exactly?”
“That’s enough,” Douglas said. “We’ll not take part in your little fishing expedition. We’re leaving.”
“Did Mr. Wheatley invite you to the skybox that night?
“Tempest did.”
“Not one more word, Lisa,” Douglas said, standing and pulling her up beside him.
Detective Ryan stood, but he wasn’t finished. “Did you want Tempest out of the way so he could marry you?”
Lisa drew an angry breath.
“You’re way out of line,” Douglas snapped, his mouth grim.
“Fine. But don’t leave town,” one of the detectives warned as they left the room.
Max and Darin were in the hall. Max with his cell phone glued to his ear. When he saw them, he gave the phone to Lisa.
“Talk to Taralyn. Tell her everything is all right or she’ll be down here herself.”
“Not if I can help it,” Lisa said, grabbing the phone. “TJ. I’m okay. Darin is here and he’ll take me to my car. I’ll be home in forty-five minutes.” She listened for a few seconds. “Don’t get yourself all worked up. I’ll call as soon as I get home.”
It took several more minutes to convince TJ.
When Lisa hung up, she looked at Darin. “Will you take me to my car?”
“I’ll take you,” Douglas said before Darin could answer.
“I’m closer,” Darin argued.
“I have questions. Then I’ll follow her home, make sure she’s safe.”
Darin threw his hands up in surrender.
“Why don’t you hang around a bit and see what you can find out about all this,” Douglas suggested.
Lisa looked over at Douglas, thankful that her attorney was so eager to help her. But she wanted more.
Chapter Five
Lisa awoke with the worst headache she’d ever had. But then, she’d never before been accused of murder. Just the thought brought back the horror of last night. If it hadn’t been for Douglas she didn’t know what she would have done. True, Max and Darin had been there for her, but it was Douglas who had protected her, searched the apartment when he'd brought her home, made a pot of tea and sat with her until she calmed down.
No wonder she loved him.
She struggled out of bed, made a pot of coffee, took two Tylenol, and reached for her cell phone.
First, she called TJ to reassure her pregnant friend the cops’ more than subtle accusations weren’t going to get her down and she was sticking with her regular schedule for the day. Next, she called Nellie, her adopted mom, to tell the matriarch of the Callahan tribe first-hand that she was fine.
She decided against calling Douglas, and dialed Darin’s number instead. He knew nothing more than what they'd learned last night.
After showering and dressing in a pair of worn jeans, T-shirt, jacket, and boots, she left the apartment.
She had a job to do. She wasn’t going to mope around her apartment and feel sorry for herself because the cops wanted to hang a murder rap around her neck. She’d rather find the killer herself.
Right now, she didn’t know where to look. The rodeo was a given. Other than Harold, who else at the rodeo could be put in the suspicious column? No one she could think of.
She’d have to concentrate on Harold. He was the key. His edginess the night Tempest died told her he had something to hide. That something most likely pertained to his wife. She’d bet on it. Her mind whirled with questions she wanted to ask him—with all she wanted to check out.
But not today. At least not until tonight. Right now, she had something almost as important to do.
****
It was a glorious winter morning with blue skies and a temperature in the fifties. It was a perfect day for Lisa to practice. But when Douglas climbed out of his SUV and looked across the field, he didn’t see her.
Lisa stabled her horse, Sugarplum, next to a practice field, and went there as often as possible. With her barrel racing competition coming up, he’d bet on her being here now.
Just as he thought he might be mistaken, a horse and rider thundered toward three barrels set
“That’s enough,” Douglas said. “We’ll not take part in your little fishing expedition. We’re leaving.”
“Did Mr. Wheatley invite you to the skybox that night?
“Tempest did.”
“Not one more word, Lisa,” Douglas said, standing and pulling her up beside him.
Detective Ryan stood, but he wasn’t finished. “Did you want Tempest out of the way so he could marry you?”
Lisa drew an angry breath.
“You’re way out of line,” Douglas snapped, his mouth grim.
“Fine. But don’t leave town,” one of the detectives warned as they left the room.
Max and Darin were in the hall. Max with his cell phone glued to his ear. When he saw them, he gave the phone to Lisa.
“Talk to Taralyn. Tell her everything is all right or she’ll be down here herself.”
“Not if I can help it,” Lisa said, grabbing the phone. “TJ. I’m okay. Darin is here and he’ll take me to my car. I’ll be home in forty-five minutes.” She listened for a few seconds. “Don’t get yourself all worked up. I’ll call as soon as I get home.”
It took several more minutes to convince TJ.
When Lisa hung up, she looked at Darin. “Will you take me to my car?”
“I’ll take you,” Douglas said before Darin could answer.
“I’m closer,” Darin argued.
“I have questions. Then I’ll follow her home, make sure she’s safe.”
Darin threw his hands up in surrender.
“Why don’t you hang around a bit and see what you can find out about all this,” Douglas suggested.
Lisa looked over at Douglas, thankful that her attorney was so eager to help her. But she wanted more.
Chapter Five
Lisa awoke with the worst headache she’d ever had. But then, she’d never before been accused of murder. Just the thought brought back the horror of last night. If it hadn’t been for Douglas she didn’t know what she would have done. True, Max and Darin had been there for her, but it was Douglas who had protected her, searched the apartment when he'd brought her home, made a pot of tea and sat with her until she calmed down.
No wonder she loved him.
She struggled out of bed, made a pot of coffee, took two Tylenol, and reached for her cell phone.
First, she called TJ to reassure her pregnant friend the cops’ more than subtle accusations weren’t going to get her down and she was sticking with her regular schedule for the day. Next, she called Nellie, her adopted mom, to tell the matriarch of the Callahan tribe first-hand that she was fine.
She decided against calling Douglas, and dialed Darin’s number instead. He knew nothing more than what they'd learned last night.
After showering and dressing in a pair of worn jeans, T-shirt, jacket, and boots, she left the apartment.
She had a job to do. She wasn’t going to mope around her apartment and feel sorry for herself because the cops wanted to hang a murder rap around her neck. She’d rather find the killer herself.
Right now, she didn’t know where to look. The rodeo was a given. Other than Harold, who else at the rodeo could be put in the suspicious column? No one she could think of.
She’d have to concentrate on Harold. He was the key. His edginess the night Tempest died told her he had something to hide. That something most likely pertained to his wife. She’d bet on it. Her mind whirled with questions she wanted to ask him—with all she wanted to check out.
But not today. At least not until tonight. Right now, she had something almost as important to do.
****
It was a glorious winter morning with blue skies and a temperature in the fifties. It was a perfect day for Lisa to practice. But when Douglas climbed out of his SUV and looked across the field, he didn’t see her.
Lisa stabled her horse, Sugarplum, next to a practice field, and went there as often as possible. With her barrel racing competition coming up, he’d bet on her being here now.
Just as he thought he might be mistaken, a horse and rider thundered toward three barrels set
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