Page 46 of High Country Escape

“How did you do that?”

“Believe it or not, I told him the truth—I think Ledger killed my sister and I’m trying to find proof of that. Anyway, Doug couldn’t tell me a whole lot, but he did say that the only visitor Ledger ever had was a woman. She showed up every other week like clockwork. The guards thought at first she might be his daughter. Then they decided she was his girlfriend.”

“Wait—Ledger had a girlfriend?”

“I don’t think she was a real girlfriend,” Debra said. “I think he probably met her after he was locked up. Apparently, there are a lot of lonely women who end up corresponding with prisoners. They send them money and promise to look after them when they get out and visit them. Sometimes they even marry the guys.”

“Who was she?” Roxanne asked.

“Doug said her name was Betty Josephs. She was twenty-eight, so too young to be my Betty. When I heard her name, it sent chills up my spine, though.”

“Where is Betty Josephs now?” Roxanne asked.

“That’s what I need help finding out. I think she met up with Ledger after he got out of prison—gave him a place to live, maybe a car and money. She could even be here with him, helping him.”

“Do you know anything more about her—what she looks like?” Roxanne asked.

“Doug said when she visited Ledger she was a bleached blonde. Kind of plain-looking, he said. But she could have changed her appearance—dyed her hair, changed the style. I tried to track her down in Texas, but it’s a big state and I didn’t have any luck. She might have even changed her name, like you did. But now I’m thinking you could help me find her. Maybe she knows what Ledger is up to.”

“Me? How am I going to locate her if you couldn’t?”

“You’re good at computers, right? Probably a lot better than I am. Can’t you—I don’t know—hack into the driver’s license database or her tax records or something?”

“No! I don’t do things like that.”

“What about genealogy? Do you know anything about that? Maybe we could find her relatives and talk to them.”

“No. I don’t know anything about genealogy. You need to tell the sheriff about this woman, not me.”

Debra frowned. “The sheriff’s department isn’t interested in anything I have to say. I talked to them when I first got to town and they were pretty dismissive. Every time I’ve gone into the office to try to speak to the sheriff, that woman behind the front desk tells me he isn’t available. I always leave a message, but I don’t hear back. She’s probably filing my message slips right into the trash.”

Roxanne winced. Unfortunately, Debra could come across as not exactly rational at times. “Dalton’s brother is a sheriff’s deputy,” she said. “I’ll try to talk to him about this woman—Betty Josephs. But try not to get your hopes up. This is a small department, and they have a lot to deal with right now, with Sarah still missing.”

“All the more reason to find Ledger,” Debra said. “I think Sarah is with him.” She stood. “I’ll get out of your hair now, but let me know what your boyfriend says.”

“Dalton is not—”

Debra laughed. “Gotcha! You may not think he’s your boyfriend, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He wants to be more than a friend, trust me.”

Roxanne shut and locked the door behind Debra, then returned to the sofa. Yes, Dalton had made his feelings for her pretty clear. And she couldn’t deny her growing affection for him. She had dated other men. She had slept with some of them. The first time she had been so relieved to learn that Ledger hadn’t ruined sex for her. But just as she never found a home where she fit, she had never found the man with whom she could completely relax and be herself.

Dalton was different. He was the most patient, accepting, strong man she had ever met. When she was with him she only wanted more—more conversation, more touching, more basking in the look in his eyes and reveling in the feel of his body. She had no doubt making love with him would be amazing.

But not yet. Right now, there were too many distractions to spoil the moment.

Her phone pinged and she pulled it out to read the text.I’ll be over as soon as my last tour is done, Dalton had written.

Can’t wait to see you, she texted back.I have some interesting things to tell you.

She was curious to know what he would think of Debra’s latest revelations about Ledger.

Dalton pulled into the driveway just after three o’clock, before his parents got off work, when Roxanne was alone in the big house. “Did you race down the mountain?” she asked as she opened the door for him.

“The tour was three young couples,” he said. “They didn’t mind going a little fast.” He studied her face, with an intensity that sent a shiver through her, as if he was physically touching her. “What’s up?”

“Debra came to see me this afternoon.”

“Here? At the house?”