Carol Ericson - Circumstantial Memories

“That’s what it looks like, Ms. Rousseau. I’m going to use that phone message to work out a time line.” Sheriff Vickers peered at the display on her phone and jotted down some notes in his spiral.

“Deputy Sheriff Ballard took a radio call about a transient up at The Twirling Ballerinas at eight twenty-three p.m. Someone sent this text message to your phone at eight forty-one p.m. So we can pinpoint the time of death in those twenty minutes, unless Deputy Sheriff Ballard sent the message himself while he was still alive.”

“I don’t think that’s probable.” Rafe scratched his chin and jerked his thumb toward the trail. “Are your men investigating this transient? With Zack’s gun missing, it’s likely the shooter used it to kill him.”

Sheriff Vickers snapped his notebook shut. “We’ll know that for sure when ballistics gets that bullet out of Ballard’s head. My men are searching the trail now. So far, nothing.”

“Your men don’t know that trail and they don’t know the caves at the top of the trail. This is your investigation now, but I’m going to search the trail and caves tomorrow.” Rafe planted his legs apart and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Knock yourself out, but anything you find comes to us.”

As the San Juan County Sheriff and crime scene personnel packed up to leave, Ryder and Rafe watched through identical narrowed eyes.

These McClintocks knew how to take charge.

“What now?” Julia had already called Ryder’s stepmother, and Shelby was sound asleep. Thank God Mrs. Ballard had left the party early because her husband had to work late, sparing Julia any questions. By now Sheriff Ballard had probably delivered the crushing news. Julia’s lip quivered and another tear hung on her lashes.

Ryder drew her close and caught her tear on the end of his thumb. “You’re not going back home. You’re staying with us tonight and every other night until we find this maniac.”

“Do you think he killed Zack because Zack discovered him in the caves or do you think the transient is someone different altogether and Zack just bumbled into the path of the stalker?” Julia couldn’t even voice her other worry, that the killer lured Zack to this spot to kill him and take his phone to text her or to set up Zack.

Just like he set up Dr. Brody.

“Ryder.” She clutched his arm. “Do you think this guy had anything to do with Dr. Brody’s accident? It’s the same pattern. He sets someone up as the stalker and then kills him.”

“I just don’t know, Julia. There are too many questions, but if I ever get my hands on this son of a…” Ryder clenched his fists and banged the roof of her car.

While Ryder and Rafe discussed bullets and guns and trajectories on the way back to the McClintock ranch, Julia sat silently niggling her lower lip.

Her stalker was a murderer, but when he had her in his clutches tonight he didn’t kill her even though he could have. Did he intend to kill her on the trail or just wound her so he could drag her away?

What did he want with her?

JULIA PLAYED with her scrambled eggs as the third McClintock argument of the morning erupted in the kitchen.

“You’re not turning any part of the McClintock ranch into a dude ranch.” Ryder’s father, Ralph, nearly spat out the offensive words.

“I’m not discussing this anymore. I have to go out and make sure that irrigation system gets repaired, so we can feed the cattle, or otherwise, I’m turning the whole damn ranch into a dude ranch.” Rod slammed out the front door.

“Home sweet home.” Ryder ducked behind his newspaper.

Pam joined them at the dining room table and poured herself another cup of coffee. “Your father and Rod have been having this argument for a year. Rod wants to start giving riding lessons to attract the summer crowd and Ralph won’t hear of it.”

“It’s expensive to run a working ranch these days.” Ryder lifted a shoulder. “Does Pop want Rod to stay and manage the ranch or not? If so, he’d better start listening to him.”

“Maybe if there were two of you working on Ralph, he’d come around.” She raised her eyebrows at Ryder, but he burrowed deeper into his newspaper.

“You have a family now, a daughter. How are you going to raise a daughter when you’re off on another assignment somewhere? And Rafe, first week on the job and there’s a cop killer roaming the streets of Silverhill.”

Now Julia felt like burrowing into a newspaper.

Ryder smacked down his paper. “Pam, that’s between Julia and me. It’s none of your business. I thought you had cooking to do for Mrs. Ballard.”

“I do.” Pam sighed as she pushed up from the table. “Terrible tragedy. Do they really think the man who killed Zack is the same man who’s been bothering Julia?”

Now Julia felt like crawling under the table.

“Yeah, we do, and he’s been doing more than bothering Julia. He attacked her two nights ago outside the ranch.”

She wrinkled her brow. “Yes, trouble sure does seem to follow you around, Julia.”

“Pam.”

“I’m just saying.” Pam raised her hands. “Do you think Shelby would like to help me in the kitchen when she wakes up? When does she wake up? It’s getting awfully late.”

Julia shot Ryder a warning look. She couldn’t handle another McClintock argument this morning. She smiled at Pam. “I’m sure she’d like that.”

LATER THAT AFTERNOON after Shelby ’s riding lesson, Julia sat on the porch swing while Ryder perched on the top step.

“I’m sorry we got into it at the party, Julia. Is that why you went off to meet Zack by yourself instead of coming to get me?”

“If you’re not going to be around, Shelby and I better not count on you.” She put the swing into motion and folded a leg beneath her.

“You and Shelby can always count on me.”

“Little hard to do when you’re hiding out in a cave somewhere.” She had no intention of begging him to stay. She didn’t do it in Paris and she wouldn’t do it here.

“I don’t know where I’m going yet.”

“How exciting for you.” She gave a typically Parisian lift of the shoulders. “I’m thinking about going to Paris at the end of the summer to visit my mother anyway. Then I’ll decide if I want to continue working toward my psychology degree and whether or not I want to stay in Silverhill.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You’d leave Silverhill?”

“The place creeps me out.” She used to feel safe and protected in Silverhill, ringed in by the Rockies and surrounded by good people. Now nothing was as it seemed, and with her memory back, she no longer felt the need to hide from the rest of the world. She had a place in it and she’d already taken the first step to end the estrangement between her and her mother.

Ryder pushed off the step and collapsed next to her in the swing, rocking it back and forth. His tight jaw and narrowed eyes meant business, but what would he get out of it if she stayed in Silverhill? He wouldn’t be here to boss her around anyway.

Rafe’s squad car emerged from a cloud of dust on the gravel drive, saving Julia from this particular discussion with Ryder. He squealed to a stop on the circular driveway in front of the house and slid from the car, twirling his cowboy hat on his hand. The sun glinted off his shiny badge.

“I’m glad to find the two of you together, not that that’s hard to do these days.” He flashed a dimpled smile. “I have more news from Brody’s preliminary autopsy.”

Julia held her breath. She couldn’t take any more bad news. Despite her earlier resolve to be independent of Ryder’s comfort, she slid her hand onto his thigh.

“Whaddya got?” Ryder curled his fingers around hers, his previous intensity gone.