Page 20 of Deputies Under Fire (Renegade Canyon #2)

The killer sure had.

Because if Carter had been at his home in San Antonio, the killer would have had to somehow snatch him, bring him here and murder him. After that, the body would have been posed.

All without someone seeing what was going on.

“There appears to be arterial spray,” Rory commented, motioning toward the spatter on the signpost and the grass around the body. “Blood would have gotten on the killer.”

Garrison lifted his shoulder. “I guess Ike couldn’t have gone home and changed, or he could have been wearing some kind of protective gear. Or another possibility is that he stashed the clothes, and they’re around here somewhere.” But he stopped, and his forehead bunched up.

Obviously, the deputy had seen the problem with those theories.

Why would Ike have murdered Carter, then left the scene, changed his clothes and returned?

And if he’d had on protective gear to prevent being spattered with blood, where was it?

Yes, he could have hidden it nearby, but why not just leave once he’d killed Carter?

However, Eden did think of one possible scenario that would fit what she was seeing here. “It’s possible Ike came back to retrieve some kind of evidence,” she muttered. “Maybe something he dropped. But that would be a huge risk.”

Rory made a sound of agreement. “And if he had left something behind and found it, he could have said someone had put it there to set him up.” He glanced at Garrison. “Any chance of tracing the anonymous call that reported the location of the body?”

“None,” Garrison grumbled. “I checked that on the way over here, and it was a burner.”

Of course, it was, but it would be interesting to hear what Ike had to say about who’d called him to the scene.

“We’ll talk to him,” Rory said as if reading Eden’s thoughts, “but we’ll move into the cruiser for that.

Be careful,” he added to Garrison. “If someone is setting up Ike, that someone could still be around. And there could be explosives, so go ahead and get the bomb squad out here to do a sweep before anyone starts checking the scene. Oh, and have the bomb squad check the body, too.”

Garrison’s eyes widened, and he muttered a single word of profanity. “You think there could be explosives underneath the body?”

“It’s possible they could be anywhere out here,” Rory explained.

The deputy made some glances around them, and his nerves were definitely showing. There were thick woods here, like more of the area outside of town, but there were a few trees surrounded by tall grass.

It was the perfect place to plant an IED.

Of course, if the killer still wanted Rory and her dead, this would be a good opportunity to use a sniper to gun them down. That was obviously a pressing concern for Rory because he didn’t take any more time with Garrison, and they went straight to Ike and Judson.

“Garrison will fill you in on potential problems,” Rory told Judson, and he hiked his thumb in the direction of the cruiser. “You’re coming with us,” he added to Ike.

Eden expected Ike to balk. He didn’t. For once, Ike didn’t lash out with any of his usual venomous remarks. With his gaze seemingly frozen on the dead man, he just got off the tailgate and followed them to the cruiser. Ike was placed in the back seat, and they took the front.

This wasn’t an ideal place for questioning a murder suspect, but as acting sheriff, Rory should stay on the scene until at least some of the other responders arrived. After that, they could take Ike to the police station, where he’d need to be formally interviewed by someone other than Rory or her.

“I know Livvy read you your rights yesterday,” Rory began, “but let me repeat it.” And that’s what he did.

Again, Ike didn’t lash out. Didn’t demand a lawyer. But he did ask a question the moment Rory had finished with the Miranda warning.

“Who is he?” Ike still had that frozen look of shock in his eyes.

“You don’t know?” Rory countered.

That seemed to snap Ike out of his trance, and his gaze fired to Rory. “I wouldn’t have asked if I already knew. Who the hell is he?”

Rory stared at his father a long time as if trying to suss out if this was an act. “Carter Rooney.”

Eden carefully watched Ike’s face for signs of recognition, but she didn’t see any. Just the opposite. If Ike was faking all of this, then he was doing a stellar job of it.

Ike repeated the dead man’s name a couple of times as if trying to jog his memory, and then he shook his head. “I don’t know him,” he concluded.

She and Rory exchanged a glance before he continued. “So how did you end up here at the crime scene of someone you didn’t even know?”

“I got a call,” Ike said after a long pause.

“I don’t know who from. It said ‘unknown caller’ on the screen, but I answered it, anyway.

Sometimes, it’s a horse seller who isn’t in my contacts.

Anyway, the person was whispering, like they were trying to disguise their voice, and he said if I wanted to stop Tyler from dying that I’d get here to the sign fast and save him. ”

Every muscle in Eden’s body tightened. “Tyler,” she blurted.

The panic came, roaring through her, and then she felt Rory take hold of her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “Tyler’s safe,” he reminded her. “Grace and Dutton won’t let anyone get near him.”

She mentally replayed every word of that until it finally sank in. Their baby was all right. Using Tyler’s name had merely been a threat. Still, it was going to take a while for her nerves to settle.

“Of course, I had to come,” Ike went on several moments later. “I mean, he’s my grandson no matter what’s gone on between the three of us.”

That wasn’t exactly an outpouring of grandfatherly love, but Eden believed his concern for Tyler was the real deal.

And Ike had come here even though he must have known there was a possibility he’d be facing down a killer.

That didn’t erase the ugliness that’d gone on between them, but Eden would always be thankful for his response.

Well, if Ike was telling the full truth, that was.

“Why didn’t you call the police station? Or us when you got a call like that?” Rory asked.

“Because the caller said if I did, then I’d never see Tyler alive again.” He stopped and cursed. The words were vicious and filled with rage. “That SOB was going to hurt a baby because of me. I couldn’t let that happen,” he muttered. “I had to hurry here and try to save him.”

“What did you see when you got here?” Rory continued after a long pause. Hearing that about Tyler had likely shaken him, too.

“Not Tyler, that’s for sure. Or the two of you.” Ike paused. “I thought maybe…well, I thought the killer had taken both of you, too.”

So he’d expected to find all of them being held hostage. Or already dead. Again, that was the case if he was telling the truth, and Eden hadn’t heard anything from him yet that felt like a flat-out lie.

“I drove up to the sign and stopped when I saw the body,” Ike added to his explanation.

“Did you touch the body or anything around it?” Rory asked quickly.

“No, hell, no. I could see he was dead. Blood everywhere. And his eyes.” He didn’t shudder, but it was a similar reaction. “There was no life in those eyes.”

Again, Eden had to agree. Even from the distance of Ike’s truck to the body, she would have realized Carter was dead. No movement. All that blood, and his eyes had been wide open.

“I looked around,” Ike added, “but I didn’t see anyone.

And then the two deputies came barreling up.

That’s when I knew I’d been framed.” He looked at Rory.

“I don’t expect you to believe that, but it’s the truth, and that means you don’t have a killer here in this cruiser.

He or she is out there, ready to strike again until I’m locked up for murder. ”

“Who would do that?” Rory asked.

“Helen or Diedre,” Ike said without any hesitation. “Hell, they could be working together.”

That was indeed possible since the women had been together at Diedre’s house.

“And, no, I don’t have any proof that one or both is behind this,” Ike went on. “But Helen sure as hell could have gotten access to my house to plant those bugs.”

True, but Diedre could have as well, if she’d hired someone to break in. Normally, the ranch wasn’t as secure as it was now, and the gate was often left open for deliveries and such.

Eden looked up when she heard the sound of an approaching engine, and she silently cursed the flashback that she got of the collision and explosion the day before.

It was going to be a while, if ever, before those images left her, but she shoved them aside and saw both CSI and ME vans pull to a stop behind the other cruiser.

“I’ll be right back,” Rory said, and stepped out. But then he leaned down and gave Ike a warning glance through the metal grating before he started toward the responders.

Since the back doors couldn’t open from the inside, Eden wasn’t worried about Ike trying to escape. The man wasn’t stupid, and he would know something like that would lead to an immediate takedown and arrest.

“I wouldn’t try to kill either of you.” Ike’s grumble was barely audible. “What happens now?” he asked, loud enough for her to hear.

Eden tried to keep her cop’s voice in place despite feeling so darn shaky. “We go back to the station, where you’ll be processed. We’ll need your clothes for testing, and Livvy will have some questions for you.”

“Right.” And the sarcasm and snark had returned. “No more questions until my lawyers are there. I’m not saying another damn word that could get me in even hotter water than I already am.”

So some of the old Ike had returned, but she couldn’t blame him for lawyering up again. If there was any physical evidence linking him to this murder, then he would almost certainly be arrested.