Upon seeing Lelandi, Uncle Sheridan raised his brows in question.
“I’m staying for the meeting,” Lelandi said.
“When women start ruling things, that’ll be the end of life as we know it,” Uncle Sheridan said.
“We’ll improve it, I’m sure,” Lelandi said.
Uncle Sheridan gave her a disparaging look.
Darien couched a smile and sat down with her on a sofa, then motioned for Chester McKinley to get on with the news.
“I know you don’t want an outsider sticking his nose in your business, Darien, but I do this kind of work all the time and what I discover goes no farther than this room. If you want to reveal to your pack what we find, that’s up to you. Nobody will hear it from me.”
“Fair enough. So what’s your plan?”
“Make a list of everyone who would benefit from Larissa’s death and all who had grudges against her.”
Darien rubbed Lelandi’s hand. Although she seemed determined to be part of this, she shivered, and he thought she wasn’t holding up well. But he couldn’t blame her. “We’ve done this.”
Uncle Sheridan handed the paper to Chester.
He perused the checklist and nodded. “Normally a blackmailer continues to milk the victim for all it’s worth. So there wouldn’t be any reason to kill the victim and get rid of an easy source of income.”
“Unless the blackmailer feared getting caught. What if Larissa had recognized who the blackmailer was?”
Lelandi asked.
“Bingo. Of course, it could be there was a killer and a blackmailer and neither had anything to do with the other, but I’m betting they’re one and the same.”
“Why?” Darien asked.
“Thirty years in the business.”
“I’d like more solid evidence than that,” Jake said.
“All right. So we have a shooter who kills the gunman so he can’t talk. And—”
“Silva, the waitress at Silver Town Tavern, says she shot him, although she was only protecting Sam, our bartender, and didn’t mean to kill the gunman,”
Darien said.
Glancing down at the checklist, Chester rubbed his beard. “Is she on the suspect list?”
Lelandi frowned. “Of course not. She was friends with my sister and has been my friend ever since I first arrived.”
“Right. And oftentimes a perpetrator is the one you least suspect.”
“She’s not a suspect.”
“The thing is, Lelandi, even you are a suspect,” Chester said.
Lelandi’s mouth dropped open, then she snapped it shut. Darien shook his head. “Watch what you say, Chester McKinley.”
After a minute of silence, Lelandi said, “Of course, Chester. I see what you mean. I came here to chase after Darien, but I had to get rid of my sister first.”
“Exactly. My point being that even Darien’s brothers are suspect. Darien himself also, if you want to go that far. What about Sheriff Sheridan? He hasn’t taken a vacation in ten years and then he suddenly ups and goes on one?”
“Wait a blamed minute,” Uncle Sheridan said. “I earned that damned vacation.”
“Not to mention Uncle Sheridan wanted to get out of town before the second annual fair arrived,” Jake said.
Chester raised his hands in conciliation. “I’m saying we can’t look at only the ones we suspect, but those who appear to be above suspicion. Keep an open mind. I have to in this business. But it’s easier for me since I’m not connected to anyone in town.”
“I’m not investigating Lelandi, my brothers, or Uncle Sheridan and if this is the kind of bull—”
Chester raised his brows. “You want solid proof.”
He dug around in his jeans pocket and pulled out a bullet and bullet casing. “I found the bullet casing up on the ridge.”
“The shooter’s,” Tom said.
“I found the bullet several feet short of where the dead gunman’s body had lain. Now, what if Silva’s bullet fell short, but someone else fired at the same time? Did anyone hear separate shots fired?”
“Yes. The gunman shot Sam in the arm first,” Darien said.
“But at least two more shots were fired. One that hit the gunman, fatally wounding him, and the other that missed its mark.”
Uncle Sheridan put the bullet and casing into a plastic evidence bag. “I’ll get these checked right away.”
“You might want to ask Silva if she heard another shot fired or anyone moving around near her. Smelled anyone, sensed she wasn’t alone.”
“I’ve already asked her and she said no,” Darien said. “What about Lelandi’s parents?”
Lelandi’s eyes widened.
“Sorry, I meant to mention that first. Her cousin Ural and I had a nice, long chat. He learned your parents were being targeted for termination so that your father couldn’t object to your mating Crassus. Ural moved them to Oregon, somewhere safe, then staged the car accident. When he came back for you, he discovered your pack leader had already posted a guard. So Ural waited until you escaped. He followed you here, discovered your sister had died, and wanted to take you with him to see your parents.”
“Jeez, why didn’t he say so? Do you have any proof they’re alive?” Lelandi asked, her face growing red.
Chester handed her a letter. “Your mother’s handwriting, correct?”
Lelandi’s eyes misted as she read the note. “It is.”
She choked up. “My mother says my father wants me to join them, and that they’re with my brother and uncle.”
“You’ll stay with me.” Darien tightened his hold on her hand. “They can live with our pack.”
She shook her head. “Knowing my father, he wouldn’t want to live with a gray pack, no offense.”
“As long as you don’t mind…” He watched her, waiting for her response.
“I want to see them. Do they know about Larissa? They must if Ural has talked to them.” She sank into the cushions, looking drained and Darien wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
Sam hollered into the house from the front door. “Sorry for the interruption folks, but there’s a Miss Carol Wood here to see Lelandi. Is she free to speak with her?”
Lelandi closed her eyes, then opened them, so not wanting to talk to the poor lady. First this business about her parents—she couldn’t be more pleased they were safe, but she knew how badly they must feel that Larissa was dead. And Carol—she must be feeling horrible about losing both Doc and Ritka, despite their deaths not being her fault.
“I’m not hiring her at the hospital if she thinks she can win you over and try to get to me.” Darien patted Lelandi’s leg. His chin was down and his eyes were narrowed, conveying a guarded threat.
“You have nothing to worry about.” Lelandi rose from the sofa and the men all stood.
Carol and Sam remained in the chilly foyer waiting for her, Sam’s expression solemn, Carol’s even grimmer. Her vivid blue eyes, wearing a wealth of worry, watched Lelandi, then she turned her attention back to the living room that was hidden from their view in the foyer. None of the men talked and Lelandi wondered if that was making Carol uncomfortable, or if it was the way Sam, as big as he was, continued to chaperone them.
Lelandi took a deep settling breath and reached for Carol’s hand. She didn’t want to make friends with a human. Keeping the lupus garou secret precluded that, but she had to know what this was about. “Let’s go to the sunroom. Even though it’s pretty cold out, someone probably started a nice fire. If it’s not comfortable enough, we can find some other spot to sit.”
“I… I didn’t mean to disturb you after what happened, but we have to talk.”
Lelandi led Carol through the living room where the men all stood up from the couches and chairs. “Ladies,” Darien said, his expression hard.
As if he had to warn her not to get too friendly with a human. She gave him an annoyed look back. Carol noticed; her anxious expression didn’t waver.
They walked to the back of the house and Lelandi opened the door to the sunroom. Two men she didn’t know were talking inside, but as soon as they saw Lelandi and Carol they both made their excuses and left the room. Lelandi shut the door and motioned to a couch that faced the fireplace and a floor-to-ceiling window that showed the winter scene outside.
“Unusually early snow,” Carol remarked.
But Lelandi knew Carol wasn’t there for chitchat.
She wasn’t sure how to approach a human about human frailties. But she could be a good listener. So instead of saying anything, she sat in the chair close to the end of the pale green couch where Carol perched herself.
Carol spoke low. “I’m sick with worry for your safety.”
Lelandi tried to hide her surprise, but she was afraid she’d failed.
“I… I felt terrible about Doctor Oliver and Nurse Ritka. I… I didn’t save their lives.” Carol quickly brushed away tears.
Lelandi reached over and took hold of her hand and squeezed. “You did everything you could for them. I know you did.”
“Do you believe in fate? That our lives are predetermined? That nothing we do will change our fate? Do you?” Carol pulled her hand away from Lelandi’s and pushed her fingers through her wind-tousled blonde curls. “I saw Joe Kelly shoot Doctor Oliver.”
“Yes, of course you did.”
“No… no. I saw it happen before it happened. Don’t you see? I have these damned psychic abilities, and what do they do for me? Nothing. I couldn’t save him, could I? I came to stop Doctor Oliver from confronting Joe. But instead I got him killed.”
“No.” Lelandi moved to the couch. She put her arm around Carol’s shoulders and realized how much it was like when she comforted her sister after her mate beat her. Regret filled her with a sense of loss, knowing she could never comfort her sister again. But she wanted to help Carol get through her troubles now. “Joe intended to kill Doc. He told me so.”
