The New Cowboy

“I need someone to give me inside information. Who better than you? Tonight I want to drive there and get a feel for the place. We won’t stay too long. If you’ll come with me, I’ll feed you. While we drive, I’d like to pick your brain.”

She cleared her throat, trying to keep her wits about her. “You think someone I work with could be responsible?”

His eyes narrowed, sending a shiver down her back. “You never know. Everyone is fair game at a crime scene.”

Zane was on the hunt. She could feel it and shuddered for the people responsible when he caught up with them. “You’re right.”

“If we leave now in my car, we should get there before it’s totally dark.”

Avery couldn’t very well say no to him under the circumstances. Her truck engine was still idling. “I’ll run inside and tell Grandpa where I’m going.”

“Good. I’ll wait for you.”

She raised the window and turned off the ignition. He opened the door so she could climb out. On a burst of adrenaline she hurried into the house only to find out her grandfather had gone over to Jarod’s for dinner. She told the housekeeper where she was going, then made a stop to the bathroom to freshen up. While she ran a brush through her hair and reapplied her lipstick, his words kept going around in her head.

I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen.

* * *

ZANE PULLED INTO the drive-through in White Lodge where they ordered hamburgers and fries. During the short drive from the ranch they talked about family and how big Ryan was getting. She asked about some of his cases in Glasgow. They stuck to topics he knew made her feel comfortable.

Once they were headed for the dig site, he listened while she gave him a rundown of the professors and archaeologists involved in the excavation. He learned that two of the men had volunteered to stand guard, but their idea was tabled by the head archaeologist.

After they arrived, he drove to two of the homes of the owners of the land to introduce himself and Avery. He let them know he was conducting an investigation of the vandalism. They received him warmly and promised to keep an eye out that night. If they saw or heard anything out of the ordinary, they’d phone him.

Back in the car he said, “Now show me where you all park when you come to work. Does everyone come by car?”

“Some have trucks.”

Avery gave directions to the part of the field where they’d been excavating the foundation of a hundred-plus-year-old Crow cabin. Careful to park where he wouldn’t drive over tracks already made in the dirt, they got out.

“The worst of the destruction is right over here.” Both of them held flashlights as he followed Avery to the area set off in grids. “See there? They’ve raked through the dirt, destroying the bits of animal bones. And look here—they’ve stolen the wire-wound round glass beads. The beads’ eyes, in particular, make them priceless.”

He grimaced. “Stay right here. I’m going to the car to get some packs of fiber foam.” He’d decided not to cast the tracks. That process was messier. “I want to take impressions of the tire tracks.” One set of them came from an ATV. He pulled on gloves. “With the list of names and addresses you’re going to give me, I’ll have a better idea of who’s driving what. We’ll go from there.”

“What’ll happen when you catch this person?”

“If it’s a first offense, we’ll levy a twenty-thousand-dollar fine and nine months’ jail time. If they’ve been arrested before, they could be charged a hundred-thousand-dollar fine and get a five-year prison sentence.”

“Good! How dare they do this.”

Zane smiled at her vehemence. While he gathered evidence, he noticed some cigarette butts. “Does any of your crew smoke?”

“Maybe, but they don’t do it on the site.”

Interesting.

By ten o’clock he’d gathered the evidence he needed, including the butts and a peppermint pattie candy wrapper he’d found and bagged. Avery helped him carry everything to the car where he discarded the gloves. They started back to the ranch.

He looked over at her. “You’re a great helper. When we crack this case, you’ll be given a commendation from the Crow Nation, probably by Jarod’s uncle Charlo himself. He might as well be your uncle, too, right?”

He provoked a small smile from her. “That’s true, but this isn’t Crow land.”

“It used to be, and the tribe has united with the Federal Highway Administration and the Montana Department of Transportation to make certain this land is preserved.”

“Zane, the crew will be really glad to know you’ve been assigned here.”

He felt his pulse surge. “I hope that means you’re glad, too, because I’d like to enlist more of your help for this case.”

She stirred in the seat. “I’ll do anything I can. What they’ve done is not only criminal, but immoral.”

“How about coming over to the house tomorrow after we help Liz and Connor move into their new place? We’ll combine forces and get all the information entered in my files.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, her voice sounded a trifle unsteady as she said, “All right.”

Inch by inch, Lawson.

“I understand Connor has a ton of stuff stored at your ranch.”

Avery let out a gentle laugh. “You wouldn’t believe it. It’ll take hours just to transport all his trophies and awards.”

Zane grinned. “Then we’ve got our work cut out.” He hoped there’d be so much work, she wouldn’t be able to find an excuse to get away from him.

Once he’d pulled up to her ranch, he got out and walked her to the front door. He smiled down at her. In the faint light from the hallway, the classic planes of her features stood out. Between her fantastic coloring and the flare of her mouth, he could hardly tear his eyes away, but he had to. Something strange had happened when he’d looked at her just now.

Everything had been fine all evening, yet all of a sudden she was starting to pull away from him again. Almost as if he’d pressed a button by mistake and it had opened a secret panel. It wasn’t anything she did physically. Rather he felt her emotional withdrawal into that secret opening.

Puzzled by it, he said, “I liked taking you out on this case with me, especially one that impacts you personally. I’m going to bring it to a close soon.”

“I don’t doubt it. Good night, Zane.”

“I’ll be over in the morning in my truck and we’ll get the move done fast so we’ll have more time to devote to the case. The bureau wants to see it wrapped up in a hurry.”

She only nodded before slipping inside to shut the door.

He’d seen guys behave the same way after they’d retired from the SEALs. Their PTSD triggered flashbacks and attacks of nerves. Zane still struggled from a mild form of it. He saw a doctor in Billings periodically and was given medication that controlled it. But he’d learned enough about it to know it was a real illness and one not associated only with war.

You could get it after living through or seeing a dangerous event like a hurricane or a bad accident. PTSD made you feel stressed and afraid long after the danger was over. It affected your life and the people around you. Avery exhibited certain signs that led him to believe she might be suffering from it. What in the hell had happened to her to bring it on?

With his emotions in turmoil, he drove home and got ready for bed. His thoughts went back to the night Ned Bannock, Sadie’s cousin, had attacked Sadie in the barn while Zane had been in the house with Ryan. Thankfully both Connor and Jarod had caught him in time.

Ned, whose family had always lived on Bannock property, was still being treated at a mental health facility with occasional supervised visits home. Was it possible that sometime in the past he’d attacked Avery and no one ever knew about it?