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

“What are you doing?” Caitlyn pulled away from him. “I wanted to talk to Maribel—ask her if she hit me.”

“And do you think you would’ve gotten an honest answer?” Colt walked Caitlyn back to his Jeep. Once inside, he said, “All I can do is keep an eye on the car. If you would have filed a report, we could have impounded the vehicle and tested to see if the paint matched your truck.”

“This is so frustrating.” Caitlyn clicked on her seatbelt. “I wonder if all the things that have happened recently are connected somehow, but I can’t seem to make them come together.”

“It is strange. Are you thinking there’s a link between the car and the murder?” Colt drove them out of town toward Caitlyn’s ranch.

“I’m not sure, but I’d like to go check out that forest access road.”

“Not today. You’re going home to rest. You have a concussion, remember?”

“Let’s try to connect the dots.”

Colt studied her for a moment before he returned his focus to driving. “How do you mean?”

“Well, a compact car hits my truck and nearly sends me over the edge of the road to the river below. There’s a murder. The sheriff accuses my brother. You confiscate all our firearms. Last night, someone attacked me in my home. Then, it looks like my gun might be the murder weapon. It seems like a lot to happen all in one week.” She tapped her fingers on the open window casing.

“The accident could’ve been a coincidence. But the fact that a man broke into your house and attacked you is a whole different matter. I want to know why. Was it the murderer? Could it have been Dylan? What did the attacker hope to gain?”

Caitlyn spun in her seat, spikes of anger shooting like arrows behind her eyes. “Dylan would never attack me. I can’t believe you would even think that.”

“We have to consider everything, Catie. I agree, Dylan wouldn’t want to hurt you… normally. But he’s been angry with you for a long time, and if he killed Wendy, his back could be against the wall. Does he know you’ve been investigating this case on your own?”

“No!” Her answer flew out of her mouth, but she paused to think about the possibility. “I don’t think so.” Caitlyn fidgeted in her seat and pressed her palm down the length of her thigh. “Actually, I did mention to my dad and Dylan that I was going to look into the case.” Damn it.

Colt glanced at her before returning his gaze to the road. “So, if Dylan came to see you and happened to notice your wall of evidence… with his name on the suspect list… That could have thrown him over the edge. Don’t you think?”

“Not that far over the edge.” She hoped.

“Today, you told me that Renegade was an excellent judge of character.”

“Yeah?”

“From what I’ve seen, Renegade doesn’t like Dylan. Why is that?”

“It’s not that he doesn’t like him, he just doesn’t appreciate it when Dylan is angry with me.” A soft laugh crossed her lips. “Ren’s extremely protective.”

“That’s obvious.” Colt reached for her hand. “Catie, are you sure you’re telling me everything?”

“What are you getting at?”

“If Dylan murdered Wendy, you can’t save him.” He took a deep breath and let it all out at once. “If you’re an accomplice, tell me now, and I’ll help you the best I can.”

Caitlyn stared at him. She pulled her hand back, and her jaw dropped open, finding no words. Even if she had some, the aching stone lodged in her throat would never let them pass. He actually thinks I could be involved in a murder. “Colt, I had nothing to do with Wendy’s murder. How many times do I have to tell you that? I can’t believe you don’t trust me.”

Colt kept his gaze straight out the windshield, the muscles in his jaw bunched into a corded a knot.

Colt wanted, with everything that he was, to believe Caitlyn, but evidence that she knew more than she admitted was lining up against her. If she truly had nothing to do with the murder, why would someone try to run her off the road? What about the note she found? Was the attack at her cabin a warning to keep her quiet? There were too many unanswered questions. Colt dropped Caitlyn off at home, and since she insisted she could handle the cleanup herself, he focused on investigating the break-in.

“Before you sweep, let me gather the glass with the blood on it to send to the lab.” After collecting the samples he needed, Colt examined both the front and back doors, but didn’t find any signs of forced entry. Next, he checked each of the windows, but there wasn’t so much as a scrape or bent screen. “Do you lock your doors when you leave?”

“Not usually.” Caitlyn grimaced and shrugged.

That wasn’t surprising. Most people in the country left their doors open. “Well, from now on, you need to. Okay?”

“Yeah. It’s just that with Ren, I never figured I had to.”

Colt responded with an arched eyebrow.

“I will.” She rolled her eyes, but inwardly she knew she’d never leave a door unlocked again.

“Good.” Colt dusted the doors and frames for fingerprints. There were many, making it impossible to prove much. “Do you want help boarding up your window?”

“No. I’ll get it. If I can’t find a big enough board in the garage, I may need to go to the hardware store.”

“Okay. I’m gonna head out to your family’s ranch after lunch, then. I have a few more questions for Dylan.” He left the cabin and turned back to wave when he reached his car.

Caitlyn leaned against the front doorjamb with her arms crossed. “I didn’t do it, you know.”

He gave her a curt nod and tried to smile, but his features were stiff. I just hope you’re telling me all you know.

Colt drove back through town and checked in at the Sheriff’s Office. After