Page 8 of A Touch of Murder (Touched #1)

They drove back to the station in silence.

Barret replayed memories of gatherings at the Rowins' ranch.

At least once a year, the family threw a large barbecue to celebrate their anniversary.

They invited the town, and everyone brought food and drinks as they sat under large tents and talked about life.

He wondered what would happen now that there wouldn't be an anniversary to celebrate.

What would happen to Edith? It was too soon for those questions.

They'd all be asked and answered over the next few weeks.

"I'll get back to the Jane Doe files. I'm looking at everything before the Wilsons spoke to Adam. It narrows the timeline a bit. If I don't find anything there, I'll expand my search," Vance told him.

"You're so sure that she's dead? Don't you think we should still consider her missing until a reliable source confirms she's deceased?" Barret asked as they walked into the station.

"The law might not consider Adam a reliable source, but the likelihood of him being right is high. If we strike out contacting morgues in the area, then we'll continue like we have." Vance went to his desk.

"A Jane Doe hit should have come up right away if she was found." Barret went to his own desk, glad everyone else was out of the station for now.

"If it was in the surrounding area. She could have been kidnapped and taken halfway across the country before they killed her.

I'm focusing on surrounding states, but we may have to go farther out.

I'd just started inputting her information in the database when we called it a night yesterday, then we got called out this morning.

Let me do my job and see what I can find.

You go back and focus on the crime scene again. We'll find her."

"God, I hope you're right. Dead or alive, I want to give her family answers.

" Barret hadn't ever thought about having kids, but he figured the not knowing was worse for parents than knowing, even if it was bad news.

At least they'd have some closure. What he wanted to give the family was answers. Who took their daughter and why?

"I didn't expect you to be here."

Barret glanced up to see his sister walking into the room, carrying three of the large boxes she used when selling stuff from her bakery. "Beck, what are you doing here?" He got up and went to his sister, taking the boxes from her hands.

"I heard everyone was out looking for a lost hiker and thought I'd take muffins out for everyone at the base camp but got word on my way there that they'd found him. I already had this stuff packed up, so I brought it here." Becky smiled over at Vance. "Hey, Lou."

Vance smiled back. "Good to see you, Becky. Thanks for the delivery. I'm sure everyone will enjoy them once they get back here."

"That's my hope." Becky opened one of the boxes Barret had set down on his desk. "You two get first pick." She glanced at Barret. "Rumor going around town the missing man was Roy Rowin."

"It was. Looks like he took his horse up one of the trails and something happened. Horse returned down the trail without him. They found his body up Two Drops Trail." Barret sighed. "Hell of a loss."

Becky's eyes filled with tears. "Dead? I hadn't heard that.

Poor Edith. This is going to devastate her.

" She reached for a tissue from the box on one of the other desks near her and dabbed her eyes.

"That's horrible." She leaned against the desk.

"I can't believe Roy would fall from his horse. He's on horses every day."

"Kyle went to see Adam Wrecker this morning, hoping to identify the saddle. Adam told him he saw a man clutching his chest." Vance stood to come over and grab a muffin from the box.

"Ah, that would explain it, if he had a medical incident. Still, how horrible. I need to get back and make a casserole and some bread for Edith. Her kids will be flying in. They'll need to eat." Becky wiped at her eyes again.

Barret never did understand why women always cooked for the deceased family.

By sundown tonight the Rowins would have twenty different casseroles in their freezer and God knew what else people would drop off.

He understood the need to help the family, but why not create a schedule and drop stuff off every day for a few weeks?

And why was it always casserole? "I figured I'd drop by tomorrow and see if they need help around the ranch, but they've got several ranch hands still working out there.

Still, I'll pay my respects and see what they need. "

Becky nodded. "So, Adam was able to identify the saddle?"

"He saw Edith in a vision, so he sent Kyle to her house. She informed him Ray had gone for a ride early this morning." Vance sighed. "We're lucky he saw her, or we might not have known who that horse belonged to until Edith realized Roy wasn't back."

Barret rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you believe in Adam's scams too."

Becky raised a brow at him. "Adam's the real thing.

Remember when my bakery was broken into?

He told me it was Reggie Forester just by touching the rock he'd thrown through my window to get inside.

That was before I put up those security cameras.

Sure enough, when Captain Russel brought Reggie in, he was so scared that he confessed to everything. "

"Adam probably saw something happen out of his window and took advantage of the information to further his reputation." Barret reached for a muffin.

"Seriously? After all he's done to help those of us in the area, you can still say that?

" Becky frowned at her brother. "Adam's a good guy.

We've become friends over the years. Give him a chance, you might actually like him.

As for what he does, no one can make you believe.

Just don't go around badmouthing him because you don't understand what he can do.

" She leaned in and hugged Barret. "I need to get back and get things ready for Edith and her family.

Stop by later this week for dinner. We haven't caught up in a while. "

"Thanks for bringing this stuff in." Barret smiled.

"Glad to share." She waved. "See ya, Lou."

Vance lifted his muffin in salute. "See ya, Beck."

Barret closed the box of muffins so they didn't dry out before the others came in. "Am I the only one in town who doesn't trust Adam?"

"Possibly. I'm sure there are a few others, but they probably just haven't met him yet." Vance grinned. "I don't know how you haven't noticed him before all this happened. He's helped so many people around here."

"I don't listen to fairy tales." Barret shrugged. "Get back to work. You've got a full stomach now. No excuse not to work."

"I've been working this whole time. Got the search running as we speak.

" Vance sat down at his desk. "And we have a hit.

Female, late teens to early twenties, brown hair, five-foot-three, a hundred and thirty pounds.

Found almost two weeks ago outside St. George, Utah.

" Vance tapped on his keyboard. "And the picture matches. It's her."

"Shit." Barret went over and looked at the photo of the dead woman that filled Vance's screen. "How did we not hear about this?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. We've found her." Vance leaned back in his chair. "I'll call the M.E.'s office and find out what we need to do. You want to call the police who reported this and see what he has to share?" Vance asked.

No, he didn't want to. He wanted to go back to thinking Trina was alive somewhere. "Sure. St. George police department?" Barret headed back over to his desk.

"That's the one," Vance told him.

Barret looked up the information and reached for the phone. His chest tightened at what would lay ahead. His day was about to get very complicated and long.