LITMIR.BIZ

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was a line he did not want to cross. He was a professional, and that was reason enough to hold himself back. He could never acknowledge that spark of personal concern he felt for her. It would only lead to trouble.

      Still, he wanted to offer her some comfort. She’d probably just spent at least an hour looking over articles containing awful details and looking at her dad’s picture.

      There are some experiences you don’t ever get over. He knew that from personal experience. He’d seen friends closer than brothers and sisters mortally wounded in combat zones. He still thought of them every single day.

      Finally, he reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He might have already told her that at the ranch, but he’d tell it to her every day if she needed him to.

      “Thank you.” She took a deep breath and appeared a little steadier. He let his hand drop back down to his side.

      “Nobody was ever brought to trial for what happened to your dad, right?” he asked, trying to remember what had happened in the aftermath. There would be records of the investigation in the police department storage. They would include details that had not been made public.

      “No one was charged with the murder,” she said. “A few people were brought in for questioning. Two men, Kenny Goren and Eddie Scott, were brought in more than once. People anticipated one or the other would eventually be arrested and charged, but it never happened.”

      It would be interesting to know if those two men had been cleared of the crime, or if there just wasn’t enough evidence to charge them.

      While she was talking, Vanessa unlocked the truck and set her papers and purse on the passenger seat.

      “I’ll follow you back to the ranch,” Levi said. “Make sure you get there safely.”

      “That’s not necessary. I won’t be going alone. Rosa’s in town, too. I’m going to pick her up and we’ll ride back to the ranch together.”

      Levi wasn’t convinced that was enough protection.

      “Don’t worry,” Vanessa said as she climbed into the truck. “Rosa brought her gun.”

      Levi stepped back so she could close the door. Then he watched her start up the truck, cautiously pull away from the curb and then head down the road.

      Conducting a murder investigation could be a dangerous undertaking for anyone. Even if the murder was a case that had run cold years ago.

      That harrowing attack on the mesa last night might not even be about her dad’s murder. But now that Levi had started thinking about her father’s case, he couldn’t stop. Maybe it was time for the police department to focus on it once again.

      Levi walked down the street and into a sandwich shop where he ordered a couple of roast beef subs and two cups of coffee. While he was waiting, he received a text from the police department tech giving the name associated with the hang-up call Vanessa had received. Marv Burke. The name didn’t ring any bells for him, but maybe it would mean something to Vanessa.

      He carried the food and coffees back to the police station and strode directly to the chief’s office, where he knocked on the open door and waited for the chief to stop typing on his keyboard. Finally, Chief Haskell leaned back in his chair and barked out, “Enter.”

      Levi dropped one of the sandwiches on the desk in front of the chief and set a cup of coffee close to it.

      The chief rubbed a thick hand across his freckled bald head and peered suspiciously at Levi. Then he reached for the sandwich. “You obviously want something.”

      Levi didn’t bother trying to deny it. “Chief, do you remember the murder of that cowboy, Josh Ford, up on Morgan Mesa about twenty years ago?”

      “Of course.” He unwrapped his sandwich. “I was a patrolman back then. Heard the original call go out over the radio after a motorist found the body. You would have just been a kid back then.” He popped open the lid on his coffee and took a sip.

      “What do you remember about it?”

      The chief sighed. “Poor guy was found lying dead in the middle of a road up on the mesa. Single point-blank gunshot to his chest. The newspaper was calling it ‘Murder Mesa’ for a while. His pickup truck was parked on the edge of the road, the driver’s-side door hanging open and the engine still running when he was found.”

      “What kind of leads did you get?”

      “A lot of chatter, but not much physical evidence. There were a couple of suspects that looked good for it, but both got cleared for some reason or other.” He shook his head. “It’s a shame we were never able to lock anybody up for it. Josh Ford worked on the O’Connell ranch, it was payday and they paid cash, and his wallet was missing. Most of us figured it for a robbery gone bad.

      “There were some wild theories about there being a psycho on the loose up there, but on the whole, most people wanted to believe the killer was some transient who was long gone. They get some seasonal workers up there who come and go and nobody ever knows who they really are. Could have been one of them, I suppose.” The chief shrugged and Levi got the feeling he didn’t really believe that was the case. “There was also talk that murder might have been the motive and the scene was just set up to look like a robbery. But nobody could ever find anything to prove that.”

      Levi flipped open the lid on his own coffee and took a sip. “What do you know about Josh Ford?”

      When he was a kid, Levi and his family had been fans of the young cowboy. They were all heartbroken when their local hero was murdered, but Levi had been especially devastated. In his young mind it had felt to him like a member of his own family had died. Maybe because each time he’d seen Josh compete, it had been as part of a Hawk family outing. Now, with the perspective of an adult, Levi realized he didn’t really know much at all about Vanessa’s father.

      “I didn’t know him personally,” the chief said. “Just knew of him. He was a good calf roper. Won a lot of competitions. His wife, Claire, was a pretty decent barrel racer. She and her daughter used to dress in matching fancy fringed shirts with lots of rhinestones when they were at a rodeo.”

      Levi unwrapped his sandwich. “Do you think it’s a coincidence their little girl is the woman who was attacked on the mesa last night? Especially since the attack came after she’d spent the day asking questions about the murder?”

      “I feel the same way most cops do about coincidence. It makes me suspect something more is going on.” The chief set down his sandwich and wiped the crumbs from his hands. “So you want to reopen the Josh Ford case?” He raised an eyebrow. “In addition to the workload you already have?”

      “Yes, sir, I do. Vanessa’s questions could be what triggered the attack. She thinks there could be somebody with information who won’t talk to a cop, but who will talk to her. And if the attack truly is connected, that means there’s information out there someone doesn’t want her to find.”

      The chief took a bite of his sandwich and thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of a civilian putting herself in danger to do something that’s technically police business.”

      “Yeah, but she seems determined to ask her questions and try to develop some kind of lead. At least if I work with her, I can protect her if she ends up in a dangerous situation.”

      The chief looked doubtful.

      “It’s only for a couple of weeks,” Levi added. “And then she has to get back to her job in Las Vegas.”

      “I do like the idea of you keeping an eye on her, especially if there are any additional attacks.” The chief leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. For a few seconds he turned his gaze away from Levi and toward the window into the squad room where he could watch his officers work. “First the murder, then that stepfather of hers.”

      “What about the stepfather?” Levi

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