Susan Sleeman - Rodeo Standoff

Help find the suspect? That was news to Tessa. She opened her mouth to tell him that wasn’t necessary, but Harley said, “That’s right, you’re a detective now.” Harley pursed his lips for a moment. “Wish you hadn’t hung up your spurs. You were something to watch.”

Braden suddenly gestured at the bull as if ignoring Harley’s compliment, at odds with the guy who’d seemed so cocky when he’d won so many championships.

“I’m hoping I can use my experience in the ring and as a detective to close this case,” he said. “First step is to figure out who put the bull in the arena. We have a little over two days before the rodeo opens to figure that out and we shouldn’t waste any time. Harley, if I give you the bull’s ID number, can you give us his registration information?”

“Sure thing,” Harley replied.

Braden clambered up the rails to reach for the bull’s electronic identification tag fixed in his ear and called out the number. He could still move fluidly. Surprising, what with all the injuries bull riders sustained. Of course, he must have recovered from his injuries, or he wouldn’t have passed a police physical. But she’d seen him take some bad falls, and a bull’s jarring motion takes a toll on hips, shoulders and knees, so he had to have residual effects.

“Here it is.” Harley tapped his notebook. “He’s King Slammer. Belongs to Ernie Winston Bucking Bulls out of Waco. He’s on the check-in schedule for nine o’clock.”

“He’s several hours early,” Braden said. “Do you make the check-in schedules?”

“Other volunteers handle that.” Harley, like everyone else in the association, was also a volunteer. Not unusual for small-town rodeos. “This year Douglas Peters is in charge of it.”

“Douglas?” Tessa stiffened.

“Is he a problem?” Braden asked.

“I’m...not sure. His sister is Felicia Peters, my biggest competitor. Neither of them has made any secret about not liking me. In fact, Douglas often accuses me of cheating.”

Braden’s eyebrow went up, but he didn’t speak.

“Everyone knows the Peters family doesn’t much like Tessa,” Harley said. “But I can’t imagine Douglas being behind this.”

Tessa wasn’t sure she’d be that generous. Douglas had been pretty nasty in his accusations against her.

“Let me give Ernie a call to see what’s going on with King Slammer.” Harley stepped away and lifted his phone to his ear.

Braden hopped down, standing tall and ruggedly handsome with his hands on his waist, his feet planted wide. Tessa’s gaze wanted to linger, but she forced her attention to the crime scene. She walked along the outside of the chute looking for any clue that might lead her to the person who wanted to end her life, but she couldn’t focus. She’d done her best to put on a good front for Braden and Harley, making it seem like the bull was no big deal. But she was smart enough to realize that someone wanted to cause her great harm, and she suspected when that someone learned she’d survived, they’d try again.

Her phone rang and she dug it out of her pocket. Her father. Great. Could she get away with ignoring the call? As the Lake County sheriff, he usually received news long before anyone else, but he couldn’t have heard about the bull already, could he? She could just see him going ballistic once he did. Then, like always, he’d warn her to be careful. He told her brothers, Matt and Gavin, to get after things, but he tried to coddle her and her sister, Kendall. She loved him for his caring but was exasperated at the same time.

And she couldn’t ignore his call. He could need her on an important investigation. Forcing herself to sound cheerful, she answered.

“Got a report of a stolen bull,” he said before she could tell him about King Slammer. “It was taken from the rest area just outside town. We’re talking a fifty-thousand-dollar animal. I need you out there ASAP to process the scene.”

“A stolen bull at the rest area,” she said, catching Braden’s attention. “Do you have a name for the bull?”

“King Slammer.”

She shot a look at the chute, her mind processing the idea that someone stole this bull to use it as a weapon against her. “No need to search for him. I’m at the arena, and you can tell the owner that King Slammer is here.”

“What in the world?”

“Someone dropped him off. Not sure who yet. Harley’s here now, and we’re figuring it out.”

“Well, I’ll be.” The words drew out in his deep Texan drawl. “Why steal a bull just to leave it at the arena when it was scheduled to be delivered to the pens there anyway? Truck and trailer there, too?”

“I haven’t been outside since I laid eyes on the bull, but I’ll check it out before I process the scene.”

“I don’t much cotton to such a high-dollar theft in my county, so take your time and don’t miss a thing. Matt’s at the rest area and will handle things until you get there.”

She was glad her brother, a county detective, caught the case instead of the other detective on staff, as Matt had a better case-closure rate.

“Go ahead and look for that truck and trailer before heading out here, too,” her father added.

She was about to hang up when Braden came toe-to-toe with her and grabbed her phone. “Sheriff McKade.”

She tried to retrieve her phone, but Braden spun, keeping it out of her grasp. “Looks like King Slammer was put here to injure your daughter.”

“Who is this?” she heard her father demand.

Braden identified himself and added that he was a police detective in Austin. “I want to accompany her to the rest area, but law enforcement professionals often refuse to believe they need help. I thought maybe you could convince her to let me escort her.” He listened carefully, then handed the phone to her. “He wants to talk to you.”

She put the cell to her ear. “Dad.”

“Listen, Tessa. You may be a grown woman, but don’t think that means you can purposely avoid telling me about something like this. You hear me, girl?”

“Yes, Dad.” She wanted to stand up for herself, but she wouldn’t engage in a personal argument with Braden standing close by. She could and did glare at him for snatching her phone, though. He simply peered at her with a blank expression as if he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Braden Hayes is going to accompany you to the rest area,” her father continued. “And I’ll be meeting you there, too.”

“Dad, I don’t need anyone to watch over—”

“Hold it right there, Peanut. You need the family’s help and, right now, Braden’s, too. And I want to meet the man and shake his hand. If he hadn’t come along...” His voice broke.

His obvious concern for her safety put her closer to crying than anything that had happened since seeing the bull pawing at the ground right in front of her.

“I’ll see you as soon as I’m done here,” she managed to mutter through a throat that was closing and ended the call.

She stowed her phone and glared at Braden. “You had no right to do that.”

“Easy, darlin’,” he said, his words languid and low. “Or you’re likely to rush off into danger, just the opposite of what your father and I want.”

She couldn’t handle that he’d aligned himself with her dad on this issue, but arguing with such a mule-headed man wouldn’t do any good. She headed for Harley, breathing deep to ward off tears of frustration that would make her look like a frightened girl instead of a strong deputy.

Harley stared at his phone in his hand as if willing it to ring. “Call went to Ernie’s voice mail. I’m hoping he’ll get right back to me.”

She told him about King Slammer’s theft. “If Ernie’s out at the rest area when I get there, I’ll ask him to call you.”