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

that he didn’t look at all like a cop or a local detective.

Her mouth went dry, and she’d never been so grateful for a club soda. She took a few sips, then said, “I had it under control, thank you very much.”

“I’m sure you did. I’m here because there’s been a change in our plans.”

Terra glanced at the booth at the back, and someone was now sitting across from the man already seated. She’d missed his entrance. His back was to her, so she couldn’t see who it was. Terra inwardly groaned.

“Who’s sitting with him?”

Jack’s lips flattened. “Owen’s friend Leif. I spotted him walking in not long after you did.”

Leif? Terra’s pulse jumped. Oh, please, God, don’t let him be involved in this. “Do you think he saw me?”

“My guess is that he missed you since he’s now in the meeting with the man who took Blevins’s place.”

“Or he isn’t committing a crime so he has nothing to hide by sitting with our subject.”

“I think he would have said something to you, had he seen you.”

“I agree. He seems like the kind of guy to be aware of everything going on in a room. I bent over to pick up my cell phone when I dropped it. He could have come in the bar at that moment and missed me.”

Jack shrugged. “What are they doing now?”

“Just talking.”

“How are we going to handle this?” Jack asked.

“Maybe we should just head back there and slide into the booth and join them.” She grinned.

“We’d get more out of them by simply questioning them each on their own. I called for backup, just so you know. No one is coming in or interfering. Just a couple of deputies to wait outside in case things turn ugly.”

“Backup? Our point in being here tonight was to watch. Even if we’re only going to ask questions, we’re not charging anyone. They haven’t committed a crime.”

“That we know about. If it is the pilot who took Blevins’s place, we have questions for him. My deputies should be in place now. One at the entrance and one at the back door, just in case.”

The same waitress approached, and Jack ordered a soda. She smiled, but Terra didn’t miss her frustration. She probably figured her tip wouldn’t be worth the effort. But Terra would be sure to leave a good one.

In fact, before things started moving, she pulled out a twenty and laid it on the table. “If this guy in the booth is our pilot, Chance Carter, and he’s trying to keep a low profile, then hanging out at the local bar doesn’t seem wise.”

“Unless it’s worth the risk.” Jack ducked his head, hiding under his cap as more patrons entered.

“I might not have connected the two events.” Terra leaned forward on her folded arms. “The plane crash and then Jim’s murder on the heels of that, except that Carter disappeared. Why?”

“He’s got something to hide. Or he’s afraid for his life.” Jack thanked the waitress, who set the drink in front of him. He took a sip. “But that’s what I intend to find out tonight.”

Terra finished her drink and swirled the ice in her glass. “We know he’s a courier for an airfreight company, so his job is to deliver packages. It’s possible he was delivering contraband related to Jim’s and Neva’s murders.”

“Agreed. Given the chain of events, I’d say highly probable. We know Jim helped Carter and was murdered while the pilot was in the hospital, so Carter didn’t commit the murder. But did Jim lift the package Carter was delivering? Because it wasn’t on the plane or with Carter when he was taken to the hospital. Was Jim murdered for Carter’s package?”

Terra blew out a breath. “So, it stands to reason that Carter came here tonight to look for the package so he can deliver it and get paid. Or deliver and not die like Jim and Neva.”

“You could be right.” Jack held her gaze. “What’s happening now? Still talking?”

“A waitress delivered beers. Maybe they haven’t gotten down to business yet.”

Terra looked into Jack’s eyes and saw the questions swirling. They had more questions than answers.

A ruckus at the back drew her attention. Adrenaline shoved through her veins, and she palmed her weapon in her shoulder holster. “Carter stood up. He’s reaching across the table now. He’s grabbing Leif by the collar like he’s threatening him.”

“Another change of plans.” Jack stood. “We need to leave now.”

“What? Why?”

“You don’t want to be sitting there when Leif walks out.”

FIFTY

Chance had taken more risks than usual tonight. Anger boiled through him, and he sucked down another cold beer before he trusted his legs not to follow that murderer through the door. If he hadn’t known to watch his back before, he knew to watch it now.

He thought back to the moment he’d watched the man enter the bar, nod and wink at the waitress, take in everyone in the room without being obvious, and stroll to the back. Recognition slammed into Chance, and he almost choked on the microbrew he’d been trying thanks to the waitress’s recommendation and some extra cash, compliments of Blevins.

He’d gotten control over his emotions. Regained his composure mere moments before the guy slid into the booth across from him.

Then the guy had the nerve to smirk. “So, you survived.”

Chance gained control over his anger, but he still ground out the words. “You. You were responsible for the crash. You sabotaged my plane.”

Chance had seen him back at the hangar right before he’d left for Montana. After Chance had finished his preflight check, he made sure his tanks were full of fuel and then he ran quickly to use the facilities. This guy had been talking to another pilot across the hangar.

The guy lifted his hands. “Nothing personal.”

“Just business?” Chance gripped his beer mug much too tightly. That was to keep from slamming it into this guy’s head. He didn’t need to draw attention to himself, especially since he’d spotted a