Page 19 of A Curse On Black Lake (Black Lake Gothic Cowboys #1)

Grumbling, I pick up the jerky bag, candy and mint wrappers, and wax paper that maybe had a sandwich wrapped in it.

“Killian!” Eliana yells.

I head out of the trees and find her at the edge next to Daisy.

“Everything okay?” she asks.

I hold the trash in my hand, and she frowns.

“I’m assuming the wind didn’t blow that here.”

“You’d be right. Someone was camping,” I mutter.

“Do you have a problem with people coming on your land?” she asks.

“Apparently.” I sigh and shove the trash into one of my saddlebags and whistle for Moonbeam. She comes bounding out with something in her mouth. “Moon come,” I call.

She trots up to me happily with a pair of women’s panties in her mouth.

“Drop,” I command.

Eliana makes a sound and says something under her breath as I inspect the clothing.

It could have been from anyone. It could have been a couple of teenagers experimenting.

Or it could have been some wandering vagabond, and went through my land to get to where they were going.

The only person who has come out here with me since Dad died was Wyatt.

But I doubt this was any of those options.

“Have teenagers come out here before?” Eliana asks.

“Not usually, especially after Dad died. The whole town started avoiding me more.”

“You never told me why that is,” Eliana says.

“I don’t like talking about it,” I mutter.

“Do you know whose those are then?” she asks.

I look up at her. “Why would I know?”

She shrugs and looks away, her tan cheeks turning pink. “I don’t know,” she whispers.

“Eliana, if I were with a woman, it wouldn’t be in the middle of a cow pasture in some trees. I know I don’t look it, but I was raised to be a gentleman.”

“I never said you weren’t.”

I skim my tongue over my teeth and glare. “Then what are you implying?” I ask her.

“No—nothing,” she says quickly. “So you don’t know whose those are?”

“No, but… it’s possible they have to do with the woman I found. I have no way of proving it, but it would make sense.” My stomach twists, and bile rises in my throat. If he killed this woman on my land, and I didn’t hear her screams, then I’m just as guilty.

Eliana hops off Chester and goes into the trees while I gather the possible evidence.

Reaching into my saddlebag, I pull out a clean handkerchief and pick them up, wrapping them inside.

They’re already contaminated, but I’m not entirely sure I should turn them into the Sheriff because it likely won’t help my case now that my dog’s saliva is on them too.

It only reinforces my point if they sent it for testing.

I groan and lift my hat, running my hand through my hair. I’m hot, tired, and pissed. This keeps getting better.

“Killian,” she calls.

I go back into the trees, my neck itching. “What,” I grunt.

She grabs a stick and picks up a woman’s pink bra, holding it up in the air. “Do you think she was killed here?” Eliana asks.

I puff out a breath and look around. “Maybe, but I don’t see any blood, and if there was any, it’s long gone because it rained.”

“Are you going to tell the Sheriff?” she asks.

I look away from the bra. “It could make everything worse.”

She nods and sets the garment on a rock. “What do you need?” she asks confidently.

I blink, considering her question. “What?” I ask her.

“I can see this going one of two ways. You call the Sheriff, who already suspects you based on what you told me, but also the way I saw him looking at you, or—”

“We used to work together, and he’s my cousin.”

“Ah, that’s right, I forgot about you and the Sawyers,” she says.

I nod, wondering what she’s getting at.

“That doesn’t help, does it?” she says, popping her hip out.

“No,” I mutter.

“As I was saying, you could tell him, and it would give them more reason to believe you are the killer, and you’re …

I don’t know, toying with them. Or you get rid of the evidence and keep it in mind for yourself.

Someone was obviously here. But based on the way I found this bra shoved between this tree and that rock, the purpose was to hide it or plant it.

The wind didn’t pull it here, unless there was a tornado I didn’t know about.

But no woman with tits this big would walk off without her bra if she was with some guy out here getting it on. No way.”

I chuckle despite the situation and shake my head, but my smile drops, remembering the poor woman laying there under the rock.

“I think that bra would have fit the woman I found,” I rasp, the words feeling too hard to say.

Eliana licks her lips and puffs out a breath. “This is not looking good, and also how would you know that?”

I pin her with a stare. “It wasn’t like that Eliana, I used to be an investigator. I was observing the scene and took no pleasure in it.”

“Got it, and I never thought you did,” she says carefully.

“Shit,” I mutter. I don’t want to ask her to do this, but I can’t think of any other option at the moment.

I have to cover my ass, and I need Eliana for it to work.

“Or there’s one more option.” I start.

“What’s that?” she asks, looking around the trees and the brush.

“Be my alibi.”

She spins around and meets my eyes. “Sure,” she says.

“You could be arrested for lying, for obstruction.”

“It’s fine. I told you I was here to help, and I meant it.”

I swallow thickly because I still don’t understand that. It’s one thing to get help on the ranch, but it’s another entirely for her to risk everything to help me avoid murder charges. She doesn’t owe me anything.

“Are you sure?” I ask her.

“There’s nothing to be sure about, Killian. I’m doing my part, as I said I would. I think that … this is all part of it though.”

“Part of what? The plan you were talking about?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “Something bigger is going on here.”