that they
were such good friends. He liked Joe, but his family ties made Jude
uncomfortable. They didn't bother Michaela, who had seen plenty of
Joe's softer side. She'd seen him with his little girl, Gen,
Michaela's first autistic student and the reason she'd agreed to
open the riding center in the first place. She adored the little
girl, who loved to be around horses. No, she was not about to lose
any of it—her animals, her friends, the kids, her ranch. She'd
fight whoever had set her up. "We've got to get a handle on this.
You and I both know the cops won't help me."
"What about Jude? The guy is crazy for
you."
"He's on a cruise with his little
girl."
"Oh."
"Oh is right, and he won't be back for
five days. I can't wait for five days while Peters attempts to burn
me at the stake. I've got to find out who did this, who murdered
Sterling Taber."
"Oh no. I see where this is
going."
"It's not like we've never been down
this road before. We make a good team. You know we do, and this
time I really need your help."
He didn't comment for a second, just
sort of frowned, then nodded. "Where do we start?"
She sighed. "By questioning that
Sorvino brat. Pepe's daughter, Lucia." Joe turned the corner into
Michaela's ranch. A slight sound escaped from her lips. "Oh my
God."
"You can say that again. I don't think
we start with Lucia."
Nine
A local TV news van was parked out in
front, with a blonde-headed woman reporter all miked up and ready
to interview, along with her cameraman. It looked as though Camden
and Dwayne were trying to chase them off the property, but they
were being completely ignored. Now they turned their attention to
the oncoming minivan. "This isn't good," Joe said. "I can run them
over."
"No!"
"Just kidding. Maybe I can flip a U-ee
and we'll make a run for it."
"No, don't do that! What do they
want?"
"I think we are about to find out. Keep
your head down and walk to the house. I'll get rid of them." Joe
parked the van and got out first, asking everyone to back away. He
did his best to keep his hulking self in front of her while the
reporter shouted obnoxious questions at her: "Did you kill Mr.
Taber? Were you in love with Sterling Taber? What about your riding
center?"
Michaela turned around and faced the
reporter—a statuesque blonde with a crisp navy suit and
heels.
"What are you doing?" Joe
asked.
"I'm telling them the truth. For the
record, I barely knew Mr. Taber. I did not kill him. My riding
center will remain open. I ask that you respect my property and my
privacy and please leave."
She turned around and headed toward her
front door. The cameraman and reporter ran in front of her and were
now in her face. The reporter shoved the microphone at her. "How
did you meet Mr. Taber? Can you tell us about the mallet?" She
tried to push the camera out of the way, which caused her to trip
and nearly fall as she reached the front porch step.
Joe lost it at that point. "Get the
hell out of here, or I will call the police. You are on private
property and Ms. Bancroft will charge you with trespassing. She's
made a statement, and has kindly asked you to leave. I won't be so
kind. Get the hell out of here!" he bellowed.
One look at Joe and the newspeople
understood he was serious. Michaela finally made it through her
front door and heard her phone ringing. Joe eyed her as she reached
for it. "Let me answer it." He grabbed the phone before she could.
"No!" he yelled, slamming it down. He looked at Michaela, who set
her purse on the kitchen counter. "Reporter."
"Ah. Great! As if I'm suddenly like
Angelina Jolie adopting a new kid. At least instead of making
People magazine's most beautiful list, I'll only have the honor of
making Indio's most wanted list. Just what I need—star status.
Yeah. Great. Why do they have any interest in me?"
Camden walked in with Dwayne like a lap
dog at her heels. Michaela still needed to have that one-on-one
with her, and the sooner the better. She had to get to the
were such good friends. He liked Joe, but his family ties made Jude
uncomfortable. They didn't bother Michaela, who had seen plenty of
Joe's softer side. She'd seen him with his little girl, Gen,
Michaela's first autistic student and the reason she'd agreed to
open the riding center in the first place. She adored the little
girl, who loved to be around horses. No, she was not about to lose
any of it—her animals, her friends, the kids, her ranch. She'd
fight whoever had set her up. "We've got to get a handle on this.
You and I both know the cops won't help me."
"What about Jude? The guy is crazy for
you."
"He's on a cruise with his little
girl."
"Oh."
"Oh is right, and he won't be back for
five days. I can't wait for five days while Peters attempts to burn
me at the stake. I've got to find out who did this, who murdered
Sterling Taber."
"Oh no. I see where this is
going."
"It's not like we've never been down
this road before. We make a good team. You know we do, and this
time I really need your help."
He didn't comment for a second, just
sort of frowned, then nodded. "Where do we start?"
She sighed. "By questioning that
Sorvino brat. Pepe's daughter, Lucia." Joe turned the corner into
Michaela's ranch. A slight sound escaped from her lips. "Oh my
God."
"You can say that again. I don't think
we start with Lucia."
Nine
A local TV news van was parked out in
front, with a blonde-headed woman reporter all miked up and ready
to interview, along with her cameraman. It looked as though Camden
and Dwayne were trying to chase them off the property, but they
were being completely ignored. Now they turned their attention to
the oncoming minivan. "This isn't good," Joe said. "I can run them
over."
"No!"
"Just kidding. Maybe I can flip a U-ee
and we'll make a run for it."
"No, don't do that! What do they
want?"
"I think we are about to find out. Keep
your head down and walk to the house. I'll get rid of them." Joe
parked the van and got out first, asking everyone to back away. He
did his best to keep his hulking self in front of her while the
reporter shouted obnoxious questions at her: "Did you kill Mr.
Taber? Were you in love with Sterling Taber? What about your riding
center?"
Michaela turned around and faced the
reporter—a statuesque blonde with a crisp navy suit and
heels.
"What are you doing?" Joe
asked.
"I'm telling them the truth. For the
record, I barely knew Mr. Taber. I did not kill him. My riding
center will remain open. I ask that you respect my property and my
privacy and please leave."
She turned around and headed toward her
front door. The cameraman and reporter ran in front of her and were
now in her face. The reporter shoved the microphone at her. "How
did you meet Mr. Taber? Can you tell us about the mallet?" She
tried to push the camera out of the way, which caused her to trip
and nearly fall as she reached the front porch step.
Joe lost it at that point. "Get the
hell out of here, or I will call the police. You are on private
property and Ms. Bancroft will charge you with trespassing. She's
made a statement, and has kindly asked you to leave. I won't be so
kind. Get the hell out of here!" he bellowed.
One look at Joe and the newspeople
understood he was serious. Michaela finally made it through her
front door and heard her phone ringing. Joe eyed her as she reached
for it. "Let me answer it." He grabbed the phone before she could.
"No!" he yelled, slamming it down. He looked at Michaela, who set
her purse on the kitchen counter. "Reporter."
"Ah. Great! As if I'm suddenly like
Angelina Jolie adopting a new kid. At least instead of making
People magazine's most beautiful list, I'll only have the honor of
making Indio's most wanted list. Just what I need—star status.
Yeah. Great. Why do they have any interest in me?"
Camden walked in with Dwayne like a lap
dog at her heels. Michaela still needed to have that one-on-one
with her, and the sooner the better. She had to get to the
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