Renegade (Tin Star K9 Series Book 1) by Jodi Burnett (literature books to read .txt) 📗

The five o’clock news concluded the hour with the local high school sports report. Caitlyn figured news of the dead body would be the headline at six o’clock. She sat on the floor next to Renegade, who rested his chin on her leg and promptly dozed off.

“I wonder if the coroner has identified the body yet?” Her mother rested her plate in her lap.

Caitlyn took a bite of her ham and cheese, and mulled over what she knew of the case. She had promised Colt she wouldn’t say anything, so she dodged her mom’s question. “If it is Wendy’s body, the official ID should come pretty quick. If it’s not, then who knows.”

“Sheriff Tackett said nothing about it while he was here,” her mom remarked.

Eventually, Dylan took a chair at the dining table on the far side of the great room. “I doubt the sheriff will show any of his cards. He wants to believe the body is Wendy’s, and that I killed her. It’s gonna be up to me to prove otherwise. Which is bullshit.”

“I agree, he’s already biased.” Caitlyn turned toward her brother. “But I can’t figure out why. This is still America and you’re supposed to be ‘innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.’”

Dylan’s mouth settled into a flat line, and he scoffed.

The musical theme from the newscast played, and the smiling face of Samantha Butler, the nightly news anchor, once again filled the screen. Using her serious broadcasting voice, she announced, “At the top of the news tonight, is the ongoing saga of the disappearance of Wendy Gessler, a local schoolteacher. A sad report in breaking news today; a body was found buried in a shallow grave at the top of a ridge on the Reed Ranch west of Moose Creek. We’ve just received word from the Sheriff’s Office that a member of Wendy Gessler’s family has confirmed that the decedent is indeed their daughter. Twenty-eight-year-old Gessler worked at the local middle school teaching history. Gessler had not been seen since this past Friday night. The dead woman’s family has lived in the Devil’s Tower area for generations. News of her death will come as a terrible shock for the entire community.”

Caitlyn’s mother gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “That poor girl.” Her dad wrapped one of the many Navaho blankets decorating the room around her mom’s shoulders.

Caitlyn studied Dylan to gauge his reaction. His face remained as hard as granite, unchanging. But there was something in his eyes. She shuddered, remembering the cold, gray-blue fingers she’d found on the ridge. It seemed worse now, with the official announcement, that they belonged to Wendy.

The news cast flashed to an on-location camera and reporter who stood on the front lawn of the Gessler’s’ home. The shot was of Mr. Gessler with his arm around his wife, doing his best to maintain a stoic expression while Mrs. Gessler quietly wept into her hands. The reporter approached Jim Hague.

“This whole situation is awful,” Jim said. “I can’t believe Wendy is dead… that she was murdered.”

The reporter inched his microphone closer to Jim’s face. “Do you have any idea who might have done such a thing? Did Wendy have any enemies?”

Jim shook his head but then stilled, as though a thought suddenly occurred to him. He looked directly into the camera. “I don’t know anything for sure, but the last time I saw Wendy, was last Friday night. She was at the Tipsy Cow drinking a beer with a man named Dylan Reed.”

Dylan dropped his glass. It cracked and splashed tea on the table as he jumped to his feet. “That’s a lie! That guy wasn’t even there!”

Caitlyn spun around, waking Renegade from his nap. She gaped at her brother. “You were there? Last Friday? At the Tipsy Cow with Wendy?” Shock forced her to her feet. “You told Mom and me, you hadn’t seen Wendy in weeks!”

All eyes in the room focused on Dylan. “I’d forgotten. We only talked for a few minutes before I left. We were not having a beer together.”

“And people saw you with her?” Even to Caitlyn’s own ears, her tone sounded accusing. She swallowed and tried again. “I think you better tell us exactly what happened last Friday night.”

Dylan’s eyes shot darts at her. “You can’t possibly think I killed Wendy Gessler,” he growled.

“Of course we don’t.” Their mother moved to Caitlyn’s side and slipped her hand around her arm, pulling gently. “Do we, Caitlyn? That’s not what you’re saying, is it?”

Caitlyn couldn’t look at her mother. She kept her gaze fixed on Dylan, watching his expression and the direction his eyes traveled. “What I’m saying is, we need to know exactly what happened last Friday night. Then together…” Caitlyn drew away from her mother and approached Dylan. “Together—we’ll figure this out. Whatever happened, you’re not on your own.”

Dylan regarded her, his dark eyes as hard as flint. Caitlyn stared back, trying to read him. Could my big brother really be a murderer? She couldn’t quite get her mind around the idea.

Jim’s sobs drew their attention back to the news. The reporter was in his face. “Were you and Wendy at the at the Tipsy Cow together, or was she there with Mr. Reed?”

Jim pulled out a green bandana and blew his nose. He dabbed at his red eyes. “It’s all just so tragic,” he cried.

The reporter tried again. “Did Wendy leave the bar with Reed?”

“I just wish I could hold her one more time. I was going to ask her to marry me—and now I can’t.”

The reporter turned to face the camera. “There is still no official comment from the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Tackett told us he’d have more to say at a press conference tomorrow afternoon. Until then, this reporter, along with everyone at Channel 6 News, offers our condolences to the Gessler family. Back to you, Samantha.”

The bobble-headed blonde filled the screen once again and went on with other news. Caitlyn’s dad clicked off the