Page 8 of High Country Escape

“She hit her head,” he reported a few moments later. “There’s some bleeding, maybe a concussion. Sounds like she wrenched her shoulder in the crash, possibly due to the seat belt or the airbag. Some minor scratches and bruising. She says there’s no spinal or lower body injury, but we’ll want to be sure. Let’s see if we can get the door open and get her into a neck brace.”

Eldon, with the aid of a pry bar, was able to wrench the door open. Rescuers swarmed in and around, applying protective gear and helping to ease Roxanne out of the driver’s seat and onto a waiting litter, which was carefully lowered to the ground. Dalton handled one end of the litter, watching her pale face against her dark hair. She looked frightened but alert. Not in extreme pain. Then Danny moved in to complete his examination and Dalton stepped back to make room.

“I’m not finding any other injuries,” Danny said after a moment. “Would you like to sit up?”

“Yes, please.”

He took her hand and helped her sit. She looked around at all of them, until her gaze came to rest on Dalton. She relaxed a little bit then. “I’m so glad you came along when you did,” she said.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Danny asked.

She turned her attention to him. “I was driving home when a vehicle came up behind me, very fast. It plowed into me and ran me off the road.”

“Should we get a sheriff’s deputy out here?” Dalton asked. He had moved closer, wanting Roxanne to know he was keeping his promise to stay near her.

“Ryker radioed he’s on his way,” Sheri said. “If he doesn’t get here before the ambulance, he can interview her at the hospital.”

Ryker Vernon was a Rayford County sheriff’s deputy—and Harper’s husband.

He arrived just ahead of the ambulance, and Roxanne repeated her story for him. Her voice was steadier this time.

“Do you know who the other driver was?” Ryker asked.

She hesitated, and Dalton saw the pain cross her face. “I... I’m not sure,” she said.

“But you thought you recognized him?” Ryker prompted.

“I did. But it can’t possibly be him.” She shook her head. “It must be my imagination.”

“Who do you think it might be?” Ryker asked.

Roxanne ran her tongue over her swollen bottom lip. “This man has been in prison almost fifteen years.”

Dalton blinked. Roxanne knew someone in prison? Someone who would do something like run her off the road?

“Maybe he got out of prison,” Ryker said. “We can check.”

She looked at Ryker, eyes wide with alarm. “That’s impossible,” she said. “I was told he’d never be free again.”

Ryker studied her a moment. “What was your relationship to this man?” he asked, his tone more gentle.

She looked down at her lap. “His name is William Ledger,” she said.

Dalton had to strain to hear the words. Even then, he wasn’t sure he heard her right. The name didn’t mean anything to him.

Ryker’s expression grew grim. He closed his notebook and stood. “I’ll check on Ledger for you and we’ll talk more later,” he said. “In the meantime, let’s get you the medical care you need.”

The ambulance pulled up and Roxanne was loaded in. While the others began packing gear, Dalton found Ryker. “Who is William Ledger?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ryker said. “If he’s who I think he is, she’s right—he went to prison a long time ago and shouldn’t be out.”

“What did he do?”

“I don’t want to say until I know for sure. You were first on scene, right?”

“Yes. And there was a man here. An older man with short, graying blond hair and a mustache. He drove a lifted pickup truck with oversize tires and welded iron bumpers front and rear.”

“How old was he?”