out here, if you don’t mind.” Liam crossed his arms and leaned against the truck.
Heath should remain on alert, especially now that they were closer to the region in which Harper had seen the murder. “Ladies, can we make this quick?”