Safety in Numbers

Instead of heading into the kitchen, she walked to the front door and slipped outside to the porch. She moved directly to the railing and leaned against it, staring out at the land that stretched for miles all around.

This was her favorite time of day, when the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon and birds sang from the trees. Scents of hay and grass and cattle wafted on the air, as familiar to her as her own reflection in a mirror.

She loved the ranch, but there were times when she longed for the excitement of the city, the anonymity of a place where she wasn’t one of those West kids, but rather simply Meredith West.

She drew deep breaths, filling herself up with the smells of home, then turned to go back inside. She jumped, startled as she saw the old man seated in the wicker rocking chair.

“Smokey! Jeez, you scared me half to death. What are you doing out here?” Even in the dim light she could see the frown that tugged his grizzled eyebrows together in an uneven unibrow.

“That woman is in my kitchen.”

“Kathy? What’s she doing?”

“Cooking.” The word spat from him as if he found it distasteful on his tongue.

A small burst of laughter welled up inside Meredith, but she quickly swallowed it. As far as Smokey was concerned invasion of his kitchen was grounds for execution. “Think I’ll go get a cup of coffee and check things out,” she said.

Smokey merely grunted in response.

Meredith found the attractive white-haired woman in the kitchen cutting up fruit. “Ah, another early riser,” she said in greeting to Meredith.

“You’re supposed to be on vacation,” Meredith said as she poured herself a cup of coffee, then perched at the island where Kathy worked.

“There’s nothing I love more than cooking, especially for other people, but I rarely get a chance.” She smiled at Meredith. “I told Smokey that I’d take over this morning and give him a little vacation. Besides, I’m not sure he was feeling well this morning. He looked positively gray when he left the kitchen.”

“He’s just not used to somebody else taking over his duties,” Meredith replied.

Kathy smiled once again, a hint of steel in her baby blues. “Well, he’ll just have to get used to it. I intend to pull my own weight around here and at my age about the only thing I am good for is cooking.”

It was going to be an interesting couple of days, Meredith mused. At that moment Chase entered the kitchen clad in a pair of jeans and a navy knit shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and flat stomach. The sight of him filled her with an inexplicable tension.

“Good morning,” he said as he walked to the countertop where the coffeemaker sat.

“’Morning,” Meredith replied. “I hope you slept well.”

“I always do.” He carried his cup and sat on the stool next to Meredith, bringing with him the faint scent of shaving cream, minty soap and a woodsy cologne. The tension inside her coiled a little tighter. “What about you? How did you sleep?”

It was a simple question, but something about the look in his eyes made her feel like he was prying into intimate territory. “I always sleep well, too,” she replied.

He took a sip of his coffee, then looked at her curiously. “Dalton mentioned last night that we’ve come to town at a time when things are pretty unsettled,” he said.

“Very unsettled,” she agreed, relaxing a bit as the subject changed.

“Tell me about it.”

“It’s complicated, but a couple of weeks ago we discovered that a corporation called MoTwin has been buying up property in the area.”

“That doesn’t sound unusual. Corporations seem to be buying up property everywhere in the United States,” Kathy observed.

“Yes, but in this case, the land they were buying was from ranchers who had died, ranchers who had been murdered.”

“Oh, my,” Kathy exclaimed, then picked up her knife to continue cutting up a kiwi.

“The deaths were made to look like accidents, so it took a while for anyone to realize what was going on,” Meredith continued. “The latest death was a real estate agent who had written up the property contracts on the land in question. She was murdered. A couple of FBI agents are here now working the case. We know somebody in town has to be behind the scheme, somebody local has orchestrated the deaths and that’s who we want.”

“This MoTwin, what do you know about it?” Chase asked.

“Not much.” Meredith took a sip of her coffee, then continued, “The address on all the paperwork is nothing more than an empty storefront location in Boston. Two men are listed as partners, Joe Black and Harold Willington, but as far as I know nobody has been able to find them or dig up any information on them. We know that the land was apparently being bought up for a community of luxury condos and town houses.”

She took another sip of her coffee and fought off a chill at the thought that it could be a friend or a neighbor who was responsible for the deaths in the area.

“Hopefully the FBI will find out who here in town is responsible and they’ll lock them up and throw away the key,” she exclaimed. “In any case, it shouldn’t interfere with your visit here. By the way, how long are you intending on staying?”

Chase’s gaze was lazy and his blue eyes sparked with humor. “Trying to get rid of us already?”

“Of course not,” she replied hurriedly. “I was just curious.” Curious as to how long she’d have to put up with the strange feeling he evoked inside her.

“We aren’t sure,” Chase replied. “I have quite a bit of vacation time built up so we’re kind of openended at the moment.”

Kathy glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’d better get back to work if I’m going to have breakfast ready at a reasonable time. Why don’t you two shoo and let me do my thing.”

Meredith drained her coffee cup, placed it in the dishwasher, then started out of the kitchen. “Where are you headed?” Chase asked.

“To the stables,” she replied. “I usually go out there every morning and most evenings to say hello to the horses.”

“Mind if I tag along?”

Yes, I do. You make me nervous and I don’t know why. She didn’t say that, but instead shook her head. She grabbed a jacket from a hook next to the back door, and once she stepped off the porch, Chase fell in beside her.

“Dalton told me you’re quite a horseback rider,” he said as they crossed the thick, browning lawn toward the stables.

At five-ten there were few men who dwarfed Meredith, but Chase did. He made her feel small and oddly vulnerable. “Do you ride?” she asked.

“Motorcycles, not horses.”

“Then you don’t know what you’re missing,” she replied, her steps long and brisk. They walked for a few minutes in silence.

“Quite a spread you have here,” he said. “Did this MoTwin Corporation contact you all about selling out? You said the deaths that occurred were made to look like accidents. Anything odd happen to your father?”

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him with narrowed eyes. “For somebody just visiting the area you have a lot of questions.”

“I’m a cop. Curiosity comes natural to me.”

She gazed at him for a long moment, taking in the handsome chiseled features, the spark of the early-morning sun on his hair and the guileless blue of his eyes. “Then to answer your question, no. Nobody has contacted my father about selling because they probably know that won’t ever happen. And no, nothing strange or suspicious has happened to my father.

“One thing all those dead ranchers had in common was either no children or family to take over their ranches, or kin that weren’t interested in ranching. My father has five sons and me. Killing him wouldn’t get anyone any closer to owning this place.”

He frowned thoughtfully. “But, I would think if this corporation planned a community of condos and town houses, they’d want this land.” He cast a gaze around. “It looks pretty prime to me.”

“I don’t know what the intentions of MoTwin were where our land was concerned. I can’t begin to guess what was in those men’s heads.”

They reached the stables and walked inside, where the horses in the various stalls greeted their presence with snickers and soft whinnies.

As she walked toward where her horse, Spooky, was stalled, she paused at each of the other stalls to pet a nose or scratch an ear. She tried to ignore Chase’s nearness, but it was darned near impossible.

The man seemed to fill the stable interior with an unsettling presence that even the horses felt. They sidestepped and pawed the ground with an unusual restlessness, as if catching the scent of a predator in the air.

“Tell me about your other brothers,” he said as she greeted her black mare with a soft whisper. “Your father mentioned they’d all be here for dinner tonight. I’d like to know a little about them before then. Dalton has mentioned them in the past, but never went into specific details.”

“Tanner’s the oldest. He’s thirty-five and as you know married to Anna. Zack is thirty-one and married to Kate. He’s running for Sheriff. Clay is thirty and just married Libby, who also has a little girl named Gracie. Then there’s Joshua. He’s the baby at twenty-five and he’s dating my best friend, Savannah. You met her yesterday at the café;.”

He nodded, his eyes dark and enigmatic. “Do you all still work for the family business?”

“We did, but things are changing. Tanner was actively running things before he met and married Anna. They’re now building a house and he’s involved in that and not working so much right now. As I mentioned, Zack wants to be sheriff and it looks like he’s going to get his wish. The man who’s working as sheriff right now has plans to retire.”

She scratched Spooky behind the ears, finding it much easier to focus on the horse’s loving, brown eyes than Chase’s cold blue ones.

“Joshua still works for the business and so do I, but for the last couple of months things have been rather slow.” She gave the horse a final pat on the neck. “We should probably head back to the house for breakfast.”

“So, what do you do in your spare time?” he asked as they made their way to the house.

“I occasionally do some volunteer work, but most of the time I keep busy around here. Running a ranch the size of ours requires lots of work.”

“Dalton mentioned to me last night that you don’t date. Why not?”

She stopped walking and held his gaze. “First of all, my brothers don’t know everything that goes on in my life. Just because they don’t know what I’m doing doesn’t mean I’m not doing it. And secondly, it’s really none of your business.”

She didn’t wait for his reply, but instead hurried toward the house, needing some space from the man, his endless questions and the hot lick of desire just looking at him stirred inside her.

It was just after ten when Chase sat in the passenger seat of Meredith’s car. She’d mentioned at breakfast that she was heading into town to run some errands and he’d asked if he could hitch a ride with her. He could tell the idea didn’t thrill her, but she was too polite to tell him no.

He’d told her that while she ran her errands or whatever, he’d hang out at the Wild West Protective Services office with Dalton.

He’d known most of the information she’d told him in the stables before he’d even asked the questions, but he’d hoped she’d give him something that would either exonerate or condemn somebody guilty.

The Wests might never have made the FBI radar if it hadn’t been for a couple of anonymous tips that had come in pointing a finger at the family. He had no idea if the tips were valid or not. It was his and Kathy’s assignment to find out.

“You asked me about my family earlier,” she said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had existed between them since they’d gotten into the car. “Tell me about yours.”

As always, when Chase thought of what little family he’d had, a knot of tension twisted in his chest. He reached up and touched the slightly raised scar that slashed through his eyebrow, then dropped his hand.

“There’s not much to tell. It’s just my mother and me. My father died a couple of years ago. He was a miserable man who gambled away his money, then drank and got mean.”

It was a partial truth. His mother had died when he was five and his violent, drunken father had raised him until Chase turned sixteen and left home. Whenever Chase thought of his family he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. God save him from people who professed to love him.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “But your mother seems very nice.”

He grinned. “Kat…Mom is a jewel. She left my father when I was ten and we have a great relationship.” This was the cover story they’d concocted, a blend of half lies and half truths. Kathy was a jewel, not as a mother but as a partner.

“She stepped into dangerous territory this morning.”

Chase looked at her curiously. “What do you mean?”

“She took over Smokey’s kitchen.”

“That’s bad?”

She smiled and in the genuine warmth of the gesture she was so stunning that the blood in Chase’s veins heated. “That’s grounds for a firing squad. Smokey has always been fiercely territorial about his kitchen.”

“What’s his story? He’s not part of the family, right?” Although Chase had no idea what financial benefit Smokey Johnson might get from conspiring with MoTwin, he knew that not all motives revolved around money.

“He’s family. He might as well have been born a West,” Meredith replied. “He worked as the ranch manager for years, then took a nasty spill from a horse and crushed his leg. He was still healing from that when my mother was murdered.”

“That must have been tough on everyone.” He watched the play of emotions that crossed her features, a flash of pain, a twist of anger, then finally the smooth transition into a weary acceptance. She’d be an easy mark at cards. She didn’t have much of a poker face.

“From what I understand, my father was devastated. He and my mother had one of those loves that you only read about in novels. They were best friends and soul mates and Dad crawled deep into his grief. Smokey stepped in to help with all of us kids and he never left. He’s a combination of a drill sergeant and a beloved uncle.”

She pulled into a parking space in front of the Wild West Protective Services office. She shut off the car engine and unbuckled her seat belt. “Why don’t I meet you back here around noon and we’ll head back to the ranch.”

“Why don’t we meet back here at noon and I’ll buy us lunch at the café;?”

She looked at him in surprise. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he countered. “It’s not every day I get the opportunity to buy lunch for a pretty lady.” He watched her, fascinated by the pink blush that swept into her cheeks.

“I guess it would be all right to have lunch before we head back,” she replied.

They got out of her car and she murmured goodbye, then headed across the street. “What are you doing, Chase,” he muttered to himself as he watched her walk away.

Once again, she was dressed in an old flannel shirt and a pair of worn jeans. She intrigued him. She acted and dressed like a woman who didn’t much care about a man’s attention, and yet the blush that had colored her cheeks had spoken otherwise.

She was unlike any woman he’d ever been around before. Most of the women he dated were girly girls, high-maintenance savvy singles who cared even less about a committed relationship than he did. Meredith West blushed like a woman who wasn’t accustomed to compliments or attention.

He watched until she disappeared into a storefront, then he turned and went into the Wild West Protective Services office.

“I don’t care how difficult the client is,” Dalton said into the phone receiver as he raised a hand in greeting to Chase. “You do what you have to do to make this right. You know how to do your job, just do it and try not to make people angry.” He hung up the phone with a groan. “I think sometimes it’s easier to have a boss than to be one.”

Chase sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk and grinned at his friend. “As one who has a boss instead of being one, I’d argue the fact with you.”

Dalton laughed and leaned forward in his chair. “How about one night you and I make plans to shoot some pool and drink a few beers?”

“Sounds good to me,” Chase agreed. Maybe knocking back a few brews would get thoughts of Meredith West out of his head.

The two men visited for a few minutes, then Dalton got another phone call and Chase left the office to wander the sidewalks and see what kind of vibes he picked up.

Being around Dalton was almost as difficult as being with Meredith. The deception of his friend didn’t sit well. But Chase had a job to do and work had always been the one thing he could depend on, the only thing he clung to.

Cotter Creek was a pleasant little town with sidewalks and shade trees running the length of Main Street. Benches every twenty feet or so welcomed people to sit a spell.

An old man sat on the bench outside the barbershop, his weatherworn face showing no emotion as Chase sat on the opposite end of the bench.

“Nice day,” Chase said.

“Seen better,” the old man replied.

“My name’s Chase, I’m here in town visiting the West family.”

“Too many strangers popping up here in Cotter Creek for my comfort and I’m Sam Rhenquist.”

Chase leaned back against the bench. “Nice town.”

“Used to be. Lately everybody’s been looking cross-eyed at each other, wondering who might be guilty of some things that have happened around here.” Rhenquist eyed him with a touch of suspicion and clamped his mouth closed, as if irritated that he’d said too much.

For the next few minutes Chase tried some small talk, but the old man was having nothing to do with it. Finally Chase rose, said goodbye and headed down the sidewalk with no particular destination in mind.

He knew the best place to pick up information would be the café; or wherever Dalton intended to take him for the night of beer and pool. People talked when they ate, and people really talked when they drank. No telling what little tidbit he’d be able to pick up that might help the investigation.

Eventually he wanted to touch base with Bill Wallace and Roger Tompkins, the two agents who were actively working the case here in town. He wanted to know who they had in their radar and what they might have discovered in the brief time they’d been in town.

It didn’t take him long to walk the length of the businesses on Main Street, then he crossed the street and headed back the way he’d come on the opposite side of the street. As he walked, his mind whirled.

He’d already learned two important things since arriving in town. The first was that Meredith West was sharp and he’d have to be more subtle with his questions than he’d been when they’d gone to the stables that morning.

The second was that for some crazy reason he was intensely attracted to the tall, dark-haired woman. If he allowed that attraction to get out of hand, he’d risk complicating his job here.

He’d share a simple lunch with her, then head out to the ranch and hope that Kathy had managed to glean some sort of helpful information about the rest of the West family.

He made it back to Meredith’s car and leaned against the driver’s side to wait for Meredith to return from whatever she was doing. It was damned inconvenient not to have a car at his disposal.

It had been Kathy’s idea to ride the bus into town. She’d thought being at the mercy of the West family for transportation would afford them more time to chat with the various members of the clan.

He should have put his foot down and told her it was a dumb idea, but he found it difficult to argue with Kathy about anything. Those twinkling blue eyes and sweet smile of hers hid a stubborn streak that always surprised him.

He straightened as he saw Meredith in the distance coming toward him. As she drew closer, he realized she looked different…softer…more feminine. It took him a minute to realize it was her hair.

Where before it had hung without rhyme, without reason in various lengths, it now feathered around her face, emphasizing the classic beauty of her features. She carried with her a large file folder bound with several rubber bands.

“Wow,” he said when she was close enough to hear him.

Her cheeks reddened slightly and she reached up to self-consciously touch a strand of her hair. “It’s just a haircut,” she said with a touch of belligerence.

“No, it’s more than that. It’s a total transformation,” he replied.

“It’s not a big deal,” she replied, obviously not wanting him to make it a big deal. “You ready for lunch?”

He nodded. “What have you got there?”

“Just some paperwork I want to read.” She opened the car door, set the papers on the seat, then locked the doors and gestured toward the café;. “Shall we?”

The Sunny Side Up Café; was in full swing serving a surprisingly large lunch crowd. They found an empty booth toward the back and settled in, but not before Meredith was greeted by half a dozen people.

She’d been attractive before, but with the new hairstyle Chase was having trouble keeping his gaze from her. “Is the food good here?” he asked as he opened a menu and forced himself to look at it. But it couldn’t hold his attention the way she did.

“Excellent,” she replied. She looked ill at ease, her gaze darting around the room then back at her menu.

“Is everything all right?”

Her bright green eyes met his gaze in surprise. “Yes, everything is fine.” Once again she made a quick sweep of the room with her gaze.

“So, tell me about your work,” Chase said after the waitress had departed with their orders. “It must be fascinating to be a bodyguard.”

“It has its moments,” she replied, then frowned. “Although lately there haven’t been as many moments as I’d like.”

“What do you mean?”

She picked up her napkin and placed it in her lap. “Business has been slow. None of us are working as much as we like.”

The conversation halted momentarily as the waitress appeared to serve their drinks. “You mentioned that before. What’s made things slow down?” Chase asked when they were once again alone.

“Who knows? I’ve talked about it some with Tanner, my oldest brother, and even he isn’t sure what’s caused the slow down. I guess people not needing bodyguard services doesn’t necessarily translate to lower crime rates in the city. You must stay very busy.”

Chase grinned ruefully. “Definitely. In the war on crime, the bad guys still seem to have the upper hand.”

Her gaze held his for a long moment. “Speaking of crime, did Dalton tell you that our mother was murdered years ago?”

She had the kind of eyes that could swallow a man whole and make him forget his surroundings. At the moment they radiated a soft vulnerability, a wistful need he immediately wanted to fulfill, no matter what it entailed.

It was he who broke the eye contact, disconcerted by his own reaction. “Yeah, Dalton told me about it.”

“Those papers I left in the car are copies of the reports concerning her murder. It was never solved and lately I’ve been thinking about it, about her a lot.”

There was an unspoken question in her gaze as he looked at her once again. “I thought maybe by looking at the files I might see something that was missed in the initial investigation. I’m not telling my father or my brothers that I’m looking into Mom’s death. I don’t want to upset anyone.” She paused a moment, then continued, “How long have you been a homicide cop?”

He suddenly knew what she wanted from him. “You want me to take a look at those files?”

She flashed him a grateful smile. “Would you mind? Maybe you’ll see something important, something that I’m not trained to look for.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.” He’d take a look at the files. It was the least he could do.

A few minutes later, the waitress delivered their food and Chase’s mind worked to process his thoughts and impressions. And the one thing that kept coming back into his mind was the fact that business was slow at Wild West Protective Services.