Page 66 of Fatal Deception

“I wasn’t going to hurt anyone.” Karly Young looked down at him with those cold, flat eyes he’dknownwere trouble. “You shouldn’t have looked in to me.” She cocked the gun. “Now you’ve only got yourself to blame.”

Chapter Twenty

Audra’s head ached from the effort not to cry. They’d all gone up to her room, dragged out the tub of Dad’s things, and the box of files Audra had kept for the ranch—just in case—then sat down on the floor to go through it together with an eye toward…

Well, she wasn’t quite sure. Franny was right, though, it centered around Dad. So they had to dig in to what they had from the man and see if it sparkedsomeidea of what was going on with his other family.

But it was mostly like digging in to an old wound she thought she’d healed, but instead had just festered under the scar of it all. Maybe shewasbitter, she thought to herself as she shuffled through the paperwork of Dad signing the ranch over to her.

“He should have shared it,” she grumbled.

“Why? We grew up here,” Rosalie said. She was flipping through papers in another file. Taxes, maybe. When they were done, they handed things off to Franny, who organized them back where they belonged.

“You dideverything,” Rosalie continued. “Kept this place going when no one else would or could. Why should he have shared it with them?”

“Because they were his kids too. Like it or not.”

Rosalie stopped her flipping, glanced at Audra. “Yeah, I don’t like it. But I guess you’re right. Maybe they think we’re the ones who kept it from them? Maybe that’s why Austin is doing this.”

“But then why not take my offer after the funeral?” Audra looked back down at the documents in her hand. Especiallythen, she would have… If they had even been remotely receptive to a relationship, no doubt she would have martyred herself then and there and given them all pieces of the ranch.

For good or for ill.

Would she now? She didn’t know. Certainly not if Austin Young was the one behind these threats, and if Karly Young was the one trying to protect him… At the same time, she couldn’t change the fact her father had other kids, that the Young Ranch was part of their family legacy.

And yet, how could she give up pieces of everything she’d shed blood, sweat, and tears over? Everything she loved?

It didn’t matter because she didn’t have the opportunity, and that above all else settled in Audra like a grudge. But maybe that was the core of all this—grudges, even if she didn’t understand them.

“Wait. Did we know this?” Rosalie asked, scooting over to sit next to Audra. She held out a piece of paper. “He sold this back strip of land to the lumber company just a few months before he died.” Rosalie held out the map, the bill of sale.

Audra studied the papers. “Oh, right. I do remember that. I was mad because he didn’t run it by me first, but he said he needed the money. They cleared the land years ago, and it’s mostly been empty ever since. Can’t remember the last time I saw or heard anyone back there cutting trees or otherwise.”

Which had a cold chill slithering through her. She thought back to the strange goings-on over the past few weeks, and wondered…

“When the windows were shot out, I didn’t hear anyone drive up or leave. Usually I can hear cars come and go on the drive. The gravel. The engines. The house just isn’t that soundproof. I didn’t hear anything. I chalked it up to being half-asleep, but what if they didn’t come up from that way?”

It would make sense. The hole, the fire. Things that seemed impossible to do sneaking in from the road, or the boundary with the Kirks. But if the lumber company wasn’t doing anything on the land in the back, couldn’t someone set up a little home base there?

Rosalie was already on her feet and at the bedroom door before Audra could fully formulate a plan. But she knew her sister, and so did Franny, because they both jumped up at the same time and trailed Rosalie down the stairs.

“You can’t just go running out there,” Audra said authoritatively.

“Why not?” Rosalie replied. She went straight for the coat closet, where one of the gun safes was.

Audra’s heart beat erratically, but she forced herself to breathe. To think. She knew the answer, even though it was…asking someone else for help. “We have to tell Copeland. He should have uniformed officers do it.”

Both Franny and Rosalie slowly turned to face her, expressions registering shock. Audra tilted up her chin. “What?”

Franny wrapped her arms around Audra. “Itislove,” she said dreamily, earning her a bit of a shove from Audra.

“He’s the detective on the case. This could be dangerous. It makes sense.”

“Yeah, but when have you ever worried about being sensible? Come on, let’s go see where—”

But Rosalie was cut off by the sound of the back door opening, so they filed into the kitchen.

It was only Duncan who entered. Alone.Hoursafter he and Copeland had left. Audra felt one quick lurch of panic before she set it aside. She managed a smile.