Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard (shoe dog free ebook .txt) 📗

“It doesn’t take a psychologist to see that.” Alex frowned. “Look, you two are the sisters I never had and my best friends. Let’s say you’re my only friends. The only two people I can completely trust. I look out for you the best I can. Call when I can. And like this weekend, I took off to come out here for Owen’s welcome-home party and for a visit to the memorial.” He hung his head. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a little preoccupied and somewhat disconnected. Maybe I can talk about the reasons some other time. And who knows, maybe life will bring me back to live closer to my two favorite people.”

Terra’s heart warmed, then it turned stone-cold when she spotted the man who approached the table.

She knew that look in Jack’s eyes, and he brought no good news.

FORTY-SIX

I’m sorry.” Jack approached the table where Terra sat with Alex and Erin.

He should have waited. Why didn’t he wait? Three sets of confused eyes stared up at him. “But I thought you’d want to know.”

“Know what?” Terra’s chair scraped the floor as she stood. “Is it Gramps?”

He shook his head. He’d caused unnecessary concerns with his approach. Jack took a seat next to Erin, and Terra sat down too.

Jack leaned in so only they would hear. “The memorial to your family members has been vandalized.”

“What?” The three shared glances.

“I knew you had planned to head that way this evening, and I wanted you to know before you got there.”

“Thanks for giving us a heads-up,” Erin said.

“Well, ladies,” Alex said, “looks like our dinner plans have been waylaid. Unless you want to finish eating.”

Terra stared at half-eaten lasagna. “I’ve lost my appetite.” She lifted her gaze to Jack. “Can we look at the damage?”

“Yes.”

“Will you take us there?” Terra asked.

Terra knew the way, of course, but Jack wouldn’t refuse. “Sure.”

“Well, what do you say, guys?” Terra glanced at her friends.

Erin nodded as the waiter approached. “Can we please get the check and this food to go? Something has come up.”

“Give me a few moments.” He turned around with the tray and disappeared into the kitchen. Erin pulled out a few bills, as did Terra and Alex.

Erin shrugged. “I figure, why waste the money? At some point tonight we’ll be hungry again. Or we can eat the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. You guys head on over with Jack. I can wait for the food.”

Terra squeezed Erin’s shoulder. “We’re in this together, so we’ll wait.”

A few moments later, the waiter returned with each dish stored in a separate delivery bag, and the friends handed him enough cash to cover the check, plus tip.

Jack had assumed when Terra requested that he take them, he would be driving them, but they each climbed into their own vehicles and followed him out of town and all the way to the memorial near the base of Stone Wolf Mountain.

When Jack had received the news and went to investigate, he hadn’t known how best to break the news to Terra or Owen. He’d made the drive to the ranch and explained the situation. Robert had suggested that Jack deliver the news to the three friends who were having dinner. According to Robert, Owen had been invited out to dinner with them but had chosen to meet with Leif.

Awkward didn’t begin to describe how Jack felt walking into the restaurant to find Erin, Alex, and Terra staring at him. When he and Terra were together as a couple, he’d always felt like an outsider when it came to her friendship with Alex and Erin. Still, their bond had been created when their hero parents died on that mountain. That wasn’t a friendship circle Jack would ever fit into, considering his own unheroic ancestry.

At the trailhead parking near the memorial, he waited for Alex to park. Terra and Erin got out and headed over to meet Jack. Good thing they were both wearing slacks and comfortable shoes.

Jack turned and headed up the trail.

Terra caught up to him and grabbed his arm. “Wait, Jack.” She looked at her friends, then back at him. “Can you at least prepare us? I should have asked about the damage. How bad is it?”

How did he word it? The weight of it pulled his heart down to his gut. “Bad enough that I wanted to tell you in person.”

Shadows chased away the light in her eyes, darkening her already somber demeanor.

The memorial was only a quarter of a mile in, and they slowed as they neared it. Crime scene tape marked off the area. No visitors were allowed. A couple of deputies, a ranger, and a forest service LEO remained.

Jack crossed his arms and stood back to watch the trio. Terra started to walk under the tape.

“Terra, no. We’re still hoping to find even a small piece of evidence.” Crimes against persons and property fell within the county sheriff’s jurisdiction, otherwise Terra might investigate. Except in this case, the vandalism was linked to her.

And that’s what worried him.

Was it deliberately linked to her?

Terra, Erin, and Alex walked around the edges of the tape. Grief carved into her features, Terra made a full circle, leaving Erin and Alex standing on the other side, while Terra joined Jack.

“Who and why, Jack? I don’t understand. Random vandalism? Is someone sending a message? If so, what’s the message? I just don’t get why someone would do this. Why now?”

Why now, indeed. Jack’s chest constricted. Terra’s mother’s plaque had been obliterated as if someone had taken some kind of vengeance against it. He had no answers. This could be a distraction to pull her focus from her current investigation.

“We’ll find whoever was behind this,” he said. “In the meantime, stay focused on your investigation.”

Her eyes held his. “You think this is about our investigation?”

He leaned closer and caught the scent of vanilla in her hair. “I didn’t say that. But all possibilities are on the table.” He peered at her beautiful face,