James drove back into town, stopping in at the local hardware store that his friend Ryan owned. He found him in the back office doing paperwork. “What is Senator Bayard doing in Lonesome?”
His friend looked up and laughed. “You don’t get out much, do you? Fred had a summer home built here about ten years ago. He’s one of my best customers, always building something out there on his property.”
James didn’t follow politics. The only reason he’d recognized the man was because his face had been in so many television ads before the last election. “Why here?”
Ryan leaned forward, his elbows on his desk. “His family’s from here. It isn’t that unusual. What has got you so worked up? I didn’t know you were back in town, let alone that you cared about politics.”
“Wait, the senator’s from Lonesome?” That couldn’t have been something he’d missed.
“His mother was Claudia Hanson, the postmistress. Fred grew up here. He was your father’s age. Claudia moved them to Helena at some point when she married Charles Bayard, also a senator, and Bayard adopted Fred.”
“I never knew that.”
“His great-grandfather started the original sawmill here in Lonesome about the time the railroad was coming through. Heard he made a bundle making and selling railroad ties to the Great Northern. Did you pay any attention at all during Montana history class?”
“Apparently not.” He vaguely remembered this, but it had been out of context back then. “You’ve met him then?”
“Fred? He’s a good old boy. Like I said, he stops in when he’s in town, which isn’t often. Most of the time he’s in DC. The rest of the time, he’s building corrals or barns or adding onto the summer house, even though he spends so little time here during the year.”
James sank into the chair across from Ryan’s desk, thinking about what he’d just seen. Karen in the man’s arms. “Doesn’t he have a wife?”
“Mary? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her. She doesn’t spend much time here. They have a big place outside of Helena. I think she stays there most of the time doing her own thing. Why the interest?”
He shook his head. “Have you ever seen him with another woman?”
Ryan looked surprised. He leaned back in his chair. “I’m guessing you have. Someone I know?”
“I’m probably mistaken.” He quickly changed the subject. “I’m back for a while. I supposed you heard about Melody and my trailer.” His friend nodded. “I’m staying at my dad’s old office for the time being.” He chewed at his cheek for a moment. “I’m thinking about getting my PI license.”
“Seriously?”
“I need to heal up before I go back on the rodeo circuit. I thought it would give me something to do.”
Ryan narrowed his gaze. “If I didn’t know you so well, I might believe that. What’s really going on?”
He sighed. “I’m kind of working Del’s last case, Billy Sherman’s hit-and-run death. It’s never been solved.”
“Like a tribute to your old man?”
“Maybe.”
“And you think Senator Bayard is involved?”
He shook his head. “I was following a lead that made me aware of Bayard. You said he had his summer home built about ten years ago? So, he might have been here at the time of Billy Sherman’s accident.”
Ryan gave him a wary look. “Where are you going with this?”
James pulled off his Stetson and raked a hand through his hair. “I have no idea. I’m probably just chasing my own tail.”
His friend laughed. “I’d be careful if I were you. Bayard carries a lot of weight in this state. Talk is that he might run for governor.”
“Don’t worry. I’m just following a few leads. I hate that Del didn’t get to finish the case.” He thought about mentioning what Alice had told him. That Del said he was close to solving it—and was killed that very night.
But he knew what it would sound like and Ryan knew him too well. Conspiracy theory aside, he had his own reasons for fearing what he might find if he dug into his father’s death. His father had been acting strangely in those weeks—or was it months—before his death. Something more than the case had been bothering him.
“How’s things with you?”
Ryan motioned to the paperwork stacked up on the desk. “Busy as usual. More people are finding Lonesome. I bought the lumberyard a few years ago. Quite a few new houses coming up, so that’s good. You thinking about building out there on your place?”
“I’ll see what my brothers want to do when they get back after the rodeo season.”
“You can’t see yourself staying long-term?”
A fleeting image of Lorelei popped into his head, followed by the little girl on the horse. He shook his head. “Nope, can’t see myself staying.”
LORELEI CLOSED THE shop right after her last customer left. She usually stayed open until six, but tonight she was anxious to leave. She’d tried to call her stepmother numerous times, but each call had gone to voice mail. After how frantic Karen had sounded earlier...
She parked out front. No sign of her stepmother’s car. As she started toward the front door, she checked the garage and felt a surge of relief. Her car was parked inside. At the front door she knocked. Normally she just walked right in. But nothing about earlier had felt normal.
“Lorelei?” Her stepmother seemed not just surprised to see her but startled. True, Lorelei hadn’t stopped over to the house for a while. She’d been so busy with the sandwich shop. “Is something wrong?”
“How can you ask that?” Lorelei demanded. “You called me earlier clearly upset and when I tried to call you back, my call went straight to voice mail. I’ve been worried about you all afternoon.”
“I’m so sorry. I guess I turned my phone off. Come in.” She moved out of the doorway.
As she stepped in, she tried to breathe, admitting to herself just how scared she’d been and how relieved. Her stepmother seemed okay. But Karen wasn’t easily rattled. Instead, she’d always taken things in her stride. In fact, she’d seemed really happy for a long while now. Except for the way she’d sounded on the phone earlier.
She turned to study her stepmother and saw something she hadn’t before. How had she not noticed the change in her? Karen Wilkins was practically glowing. She was always slim and trim because she often led classes at her studio. But she appeared healthier and happier looking.
“You look so...good,” she said, unable to put her finger on what exactly was different about her stepmother.
Karen laughed, brown eyes twinkling, clearly pleased. “Why, thank you.”
“Has something changed?”
Her stepmother’s smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a frown. “Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know. You just seem...different.”
Brushing that off, Karen headed for the kitchen cupboard, saying over her shoulder, “I made some granola. I was going to call you and see if you—”
“Mom. Stop. Why were you so upset earlier when you called me?”
Her stepmother froze for a moment before turning to face her. “I feel so foolish. I got worked up over nothing.” Lorelei put her hands on her hips, waiting.
Finally, Karen sighed and said, “James Colt paid me a visit.”
Which explained her stepmother’s reaction to him staying in the building next to the sandwich shop. “He came here? Why would he—”
“He’s taking over one of his father’s old cases apparently and was asking questions about something that happened years ago.”
Lorelei noticed that her stepmother was twisting the life out of the plastic bag with the granola in it. “What case?”
“That hit-and-run... The boy, Billy Sherman.”
“Why would he ask you about that?” But she was thinking, why would that upset her stepmother so much?
Her stepmother turned back to the cupboard. Lorelei watched her busy herself with fixing a bag to send home with her. “I have no idea. He’s probably asking a lot of people in the neighborhood.”
Lorelei frowned. The accident had happened probably a half mile from her stepmother’s house. “I’m sure that’s all it was,” she said, even though her pulse was spiking. She knew her stepmother. Something was definitely wrong. “It still doesn’t explain why you were so upset.”
Karen sighed. “I was just sorry to find out that he’s back in town and in the office next to you given the crush you had on him in high school.”
“I didn’t have a crush on him in high school!” she protested, no doubt too much.
“Lorelei, I was there. I saw your reaction to that boy. You’re doing so well with your business. I’m just afraid you’re going to get mixed up with him.”
“I’m not getting mixed up with him. He’s come over to the shop a couple of times. I don’t know where you got the idea I had a crush on him.”
Her stepmother merely looked at her impatiently before she said, “Here, take this home.” Karen thrust the bag of granola into her hands and looked at her watch. “I’m sorry I have a class I’m teaching this evening. I wish you could stay and we could watch an old movie.” She was steering her toward the door. Giving her the bum’s rush, as her father would have said.
She wanted to dig her heels in, demand to know why she was acting so strangely. Was it really because she was worried about Lorelei and James Colt, her new neighbor, the cowboy impersonating a PI?
That was ridiculous.
JAMES HAD BEEN at his father’s desk, head in his hands, when the pounding at his door made him jump. What the—“Hold your horses!” he called as he rose to go to the door. “What’s the big—” He stopped when he saw Lori standing there.
Her face was flushed, her brown eyes wide, her breathing rapid as if she’d run up the stairs. She was still wearing what she’d had on earlier.
“Is there a fire?” A shake of her head. “Are you being chased by zombies?” A dirty look. “Then I give up.” He leaned against the doorjamb to survey her, giving her time to catch her breath. He had a pretty good idea what had her upset, but he wasn’t going to bring it up unless she did.
“Why are you questioning my stepmother about the hit-and-run accident?” she demanded.
“Why don’t you step in and we can discuss this like—”
“Do you have any idea how much you upset her?”
He nodded slowly. “Actually, I do. Which makes me wonder why, and now why you’re even more upset.”
Lori took a breath then another one. Her gaze swung away from him for a moment. He watched her regain control of her emotions. She swallowed before she looked at him again. “Why did you question her?” Her voice almost sounded in the normal range.
He moved aside and motioned her into the office. With obvious reluctance, she stepped in, stopping in the middle of the room.
“I love what you’ve done with the place,” she said derisively.
James glanced around, seeing things through her eyes. “I’ve been meaning to buy a few things to make it more...homey. I’ve been busy.”
“Yes,” she said turning to glare at him. “Intimidating my stepmother.”
“Is that what she told you?”
A muscle jumped in her jaw. “I will ask you again. Why my stepmother?”
“She was on my father’s list.”
Lorelei stared at him. “What list?”
He stepped around behind the desk, but didn’t sit down. “My father had a method that worked for him. Did you know he solved all of his cases? He was methodical. I wish I was more like him.” He could see her growing more impatient. “He would write down a list of names of people connected to the case that he wanted to talk to. He’d check off the ones as he went. Your stepmother was on the list. He hadn’t gotten around to questioning her before he was killed. I decided to take up where he left off and ask her myself.”
“And?”
“And nothing—she got upset, said she had a class and threw me out.”
“Maybe she did have a class.”
He gave her a you-really-believe-that look? He watched all the anger seep from her. She looked close to tears, her back no longer ramrod straight, her facial muscles no longer rigid.
“Why would she know anything about Billy Sherman?” she asked quietly.
He shrugged and stepped around the desk to dust off one of the leather club chairs. She moved to it as if sleepwalking and carefully lowered herself down. Behind the desk again, he opened the bottom drawer, took out the bottle of brandy his father kept there and two of the paper cups.
After pouring them each a couple of fingers’ worth, he handed her a cup as he took the matching leather chair next to her. He noticed her hand trembled as she took the drink. She was scared. He was afraid she had good reason to be.
He waited until she’d taken a sip of the brandy before he asked, “Can you think of any reason your stepmother would be so upset about talking to me about the case?”
She shook her head, took a gulp and looked over at him. “You can’t really think that she is somehow involved.” When he didn’t speak instantly, she snapped, “James, my stepmother wouldn’t hit a child and keep going.”
“I’m not saying she did. But she might know who did.”
Lori shook her head, drained her paper cup and set it on the edge of his desk as she rose. “You really think she would keep a secret like that?”
“People keep secrets from those they love all the time,” he said.
She glared at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that she might be covering for someone.”
Her eyes flared. “If you tell me that you think she’s covering for me—”
He rose, raising both hands in surrender as he did. “I’m not accusing you. I’m just saying...” He met her gaze, surprised at how hard this was. He and Lori had gone through school together and hardly said two words the entire time. It wasn’t like that much had changed over the past few days, he told himself even as he knew it had. He liked her. Always had.
“I think your stepmother knows something and that’s why she got so upset.” He said the words quickly.
Her reaction was just as quick. “My stepmother wouldn’t cover for anyone. Not for such a horrible crime. You’re wrong. She doesn’t keep secrets.” She started toward the door.
“You might not know your stepmother as well as you think you do.” All his instincts told him she didn’t.
She reached the door and spun around to face him, anger firing those brown eyes again. “What are you trying to say?”
“That your stepmother might have secrets. Maybe especially from you.”
She scoffed at that, and hands on her hips demanded to know what he was talking about.
“After I questioned her about Billy Sherman’s death, your stepmother headed for her studio, saying she had to teach a class. But instead of teaching, she drove out of town and into the arms of Senator Fred Bayard.”
He saw the answer as the color drained from her face. She hadn’t known. “I’m sorry.” He mentally kicked himself for the pain in her eyes before she threw open the door and stormed out.
He swore as he heard her leave. How did his father do this? He had no idea, but he suspected Del was a hell of a lot better at it than he’d been so far.