Page 2 of Watch Over Me
Jenna hadn’t even considered that Rio might have a date. Her concern was for his safety. The high snowfall and low temperatures caused accidents and house fires. “I have no interest in his social life, but I don’t expect him to havehis phone turned off for any reason whatsoever. He is the member of our team living closest to town. In an emergency, I need him to get on scene as soon as possible. That’s why I made him chief deputy.” She sighed. “Tonight is a perfect example. We’re twenty minutes away from the Triple Z Roadhouse, and Raven could be in a life-threatening situation. Living in town, Rio could have been there in five minutes.”
“I can see your point.” Kane slowed as they went through town. Main was practically deserted, with only vehicles parked outside Antlers, the steakhouse and entertainment hub of the town. “He’s been immersed in the footage from the BW Ranch. If you recall, you asked him to check the trail cam footage for the comings and goings of suspicious deliveries of pelleted horse feed. He is convinced that Bryce Withers is doing something illegal. No one uses armed guards for deliveries of horse pellets. Something is sure going on there.”
Jenna did recall Bryce Withers, the wealthy horse breeder who traveled extensively around the state. He’d become a suspect in a previous murder investigation, and her deputies had witnessed the strange behavior around the delivery of supposed sacks of horse pellets. At the time, they had a serial killer on the loose and had found no evidence for a search warrant or for any other reason to check the delivery. During the investigation, they’d been watching the movements of all the suspects by using trail cams alongside the roads to their properties or where they worked. It was perfectly legal for law enforcement to record movement on any highway. Because of Rio’s concern about the delivery, they decided to leave the cameras outside Withers’ property to check if he received regular deliveries of horse pellets. This was because, in Rio’s opinion, the delivery they’d witnessed was large enough to last even the biggest ranch at least three months. She nodded. “Yeah, we’ll need to follow up on that. I’ll be interested to see what data Riohas collected. It might be enough to convince a judge for a warrant.”
As they headed along Stanton, Jenna reflected on her unconventional team. She’d arrived in town like Kane, with a new face and name. He was an active asset to the government and could be called back into service at any time, but she started her law career as DEA Special Agent Avril Parker, who, after taking down a drug cartel, was placed in witness protection. Rio was a gold shield detective from LA with a retentive memory, and Raven a superb doctor, chopper pilot, and dog handler who hid himself in the forest to deal with PTSD. The only person who hadn’t suffered some kind of trauma was Deputy Jake Rowley. He’d been the most helpful and loyal rookie a sheriff could dream of. Now after seven years, he was indeed a valued member of the team. She chuckled and Kane glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. “I was just thinking how we’re surrounded by damaged people. Apart from Rowley, even our FBI contacts have been through the mill of problems.”
“That’s what keeps them edgy.” Kane turned into the Triple Z Roadhouse. “How do you want to play this?”
Scanning the parking lot and not seeing an SUV parked by the pumps, Jenna shrugged. “I figure we walk in the front door and see who runs.”
TWO
Nobody ran when Jenna stepped inside the Triple Z Roadhouse and inhaled the smell of hamburgers and fries. She scanned the room with Kane close behind her. Having his six-five two-hundred-and-seventy-pound wall of muscle behind her was very reassuring, plus he could draw and shoot with accuracy most people could only dream of. Most of the drivers tipped their cowboy hats or nodded in their direction. Not one avoided their gaze. She walked up to the counter, ordered two cups of coffee to go, and casually asked about the woman. The server behind the counter waved them through a locked door and into a back room. Jenna looked at her. “We still want that coffee, make it four cups, please, and bring the fixings.” She handed the woman some bills. “I need to talk to her in private. Can you keep everyone away for a time? We won’t be long.”
“That’s fine. I’ll bring it right along.” The server smiled and turned back to the diner.
Jenna opened the door. Inside, Raven stood barring the door. Beside him, Ben, his K-9, growled and showed a line of white teeth. She stopped dead and looked at her deputy. From his expression, no one was getting past him. As he stood downand smiled at her, she nodded to him. “What have you got for me?”
“This is Ellie McBride. She is the middle school teacher from our local school. Someone tried to kidnap her tonight.” Raven’s brow furrowed. “She received a nasty blow to the head. I’ve applied ice but she needs sutures. Now you’re here, I’ll get my medical kit from my truck. It’s just outside in the alleyway.”
“I’m Deputy Kane and this is Sheriff Alton. You’re safe now. No one is getting in here.” Kane pulled out a seat.
The woman said nothing and just stared into space.
“Ellie.” Jenna sat opposite her. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Nothing.
“Concussion?” Kane looked at the woman and then at Raven. “Has she spoken to you?”
“My head hurts but I’m thinking straight. I’ll be okay.” Ellie scrubbed her hands down her face and looked at Kane. “You’re both so big and intimidating, the dog keeps growling, and I’m too afraid to move.”
“We’re here to protect you.” Raven frowned. “I’ll fix your head, but I’d like you to have a CT scan.” He looked at Jenna. “She needs to spend the night in the secure ward at the hospital so I can run more tests.”
Seeing the woman’s sheet-white face under the bloodstains, Jenna nodded. “Yeah, I’ll make that happen. Grab your kit. We’ll take it from here.”
As Raven left, the server arrived with a tray of coffee in to-go cups. Jenna waited for her to set them down and leave before looking at the blood-soaked woman. “Can you remember what happened?”
“Yes, I remember everything.” Ellie blinked. Under her eyes, bruising was spreading. “My head hurts.”
Placing her phone between them, Jenna activated the recording app and took out her notebook. Allowing Ellie to tellher story in her own time, and then asking questions, worked well with traumatized victims. The concern on Ellie’s face as she stared at the blood on her fingers meant that she needed to take a softer approach. The woman needed reassurance. “Deputy Raven is a doctor. He’ll have you feeling better in no time. Just tell me what you remember. Let’s start with just before the attack. Where were you and what time was it?”
Ellie told her story, but important information was missing. Jenna pushed a cup of coffee toward her. “Take a few minutes to gather yourself.” She glanced up as Raven came through the door. “Do you mind if we ask you questions while Deputy Raven is tending to your head?”
“No, it will take my mind off it.” Ellie spooned sugar into her to-go cup and drank the coffee black. “I believe I’ve told you everything I can remember.”
As Raven went to work cleaning and suturing the cut on Ellie’s head, Jenna looked at Kane and gave him a slight nod. He had an interviewing technique that assisted people to remember small details and was the best person to take the interview from here.
“Did you notice any vehicles in the parking lot when you arrived at the convenience store?” Kane held his hand loosely around his to-go cup on the table.
“Yes, two eighteen-wheelers.” Ellie flinched as Raven injected a local anesthetic into her head. “I figure they belonged to the two men sitting at the counter eating hamburgers and fries.”
“What made you believe they were drivers?” Kane sipped his coffee.
“One of them had a jacket withtaylorswritten across the back and I noticed the same name on one of the trucks.” Ellie picked at the blood on her fingers. “The other man just looked like one—the ball cap, the work boots, and the conversation about where they were heading in a potential blizzard.”
“That’s great.” Kane smiled at her. “So as you left, more men came into the store. Could you describe them?”