The door opened, and a woman in her late twenties with bleached-blond hair answered, a baby on one hip, two toddlers holding on to her legs.
“If you’re selling something, I’m not interested,” the woman said.
Tawny-Lynn caught the door edge before the woman could close it. “I’m not selling anything, Mrs. Plumbing. My name is Tawny-Lynn Boulder. I need to talk to you.”
A nervous tick tugged at the corner of the woman’s mouth. She patted the towheaded little boy beside her. “Herman, you and Jerry go watch cartoons.” The boys raced off, sliding on the floor as if they were skating. Mrs. Plumbing patted the baby’s back. “What’s this about?”
Tawny-Lynn explained that she’d come back to sell the ranch. “Mrs. Plumbing, I know the police questioned your husband seven years ago when my sister and Ruth Camden first went missing.”
“They harassed him, you mean.” She hugged the baby tighter to her. “Keith is a good man. A good father.”
Tawny-Lynn inhaled. “Since I returned, I learned that my sister was having an affair with a married man before she disappeared. I’m not proud of that, but if it’s true, I need to know who it was.”
Mrs. Plumbing narrowed her eyes. “You think she was seeing Keith?”
“I don’t know,” Tawny-Lynn said. “But yesterday we found Ruth Camden’s body on my father’s ranch. If Peyton had pushed this man to leave his wife, then—”
“You bitch,” Mrs. Plumbing snarled. “How dare you come to my house and suggest that my husband slept with your sister. And now you’re trying to make out like he killed her and Ruth Camden.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just looking for the truth—”
“Well, the truth is that Keith never slept with your sister, and he sure as hell didn’t kill anyone.” She grabbed the door. “Now get off my property before I make you leave myself.”
Tawny-Lynn knotted her hands. “All right. But if I find out you’re lying, I’ll be back. And next time I’ll bring the sheriff with me.”
The woman slammed the door in her face. Tawny-Lynn gritted her teeth and rushed back to the car. She’d certainly made another enemy now.
But Mrs. Plumbing had been defensive and nervous when she’d first realized who she was. Was she lying to cover for her husband?
Chapter Fifteen
Chaz forced his emotions at bay as he delivered the bad news to his parents. His mother was hunched in her favorite armchair, crying quietly, while his father had poured himself a drink, downed it and paced the living room.
“You found her on the White Forks Ranch?”
“Yes,” Chaz said. “Actually Tawny-Lynn discovered the grave when she was weeding the flowerbeds.”
His father whirled on him, eyes enraged, a vein throbbing in his forehead. “I told you that girl was lying years ago. She probably knew our baby was there all along.”
“I can’t believe her body was this close all these years.” His mother dried her face with a handkerchief. “I always held out hope that somehow she’d survived.”
So had he. But she’d been dead all along. Dead while they’d organized search parties, posted fliers, made television appearances to plead for her return.
“Boulder was nothing but a lousy drunk,” his father growled. “And Tawny-Lynn covered for him.”
Chaz’s head ached from trying to sort through the situation. He’d accused Tawny-Lynn of the same thing. But as rational thoughts returned, he couldn’t imagine her having hidden such a secret for so long.
Not when the police and town had persecuted her.
She would have broken if she’d known something.
Unless her father had killed Ruth instead of Peyton’s lover, and Tawny-Lynn had been afraid of her old man.
But the hurt in her eyes had been too real for her to have lied. Besides, if she’d known the body was there all along, why report it now?
Chaz knelt in front of his mother and cradled her hands between his. “Mom, I promise you, I will get to the bottom of this.”
She leaned forward and hugged him, her body trembling with grief. “I don’t want to lose you, too, Chaz.”
“You won’t,” he said softly. He glanced at his father who was still pacing, his agitation mounting with every second. Obviously Gerome Camden wasn’t calm enough to comfort his wife. The day Ruth had gone missing, something inside his father had died, and he’d never been the same.
The confirmation of her death would probably change him even more, make him retreat deeper into his shell. “Is there anyone I can call to come and stay with you, Mom? How about your friend LuAnn?”
She nodded and released him, but squeezed his arm. “Yes, honey, LuAnn would be nice.”
“All right. Then I’m going to issue a statement to the press. Maybe airing the story again will trigger someone’s memory, or prompt a witness to come forward.”
Like Peyton’s married lover. What did the man know about Ruth’s death?
His father paused, the lines around his mouth sagging. “Do you think talking to the press is a good idea?”
“Tawny-Lynn learned that her sister was seeing a married man. If we find him, he might fill in the blanks.”
“You think he killed Ruth?” his father asked.
“It’s possible. And if he did, he’ll pay for it.”
“I suppose we’ll have to make arrangements,” his mother said, another round of tears flooding her eyes.
“I’ll let you know when the M.E. releases her,” Chaz said.
“When you do that press conference, tell the public we’re offering a reward of $50,000 for any information leading to an arrest,” his father said. “This time maybe it’ll do some good.”
Chaz agreed, kissed his mother then called her friend LuAnn as he walked back to his car. LuAnn expressed her regrets and promised to rush over to be with her.
He phoned the mayor, the head of the local paper and the nearest television station along with the FBI agent Justin Thorpe who was spearheading the task force to look into the case of the other missing women. By noon, Chaz stood in front of a podium to address them.
He began by reiterating the details of the original case. “With deep sadness, I’m here today to announce that we have located the body of my sister, Ruth Camden. Her body was found on White Forks Ranch, but at this time we have not located Peyton Boulder. We’ve recently learned that Peyton may have been having an affair with a married man before the accident and that affair may have played a part in her disappearance. At this point, we do not know the man’s identity. If anyone knows the name of this man, or has any information regarding his whereabouts or the death of Ruth Camden, please contact the police. Ruth’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gerome Camden, are offering a reward of $50,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case. Thank you for your time.”
Several hands flew up and the questions began.
Chaz answered them as best he could, silently praying that unlike years before, this time someone would come forward.
* * *
T
AWNY
-L
YNN
STARED
at the television screen, her heart in her throat. Relaying the news about Ruth’s death had to have been difficult for Chaz.
The Camdens probably blamed her, too.
But she no longer cared what they thought. She’d lived with the pain of knowing they’d hated her for years.
But she did care about Chaz.
And she wanted justice for Ruth.
Fresh tears threatened, and she stood, deciding to purge her anxiety, but she couldn’t stomach working in the flowerbeds or outdoors.
Not after her earlier discovery.
Although if Peyton were buried on the ranch, surely the search party would have found her grave.
Desperate to block the images from her mind, she resorted to more cleaning, her stomach clenching at the sight of the drawers and cabinets the crime team had rooted through. She washed and dusted and polished walls and floors and furniture until the afternoon bled into evening.
Exhausted, she showered, then poured herself a glass of wine as she fixed a salad, but before she had a chance to drink it, the house phone rang.
She jumped, startled. She’d forgotten to have it disconnected. It was probably a solicitor, but on the off chance it was Chaz or someone calling about Ruth’s body, maybe with a tip, she grabbed the handset.
“Hello.”
Silence echoed over the line, then she heard the sound of someone breathing.
Anxiety ripped through her. “Who is this?” The person who’d left those bloody messages? The one who’d tried to kill her?
Another heavy breath, and fury shot through Tawny-Lynn. “Listen to me, if you’re the person who tried to kill me, I’m not going anywhere until I find out the truth.”
Her fingers felt clammy as she tightened her grip on the phone. “Okay, you coward, I’m hanging up—”
“No, don’t.”
Tawny-Lynn froze, her chest heaving for air. The voice belonged to a woman. But it was muffled. Still it sounded...almost familiar.
“Who is this?” she asked again.
“I...know who your sister was sleeping with.”
Was this Keith Plumbing’s wife? Maybe she’d changed her mind and decided to come forward.
“Tell me his name.”
“Not over the phone,” the woman whispered. “Meet me at the park at the creek and I’ll tell you everything.”
“What do you mean ‘everything’?”
The line went dead before the caller replied.
Tawny-Lynn sat for a moment, contemplating what to do as the wind rattled the windowpanes of the old house. If the caller had been Plumbing’s wife, then why didn’t she identify herself?
Maybe her husband had been in the house.
But why the clandestine meeting?
Could it be a setup? Someone working with the man who’d tried to kill her?
Or...what if the person who’d killed Ruth was a woman? Maybe the wife of the man Peyton had been sleeping with? She could have killed Peyton and then Ruth.
And now she wanted her dead.
She picked up the phone to call Chaz, but hesitated, her heart aching as she remembered the accusations he’d hurled at her.
No, she’d go alone.
But she grabbed the rifle to carry with her just in case she was walking into a trap.
* * *
C
HAZ
MET
WITH
the Texas Ranger and Sheriff Blair from Sunset Mesa after the press conference, then spent the afternoon fending off calls, hoping to get some valid tips.
But as dusk fell, nothing had come through.
The front door of the sheriff’s office burst open, and Keith Plumbing stalked in, his face blazing with anger. He yanked off his work hat, then propped his hands on Chaz’s desk.
“How dare you send Tawny-Lynn Boulder over to question my wife, and make accusations against me?”
“What?” Chaz forced his voice to remain calm. “I didn’t send Tawny-Lynn to do anything.”
Plumbing lifted his hands from the desk and folded his arms. “Then why the hell did she go to my house and ask my wife if I was running around with her sister?”
Chaz blew out an exasperated breath. “I guess because she wants answers.” He stood, towering over Plumbing by at least a foot. “Did you have an affair with Peyton?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Plumbing cursed. “I can’t believe this crap. I didn’t deserve the law coming down on me seven years ago, and I sure as hell don’t now.”
“You didn’t answer the question,” Chaz said calmly. “Did you sleep with Peyton Boulder?”
“No,” Plumbing shouted. “For God’s sake, she was a teenager back then. I’m not stupid.”
Chaz simply stared him down. “Then why did the sheriff question you?”
“Because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Plumbing said. “My wife and I’d only been married a couple of years and were having money trouble. Then she gets pregnant on top of that, and I blew one out at a bar one night. Wound up in a bar brawl and got arrested. Once you get in the system, you’re an easy patsy.”
“Maybe,” Chaz said, wondering if Plumbing simply had a chip on his shoulder or if he was lying to cover his butt. “But maybe you deserved to get looked at.”
The man shot him a seething look. “Listen, Sheriff, I learned my lesson. I’ve been clean for seven years, go home to my wife every night. I didn’t sleep with Peyton, and I sure as hell didn’t kill your sister. So tell Tawny-Lynn that if she keeps harassing me, I’m going to get a lawyer and sue her six ways till Sunday.”
Plumbing rattled the chair with his hands as he turned and stalked out the door. Maybe the man had control of his drinking, but he wasn’t sure about his temper.
Chaz had to put aside his feelings toward Tawny-Lynn, jumbled as they were, and make sure she was safe. He’d also better pass on Plumbing’s warning and tell her to let him do the police work.
He grabbed his Stetson and keys and headed out to his squad car. Plumbing’s truck was already disappearing out of sight, headed in the same direction as White Forks.
Chaz turned from the parking lot and followed, riding Plumbing until the man made the turn toward his own subdivision. Relieved Plumbing hadn’t planned to pay Tawny-Lynn a visit in the mood he was in, Chaz sped toward the ranch. But just as he neared the mile-long drive, Tawny-Lynn barreled from the ranch, cut a right and drove away from town.
Curious, Chaz followed behind her, maintaining enough distance not to spook her, but staying close enough that if someone else was following her, he’d be able to detect it.
Two miles down the flat country road, she veered onto the graveled road leading to the creek park. The place used to be a popular teen make-out spot, but he thought they’d found a new location for their rendezvous. Although it was dark and deserted, he’d discovered dopers out here twice. Last month he’d even broken up a deal going down.
He made a mental note to have the city fix the streetlights as half of them were burned out. The playground needed reworking, as well. No wonder the residents didn’t use the park much anymore.
He spotted Tawny-Lynn driving to the section where the picnic tables were located and he flipped off his lights, not wanting to alert her he was following.
She veered into a spot in the parking lot, then sat for a few minutes, and he did the same, making sure he was hidden by a cluster of trees. Finally another car rolled up, a small sedan that slowed as it neared Tawny-Lynn’s car.
She must be meeting someone. But why the hell would she agree to meet someone out here in the dark where it was deserted?
He thought she had more sense than that.
Protective instincts rushed to life, and he checked his gun, then watched as a woman clad in all black clothing with a hoodie climbed from the sedan.
Tawny-Lynn’s truck door opened, and she stepped out. A breath of relief escaped him when he saw her swing the shotgun up beside her.
He opened his door, careful to close it without making a sound, then slowly eased his way along the creek edge until he was hidden behind a tree near the park bench. The woman in the hoodie gestured toward the bench, then Tawny-Lynn dropped the rifle to her side and followed.
He tilted his head, waiting on the woman to step into the moonlight so he could see her face.
When she finally did, his heart stopped. It couldn’t be...