Ranger's Justice

Can they stay one step ahead of a serial killer?

A Rangers of Big Bend thriller

FBI profiler Rebecca Wade is used to tough, gruesome cases. But a serial killer targeting women in Big Bend National Park gets under her skin in a way she never anticipated. Alongside her unexpected partner—enigmatic park ranger Quinn Gallagher—Rebecca must race against the clock to prevent more innocent lives from being lost and achieve justice at last.

LARA LACOMBE earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at laralacombewriter@gmail.com.

Also by Lara Lacombe

Rangers of Big Bend

Ranger’s Justice

The Coltons of Red Ridge

Colton K-9 Bodyguard

Doctors in Danger

Enticed by the Operative

Dr. Do-or-Die

Her Lieutenant Protector

The Coltons of Shadow Creek

Pregnant by the Colton Cowboy

The Coltons of Texas

Colton Baby Homecoming

Deadly Contact

Fatal Fallout

Lethal Lies

Killer Exposure

Killer Season

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Ranger’s Justice

Lara Lacombe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07932-7

RANGER’S JUSTICE

© 2018 Lara Kingeter

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Never said you did,” Rebecca replied smoothly. “I’m just laying out the facts here. It’s one thing to stumble across one dead body. But to find two in two weeks? That’s some exceptional luck.”

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Quinn muttered.

“Neither would I,” she said, her tone suddenly harsh. “What is it about you, Quinn Gallagher? Don’t you find it odd that you’ve come across three—no, four—dead women in the last two years?”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” he faltered. For the first time, a kernel of fear took root in his chest. Was he really going to be blamed for the deaths of these women?

“Well, I have,” she responded. “And let me tell you, it’s one hell of a coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidence,” he said.

“Well, what do you know?” She leaned back and smiled broadly. “Neither do I.”

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Rangers of Big Bend series! I’m so excited to dive into this world! As a native Texan, I’m proud to set these stories in one of our most beautiful parks. I’m not much of a camper, but even I can appreciate the beauty of Big Bend—it truly is a special place.

Quinn and Rebecca are two weary souls faced with a terrible situation. It would be easy for them to let the circumstances further harden their protective shells, but against all odds, they find themselves working together with both their heads and their hearts. I hope you enjoy their journey, and be sure to return for the rest of the series!

Happy reading!

Lara Lacombe

This one is for Dr. Kuban. Thanks for everything!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Extract

About the Publisher

Prologue

She was very nearly perfect.

He stood over her, head cocked to the side as he ran his gaze over her still form. Limbs arranged just so, hair an artful tangle obscuring her face, one sightless eye playing peekaboo from between the strands. Yes. This would do.

He stripped off his gloves and shoved them into the bag at his feet. Walking over to a small shrub nearby, he broke off a dry branch and set about erasing the footprints he’d left in the sand. It was tedious, almost boring work, but it was important he destroy any evidence that might point in his direction. The police might catch him someday, but he still had much to do.

Finally finished, he stood on the rocky trail and surveyed his work. Pride surged through him, along with a pang of regret. He wanted nothing more than to stay with her, to tell her all the secrets of his heart. But as much as he wanted to linger, it was too big of a risk. The first orange tendrils of dawn were streaking across the sky, and hikers started early in the park. Better for him to leave. She wouldn’t be lonely long—someone would find her soon enough.

“Goodbye, lady,” he whispered. He blew a kiss on the wind and smiled sadly. “I enjoyed our time together. I’ll see you again.”

With one final glance back, he turned and set off down the trail.

* * *

Park ranger Quentin “Quinn” Gallagher crested the small hill and paused, adjusting his hat against the glare of the morning sun. The ground was still cool from the night, but the air was warm and it wouldn’t take long for the heat of the day to set in.

The trail in this section of the park was rocky and on an incline, and he stepped carefully as he set off again. He hadn’t run into anyone so far, but that would likely change on his trek back. This was one of the more challenging trails in the park, and experienced hikers liked to test their mettle against the sloping switchbacks and narrow path. The reward for their determination was one of the best views in the park, which, in Quinn’s mind, made up for all the work.

He enjoyed hiking for pleasure, but for today’s journey he was focused on work. Yesterday, two campers had reported a section of safety railing was deteriorating to the point of falling down. Since the area in question was in an especially treacherous area, Quinn had volunteered to check it out today. He had a few supplies in his backpack, but if things looked as bad as the campers had described, he’d probably have to close the trail until they could bring a crew in to repair the damage.

The muscles in his legs burned pleasantly as he moved up the mountain. Big Bend National Park was no match for the Rocky Mountains, but the Chisos range was nothing to laugh at, either. The landscape changed as he made his ascent up Emory Peak, the low, green scrubland giving way to exposed rock. Small clumps of weeds sprouted tenaciously in the gaps between rocks, and he passed the skeleton of a rabbit, the bones bleached white from exposure. Quinn knew he was getting close as he spied the large solar panel and tall antennae at the top of the peak—the equipment was part of the two-way radio system employed by the Park Service in Big Bend. It wasn’t the prettiest of additions, but the setup served an important purpose.

He rounded a curve and a flash of pink caught his eye. He paused, scanning the area again with a slight frown. The land in this part of the park was all browns and greens—pink was definitely not a normal part of the scenery. Probably trash left behind by some hikers, he thought sourly. Most people were respectful of nature and took pains to collect their debris, but there were always a few bad apples who couldn’t be bothered to do the right thing. He peered against the glare of the sun, hoping to catch the flash of color again. A breeze drifted by, and he saw pink flutter in the wind. Over there—about twenty feet off the trail.

Quinn carefully moved off the trail, mindful of where he stepped so as not to cause too much damage to the landscape. As he approached, it looked like the pink was a bit of fabric caught on the branches of the bushes that dotted the area. Maybe a scarf, or perhaps a discarded jacket cast off by a hiker who got too hot on the trail.

He bent down to untangle the fabric and froze as he got his first good look at the spot. His body seemed to recognize what he was seeing before his brain registered the scene—the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and a chill swept over him.

“Oh, my God,” he whispered. His stomach twisted violently, and he turned away as a wave of nausea propelled his breakfast up and out of his body. He retched into the bushes, then reluctantly turned back, his hand pressed to his mouth.

The woman was on her back, impossibly still, her arms bent at the elbows and hands resting over her heart. Her knees were bent and the soles of her feet were pressed together, leaving her legs splayed out in a grotesque parody of a yoga pose. She looked almost peaceful, except for the horribly tangled hair arranged across her face, obscuring her features. One cloudy blue eye was visible in a gap between the strands, staring lifelessly at the sky.

Quinn’s heart pounded in his chest and blood thundered in his ears. For a moment, all he could do was stare at the body and try to comprehend what he was seeing. Working as a park ranger, he was no stranger to death—he’d come across the carcasses of animals from time to time, but that was just a part of nature. This—this was something else entirely.

He reached out and touched the side of her neck with his fingertip, feeling for a pulse he knew wasn’t there. Still, he had to be sure.

Her skin was cold to the touch, her flesh unnaturally stiff under his finger. He snatched his hand back and rubbed it over his pants, trying to erase the feeling of death before it could fully take hold of him.

He closed his eyes as a memory assaulted him, filling his senses.

Ashley. His wife. Her body lying twisted on a different trail, bones broken from the fall that had taken her life.

A wave of helplessness made his knees buckle, and Quinn fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face. He had arrived too late to save Ashley. And now it seemed history was repeating itself.

Except... He frowned as his whirling thoughts began to settle. Ashley had fallen over the edge of a trail while hiking in Yosemite National Park, landing on a small outcrop twenty feet below. That didn’t seem to be the case here. While the woman’s body lay in a small declivity in the land, there was no overhang nearby, no cliff she might have tumbled off. It was as if she’d dropped from the sky, placed here by some unseen hand.

Murder.

The word appeared out of nowhere, a shout in his mind that cut through the fog of his shock and memories. He forced himself to really look at the body, searching for signs of injury or foul play. There was nothing obvious to see, but he knew without a doubt this woman had been killed.

His hand shaking, Quinn reached for his radio and called back to base to report this sad discovery. Given his position on the trail, it was going to take a couple of hours before anyone could reach him. Dispatch assured him the police were on their way, and Quinn resigned himself to the fact he was going to have to stay on the scene until they arrived. He moved back to the trail and hiked down to the closest switchback, then draped a rope across the trail and affixed a small Trail Closed sign to it. His fellow rangers would close off the trail at its start, but he wanted to make sure any hikers who had already set out wouldn’t stumble across the scene.

With a sigh, he returned to the body. He didn’t want to stay nearby, but it felt wrong somehow to leave her alone. He debated draping his light jacket over her face—he wanted to give her some dignity—but in the end he held back. If he touched her again or interfered with the scene in any way it would make it harder for the police to do their job.

Not knowing what else to do, Quinn sat a few feet away in the paltry shade of one of the bushes, keeping company with a dead woman and the ghost of his wife.

Chapter 1

Two weeks later

“Do I need a lawyer?”

Rebecca Wade paused in the doorway to the interrogation room, taken aback by the question. As a psychologist in the FBI’s famous Behavioral Analysis Unit, she’d interviewed all sorts of men and women over the years. She had dealt with any number of threats, both overt and subtle, lies, tears, accusations, claims of innocence and a few attempted seductions during these conversations. Rarely were the people she talked to so direct right off the bat.

She closed the door behind her with a soft snick. “That depends,” she said.

The man stiffened at the sound of her voice, and he turned around to face her. His eyes widened when he saw her. “You’re a woman.”

Rebecca lifted one eyebrow. “Is that going to be a problem?” Her mind was already whirring with possibilities. She was here to talk to him about the deaths of two women in Big Bend National Park. This ranger had found their bodies a week apart, making him a potential suspect in the murders. And if he was such a blatant misogynist, maybe this conversation wasn’t going to take as long as she’d estimated.

“No, ma’am,” he said. “Not a problem. Just a surprise.” He pushed back the chair and stood, and Rebecca’s body tensed. Was he going to attack? It wouldn’t be the first time a suspect had come after her, and while she was confident in her self-defense skills, she didn’t want to test them against this man. He was taller than her by a good six or seven inches, and he likely outweighed her by about forty pounds.

He must have read the tension on her face because he took a step back and gestured to the chair across from him. Rebecca kept her gaze on him as she took the long way around the table. Only when she had taken a seat did he sit back down, and she realized with a small shock that he had jumped to his feet in a display of manners rather than an attempt to scare her.

Interesting.

“As I was saying, Mr. Gallagher, you’re not under arrest. You are free to have a lawyer present during our conversation, but if you elect to do so, I won’t talk to you until your counsel arrives.” It made no difference to her what he decided. She’d talked to plenty of guilty men who had rejected an attorney because they thought they were smarter than her. Conversely, the innocent often asked for a lawyer, just to make sure they didn’t get into unnecessary trouble. Either way, she couldn’t read too much into his choice.

He was quiet, his expression thoughtful as he considered her words. She took the opportunity to study his face. He was handsome, she could say that objectively. Long, straight nose, tousled hair and brown eyes that looked like twin pools of melted chocolate framed by long lashes. The dusting of stubble on his cheeks kept him from looking too boyish. There were faint lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes, indicating he probably smiled a lot. She was willing to bet he had dimples when he did.

Yes, a handsome man. One a woman wouldn’t think twice about talking to, especially if he turned on the charm. It would probably be easy for him to gain a woman’s trust.

But did that make him a killer?

Finally, he shrugged. “Let’s just get this over with,” he said. “I have nothing to hide.”

That’s what they all say, Rebecca thought.

“My name is Rebecca Wade. I’m an agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, and the Alpine police have asked me to talk to you about the women you found in Big Bend.” Alpine was a decent-sized city about a hundred miles from the borders of the park. The Alpine police was taking point on the investigation because its members had resources some of the smaller, closer towns lacked.

He nodded, as if this was information he already knew. “You already have my name. But I’ll introduce myself anyway. I’m Quentin Gallagher. Call me Quinn.”

“All right.”

“How does this usually work?” He shifted in the chair and it rocked a little in response, indicating the legs were not all the same length. Shortening the legs was a classic interrogation technique designed to keep the suspect uncomfortable and literally off balance. Rebecca wasn’t convinced it worked all that well, but she wasn’t going to argue with the Alpine police department about their methods right now.

“We’re just going to talk,” Rebecca said. “I have a few questions for you, but I’m mainly interested in hearing your story in your own words.”

A shadow crossed Quinn’s face, as if he was remembering something especially troubling. He cleared his throat. “Where should I begin?”

“Tell me about your wife.”

“My wife?” Quinn asked, his voice cracking a little on the words. Rebecca watched his face carefully, noting how his skin went pale under his tan. “What would you like to know about Ashley?”

“How did you two meet?”

He hesitated, and for a brief second, Rebecca wondered if he had changed his mind about talking to her. Maybe opening with his wife was a mistake, she mused. But if so, she had other tricks up her sleeve. One way or another, she was going to get Quinn Gallagher’s story.

Just as she was about to try another tack, Quinn spoke.

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” he said quietly. “But before we get started, I need you to understand something.” His brown eyes shone with an emotion she couldn’t quite name, and he leaned forward a bit, his expression earnest.

“Okay,” she said agreeably. “What’s that?” She was careful to keep her tone neutral, but her heart rate picked up. Was he really going to confess so quickly? It normally took her hours, or even days, to coax a confession from a suspect. Maybe Quinn was going to make it easy on her...

He met her eyes, his gaze intense, as if he was trying to see her very soul. Rebecca resisted the temptation to look away and tried to appear friendly and interested in what he had to say. It was important to gain Quinn’s trust so he would open up to her. The faster she got him to let down his guard, the sooner she’d discover the truth.

“I didn’t kill those women in the park.” His voice was low, but he enunciated every word clearly, as if he wanted to make sure she didn’t misunderstand him.

“And I damn sure didn’t kill my wife.”

* * *

If Quinn’s words shocked Rebecca, she didn’t show it. She smiled slightly, and he got the impression this wasn’t the first time she’d heard a man proclaim his innocence.

But in his case, it was the truth.

“If I really thought you’d killed anyone, you’d already be under arrest,” she said smoothly.

Yeah, right, he thought. Quinn wasn’t stupid. The only reason he wasn’t in handcuffs right now was because the police didn’t have enough evidence to charge him with the murders of those two unfortunate women he’d found in the park. Finding the first body had been bad enough. Finding the second victim, a week later, on a different trail, had been a new level of horrible. He knew he was still a suspect, though. Actually, the term the detective had used was “person of interest,” as if that was supposed to make him feel better.

It didn’t.

Nothing about this situation was okay. The only thing that made it tolerable was the fact that he knew with absolute certainty there wouldn’t be any evidence linking him to the deaths of those women.

Once the police realized he was innocent, these “voluntary” conversations would come to an end.

But until that day, Quinn intended to cooperate. The memories of his gruesome discoveries demanded he do everything in his power to ensure those poor women found some kind of justice.

The FBI interrogator was watching him, her face completely calm with no hint of impatience. She looked like a woman without a care in the world, as if she was happy to spend all day sitting in front of him, waiting for him to start talking. Her calm demeanor was a skill that likely served her well in her job, and under different circumstances, Quinn would have asked her more about her career. Working for the FBI had to be exciting, or at the very least, interesting.

Now was not the time for pleasantries, though.

Quinn took a deep breath, bracing himself for the jolt of pain that always came whenever he thought of Ashley. “We met in college,” he began. “We had a couple of intro classes together. I noticed her on the first day, and after a few weeks, I finally worked up the nerve to talk to her.” He smiled briefly at the memory, remembering the way his knees had practically knocked together as he’d stood in front of her desk and asked how she was doing.